substitute the lyrics critical thinking creativity

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Ways to use song lyrics to improve comprehension, by miguel míguez, 05 july 2017 - 11:07.

Mariana Vusiatytska, used under licence  and adapted from the original .

Winner of the  TeachingEnglish blog award Miguel Míguez explains how teachers can use song lyrics in the classroom.

Song lyrics are great for developing broad comprehension skills

Teachers often use songs in the language classroom for comprehension exercises like 'gap-fills' (finding the right word to fill a gap in a sentence), re-ordering words so they make sense, or matching related words. In these exercises, students have to listen for words or phrases connected to a specific grammatical focus or semantic field. This approach involves working with individual sounds, words and phrases, rather than the text as a whole.

But you can also use songs to develop broader comprehension and critical thinking skills. Rather than focusing on individual words or sounds, students can make predictions about meaning, and then confirm or reject these predictions as they read or listen to the lyrics.

The focus is on the students: how they interact with the text, and what they bring to the reading or listening process.

Why song lyrics work so well for comprehension tasks

Instead of having students simply recognise facts, we want them to delve more deeply into a text. They can compare information, make connections with other parts of the text and their knowledge of the world, or use the information to create something new (such as a letter to the singer, or rewriting the story from a different point of view.)

There are four reasons songs are so useful for improving higher-order comprehension and critical thinking skills:

1. Lyrics are short – songs are very short texts, yet they can express a lot. This short length makes song lyrics ideal to develop specific skills intensively, or to zoom in on a particular learning approach.

2. Lyrics usually follow a similar structure – songs are often predictable in their structure, especially pop songs, which are most often used in the language classroom. They may raise questions and give background context first, before building up to a chorus that might answer those questions and express how the singer feels. Because students are often familiar with the structure of song lyrics, it allows them to concentrate on meaning and overall comprehension.

3. Lyrics may express emotion – students can identify with the singer’s feelings or relate to their situation, which often encourages meaningful discussion in class.

4. Lyrics are often vague – the language in song lyrics is often open to interpretation. Mysterious references are perfect for critical thinking skills, since they generate a lot of discussion and place students at the centre of the learning process, by making the content personal. And when the text can be understood differently by different people, the number of creative follow-up tasks is not only higher, but always much more engaging.

Examples of ways to use song lyrics in class

These qualities make song lyrics perfect for comprehension tasks that promote critical thinking. Don't just ask your class to simply recall information from a song, or listen for a specific set of words. Instead, get them to analyse the meaning of the song lyrics, compare the lyrics with other similar texts, such as poems or short stories, or make personal connections. There are lots of creative possibilities.

In the examples below, we will look at some ways to help students develop their reading, listening, speaking and writing skills, using the 1995 song  Lemon Tree  by the German band, Fool's Garden. The song is about a person who is bored and alone, waiting for someone’s help. It begins:

'I'm sitting here in the boring room It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon I'm wasting my time I got nothing to do I'm hanging around I'm waiting for you But nothing ever happens and I wonder'

Receptive skills: reading and listening

Here are a few ways students can develop reading and listening comprehension skills, such as inferring or deducing the meaning of unknown words:

Students can use song lyrics to identify the main idea of the text, then find the words that helped them to reach that conclusion. In Lemon Tree , for example, words such as 'boring', 'nothing', 'lonely' and 'tired' support the singer's expression of sadness.

Inferring, or reading between the lines, is a skill that works particularly well with songs due to their often-vague language. When making inferences, students usually have several options, so long as they can say why they have come up with each interpretation. For example, who is the 'you' in the line 'I’m waiting for you'?

'I'm waiting for you But nothing ever happens and I wonder'

In the chorus, the singer sings:

'I'm turning my head up and down I'm turning turning turning turning turning around And all that I can see is just another lemon tree'

Why is the singer turning his head up and down? Is the lemon tree something positive or negative? Students can often deduce the meaning of unknown words by using context clues. These clues will help students deal with new vocabulary in any type of text. By looking at the words, phrases or sentences around an unknown word, it is often possible to get an idea of what the word means.

Consider the line: 'Isolation is not good for me'.

