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Abstract
This chapter discusses how critical thinking can be promoted in the Singapore primary
English classrooms. The targeted students in such classrooms range from age 7 to 12
years of age. In this chapter, the use of Walt Disney animated cartoons is highlighted to
infuse critical thinking in English literacy lessons. These films can provide a context for
engaging and reflective discussions and encourage teachers to teach critical thinking
skills to promote a thinking culture in the English primary classrooms in Singapore.
1. Introduction
Ultimately, it is not we who define thinking, it is thinking that defines us.
Carey, Foltz, & Allan (Newsweek, 1983, February 7)
At the 2005 Work Plan Seminar for school leaders and educational practitioners,
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, our Minister for Education, called for a re-examination of
the fundamentals of teaching and learning. Introducing the theme, Touching Hearts,
Engaging Minds Preparing Our Learners for Life under the Teach Less, Learn More
(TLLM) framework, the central foci is on examining and reflecting on the changing
landscape of knowledge construction and the impact of this change on teaching and
learning (Shanmugaratnam, 2005). This philosophy re-positions our students as the
constructors and owners of knowledge and demands for a more creative curricular that
nurtures them to become intelligent thinkers, who can self-regulate their own thought
processes on top of acquiring appropriate attitude and knowledge for effective learning
(Halpern, 2003).
As teachers, our challenge in the changing education landscape is to guide the
unschooled mind of our children (Gardener, 1995) and help them to develop into
curious, critical, analytical reflective thinkers problem solvers who are quick to learn,
flexible and able to add value to their employing organizations (Harvey et al, 1997 cited
in Pithers, 2000).These dispositions or attitudes associated with critical thinking will also
equip them to face the complexities and challenges of the new millennium with
confidence (Lim, 1997). In Singapore, two important desired outcomes of education for
the primary pupils are the abilities to distinguish right from wrong and to think for and
express themselves (Ministry of Education, 1998). Since critical thinking is a learnable
skill (Halpern, 2003), it is feasible to design lessons that will achieve these outcomes that
characterize clear, precise, purposeful thinking.
In the context of the primary English classrooms, one strategy is to introduce pop culture
such as Walt Disney animated cartoons in reflective discussions. In relation to children,
the term pop culture refers to those cultural texts, artefacts and practices which are
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attractive to large numbers of children and which are often mass produced on global
scale (Kenway and Bullen, 2001 cited in Marsh, 2005:2). In this paper, pop culture in
the form of animated cartoons, which are popular among children, can be effectively used
to engage pupils in learning as well as to develop their critical and literacy skills.
Specifically, six Walt Disney animated cartoons are used to demonstrate the infusion of
the critical thinking skills (listed in Figure 1) in the primary English classrooms in
Singapore. This list is not exhaustive but it suggests how the contemporary childhoods
and literacy lives are shaped by the emergence of pop culture and new technologies,
which will in turn shape the pedagogical practices in the modern day classrooms (Marsh,
2005).
Critical Thinking
Goal: Critical judgment
Skills at assessing the reasonableness of ideas
1. Assessing basic information
Accuracy of observation
Reliability of sources
2. Inference
Use of Evidence
Casual explanation
Prediction
Generalization
Reasoning by analogy
Deduction
Conditional reasoning (ifthen)
REPRESENTATIVE ATTITUDE
We should base judgment on good reasons, we should be open-minded.
Figure 1
There are three approaches to teaching thinking in a classroom (Swartz and Parks, 1994).
This includes (a) the teaching of thinking where direct instruction in thinking is given in a
non-curricular context; (b) the teaching for thinking where methods are used to promote
thinking in curricular contexts and (c) infusion where direct instruction in specific
thinking skills are integrated in content area lessons. Such infusion lessons help to
improve student thinking and enhances content learning.
In this paper, the third approach is adopted to infuse critical thinking skills in primary
English lessons to support our ministers call to Teach Less and Learn More. The main
thrust of this paper revolves around the kinds of critical questions teachers can ask during
a reflective discussion about the plot, theme and characterization seen in each Walt
Disney cartoon used. Such teacher-student interaction is crucial, as it serves as a platform
where critical thinking can be best promoted (Raths et al, 1966).
