Did you know…? There are different levels of thought when you’re reading, just like there are different levels of video games. When you are reading… The lower levels of thinking are more obvious. The higher levels of thinking require you to work harder, and dig deeper into the material, but they help you learn the most. When you play video games… The lower levels are easier, but everyone can beat them. The higher levels are much harder, and require more effort, but when you beat them it is much more rewarding!

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Levels of Thought Deepest Level Not Very Deep Evaluate: to judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of; assess

What questions allow us to reach deeper levels of thinking? 1. Why? 2. How do you know? 3. What if…? 4. What do you mean? 5. Does that always work/apply? 6. Are you sure? 7. What does that look like?

What tools can we use to think deeply? There are 8 main Depth Icons that we will study in order to equip you with the skills necessary to be critical thinkers. Now introducing… (drum roll please) the Depth Icons ! (and a critical analysis of the Disney film The Little Mermaid)

Details: characteristics Details about the story The Little Mermaid: Ariel is a mermaid. Her best friend is Flounder the fish. How deep is our level of thought when we find details?

Patterns: what’s repeated? Patterns in the story The Little Mermaid: Ariel disobeys her father several times. She swims up to the surface to see humans. She collects human items. She meets with Ursula. How do we find patterns in stories?

Trends: common patterns Trends in fairy tales like The Little Mermaid: There is a “damsel in distress” who finds herself in a situation where she needs help. They usually find true love and live “happily ever after” in the end. What other trends do you often find in fairy tales?

Different Perspectives: points of view How do others see the situation? Different Perspectives in the story The Little Mermaid: Flounder would miss Ariel if she was no longer living under the sea. Prince Erick would be happy if Ariel became a human. Why do we need to consider different perspectives when we read?

Changes Over Time How have characters changed throughout the story? King Triton changed his mind about humans, and allowed his daughter to be a human in the end. Why should we think about the changes that happen over time?

Big Ideas: what’s the main idea? The big idea in The Little Mermaid: To find the big idea, you need to sum up the overall, most important idea throughout the story. What is an example of a big idea in The Little Mermaid?

Ethics: judging… right or wrong? Thinking about ethics in the story The Little Mermaid: It was wrong and selfish for Ariel to leave her family under the sea to become a human. Ariel did the right thing because she truly loved Prince Erick and deserved to be with him. How deep is our level of thought when we discuss ethics?

Unanswered Questions: What do you still want to know? Did Ariel ever turn back into a mermaid again? I wonder if Ariel still enjoyed collecting random human things after she became a human. What unanswered questions do you have about the story?