Is 'isolation' a positive or a negative word? Look at the sentences before and after the word (‘nothing ever happens’, ‘not good’.) Are there any other words in the text with a related meaning? (e.g. ’lonely’, ‘nothing to do’, ‘nothing ever happens’.) Students could also deduce the meaning of ‘waste’ in the line 'I'm wasting my time' by looking at the surrounding words and phrases (‘boring’, ‘rainy’, ‘nothing to do’.)

Productive skills: speaking and writing

Ask students to write a story based on a few words from the song lyrics, and then compare it with the actual story in the song. What type of story do you think students could come up with using the title of the song Lemon Tree , and a few other words?

Ask students to make connections between the song and their own experiences. Can your class think of times when they felt the same way as the singer in Lemon Tree ? What was the reason? How did they solve the problem?

These personal responses to song lyrics can produce meaningful classroom debates and creative writing. Students could write a letter to the narrator of Lemon Tree , giving advice on how to solve his problem. They could continue the story, or even write a piece from the point of view of a friend who is trying to help.

Engaging students in critical thinking skills helps students understand texts better and improves language learning by making the texts their own. Songs are a perfect way to teach many of these skills.

Miguel is a teacher of English at a state bilingual secondary school in Madrid, Spain. He regularly shares lesson plans and ideas on his blog . 

Find out about the selection process for the TeachingEnglish blog award , and visit our  TeachingEnglish website  for more lesson plans and activities.

You might also be interested in

• Seven tips for English language beginners
• How to use songs in the English language classroom
• How to use movie dialogue in the classroom

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Getting smart collective, impact update, at the intersection of creativity and critical thinking.

Creativity and critical thinking sit atop most lists of skills crucial for success in the 21st century. They represent two of the “Four Cs” in   P21 ’s learning framework (the other two being communication and collaboration), and they rank second and third on the World Economic Forum ’s top ten list of skills workers will need most in the year 2020 (complex problem solving ranks first).

The various lists of 21st-century skills grant creativity and critical thinking such prominence in part because they are human abilities robots and AI are unlikely to usurp anytime soon. The picture of the near future that emerges from these compilations of skills is one in which people must compete against their own inventions by exploiting the most human of their human qualities: empathy, a willingness to work together, adaptability, innovation. As the 21st century unfolds, creativity and critical thinking appear as uniquely human attributes essential for staving off our own obsolescence.

Like many things human, however, creativity and critical thinking are not easily or consistently defined. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s list of “ Deeper Learning Competencies ,” for example, identifies creativity not as its own competency but as a tool for thinking critically. Bloom’s Taxonomy  treats the two as separate educational goals, ranking creativity above critical thinking in the progression of intellectual abilities. Efforts to pin down these skills are so quickly muddled, one is tempted to fall back on the old Justice Stewart remark regarding obscenity: “I know it when I see it.” Unfortunately, that yardstick isn’t much help to teachers or students.

Definitions of creativity tend toward the broad and vague. One of the leading researchers in the area, Robert Sternberg, characterizes creativity  as “a decision to buy low and sell high in the world of ideas.” While this is itself a creative approach to the problem of defining creativity, it is not a solution easily translated into a rubric.

Definitions of critical thinking don’t fare much better. According to one group of researchers , “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning or communication, as a guide to belief and action.” Again, a curiously self-demonstrating definition, but not one ready-made for the classroom.

Generally speaking, creativity is associated with generating ideas, while critical thinking is associated with judging them. In practice, however, the two are not so easy to separate. As parents and teachers know well, creativity without critical judgment tends toward the fanciful, the impractical, the ridiculous. “Creative thinking” becomes a nice way of saying that someone’s ideas have run amok.

At the same time, critical thinking gets short shrift when reduced to making a judgment, since, at its best, critical thinking is also a way of making a contribution. It is fundamentally creative in the sense that its aim is to produce something new: an insight, an argument, a new synthesis of ideas or information, a new level of understanding.

