by:  Dr. Seuss

Discussion Guide by Pat Bowes

Directions:  Read The Zax by Dr. Seuss and answer the following questions.

1) What does the North-Going Zax want?

2) What does the South-Going Zax want?

3) What is the problem faced by the North-Going Zax and the South-Going Zax?

4) Imagine that after not budging for many months, the Zax have called you to help
     them solve their problem.  They want to meet with you, but many details of your
     meeting need to be considered.
        : Who will attend the meeting?
        : Where will the meeting be held?
        : When will the meeting be held?
        : Who sits where at the meeting table?
        : What shape is the meeting table?  Why did you choose that particular shape?
        : What food will be served?
        : What time does the meeting start?
        : How long will the meeting last?
        : How do they know you are going to be fair?

5) Write down as many ideas as you can think of that might help the Zax solve their
     problem.  Be as creative as possible. Remember, there are no bad ideas, just
     write down every idea you have.

6) Now review all of your ideas and choose what you believe are the three best and
     write them down.

7) Read the story again to see if any of your ideas are mentioned as something that
     the Zax will not do.
         : If you find any, how can you work around that problem?
 

8) Now look at your three ideas and make a “T” for each one showing your idea
    across the top, what is good about your idea along the left side, and what the Zax
    might find bad about your idea on the right.  You should list several good and bad
    points for each idea.

9) Review your three ideas.  Look at all of the good and bad points of each idea.
    Focus on the good points of each idea and try to come up with an even newer or
    better idea that involves as many of the good points of all three ideas, and as few of
    the bad points of all three ideas.  Now write down your proposed solution for the
    problem of the Zax.

10) You proposed your final idea and it seemed like both the North-Going and South-
      Going Zax were going to approve it.  However, you’ve just heard that someone has
      given the South-Going Zax a big weapon that it intends to use against the North-
     Going Zax.  Now the South-Going Zax doesn’t have to listen to you and it can take
     care of its own problem.  What should you do?

11) At the end of the story, the North-Going Zax and the South-Going Zax are still
      standing face to face unwilling to budge.  What do you think is going to happen
      next?

12) Write a reflective paragraph or more about how this story applies to what you have
      learned about the war in Vietnam.  (A reflective paragraph is one in which you are
      writing your deeper thoughts about this lesson.)