The Tao Of Pooh

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The concept of “Wu Wei” is central in the Taoism belief system. “Wu Wei,” or effortless action, explores the idea that your actions should be guided naturally without force or tension. With this definition in mind, how might this ideology be viewed in today’s society? If a society were to adopt this mindset, how might it change the culture? Beliefs? Social structure? Careers?

Teaching Suggestion: This journal prompt provides an opportunity to introduce the theme Taoism. It may be helpful to gauge how many of your students have heard of Taoism and what they may already know—or think they know—about it. Readers may benefit from a general class discussion or brief investigation on Taoism, providing examples and/or main characteristics of this belief system. Students who follow Taoism might be invaluable sources on the topic, if they are comfortable sharing.

• This National Geographic article about Taoism, though aimed for younger readers, provides a brief yet detailed explanation of Taoist beliefs. Students for whom The Tao of Pooh is the first introduction to Taoism might find this article helpful, along with those who would benefit from a refresher on Taoism’s main ideology.
• “Eastern Philosophy: Wu Wei“ is a 5-minute video with visual imagery and details the concepts of “Wu Wei” and “Daoism.”

2. “Inner Nature,” another central focus in Taoist ideology, is the idea that every person has their own reality and authenticity—an individual sense of self. How might the adoption of this perspective change how people live their lives? Is this idea of “Inner Nature” a supported perspective in modern society, or does present civilization make it difficult to adhere to this thought process? Why might this be?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt offers a chance to introduce the theme Inner Nature. To make this prompt more approachable or concrete for students, consider providing real-life application or examples. For instance, students might discuss an individual’s role in choosing a career path: Should they choose a career based on passion and interest or based on financial security and stability? How might their values complement or oppose their Inner Nature? For another more concrete approach, students might address whether authority figures such as parents, bosses, or leaders support the idea of Inner Nature in current society.

• “Tea Tuesdays: Tea, Tao And Tourists--China's Mount Hua Is Three-Part Harmony” is an NPR article detailing the perilous journey some Taoists take to climb Mount Hua and reach the Taoist temple. This resource explains how the journey promotes Inner Nature by providing a chance to learn more about oneself;  it also emphasizes the value followers place in the Taoist practice.
• “How Much of Your ‘Authentic Self’ Should You Really Bring to Work?” is a Harvard Business Review article discussing the importance of being yourself while delineating between your “work self” and what Taoists may call your Inner Nature.

Short Activity

Author Benjamin Hoff utilizes A. A. Milne’s childhood book characters in Winnie-the-Pooh in order to teach about Taoism to Western readers. Before reading the text, review background information about A. A. Milne’s characters. In your notes or a reading journal, list these Milne characters: Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Roo, Kanga, Rabbit, Owl, and Christopher Robin. What do you recall from childhood about each character? Note 1-2 traits typically associated with each character. If you did not experience these characters in books or animated works when you were young, feel free to conduct brief research.

Based on what you know about Taoism so far, predict how 2-3 of these characters may relate to or oppose Taoist teachings.

Teaching Suggestion: Readers might create their notes digitally in order to include visual images easily. When students contribute the traits they listed, it may be beneficial to compile the ideas character by character into a shared document readers can access as needed throughout the text.

• “Winnie-The-Pooh Characters” summarizes the important characters in Milne’s texts.

Differentiation Suggestion: For readers with attentional or executive function learning differences, it may be beneficial to supply a graphic organizer as a digital file with pre-filled names of characters and constructed columns for traits and visual images.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

In today’s fast-paced, complex world, Simplicity is often undervalued. Before reading The Tao of Pooh, consider your own attitudes toward simplicity and complexity in your life. How might embracing simplicity, as Pooh does, lead to a more fulfilling and balanced life in the modern world? Is this possible to achieve? Why or why not? What do you consider the “simplistic” parts of your life versus the “complex?” Has this definition changed over the decades and generations?

Teaching Suggestion: Since students may be listing the “simplistic” and “complex” parts of their lives, it may be helpful to create a T-chart on a board or display for the class to fill in together prior to responding in writing. Accessing their peer’s ideas on the T-chart may spark new individual ideas while writing.

• “The World is More Complex Than It Used to Be” is a Harvard Business Review article detailing the ways in which modern life has lost some of its simplicity and is becoming mired in complications. utilize examples and ideas in the article in their response, or they may disagree with the article and choose to disclaim the ideas presented.
• “What It Means To Have A Simple Life, And How To Live It” is a Forbes article detailing how to establish a simpler lifestyle despite an ever-increasing complex world.

Differentiation Suggestion: For an approach that features metacognitive analysis, guide student brainstorming prior to writing, allowing readers to jot notes, lists, or bulleted ideas for several minutes; then have students share and listen to their classmates. Students can reflect on and analyze their initial ideas, considering the order in which the ideas came and the likely reason(s) for associating each idea. After evaluating the ideas on the brainstormed list, students can choose 2-3 worthy of more reflection in a journal-entry style piece of writing.