by Toni Morrison

Questions for Philosophical Discussion
by Mary Cowhey and Thomas Wartenberg
____________________________________________________

1. What is a one-way door?
2. Does our classroom open two ways or one?
3. What are the locks for?
4. What's good about life in the box?
5. Do kids need toys, snacks, and cool clothes?
6. If they have cool toys, clothes, snacks and other stuff in the box, why aren't they happy?
7. What would we need to give you that would make you happy to live in the box?
8. Why do they stay in the box?

 

1. Do we need rules in our homes, classroom, school, and community? Why?
2. Who makes the rules?
3. Who has to follow them?
4. What if there were no rules?
5. Would you like to go to a school with no rules?
6. What would be good about it? What might be bad about it?
7. What are some good rules that you like at home or at school?
8. What rules did the kids follow?
9. Did anyone even notice what they did right?
10. What are appropriate consequences for breaking rules?
11. Do adults ever get consequences?

 

1. What does that line mean, when the adults say to the kids, "You simple can't handle your freedom."?
2. What if parents decided that their two year old could handle her freedom and just let their baby go free? What would happen?
3. What if the parents decided you could completely handle your freedom and just told you to go free? What would happen?
4. When you are 18 years old, do you think you will be ready to "go free"?
5. When you are free, do you still have to follow some rules?
6. Why do people call the United States of America a free country if there are rules here?
7. If a two year old is not able to handle freedom, what would make someone older ready to handle freedom?
8. What does the older person know or have that the two year old doesn't?

Back to Stories Page