PHILOSOPHY FOR CHILDREN

1. PHILOSOPHY FOR CHILDREN FJS Curriculum Evening

2. Are these apples dead or alive?

3. OUTLINE OF THE EVENING • What is P4C? • Why do P4C? • What does P4C look like? • Ground Rules • How often do we do it? • Demonstration

4. Is a broken down car parked?

5. What is Philosophy? • The origin of the word philosophy come the greek words philos and sophy, whose literal translation is ‘the love of wisdom’. • It is trying to work out our own best answers to questions that human beings will always be wondering about. • For the purposes of FJS we have defined philosophy for children as a community of enquiry to help us make good judgements about what to think and what to do.

6. What If……. • The sun never set on Fordingbridge again?

7. What If…. • There were 28 hours in a day?

8. Why do Philosophy? • To cultivate curiosity and give time to value and explore children’s questions • To develop children’s thinking skills as useful life skills (important in the information revolution) • To develop co-operative discussion and to teach children how to respectfully agree, disagree and challenge others’ ideas and opinions • To encourage children to challenge and question rather than accept • To help children come to well thought out judgements • To enhance the quality of children’s speaking and listening skills • To develop children’s self-confidence and self-esteem by valuing and building on their ideas. Philosophy has no right or wrong answer. • To create the opportunity to engage in deep learning • To stimulate higher levels of creativity • Employers want creative thinkers who can think on their feet and adapt to a rapidly changing world.

9. What is ½ of love?

10. In P4C the role of the teacher is not as a dispenser of information, but rather as a facilitator of learning.

11. The typical structure of a P4C session is as follows: • Warm-up activity (for examples see below) • Presentation of a stimulus – this could be a story (or part of), a poem, a picture or photograph, a song or an artefact. The teacher presents the stimulus so all children can see, hear and engage with it • Paired discussion or individual reflection to decide on a question they would like to ask about the stimulus • The teacher scribes each question on a flipchart or whiteboard and puts the children’s name by it • The children vote on the most interesting question, preferably anonymously • The teacher facilitates a philosophical discussion to explore that question

12. How do you know whether you are dreaming or awake?

13. Ground Rules for P4C • Give everyone a turn at speaking • Don’t interrupt when someone else is talking • Give support and help them add things • Don’t say anything mean, stupid or unpleasant • If people don’t want to say anything they don’t have to. • Don’t laugh unkindly at something someone has said • Think before you ask a question

14. Children are encouraged to use certain speaking frames to promote thinking/ respect for others’ views: • I think……………..because…….. • I agree with……….because……. • I disagree with………..because…….. • I would like to ask……(name of child)………… • I would like to add to what….(name of child)said……..

15. How often do we do P4C? • Twice a half-term as pure P4C • Once a half-term as a cross-curricular input

16. Demonstration time