Our grasp of creativity and critical thinking is improved when we see them in symbiotic relationship with one another. Creativity  benefits from our recognizing the role of critical thinking in ensuring the value of novel ideas. In turn, critical thinking  comes into clearer focus when we recognize it as a creative act that enriches understanding by giving rise to something that wasn’t there before.

What does this symbiotic relationship look like in the classroom? Here are a few educational contexts in which creativity is disciplined by critical thinking and critical thinking is expanded through recognition of its creative function:

• Writing.  Creative writing only works when the writer’s critical judgment is brought to bear on the product of their imagination. However richly imagined, a story’s success depends on the skill with which its author corrals and controls their ideas, crafting them into something coherent and cohesive. Storycraft is accomplished by writers who discipline their own creative work by thinking critically about it.Successful academic writing — argumentative, expository — requires not just critical analysis but also creative invention. Academic writers enter into conversation with their readers, their instructors, fellow students, other writers and scholars, anyone affected by or invested in their topic. As in any conversation, a successful participant doesn’t simply repeat back what others have already said, but builds upon it, asking critical questions, fine-tuning points, proposing solutions — in short, creating and contributing something original that extends and enriches the conversation.
• History.  History classes lend themselves readily to creative exercises like imagining the experiences of people in the past, or envisioning what the present might look like if this or that historical event had played out differently. These exercises succeed only when imagination is disciplined by critical thinking; conjectures must be plausible, connections must be logical, and the use of evidence must be reasonable.At the same time, critical analysis of historical problems often employs invention and is (or should be) rewarded for its creativity. For example, a student analyzing the US mission to the moon in terms of the theme of the frontier in American mythology is engaged in an intellectual activity that is at least as creative as it is evaluative.
• Math.  Creative projects can generate engagement and enthusiasm in students, prompting them to learn things they might otherwise resist. In this example , a middle school math class learned about circuitry on their way to creating a keyboard made of bananas. Projects like this one demonstrate that creativity and critical thinking are reciprocal. A banana keyboard is unquestionably creative, but of little utility except insofar as it teaches something valuable about electronics. Yet, that lesson was made possible only by virtue of the creative impulse the project inspired in students.

The skills today’s students will need for success are, at a most basic level, the skills that humans have always relied on for success — the very things that make us human, including our creativity and our capacity for thinking critically. The fact that our defining qualities so often defy definition, that our distinctive traits are so frustratingly indistinct, is just another gloriously untidy part of us that robots will never understand.

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• How Dialogue Teaches Critical Thinking and Empathy
• Creating Change-Agents: The Intersection of Critical Thinking and Student Agency
• Philadelphia is Reimagining Arts & Creativity Education Programming

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How Music Helps Us Be More Creative

In today’s world, creative thinking is needed more than ever. Not only do many businesses seek creative minds to fill their ranks, but the kinds of complex social problems we face could also use a good dose of creativity.

Luckily, creativity is not reserved for artists and geniuses alone. Modern science suggests that we all have the cognitive capacity to come up with original ideas—something researchers call “divergent thinking.” And we can all select from a series of ideas the one most likely to be successful, which researchers call “convergent thinking.”

Though we may not all be equally accomplished at these kinds of thinking, we can all become more skillful in creative problem-solving—whether the problems we face involve figuring out technological challenges at work or the next steps to take in creating a new painting. The question is how.

One new study explores music as a source of creativity. Since music has been shown to improve cognition and enhance learning and memory in other studies, it makes sense that perhaps it has an impact on creative thinking, too. 

In the experiment, participants tried creativity exercises that measured divergent or convergent thinking while being exposed to either silence (the control scenario) or classical music that evoked four distinct emotional states: happy, calm, sad, or anxious.

After comparing participant performance on divergent and convergent thinking in the five scenarios, the researchers found that participants who’d listened to happy music had significantly higher scores on divergent thinking than those who’d performed in silence. In other words, they came up with more total ideas, and more creative and innovative ideas (as rated by people who were unfamiliar with the study’s aim). The other types of music did not have this impact.

“The results suggest that listening to happy music increases performance on overall divergent thinking,” write the authors, suggesting that it enhances the cognitive flexibility needed to come up with innovative solutions—the ability to switch between different concepts and perspectives, rather than seeing the problem from a rigid point of view.

