Grizzly Bears and Penguins

We recently bought two DVDs for our teenager, 16 years of age: March of the Penguins and Grizzly Man. Along with the gift, we wrote a "study guide" designed to promote thought and discussion on the subject, The Natural Order. The "study guide" featured questions which had to do with an assessment of the natural order. It suggested viewing the subject as a continuum with penguins (cute, routinized, human like in certain attributes) on one end and the grizzlies (threatening, dangerous) on the other.

The "study guide" invited ideas on how humans "see" these animals, i.e., the Grizzly Man projected potential for human attributes or capacities such as "friendship" to the bears. On the other hand we all project human qualities to the penguins, i.e, partnering, birthing, etc. The questions ended with, "Where on the continuum would you place human beings?"

This effort resulted in some very interesting conversation.

- Clinton