The story of saving
| Objective: To exchange your creative thoughts on saving with other PhiloQuesters by writing the front page of a newspaper! |
Duration: 15 to 45 minutes
Material:
A sheet of paper
Coloured pencils and markers, eraser
Instructions:
What could be more noble than to help a person in distress? After all, superheroes save people all day long. But is it always a good idea to try to save someone? To think some more about the concept of saving, write about a ridiculous rescue for the front page of a newspaper!
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Imagine the rescue. First, you have to imagine a well-intentioned yet completely unnecessary rescue. For example, someone could jump into a puddle to save... a rock from drowning! Or rush onto an ice rink to protect a professional hockey player before a collision! Come up with your own idea for a useless rescue. Who is going to save whom? From what exaggerated or imagined danger? How will the "rescued" person react? Try to make it as funny as possible!
Create the front page. The front page of a newspaper is usually where you find the headlines that announce the most important news. Your mission is to create your own newspaper front page to announce an incredibly... useless rescue! That front page should include:
- The name of the newspaper (for example: The Philosopher)
- Today's date
- The headline announcing the rescue
- An article explaining the rescue
- A drawing or photo of the rescue
- Two or three other articles containing only the title and a few lines, and then the (imaginary) page on which to read the rest of the article.
Tip: You can of course add or remove items from this list, depending on what you prefer! Feel free to borrow ideas from newspapers you find on the internet or at home, if you have any. Don't hesitate to use a dramatic tone to attract your readers’ attention!
Think about the front page. Now that your front page is hot off the press, consider the following questions: Are there people who need to be saved? Can wanting to save someone be a form of arrogance? Can you hurt someone by trying to save them? Why or why not? Write your answers on a separate piece of paper and then take a picture of it. Take a second picture of the front page of your newspaper and send it with your first name and age to ipcj@philo.umontreal.ca so we can share your position with other PhiloQuesters!
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Bonus: If you want to further pursue your calling as a journalist, write another page of this newspaper issue: an exclusive interview with the "saved" person! Imagine asking them about the situation and how they felt. Among the questions, you can ask the "rescued" person the following and imagine their answers: Is it sometimes better to face dangers alone? Are there situations in which we are truly helpless and need others to save us? Does acknowledging our powerlessness weaken or strengthen us? Why? |
| Tricks for tots: If you prefer, instead of writing the whole first page of a newspaper, think about a useless rescue situation and then draw it! Imagine what the characters and the place look like, and ask yourself how the "rescued" person will show that they don't need help. How will the "rescuing" person react? Use all your imagination to make the scene as funny as possible! Finally, think about these questions: Are superheroes right to want to save people all the time? Should you ask someone whether they actually need help before you save them? Can a person save themselves? Why or why not? |
| Tips for teens: This activity invites us to think about the rescue of one person by another. But we can also examine rescue on a societal level: Do you think the government should "save" people who are in trouble? And should the government "save" companies that are bankrupt? Why or why not? Maybe the government should help these people and companies rather than rescue them... But what is the difference between "helping" and "saving" in this context? If you want, you can write another article in your invented newspaper to address these questions. |
Share your creative reflections by sending them via email.
Include photos of your projects and notes of your thoughts, as well as your first name and your age!