Interestingly, whether or not the participants “liked” the music had no impact on their performance, suggesting that the benefits don’t come from simply enjoying music. And none of the types of music had an impact on convergent thinking, which requires coming up with a right answer rather than opening your mind to many potential ideas.

“The increase in divergent but not convergent thinking after listening to happy music may be explained by the fact that the convergent tasks rely less on fluency and flexibility, but on finding one correct answer,” write the authors.

It may also have to do with the mood created by the happy music. After all, happiness is considered to be a positive emotion that, according to researcher Barbara Fredrickson, broadens our mindset and enhances our desire to explore and play. Though the researchers didn’t actually analyze mood changes, research suggests a link between positive mood and creativity , suggesting that this may be the underlying mechanism behind the benefits of happy music.

Whatever the case, the results suggest that people may want to listen to happy music while they work—particularly if they need to come up with new ways of looking at a particular problem. As the authors conclude, “music listening may be useful to promote creative thinking in inexpensive and efficient ways in various scientific, educational, and organizational settings when creative thinking is needed.”

About the Author

Jill Suttie

Jill Suttie, Psy.D. , is Greater Good ’s former book review editor and now serves as a staff writer and contributing editor for the magazine. She received her doctorate of psychology from the University of San Francisco in 1998 and was a psychologist in private practice before coming to Greater Good .

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Teaching Strategies

6 cross-curricular ways to engage learners with songwriting.

October 1, 2020 by Steve Sullivan

No matter the subject you teach, incorporating songwriting into your practice can both engage students and foster deeper understanding of the content. That’s because songwriting activates each of the 4 C’s of 21st century learning: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical reflection.

Following are six cross-curricular tips for how to effectively integrate songwriting into your lesson plans to increase engagement, develop social and emotional learning skills, and produce a unique, fun demonstration of learning. 

1. Reap the Benefits of Songwriting 

You don’t need to be a songwriter, or even vaguely musical, to benefit from incorporating songwriting into your teaching. Channel your students’ musical creativity to guide the process, allowing kids who otherwise might go unnoticed a moment to shine. Got a student who won’t stop tapping his pencil? Make them a percussionist! Do you have a shy student who studies cello? Give them a solo. 

2. Build Background First  

Before breaking out instruments or tablets, students need to build background about the meaning of the content they are writing a song about . Whether learning about causes and effects of the Civil War , how to isolate an algebraic variable , or a literary character’s ambitions , students need to synthesize a lot of different information.

With over 1,200 topics across the curriculum, BrainPOP is a great resource for building background knowledge about the topic of their songs.

Students can use BrainPOP’s Make-a-Map to organize and connect the ideas they want to include to develop their songs’ stories. Start with a guiding question. Then have students brainstorm the key ideas and identify how they connect, referring back to their maps as they compose their songs.  

3. Collaborate!    

Once your students know what they want to write about, the songwriting process can begin. If it’s early in the year or semester, start by surveying your students. Find out who plays instruments, who sings, and who has experience recording music. Also, have a class discussion about the artists and the genres students listen to and enjoy most. Knowing their interests and preferences will enable you to meaningfully engage them in the process. Don’t worry about aligning everyone’s interests—a collaboration between a classical pianist and a trap music fan could be amazing, or “fire,” as the youth say.

Start with small groups. Assign roles or let students choose, but ensure that each member has a responsibility, either individually or with a partner, like creating the rhythm section, writing lyrics, or developing the vocal melody. Want to go big? Larger groups can add lead and backup vocals, brass and wind instrumentalists, bass and live percussion! Songwriting supports the expression of learning with as few or as many resources as you have.  

While some students may be able to hit the ground running in the songwriting process, others may need more structure. 

Suggest these responsibilities to get started:

• Instrumentalists can create an initial groove or beat.
• Lyricsts can adapt information into verse. 
• Vocalists can sing or rap.

