<p> Parenting Resources for THE POLAR EXPRESS</p><p>Family Discussion Starters for The Polar Express By Jim Burns, Robin Dugall, Jim Liebelt and Mike Potter</p><p>Instructions: After seeing the film, take your children to their favorite fast food place or go and get some ice cream/frozen yogurt and go through some of the following quotes and scenes from the movie. It would be great to have your children tell you the story as you mention the scenes. That way they put concrete pictures in their minds about the scene that you are going to discuss. Remember, be both loving and a good listener. Resist the temptation to lecture or say what you think before they share their opinions and thoughts. The point is to get your child talking. Underscore the values and beliefs that you feel are important in every quote/scene.</p><p>1. Quote/Scene: “Sometimes seeing is believing and sometimes the most real things in the world we can’t see”, The Conductor</p><p>Questions: • What do you think the Conductor meant when he said that sometimes the most real things in the world we can’t see? • What do you believe in that you can’t see? • How do we know something is real if we can’t see it?</p><p>Teaching Point: There are very real things in life –we can’t see – like God.</p><p>2. Quote/Scene: When the Polar Express arrives at the front of the Boy’s home, the Conductor says, “all aboard”. The Boy asks, “Where are we going?” and the Conductor remarks, “a young man in need of answers.” The Boy still decides to get onboard the train.</p><p>Questions: • What answers was the Boy looking for? • Is it ever okay not to know the answers? • Why did the boy decide to get on the train?</p><p>Teaching Point: We don’t always know everything – and we don’t have to. Belief and trust are important. 3. Quote/Scene: The Lonely Boy decides to get onboard the Polar Express, but he falls and the train pulls away. The Boy pulls the Emergency Brake and the train screeches to a halt.</p><p>Questions: • How do you think the Lonely Boy felt when he thought he had missed the chance to get on the train? • Why do you think the Boy pulled the Emergency Brake to stop the train? • Could the Boy have gotten into trouble by pulling the Emergency Brake? If so, how? • Would you have pulled the Emergency Brake? Why or why not?</p><p>Teaching Point: It’s important to help others. Sometimes helping someone is risky.</p><p>4. Quote/Scene: All of the children in the passenger car have received hot chocolate. The Girl is concerned that the Lonely Boy hasn’t gotten any because he is sitting alone in the observation car. She brings some hot chocolate to him.</p><p>Questions: • Why was the Girl so concerned that the Lonely Boy hadn’t gotten any hot chocolate? • Do you think you would have taken some hot chocolate to the Lonely Boy if you had been on the Polar Express? • Why is sharing good things with others important?</p><p>Teaching Point: Sharing good things with others is important.</p><p>5. Quote/Scene: As the Polar Express races toward the North Pole, the Boy accidentally loses the Girl’s train ticket. The Conductor comes to punch her ticket and she can’t find it. The boy tells the Conductor that he – not she – lost her ticket.</p><p>Questions: • Did the Boy have to tell the Conductor that he lost the Girl’s train ticket? • Why do you think the Boy told the Conductor that he had lost the Girl’s ticket? • Do you think it was easy or hard for the Boy to tell the Conductor? Why? • Do you think the Boy was frightened by what might happen to him?</p><p>Teaching Point: Sometimes it’s hard to tell the truth – but honesty is important. 6. Quote/Scene: Even though the Boy told the Conductor that he lost the Girl’s train ticket, she still gets in trouble and the Conductor takes her to the Engine where she must shovel coal to pay for her passage to the North Pole. When the Boy finds the ticket, he goes to great lengths to find the Girl to give it back to her.</p><p>Questions: • Why did the Boy do so much to find the Girl to give her train ticket back to her? • Has a friend ever helped you when you were in trouble? If so, how? • When have you helped a friend who was in trouble? • Why should friends help each other?</p><p>Teaching Point: Being a good friend means helping others.</p><p>7. Quote/Scene: In the Boy’s talk with the Hobo, he says, “well, I want to believe in Santa but…”. Then, the Hobo tells the Boy, “You don’t want to be bamboozled, lead down the primrose path, duped, conned, have the wool pulled over your eyes, hoodwinked, taken for a ride... You want to scope with them peepers of your own. Seeing is believing, am I right?” The Boy nodded in agreement.