Philosophical Discussion for Frog and Toad, Dragons and Giants

This discussion, I have to be honest, did not go as well as I had planned.  I had about 5-6 children who were really involved in the discussion and the rest were basically just listening to the others.  Having said that, I really do like the idea of a philosophical discussion with children. I mean we have had plenty of discussion about picture books before but I like the way this type of discussion is set up. I love the framework of this and the questions below were a great help to get the ball rolling.  I used the Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion of Dragons and Giants by Gareth B. Matthews, revised by Marissa Saltzman, listed below to lay out my plan.

We began reading the story as we would any other story and I explained we were going to talk about the book but in a little different way.  Then I got the children in a circle for the discussion time. Here is how part of it went.

When I began the discussion I asked “What do you think bravery looks like?” The children had strong expressions on their face.  JW said “You look like you are really strong”!  SR said(with brow scowling), “You look kind of mad when you’re being brave”!  I asked this child what he meant by you look mad and he said I don’t mean like you are mad at someone but you just look like it.  Some of my students had difficulty getting their thoughts organized enough to explain exactly what they wanted to say.  I think next year beginning this type of discussion at the beginning of the school year will be critical.  Practice makes perfect.  When we looked back thru the book some said that Frog and Toad looked scared instead of brave.   I assumed the role of listener for a moment and let others finishing contributing. I could tell several students knew what they wanted to say but had a hard time coming up with the words.   When I asked the question “Do you have to be doing something frightening to look brave?” RH said, “Well, yes”!  CC said, “Firefighter are brave and they fight fires everyday”.  JA said, “when I get a shot I try to look brave but it hurts bad”.  They had an idea of what they were trying to convey but again had a hard time getting it out.  When I posed the question, “Does doing something that’s dangerous show that you are brave”?  SR immediately said ,”NO, that just means you are crazy”!  Of course this led to many different discussions.  This went okay but I really wish that more children would have gotten in on the talk but I will be using this next year.

I do think this book is deserving of the Newbury Award.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion of Dragons and Giants

Looking brave:

Frog and Toad look in a mirror to see if they are brave. Frog says they look brave. Toad asks if they really are brave 

1. How do you look when you are brave?
2. Do you have a special look on your face?
3. Do you stand or walk in a special way?
4. Do some people look brave all the time?
5. Do some people look brave some of the time?
6. Do you have to be doing something frightening to look brave?
7. So, how could Frog and Toad tell that they looked brave?

The nature of bravery:

Frog says that trying to climb a mountain should tell him and Toad whether they are brave.

1. Does doing something that is hard to do show that you are brave?
2. Are there other ways to show that you are brave?
3. Does doing something that’s dangerous show that you are brave?
4. What if someone makes you do it?
5. What if you’re doing something dangerous and you don’t know it’s dangerous?

Perception of bravery:

In the story, Toad says that he is not afraid.

1. How does Toad know this?
2. How do you know when you’re being brave?
3. Does someone have to tell you?
4. How can other people tell when you are being brave?
5. Is it possible that you might think you are brave and be wrong?
6. Can other people be wrong if they think that you were not brave?

Bravery and fear:

When the snake tries to eat Frog and Toad, they jump away and Toad starts shaking.

1. Were Frog and Toad being brave even though they jumped away?
2. What else could they have done?
3. Is it ever brave to run away from something dangerous?
4. Was Toad brave even though he was shaking with fear?
5. Does being scared when you face danger show that you aren’t really brave?
6. Is it possible to be brave and afraid at the same time?

Understanding bravery and time:

When Frog and Toad get back to Toad’s house, Toad jumps into bed and pulls the cover up over his head. Frog jumps into the closet and shuts the door.

1. Does hiding under the covers or in the closet show that you are not brave?
2. Do even very brave people need some time to recover from the excitement of doing something scary?
3. Does a brave person have to be brave all of the time?
4. What does it mean to be brave?