4. Engage All Learners with Multiple Entry Points

Students work at different paces, and that’s okay. Composing songs can take some time. If one group created their song in a snap, prompt them to them to add complexity to their composition. If they have a groove for the verse, ask for a chorus. If they have a verse and chorus, ask for a bridge. Suggest a solo for an instrumentalist. Recommend beefing up the intro, or expanding the outro.

If students are struggling lyrically, encourage them to delve into the emotion and message of the song. If they are explaining how photosynthesis works, for example, propose different musical tableaus for each part of the process.

Have visual artists in the group? All music these days comes with a thumbnail graphic—a perfect job for a student who loves doodling. Introduce them to typography and urge them to create a lyric video.

For the student with nonstop ideas, let them take a shot at managing people and have them direct a music video. Invite students to use BrainPOP’s movie-making tool, Make-a-Movie , to bring their song to life!. 

5. Build Metacognition and Critical Reflection 

Thinking about thinking and the choices students make while writing their songs deepens the learning process. Once your students have a draft of their songs, encourage reflection with these questions:

• Why did you choose to make that groove?
• Why did you choose those lyrics to address the subject matter?
• How do the melodies make you feel?
• Why is your song either dissonant or consonant? 
• What do you wish there was more of, and what do you wish there was less of?

When students reflect about the choices they have made in the song, they acknowledge the purpose behind their decisions.

Ideally, the musical choices they make will align with the content. For example, if the song is about how to solve mathematical inequalities, they may musically signal the need to switch the inequality sign when dividing by a negative number by changing the key.

6. Support Social and Emotional Learning

Recognize that creating and sharing a song is a vulnerable act. Some students may want to tinker away at the song and may never be quite satisfied. It has been said that lightning strikes three times on a creative work. You have the initial inspiration, you revise it, and then you finalize it. Reinforce that composing is a process. You may want to watch BrainPOP’s “ Setting Goals ” movie to review how to set goals that are specific, time-bound, and attainable.

And remember, perfection can be the enemy of the good! 

Lastly, celebrate the bravery your students are displaying. Writing a song is not easy. Putting your words or your feelings into a song musically is an action of revealing oneself, which some students may relish and others resist. Establish feelings of trust and risk-taking and focus on student successes, creating a safe, inclusive, and fun vibe. And, perhaps provide a snack! 

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Creative Thinking vs. Critical Thinking

What's the difference.

Creative thinking and critical thinking are two distinct but equally important cognitive processes. Creative thinking involves generating new ideas, concepts, and solutions by exploring various possibilities and thinking outside the box. It encourages imagination, originality, and innovation. On the other hand, critical thinking involves analyzing, evaluating, and questioning ideas, arguments, and information to make informed decisions and judgments. It emphasizes logical reasoning, evidence-based thinking, and the ability to identify biases and fallacies. While creative thinking focuses on generating ideas, critical thinking focuses on evaluating and refining those ideas. Both thinking processes are essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and personal growth.

Further Detail

Introduction.

Creative thinking and critical thinking are two distinct cognitive processes that play crucial roles in problem-solving, decision-making, and innovation. While they share some similarities, they also have distinct attributes that set them apart. In this article, we will explore the characteristics of creative thinking and critical thinking, highlighting their differences and showcasing how they complement each other in various contexts.

Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is a cognitive process that involves generating new ideas, concepts, or solutions by exploring possibilities, making connections, and thinking outside the box. It is characterized by originality, flexibility, and fluency of thought. Creative thinkers often challenge conventional wisdom, embrace ambiguity, and are open to taking risks. They are adept at finding alternative perspectives and exploring multiple solutions to problems.

One of the key attributes of creative thinking is the ability to think divergently. This means being able to generate a wide range of ideas or possibilities, often through brainstorming or free association. Creative thinkers are not limited by constraints and are willing to explore unconventional or unorthodox approaches to problem-solving.

Another important aspect of creative thinking is the ability to make connections between seemingly unrelated concepts or ideas. This skill, known as associative thinking, allows creative thinkers to draw upon a diverse range of knowledge and experiences to generate innovative solutions. They can see patterns, analogies, and relationships that others may overlook.

