Plot Summary: Maggie admires and likes her biology teacher, but she is against dissection and refuses to dissect a worm, declaring to the class that killing is wrong. Some of her classmates support her and some don’t, and her best friend agrees with her but doesn’t stand up to the teacher herself. Maggie finds that … Standing Up to Mr. O., Claudia Mills
Chapter 12, “The Mirror of Erised” Harry discovers the “Mirror of Erised,” a mystical mirror that shows us the “deepest and most desperate desires of our hearts.” The mirror shows Harry images of himself surrounded by a loving family, and he becomes entranced by the images he sees, wanting to return to the mirror again … Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
This lesson plan is available as a PDF attachment in the link above. It is best suited for high school classrooms, but can be used in some middle school settings. This lesson plan can be split up in multiple ways, including picking which of the offered discussion prompts or exercises you would like to do. … Plato’s Ring of Gyges
Plot Summary: Charlotte’s Web opens at the Arable family farm. A sow has just given birth to piglets and Mr. Arable is preparing to slaughter the runt. His daughter, Fern, pleads for her father to let the small piglet live. She claims it would be an injustice to kill him simply for being small. Mr. … Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White
Plot Summary: Meg Murry, her youngest brother Charles Wallace, and their new friend Calvin join forces with three intergalactic beings – Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Who — to rescue Mr. Murry, Meg’s and Charles’ father, from IT, a source of evil and total mental control that devours individuality and self-perception. Discussion Questions:
Lesson Plan: The Real Thief raises questions about friendship and loyalty, as well as the meaning of justice. The book also includes an argument that students can analyze. In the story, Gawain, a goose and the Chief Guard of the Royal Treasury, is blamed when jewels from the Royal Treasury go missing. The Prime Minister, … The Real Thief, by William Steig
Why do we sometimes see the same thing differently? Step 1 Depending on the age or grade level of the participants, either the facilitator or the participant/s read chapter one of The Little Prince. Step 2 Facilitator introduces the prompt (Step 3) and poses the questions (listed below each image) for participants to consider, discuss, … The Little Prince, Chapter One
Book Summary Tuck Everlasting tells the story of the Tuck family, a family of 4 who, years ago, discovered a spring of water which, they realized after they all drank from it, makes you immortal. Winnie Foster, a 10-year-old girl who has stumbled upon the well, makes friends with Jesse Tuck (who appears to be … Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbit (1975)
In You Can’t Say You Can’t Play (Paley, 1992), MacArthur Prize-winning educator Vivien Paley describes her introduction of a new rule — “You can’t say you can’t play” — in her kindergarten classroom. The book raises questions about friendship, exclusion and inclusion, and what is necessary for a rule to be a good one. Preview … You Can’t Say You Can’t Play
Understanding Beliefs and Cultural Blindness Understanding Beliefs and Cultural Blindness Materials Needed Steps Involved 1. Introduction (10 minutes) Journal: Do you (or we, collectively as a society) have any rituals, customs, or celebrations where we may not understand where it originated or what the purpose serves? 2. Reading the Text (20 minutes) Facilitator: Distribute copies … “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
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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