CurioSeed

The Rule · Question 11 of 26

Should the robot keep the door, or should a person decide each time?

Your clubhouse has a robot on the door with one rule: nobody comes in after dark. Last night it locked out Mia, who was soaked and running from the rain, because she was two minutes late.

What earns a point in this world: Names someone the rule lands on who isn't in the room.

Keep the robot!

Reasons a child might give

  • The robot treats everyone exactly the same. A person plays favourites.
  • Everyone knows the rule ahead of time. That's what makes it fair.
  • If we make an exception for Mia, everyone will have a reason next time.

A person decides!

Reasons a child might give

  • Anyone standing there would have opened the door. She was soaked.
  • The rule was made for messing about after dark, not for rain.
  • No rule can guess everything that might happen.

Debate this one against an opponent that argues back.

Your child picks a side. Quill takes the other and answers what they actually said, in words a seven-year-old can read. A room of 20 moves only for a reason — and the idea behind the story is named at the end, once the debate is over. Ages 5–12.

Start debating

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