Furthermore, creative thinking involves the willingness to take risks and embrace failure as a learning opportunity. Creative thinkers understand that not all ideas will be successful, but they are not deterred by setbacks. They view failures as stepping stones towards finding the right solution and are persistent in their pursuit of innovative ideas.

In summary, creative thinking is characterized by divergent thinking, associative thinking, risk-taking, and persistence. It encourages the exploration of new ideas and unconventional approaches to problem-solving.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking, on the other hand, is a cognitive process that involves analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting information to form reasoned judgments or decisions. It is characterized by logical, systematic, and objective thinking. Critical thinkers are skilled at identifying biases, assumptions, and fallacies in arguments, and they strive to make well-informed and rational decisions based on evidence.

One of the key attributes of critical thinking is the ability to think analytically. Critical thinkers break down complex problems or situations into smaller components, examine the relationships between them, and evaluate the evidence or information available. They are adept at identifying logical inconsistencies or flaws in reasoning, which helps them make sound judgments.

Another important aspect of critical thinking is the ability to evaluate information objectively. Critical thinkers are skeptical and question the validity and reliability of sources. They seek evidence, consider alternative viewpoints, and weigh the strengths and weaknesses of different arguments before forming their own opinions. This attribute is particularly valuable in today's information-rich society, where misinformation and biased narratives are prevalent.

Furthermore, critical thinking involves the ability to think systematically. Critical thinkers follow a logical and structured approach to problem-solving, ensuring that all relevant factors are considered. They are skilled at identifying assumptions, clarifying concepts, and drawing logical conclusions based on the available evidence. This systematic approach helps minimize errors and biases in decision-making.

In summary, critical thinking is characterized by analytical thinking, objective evaluation, skepticism, and systematic reasoning. It emphasizes the importance of evidence-based decision-making and helps individuals navigate complex and information-rich environments.

Complementary Attributes

While creative thinking and critical thinking have distinct attributes, they are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they often complement each other and can be seen as two sides of the same coin.

Creative thinking can benefit from critical thinking by providing a framework for evaluating and refining ideas. Critical thinking helps creative thinkers assess the feasibility, viability, and desirability of their innovative ideas. It allows them to identify potential flaws, consider alternative perspectives, and make informed decisions about which ideas to pursue further.

On the other hand, critical thinking can benefit from creative thinking by expanding the range of possibilities and solutions. Creative thinking encourages critical thinkers to explore unconventional approaches, challenge assumptions, and consider alternative viewpoints. It helps them break free from rigid thinking patterns and discover innovative solutions to complex problems.

Moreover, both creative thinking and critical thinking require open-mindedness and a willingness to embrace ambiguity. They both involve a certain level of discomfort and uncertainty, as individuals venture into uncharted territories of thought. By combining creative and critical thinking, individuals can develop a well-rounded cognitive toolkit that enables them to tackle a wide range of challenges.

Creative thinking and critical thinking are two distinct cognitive processes that bring unique attributes to problem-solving, decision-making, and innovation. Creative thinking emphasizes divergent thinking, associative thinking, risk-taking, and persistence, while critical thinking emphasizes analytical thinking, objective evaluation, skepticism, and systematic reasoning.

While they have their differences, creative thinking and critical thinking are not mutually exclusive. They complement each other and can be seen as two sides of the same coin. Creative thinking benefits from critical thinking by providing a framework for evaluation and refinement, while critical thinking benefits from creative thinking by expanding the range of possibilities and solutions.

By cultivating both creative and critical thinking skills, individuals can enhance their ability to navigate complex problems, make well-informed decisions, and drive innovation in various domains. These cognitive processes are not only valuable in academic and professional settings but also in everyday life, where the ability to think creatively and critically can lead to personal growth and success.

Comparisons may contain inaccurate information about people, places, or facts. Please report any issues.

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“Yesterday”: Using Music for Critical Thinking, Perspective Taking and Inference

July 12, 2019 4 min read

For Summer School, Tutoring, or Back to School – using music and songs is always a great way to engage students. It can be used to teach narrative structure, critical thinking, perspective-taking, problem-solving, conflict resolution and for improving inference skills and working on social-emotional growth! I wanted to share an example of this using the song “Yesterday” by The Beatles.