Each of these cartoons can be screened before a speaking, listening, reading, writing or
grammar lesson to help them to acquire a questioning attitude pertinent in the
development of critical thinking skills. According to Goh and Yio (2002:124), critical
questions are asked to help students to:
reflect on the content of the text and not merely process it
attend closely to the text to identify inconsistencies within it
justify reactions or comments to the text (not anything goes)
make inferences that are supported by logical deductions
In the context of this paper, the term text refers to the digitalized texts or animated
cartoons used.
A. Technical Quality
should be well engineered and manufactured
sound must be high quality
spoken recordings should have appropriate background music and sound effects;
good balance of narration and dialogue, music and sound effects
video recordings should be well framed and focused;
colour should be suited to the mood and type of story.
B. Content Quality
respect for children's intelligence and imagination (should not be overly "cute")
adaptations acceptable when the mood of the original source is retained
content follows a logical development
provides insight into human and social needs
contribution towards breadth of critical viewpoints on controversial issues
relevant to themes and language features highlighted in the English course books
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C. Performance
highest quality is essential in all types of performances
over-dramatization is avoided
narrators' and storytellers' voices should be well-modulated. They should speak
clearly with good diction. Style should be distinctive and entertaining.
D. Authenticity
accurate up-to-date information is provided
facts should be impartially presented
statements with other relevant information (Swartz and Parks, 1994; Pithers, 2000;
Cederblom & Paulsen, 2001; Fisher, 2001). An example of a critical question on The
Sleeping Beauty would be:
What must Prince Philip do in order to save Princess Aurora?
In the following sections, six Walt Disney animated cartoons are recommended to teach
the different critical thinking skills at each grade level in the Singapore Primary English
classrooms. Specific language features from selected units are taken from several local
English primary textbooks to suggest how these critical thinking skills can be infused in
the teaching of English. A summary list can be seen in Appendix 1. It is to be noted that
at each grade level, a second cartoon title is suggested for further use.
Cartoon 1: Wishing Upon a Starfish in Princess Stories: A Gift From the Heart
Grade level
Primary 1
Duration
20 minutes
Synopsis
Celebrate English 1A
Unit 3: Animals Big and Small
Language Features
Critical Questions
Simile
What kind of animal does Princess
Ariel look like? How do you know?
Can you describe how she looks in
detail to me?
Simile
Why cant Princess Ariel dance like
the ballerina figure she is holding?
Does she look like the figure? Which
Comparison of
part of her body is the same and which
adjectives
part is different?
Comparison of
In the fighting scene between
adjectives
Sebastian, the hermit crab, and the cat,
who do you think will win the fight?
Why do you say so?
Asking and answering Why do you think Gabrielle use sign
questions
language to speak with Ariel? Do you
know what she is saying to Ariel? How
do you know?
Primary 2
Duration
85 minutes
Synopsis
Celebrate English 2B
Unit 4: Fun with Stories
Language Features
Past tense
Beginning
Critical Questions
At the beginning of the story, how did
Mowgli end up at the jungle?
Past tense
Present tense
Past tense
Past tense
Ending
Present tense
Ending
Cartoon 3: Mulan
Grade level
Primary 3
Duration
85 minutes
Synopsis
Mulans father was recalled into the army to fight the Hun
leader, Shan Yu and his army. As he was old and stricken with
illness, he would not perform his duty. Mulan, his only child,
secretly replaced him by disguising herself as a man. With the
help of her guardian dragon, Mushu, she survived her basic
military training. Her bravery and determination helped her to
rescue the emperor from Shan Yus captivity and she was
awarded honour and love for her role as the heroine of the story.
Critical Questions
At the beginning of the story, Mulan
was trained to be a quiet, demure,
gracious, delicate, refined, poised and
gentle lady. Do you think these
descriptions fit her mannerism? Why
or why not?
Thinking verbs
Saying verbs
Thinking verbs
Saying verbs
Thinking verbs
Thinking verbs
Saying verbs
Grade level
Duration
60 minutes
Synopsis
Language Features
Critical Thinking Skill
(Causal Explanation)
Critical Questions
Collective
noun The population at the coral reef city is
(Singular and plural afraid of one group of sea creatures.
noun) used in subject- What is it? How do you know?
verb agreement
Why does Oscar lie to his friends that
he is the Shark Slayer? What makes
him resort to this means? Do you think
it is right for Oscar to do that?
