The second component of the Depth and Complexity Framework is the Content Imperatives. Just as keys unlock a door, the Content Imperatives are terms that unlock the meaning of an area or topic of study. Each Content Imperative provides students with a prompt to initiate in-depth inquiry about the subject matter. These icons focus the investigation of a topic of study from a broad, general area to a more structured and specific one. Content Imperatives help educators differentiate the core curriculum so that it is aligned to the needs and abilities of gifted and high-ability students. The Content Imperative icons represent a set of terms that activate higher levels of knowing. They demand more sophisticated resources of information, more analytical thinking to understand the subject matter, and more complicated products to share what has been learned. Content Imperatives can be effective when used independently, but they were designed to be used in pairings with the Depth and Complexity Icons.
Need a refresher on the Content Imperatives? Watch the video below.
Another helpful resource for this course is the Content Imperative Cheat Sheet. Feel free to print the page for your reference.