The ToddCast - Big Idea (Depth and Complexity icon)

Big Idea (Depth and Complexity icon) - what's the big idea? We often ask this question. The big idea is what you are supposed to get or be learning from something. These are sometimes called essential questions or learning objectives, but ultimately the big idea is what it all boils down to. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the book jacket of a novel. On this, the publisher has to include enough of the big idea to entice you to want to read it, but not so much that it ruins the story for you. We pick up a book and look at this big idea to determine whether we are going to commit our time to reading the entire thing. Students should always know the big idea when they are learning, and not just the what but the why. Why are they learning this big idea and how will it be beneficial to them?