Quantifiers: Either
/Neither
Collective
noun Why does Lenny escape from his home
(Singular and plural and disguise himself as a dolphin?
noun) used in subjectverb agreement
Why do you think Lennys father
forces him to hunt for fish?
Collective
noun Do you think Oscar will choose Lola or
(Singular and plural Angie to be his girlfriend at the end?
noun) used in subject- What makes you say so?
verb agreement
Do you think Lenny will reconcile with
his father by the end of the story? If
Quantifiers: Either you were his father, what would you
/Neither
have done to help Lenny to achieve life
skills?
Quantifiers: Either Why is Oscar ashamed of his job as a
/Neither
whale tongue scrubber?
Do you think Oscar is a hero? Why or
why not?
In what ways is Lenny an atypical
shark? How so?
10
Primary 5
Duration
85 minutes
Synopsis
Two Spanish friends, Tulio and Miguel and their dream horse
Altivo stumbled upon a route map in 1519 which led them
through adventurous journey to El Dorado, a fabled city full of
gold. By chance, Tulio and Miguel were mistaken as gods and
were worshipped and lavished with gold. Filled with greed, both
of them wanted to deceive the El Dorado people and leave the
land with their gold. But a turn of event saw them giving up
their gold, defeating a villainous high priest at El Dorado and
saving the city from discovery (and plundering) by the Spanish
conquistadors.
Critical Questions
How did Tulio and Miguel win the
route map from Cortes? Pretend as a
member of the crowd and describe
what you saw at the gambling scene.
Saying verbs
Saying verbs
Saying verbs
Saying verbs
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Language Features
Saying verbs
Critical Questions
Why did the people of El Dorado treat
Tulio and Miguel with so much
reverence and lavish them with gold?
Saying verbs
Grade level
Cartoon 6: Shrek
Primary 6
Duration
85 minutes
Synopsis
Language Features
Past tense
Critical Questions
At the beginning of the story, Shrek
was helped by a donkey in his daring
quest to save Princess Fiona? What
made this donkey so special? Do all
donkeys have traits like him?
The story also depicts fairytale figures
such as the three little pigs, snow white
and the seven dwarfs and Pinocchio.
Why do you think the writer wants to
include all these characters in this
story?
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Language Features
Past tense
Critical Questions
What caused Princess Fiona to be
beautiful by day and ugly by night?
Why do you think Princess Fiona could
not return to her old beautiful self even
though she had found true love in
Shrek? What life values can you learn
from this story?
Conditional sentences
if and unless
Conditional sentences
if
Conditional sentences
if and unless
learning (Lim, 1997), the teacher must consciously avoid behavioural patterns that will
inhibit students critical thinking. With reference to a social constructivist approach, we
can firstly re-look at the teachers pattern of talk in the classroom. Cazden (2001) informs
us that a traditional lesson is often dominated by the IRE (Initiate-Rely-Evaluate) or IRF
(Initiate-Reply-Feedback) structure where the teacher asks only display questions to
which she already knows the answer (p 146); simply agrees or disagrees, just
demonstrates and explains, cuts off student responses, uses reproof rather than praise,
shakes the learners confidence in the value of new ideas (Pithers, 2000:242). Such kind
of discourse pattern has limited usefulness as it seems to assess the pupils knowledge of
the subject matter (Mercer, 1995). It may result in inauthentic talk and discourage
students from exploring answers that are beyond the teachers frame of reference (Dillon,
1988, 1994; Wood & Wood, 1984, 1988; Edwards & Westgate, 1994; Cazden, 2001).
Instead, the teacher can promote the authentic discourse pattern seen in a non-traditional
lesson, where exploratory talk is seen as the predominant feature (Corden, 2000; Cazden,
2001). This kind of talk allows for the teacher to scaffold and guide her students towards
conjecturing, inventing and problem solving as they engage in reciprocal, open-ended
discussion to negotiate meanings and co-construct joint understanding of the texts
(Mercer, 1995; Corden, 2000; Cazden, 2001).
