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Discussion Questions for Doing Philosophy Using Literature
INTRODUCTION:
These literature lesson plans are geared toward elementary school age students, some more particularly for younger elementary school students and some for older students. All of these stories can also be used with middle and high school students, with adaptations of the questions.
The lesson plans all suggest questions to consider when reading the stories listed here. These questions are not meant to be inclusive—they are possibilities for questions that can inspire philosophical exchanges, based on questions that have come from students when discussing these books. The lists of possible discussion questions are meant to provide some ideas for teachers preparing to use these books to help generate classroom philosophical conversations, but should not replace asking the students what questions the stories raise for them and ensuring that the discussions emerge from the students’ questions.
Index by Book Title
A —
B —
C —
D —
E —
F —
G —
H —
I —
J —
K —
L —
M —
N —
O —
P —
Q —
R —
S —
T —
U —
V —
W —
X —
Y —
Z
Index by Field of Philosophy
Aesthetics •
Epistemology •
Ethics •
Logic •
Metaphysics •
Philosophy of Childhood
Philosophy of Education •
Philosophy of Language •
Social and Political Philosophy
Albert’s Toothache by Barbara Williams
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, “A Mad Tea Party”
Amos & Boris by William Steig
An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant
The Araboolies of Liberty Street by Sam Swope
The Art Lesson by Tomie de Paola
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
The Bear That Wasn’t by Frank Tashlin
Benjamin’s Dreadful Dream by Alan Baker
The Big Box by Toni Morrison
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Bird by Zetta Elliott
Boodil My Dog by Pija Lindenbaum
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
Double Trouble by Philip Cam
The Dragon Who Liked to Spit Fire by Judy Varga
Duck, Death, and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch
Emily's Art by Peter Catalanotto
Emma by Wendy Kesselman
Emma's Rug by Allen Say
An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni
Fish On A Walk by Eva Muggenthaler
Frederick by Leo Lionni
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “Dragons and Giants”
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Dream”
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Garden”
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Letter”
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Great Blueness and Other Predicaments by Arnold Lobel
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Happy by Mies Van Hout
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K Rowling, Chapter 12, “The Mirror of Erised,”
Hello, Red Fox by Eric Carle
The Hermit Crab by Carter Goodrich
Horton Hears A Who by Dr. Seuss
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
I Want To Paint My Bathroom Blue by Ruth Krauss
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau by Jon Agee
Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
Ish by Peter Reynolds
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Magic by Philip Cam
The Man Who Kept His Heart in a Bucket by Sonia Levitin
Matthew's Dream by Leo Lionni
Morris the Moose by B. Wiseman
My Friend the Monster by Clyde Robert Bulla
The Obstinate Pen by Frank Dormer
On the Verandah by Philip Cam
Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel, "Owl and the Moon"
Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel, “Tear-Water Tea"
Peach & Blue by Sarah S. Kilborne
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
The Rainbow Fish by Peter Catalanotto
The Real Thief by William Steig
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Standing Up to Mr. O by Claudia Mills
Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon
Stuart Little by E.B. White, Chapter 12, “The Schoolroom”
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
The Three Questions by Jon J Muth
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Why do I Have to Eat Off the Floor? by Chris Hornsey
Why? by Lindsay Camp and Tony Ross
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Yellow and Pink by William Steig
You Can’t Say You Can’t Play by Vivien Paley
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
The Art Lesson by Tomie de Paola
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Bird by Zetta Elliott
A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
Emily's Art by Peter Catalanotto
Emma by Wendy Kesselman
Emma's Rug by Allen Say
An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Letter”
Hello, Red Fox by Eric Carle
I Want To Paint My Bathroom Blue by Ruth Krauss
The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau by Jon Agee
Ish by Peter Reynolds
Matthew's Dream by Leo Lionni
Peach & Blue by Sarah S. Kilborne
The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Bear That Wasn’t by Frank Tashlin
Benjamin’s Dreadful Dream by Alan Baker
The Big Box by Toni Morrison
Boodil My Dog by Pija Lindenbaum
An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Dream”
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K Rowling, Chapter 12, “The Mirror of Erised,”
Horton Hears A Who by Dr. Seuss
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
Magic by Philip Cam
The Man Who Kept His Heart in a Bucket by Sonia Levitin
Morris the Moose by B. Wiseman
The Obstinate Pen by Frank Dormer
Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel, "Owl and the Moon"
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Why? by Lindsay Camp and Tony Ross
Albert’s Toothache by Barbara Williams
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni
Amos & Boris by William Steig
An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Bird by Zetta Elliott
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
The Dragon Who Liked to Spit Fire by Judy Varga
Frederick by Leo Lionni
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “Dragons and Giants”
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Dream”
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Garden”
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Hermit Crab by Carter Goodrich
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
My Friend the Monster by Clyde Robert Bulla
Peach & Blue by Sarah S. Kilborne
The Rainbow Fish by Peter Catalanotto
The Real Thief by William Steig
Standing Up to Mr. O by Claudia Mills
Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon
Stuart Little by E.B. White, Chapter 12, “The Schoolroom”
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
The Three Questions by Jon J Muth
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
You Can’t Say You Can’t Play by Vivien Paley
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, “A Mad Tea Party”
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Garden”
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Letter”
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
The Real Thief by William Steig
Why do I Have to Eat Off the Floor? by Chris Hornsey
Albert’s Toothache by Barbara Williams
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, “A Mad Tea Party”
An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
The Bear That Wasn’t by Frank Tashlin
Benjamin’s Dreadful Dream by Alan Baker
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Boodil My Dog by Pija Lindenbaum
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
Double Trouble by Philip Cam
Duck, Death, and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch
Fish On A Walk by Eva Muggenthaler
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, “The Dream”
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Great Blueness and Other Predicaments by Arnold Lobel
Happy by Mies Van Hout
Hello, Red Fox by Eric Carle
The Hermit Crab by Carter Goodrich
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau by Jon Agee
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
Magic by Philip Cam
Morris the Moose by B. Wiseman
The Obstinate Pen by Frank Dormer
On the Verandah by Philip Cam
Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel, "Owl and the Moon"
Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel, “Tear-Water Tea"
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Why do I Have to Eat Off the Floor? by Chris Hornsey
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Yellow and Pink by William Steig
Albert’s Toothache by Barbara Williams
You Can’t Say You Can’t Play by Vivien Paley
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, “A Mad Tea Party”
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Social and Political Philosophy
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni
The Araboolies of Liberty Street by Sam Swope
The Big Box by Toni Morrison
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Bird by Zetta Elliott
Frederick by Leo Lionni
Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
My Friend the Monster by Clyde Robert Bulla
The Rainbow Fish by Peter Catalanotto
Swimmy by Leo Lionni