Depth Icons: Tools for Thought

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 ThoughtDeepest 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 theDisney film The Little Mermaid)

Language of the Discipline: wordsTerminology, Slang, Key PhrasesWhat words are specific to this film? To

animated/Disney films in general? DinglehopperScuttlebutt

Details: characteristicsDetails 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?

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?

Rules What are the rules of the story? Of the genre? Of the society?Structure, Order, Reasons,

OrganizationAriel is not supposed to go

on land.She is also not supposed to

visit UrsulaDisney films usually end

with a “happily ever after” between a male and female character.

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?

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 thoughtwhen we discuss ethics?

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?

Across the Disciplines:Connect, associate, cross-curricular (across

subjects)How can you compare this film/story to

something of a different discipline? To real life? To science? To history? To economics?

How can you connect this story or its themes/contents to a different subject?

Different Perspectives: points of viewHow 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 TimeHow 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?