</p><p>Questions: • Why do you think the Hobo wanted to keep the Boy from believing in Santa? </p><p>Teaching Point: Sometimes others will try to keep you from believing in things that you can’t see. Don’t let them stop you from believing.</p><p>8. Quote/Scene: The Hobo and the Boy are standing on top of the train as it races toward the Flat Top Tunnel – where they will surely be thrown off the train – if they don’t get off. The Hobo says to the Boy,“you ever heard the saying…when you get to the end of your rope, let go?”… Well I’ve got one for you…when you get to your jumpin’ off point…JUMP!”</p><p>Questions: • Were you scared when the Boy and the Hobo were on top of the train and it was heading toward the tunnel? • How do you think the Boy felt? • Do you think he was scared to jump into the darkness? • What would have happened if he didn’t jump?</p><p>Teaching Point: Sometimes it’s important to do something hard – even when we don’t know how it will turn out. 9. Quote/Scene: Steamer and Smokey sang a funny song during the movie. The lyrics were, “put it all together, two heads are better than one.”</p><p>Questions: •Why do you think Steamer and Smokey sang about doing things together? • Why did Steamer and Smokey need each other?</p><p>Teaching Point: Often, we need to work together in order to accomplish important things.</p><p>10. Quote/Scene: In some cars on the Polar Express were broken toys and shabby stuffed animals. The Conductor says that they are the “forgotten and abandoned” toys being taken to the elves so that they can fix them. He says that it is all part of “Santa’s new plan.”</p><p>Questions: • Why were the toys being taken back to the North Pole? • Why were they being given a second chance? • Is it important to give people second chances when they need them? • Who have you given a second-chance to?</p><p>Teaching Point: Everyone deserves a second chance.</p><p>11. Quote/Scene: The Girl tells the Lonely Boy, “Christmas is such a wonderful, beautiful, special time...” The Lonely Boy replies, “I’ve never had a Christmas tree... Christmas isn’t for me.”</p><p>Questions: • Why do you think the Lonely Boy didn’t believe Christmas was for him? • What could make someone sad at Christmas?</p><p>Teaching Point: Christmas means more than having a Christmas tree or getting lots of presents.</p><p>12. Quote/Scene: The Bell in The Polar Express symbolizes the spirit of Christmas. Those who hear the ringing believe in the magic of Christmas. </p><p>Questions: • Why could some people hear the bell and others could not? • What happened so that the Boy started hearing the bell?</p><p>Teaching Point: Even though others may not choose to believe – believing in things that are real – even if we can’t see them (like God) can make a big difference in our lives. 13. Quote/Scene: Santa instructs the Boy to always remember the true spirit of Christmas lies in the heart.</p><p>Questions: • Why did Santa want the Boy to remember that the true spirit of Christmas lies in the heart? • Why is Christmas important? • Would Christmas still be important if we didn’t give and receive nice presents? Why?</p><p>Teaching Point: The real meaning of Christmas.</p><p>14. Quote/Scene: The Conductor punches words in each child’s train ticket that suits their unique personality and needs: The Boy – Believe; The Girl – Lead; Know-It-All – Learn; Lonely Boy – Count On, Lean On, Depend On</p><p>Questions: • Why did the Conductor punch different words in everyone’s train ticket? • Would it be better or worse if God made everyone exactly alike? • What would you want the word on your ticket to say?</p><p>Teaching Point: Everyone is different. God makes everyone – including you – very special.</p><p>15. Quote/Scene: At the very end of the movie, we hear the voice of the Boy – who has now grown up into a man – say that all of his friends (and even his sister Sarah) could not hear the bell any longer. But, although he had grown old, he could still hear the bell – along with everyone who believes.</p><p>Questions: • Why do you think some people can’t hear the bell any more?</p><p>Teaching point: Some people stop believing, but you can decide to keep believing if you want to.</p><p>Jim Burns is the President and founder of HomeWord and host of HomeWord’s 1-minute and 30-minute daily radio programs heard across the United States.</p><p>HomeWord • 800.397.9725 • www.homeword.com</p>