This song is fresh in my mind because in movie theaters now is Universal Studio’s movie “Yesterday” starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, and Ed Sheeran. I love British films and have heard this one is so sweet and has a feel-good story—I can’t wait to see it!

Also, this past weekend at MGMSpringfield, I went to see a Beatles tribute band in an outdoor concert setting. The band, called The Fab Four ( http://thefabfour.com /), was incredible, talented and authentic! I have always loved The Beatles music and this band makes you think you are really watching them. This band’s sound, costumes, and voices take you through the evolution of The Beatles’ musical style and influence. Since going to the concert and reading reviews of this movie, I have been listening to more Beatles music than usual.

With renewed interest, I read an article about the song “Yesterday” that was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. The article analyzes the song in many ways, but quotes Paul McCartney as saying that this song “doesn’t resolve into any sense,” and that “you don’t know what happened. She left and he wishes it were yesterday—that much you get—but it doesn’t really resolve.” The song is made up of thoughts and emotions about a breakup. Perfect for analysis with the Critical Thinking Triangle ® of the Story Grammar Marker ® !

As I do with most stories, songs, TV shows, movies, and life experiences, in listening to Yesterday over the weekend, I began to “Story Grammar Marker-ize” (to analyze in my head using Story Grammar Marker ® elements or narrative structure), the song as I watched/listened to it on Youtube (below).

Knowing the intent of the song was to express thoughts and emotions, I built a little Critical Thinking Triangle ® in my head. I fit the lyrics into it—with the kick off, feelings, cohesion words, mental states, and plans. Before we get into sharing that "Yesterday"-inspired Critical Thinking Triangle ® , here is a reminder of the lyrics to what has been called one of the Beatles best songs ever:

Yesterday All my troubles seemed so far away Now it looks as though they're here to stay Oh, I believe in yesterday

Suddenly I'm not half the man I used to be There's a shadow hanging over me Oh, yesterday came suddenly

Why she had to go, I don't know She wouldn't say I said something wrong Now I long for yesterday

Yesterday Love was such an easy game to play Now I need a place to hide away Oh, I believe in yesterday

Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: JOHN LENNON / PAUL MCCARTNEY Yesterday lyrics ©1965 Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, Sony Atv Tunes LLC, Sony Atv Music Publishing France, SONY/ATV TUNES LLC DBA ATV OBO ATV (NORTHERN SONGS CATALOG)

Here, using the Story Grammar Marker ® Approach, specifically the Critical Thinking Triangle ® In Action! Set 's Student Thinking Mat (pictured here), I analyzed and inferred the feelings and thoughts of the main character “He.” I may have gone a bit overboard (as it is my personality to do so) in the inference and analysis of “his” feelings, but the ability to do this is an essential part of perspective-taking, problem-solving, and resolving conflicts.

Here is a video of how to use the Critical Thinking Triangle in Action!  to visualize and kinesthetically “think through” the kick-off, feelings, thoughts/mental states and plans of the character in the song:

Below is how we could put this into sentence/paragraph form with some microstructure elements of feeling words, mental state (thinking) verbs, planning words, as well as cohesive ties (such as suddenly, because, and, so- in purple text). The macrostructure elements of character, setting, kick-off, feeling, mental state (thinking verbs) and plan are identified by the Story Grammar Marker ® Icons.

Since I had The Beatles on my mind, “Yesterday” was what I chose to share with you. However, narrative analysis can be done with any song out there! Use Story Grammar Marker ® as you listen, Google the lyrics and use the Critical Thinking Triangle in Action! Set with your students for a deep analysis.

Genres like Country, Musicals, ’80s Rock, and Rap in particular, often have real “stories” to tell. I think of songs like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, “A Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash, “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow, “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, “Alexander Hamilton” from Hamilton, “Hotel California” by The Eagles, “One Day More” from Les Miserables, to name several. There are thousands of good narrative/storytelling songs out there—a Google search of “songs that tell a story” will yield 781,000,000 results! Enjoy!

