Ethics & Monsters, Inc. Presentation Guide (Teacher’s Edition)
The following are questions that your students will answer as you go through the presentation.
Feel free to stop and initiate discussion as you see fit so that you can gauge students’
understanding of the topic. The YouTube video included in the presentation includes breaks
that explain the concepts shown in the video-use these breaks as they are presented to ask
your students about what they’ve seen in the video.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What are some groups you belong to?
What are the rules for those groups?
Are the rules something that everyone is taught or do you just “figure them out”?
What are some rules that you think are good?
What are some rules that you think are bad?
What are the problems that need to be solved in Monsters, Inc.?
a. For Mr. Waternoose?
Scare(energy) shortage; screams aren’t as effective; profit/success of business
b. For Mike & Sully?
Rules say they need to turn in “the child” but it doesn’t feel right to Sully; they
don’t want to get in trouble; the more they know about children the less they
want to scare them
7. Describe Mr. Waternoose. What is his job? What is he in charge of? Does he have a boss?
8. Think about Mr. Waternoose’s main problem: (see question 6a)
a. How does he try to solve this problem?
Secret project; forcibly extract screams from children
b. Do you think he does a good job of trying to solve his problem?
c. What could he do differently?
More research into scare tactics; research into alternative energy sources; ask
for help
9. Describe Mike & Sully. What is their job? What are they in charge of? Do they have a boss?
10. Think about Mike & Sully’s main problem: (see question 6b)
a. How do they try to solve it?
Put Boo back before anyone notices; stay out of trouble; go to Mr. Waternoose
for help
b. Do you think they do a good job of solving it?
c. What could they do differently?
Follow the rules, even though it would be unpleasant for them; ignore the
problem or try to pass it on to someone else
d. What are some rules they broke?
Didn’t turn in Boo; “misused” doors; “tricked” Waternoose
e. Do you think that following those rules was the “right” thing to do?
Group Discussion Questions:
Give students time to think and write their answers to these questions down. Then, break into
groups of 3-5 for this discussion portion.
11. If Randall didn’t think children had feelings, is his machine okay to use?
12. What if putting one child in the machine could save 10 monsters? Is it okay to use then?
13. What should happen to Mr. Waternoose?
14. Can you think of any examples of things that “we” do that don’t seem right to you?
15. If you ever had to make a tough decision like Mike & Sully, is there someone you could ask
for help?
16. Are there some things that are right, no matter what? Or does everything depend on the
situation?