Name____________________

Problematic Situation for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J. K. Rowling

Your parents died when you were just a baby and the aunt and uncle that you live with hate you because you are so different from them. Late one night, in a fit of rage, your uncle tells you to leave his house and never come back. Because your aunt and uncle give you very little, and because both you and your uncle are so angry, you only have a few minutes to grab your most important belongings. As you have only one small backpack to use to carry all of your belongings, you can only squeeze in six itmes. Which six things would you choose to accompany you on your journey? Remember that you have no idea where you will go or what you will do. There is no one you can turn to and so you will be completely alone indefinitely. You will never be able to return to your aunt and uncle's home so anything that you leave will be lost forever. In the column marked "YOU," put a number one next to the most important item, a two beside the next most important, and so on until you reach six. Remember, for the first time in your entire life you will be completely on your own.

YOU ....GROUP

______ ______ One change of clothing (shirts, pants, underwear, etc.)

______ ______ All of the money you have saved (only about $75)

______ ______ Large container of bottled water

______ ______ A stuffed bear (the only toy you were ever given)

______ ______ A picture of your mom and dad

______ ______ Your favorite book

______ ______ Food and sandwiches from the kitchen

______ ______ A sleeping bag

______ ______ A small transistor radio with batteries

______ ______ A camera

______ ______ Your address book (contains the names and addresses of other relatives and friends of your parents)

______ ______ Your mother's wedding ring

______ ______ Your father's pocket watch

______ ______ A pocketknife

______ ______ A map of the city and surrounding areas

______ ______ A flashlight

Now that you have decided which items are the most important to you, you realize that you have three friends that would probably like to run away with you. Now you and your friends must decide as a group which are the six most important items to take.

As your group debates the importance of each item, mark the six most important things in the column labeled "GROUP." Make sure that everyone's opinions are heard and do not simply accept someone else's ideas just to avoid conflict. Reason out which items are important as a group. Do not take votes or go with majority rules.

Questions to think about:

What in your life affected the decisions you made? How? Did your ideas about what was important change when you knew you wouldn't be alone? When other members in your group disagreed with you were they able to persuade you that their opinion was right? Did you persuade them instead? Did you argue? How were decisions made in the group? How did this process differ from the one you went through all on your own?

Diana Anderson, Brigham Young University 2000