Therefore, to enculturate a thinking culture, the teacher can start by consciously use a
language of thinking in their lessons to help students to concretize their reasoning and
articulate their opinions (Tishan, Perkins & Jay, 1995 cited in Lim, 1997). This can be
done by:
asking questions using thinking words (refer to Appendix 2)
elaborating on explanations and statements
probing for clarification
providing feedback on students responses
Secondly, from the sociocultural perspective, the teacher can provide temporary cognitive
support (Hammond et al, 2001) by scaffolding a reflective discussion with the
following questions (Cleghorn, 2002:48):
Can you say more about that?
What makes you say that?
Do you have any evidence for that view?
How do you know that?
Why? Why? Why?
Is it possible to know if that is true?
Does anyone else support that view?
Ifthen what do you think about?
If the students cannot make any reasonable response to the questions posed, the teacher
as the scaffolder should point out the assumption(s) underlying the issue(s) and use a
series of questions to lead students to make critical judgment of the issues (Pither, 2000).
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to investigate into basic hypotheses with a suspicious and curious mind; giving examples
to support why we need to question some assumptions; doing simple exercises with
students to illustrate this point and teaching the application of facts rather than the
emphasis of acquiring facts and knowledge and be a model for questioning the
assumptions.
Conclusion
In this paper, critical questions about the content of six Walt Disney animated cartoons
are suggested to encourage constructive critical thinking behaviours amongst pupils. To
encourage students to think well, they must be recognized as thinking individuals (Goh
& Yio, 2002) who have the capability to acquire good thinking skills. With the right kind
of stimulus such as the use of the Walt Disney cartoons as well as teacher dispositions
and encouragement, we will see the learning of English as an engaging and rewarding
experience for our primary school pupils in Singapore.
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Appendix 1
Using Walt Disney Cartoons to Promote Critical Thinking in Singapore Primary English Classrooms
Grade Level
Primary 1
Textbook chapter
Celebrate English 1A
Unit 3: Animals Big and Small
Language features
Collective nouns
Comparison of adjectives
Question marks
Commas
Asking and answering questions
Similes
Singular and plural nouns
Gender
Verbs
Adjectives
Exclamation marks
Prepositions
Past tense, present tense
Beginning and endings
Adjectives
Singular and plural nouns
Generic structure of narrative text
Adjectives
Comparison of adjectives
Quotation marks, commas,
end punctuation, capital letters
Action verbs
Thinking verbs
Saying verbs / folk tales
Phrasal verbs get up
Ways to show possession of and
Inverted commas
Prefix of numbers and quantity
uni/bi/Tri/quad/octo/semi/multi
Collective noun- singular
and plural eg My squad is
and The squad want to make
sure they
Quantifiers: Either one of these
Books belongs to my brother
Neither of these books is interesting
Another/other/Book reviews
Clause and subordinate clause
Homophones
Play script
Saying verbs
First-person narrative
Aladdin
Shrek
Celebrate English 6A
Unit 2: Tales from the Past
Pocahontas
Celebrate English 1B
Unit 6: Monsters
Primary 2
Celebrate English 2B
Unit 4: Fun with Stories
Celebrate English 2B
Unit 5: Witches and Magic Spell
Primary 3
Primary 5
Primary 6
Pinocchio
Mulan
Lion King II
Shark Tale
Antz
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Appendix 2
A Language of Thinking Vocabulary (from Tishman, Perkins & Jay, 1995 cited in Lim, 1997:18)
advance
affirm
allege
analyze
appraise
appreciate
apprehend
ascertain
assert
assess
assume
attest
aver
believe
calculate
cerebrate
claim
cognize
comprehend
know
maintain
mediate
muse
observe
opine
perceive
ponder
posit
postulate
presume
probe
concede
conclude
confirm
conjecture
consider
construe
contemplate
contend
contradict
contravene
convince
corroborate
criticize
decide
declare
deduce
define
deliberate
demonstrate
process
profess
propose
propound
prove
question
rate
realize
reason
rebut
reckon
recognize
deny
derive
detect
determine
disbelieve
discern
disclaim
discover
discredit
discriminate
dispute
dissect
dissent
divine
doubt
elucidate
entertain
establish
estimate
recollect
reflect
remember
research
resolve
review
ruminate
scrutinize
solve
speculate
state
study
evidence
examine
explain
explore
fathom
glean
grasp
grope
guess
hypothesize
imply
infer
inquire
inspect
interpret
intuit
investigate
judge
justify
submit
suggest
suppose
surmise
survey
suspect
theorize
think
understand
verify
warrant
weigh
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