by Keith Baker

Questions for Philosophical Discussion
by Brianna R. Armbuster

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In the story each of the jungle animals are scared when they see the beast:

1. What do you think is scary?
2. How do you feel when you are scared?
3. Why do you get scared?
   
   

 

Each of the jungle animals sees a different piece of the Tiger that makes them think they have seen a beast.

1. Why do the jungle animals call the tiger a beast?
2. What is a beast?
3. Why do we think things that scare us are bad?
4. Why are we generally afraid of what we don't know?

 

 

Tiger looks into the pond and begins to wonder if he is "the beast" all the jungle animals are afraid of.

1. Have you ever been surprised to find out what other people think about you?
2. How did other people's ideas about you make you feel?
3. Are other people's ideas about you right or wrong?
4. Do you have ideas about people different than you?
5. How do you think they feel about your ideas?

When the tiger goes back to the jungle animals to find out if he is the beast, he discovers that he shares some of the same characteristics with each of the other animals.

1. What are some of the things the jungle animals all share?
2. What is different about the animals?
3. What do you share in common with the other kids in the class?
4. What is different about you and the other kids in the class?
   
   
   

At the end of the story the tiger and the other jungle animals realize they are all beasts.

1. Have you ever thought you were really different from someone else and then found out that you aren't? When?
2. Have you ever felt left out and then made friends with someone else and stopped feeling like you were left out? When?
3. How did you feel after that happened?
4. How do you think the world would be different if people made friends with the people they thought were different from them?

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