Was the “ugly duckling” really ugly? If so, what made him ugly? Did he stop being ugly at the end of the story? What does ugly mean? Would the “ugly duckling” still be ugly if someone thought he was beautiful? What is beauty? How do we decide what is beautiful and what is not? If … Ugly Duckling
Would you drink from the spring of immortality? Why or why not? What would life be like if we didn’t die? What is time? What is the meaning of life? What does it mean to grow up? Why is death frightening? What would happen if no one ever died? How do we make other people … Tuck Everlasting
What do you think of Nikolai’s questions? Do you think they are the most important questions in life? What do you think are the three most important questions? Do you believe that what we think about these questions changes over time and with experience? Should it? Are the most important questions in life the same … Three Questions
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD? Is Peter behaving badly? Is the mouse carrying the seeds out of the garden behaving badly? Is the cat behaving badly? Was Mr. McGregor behaving badly when he killed Peter’s father? Are the following things good or bad? A hammer. An ice cream cone. A friendship. A song. … Tale of Peter Rabbit
Is Swimmy scared when his school of fish are eaten? What does he do? Is Swimmy brave? If so, what makes him brave? Is Swimmy afraid of all the new creatures he encounters? Why or why not? Does Swimmy like being alone? Is a school of fish a community? What makes a community a community? … Swimmy
What are the important things? How do we know these things are important? Are there some things that are important for everyone? Activity: This is a useful activity for a first philosophy class. Pass out index cards to the students and ask them to envision a classroom in which they are bound by only one … Stuart Little – Chapter 12, “The Schoolroom”
WHAT MAKES A . . . Duck a duck? Cat a cat? Man a man? Woman a woman? Parent a parent? Car a car? Bird a bird? Smile a smile? Feeling a feeling? Thought a thought? WHAT DOES A THING NEED TO. . . What does a kite need to fly? What does a tree … Stellaluna
How could magic help Bambalona? Is it possible to get what you want without hard work? Why did Big Anthony want to learn magic? Why couldn’t he? Was it fair for Strega Nona’s to trick Big Anthony? Did Bambalona actually learn how to do magic? Did Big Anthony? What is magic? Contributed by Gobe Hirata
Should all of our views be consistent? For example, if we say we love animals, does that mean we can’t eat meat? Do animals have rights? Is not feeling comfortable doing something a good reason not to do it? Are we always required to do what authorities tell us to do? When is it acceptable … Standing Up to Mr. O
Why do Zettie and her mother live in their car? Can a car be a home? Do people need shelter? Why? What are the most important things people need in life? What does it mean to be homeless? Why does Zettie want her mother to drop her off at the corner behind the school instead … Shelter in Our Car
PLATO is part of a global UNESCO network that encourages children to participate in philosophical inquiry. As a partner in the UNESCO Chair on the Practice of Philosophy with Children, based at the Université de Nantes in France, PLATO is connected to other educational leaders around the world.
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