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The Use of “Substitution” as a Creative Thinking Tool Lesson Plan

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Please help us grow this free resource by submitting your favorite lesson plans.

Lesson Plan #:AELP-INT007 Author: Miriam Furst, Kellond, Tucson, AZ Date: 1994

Grade Level(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Subject(s):

• Interdisciplinary

Overview: The following is part of a six week unit designed to teach the seven creative thinking techniques represented by the acronym, SCAMPER.

SCAMPER provides students with a mini toolbox of techniques to use in virtually any situation requiring the production of creative ideas.

The unit begins with a brief discussion of the value of creative thinking. This is followed by a visualization in which students create their own thinking place. In their thinking place is a box which they open and explore. The first time they open the box they find one piece of red paper with the word, Substitute, written on it. At that point, they return from their thinking place and the substitute lesson (below) begins.

In each succeeding lesson, students return to their thinking place, open their thinking box and find new slips of paper with additional SCAMPER thinking techniques written on them.

The SCAMPER technique used in this unit are:

Purpose: The purpose of the unit is for students to realize that creative thinking is a skill that can be learned. It doesn’t just happen magically. Each SCAMPER technique is taught with a shotgun approach – that is, students learn to apply each technique in a wide variety of ways rather than concentrate on one activity that exemplifies each technique. The reason for this is to demonstrate that each of the SCAMPER techniques is a multipurpose tool and that the activities used to exemplify each technique are just examples of the endless array of uses for that technique.

Even though the lesson below was designed as part of a total unit it can be used as an independent lesson to teach the specific creative thinking technique of substitution.

Objectives: As a result of the Substitute lesson, students will:

Resources/Materials: chart with familiar song written on it – e.g. Old MacDonald, Hush Little Baby, On Top of Old Smoky; M&M candies, at least one for each student

Activities and Procedures:

Tying It All Together: Have student work in pairs or groups of four and brainstorm other ways the Substitution technique might be used to generate new ideas. If they have difficulty thinking of ideas, suggest that they mentally review their day and think of situations in which substitution could be used – e.g. instead of brushing their teeth in the morning, how might they clean their teeth; instead of arguing with their brother or sister, what actions might be substituted; instead of a written book report, what reporting method might be substituted; instead of watching TV when they get home, how might they entertain themselves, etc. Encourage multiple responses to each situation.

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STEM, Creativity and Critical Thinking: How Do Teachers Address Multiple Learning Demands?

• First Online: 31 January 2022

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• Deborah Corrigan   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8324-8217 6 ,
• Debra Panizzon 6 &
• Kathy Smith 6  

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This chapter provides real examples that highlight how teachers must translate the concepts of creativity, critical thinking and the integrated nature of STEM in their practical realities. Such practical realities also require teachers to think about pedagogical approaches and their behaviours such as standing back with a clear pedagogical purpose, using questions to prompt student thinking and actively valuing student ideas become essential aspects of teaching practice to enhance student critical and creative thinking. Teachers also need opportunities to focus on their own thinking around these concepts by sharing and developing cumulative thinking around the nature of knowledge which defines disciplines and how to integrate this thinking with critical and creative thinking in STEM education. There is benefit in understanding creativity as a process of producing new ideas and critical thinking as evaluating and making value judgements in relation to evidence and arguments. In translating these concepts of creativity, critical thinking and STEM into practical realities, teachers need to consider the contexts in which they operate and look for opportunities and manage the risks that will arise. Such translations and considerations are not only difficult but are also often highly problematic in education traditions and structures that are already well-established.

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Acknowledgements

The researchers acknowledge the support from the Department for Education South Australia in funding the project discussed and permitting teacher contributions. We specifically acknowledge the Case Studies written by Ginny McTaggart, Roxanne Ware and Heather Brooks who agreed to the inclusion of identified excerpts in our chapter.

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Corrigan, D., Panizzon, D., Smith, K. (2021). STEM, Creativity and Critical Thinking: How Do Teachers Address Multiple Learning Demands?. In: Berry, A., Buntting, C., Corrigan, D., Gunstone, R., Jones, A. (eds) Education in the 21st Century. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85300-6_6

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