Introduction to P4C

Julia Lee & Myles Hamilton Introduction to P4C To give some practical demonstrations of Philosophy for Children (P4C) to enable you to start practicing it in your own lessons. Recommended next steps SAPERE Level 1 Course:

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Aims of P4C “The aim of a thinking skills programme such as P4C is not to turn children into philosophers or decision-makers, but to help them become more thoughtful, more reflective, more considerateand more reasonable individuals” Mathew Lipman (1924-2012)

Socrates (470 - 399 b.c.) Dewey (1859 -1952) Vygotsky (1896-1934) Matthew Lipman TV Transformers series – ‘Socrates for 6 Year Olds’ SAPERE (1992) Society for the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education

P4C Links to the Curriculum Philosophy is the mortar of education Ph i l o s ophy Ph i l o s ophy Art PE Music Philosophy Philosophy Philosophy Geography Science English Philosophy Philosophy Philosophy ICT Maths Technology

Recognising the 4“C” skills of P4C speaking (communicating) & supporting (conciliating) Share knowledge & experience, build on one another’s ideas… listening (concentrating) & valuing (appreciating) Show interest, respond sensitively… Caring thinking Collaborative thinking connecting (relating) & suggesting (hypothesising) Provide comparisons, alternative explanations or conceptions… questioning (interrogating) & reasoning (evaluating) Seek meaning, evidence, reasons, judgments… Creative thinking Critical thinking

Participating in a Community of Enquiry P4C Communities: A group of people used to thinking together with a view to increasing their understanding and appreciation of the world around them and of each other

Preparation Thinking game Stimulus Individual Reflection Last thoughts and review Shared reflection The structure of a Community of Enquiry Dialogue Question generation First thoughts Question selection Airing of questions 55 minute lesson plan on hand out

Thinking Games • Opinion & Dividing lines • Agree/Disagree • Care/Don’t Care • Pick a side… • Argumentennis • Philosophical Images • How are you feeling about…? • Concept Stretchers • We should help our friends if they ask us

Year 8 lesson example – Geography SBCHS CARE DON’T CARE Place your card onto the opinion line based on how much you care about the statement you’ve been given.

Preparation Thinking game Stimulus Individual Reflection Last thoughts and review Shared reflection The structure of a Community of Enquiry Dialogue Question generation First thoughts Question selection Airing of questions 55 minute lesson plan on hand out

Listen to Jonas’ Story: An example stimulus

Thinking game Stimulus Preparation Individual Reflection Last thoughts and review Shared reflection The structure of a Community of Enquiry Dialogue Question generation First thoughts Question selection Airing of questions

What are the key concepts? Concept lightbulbs

What are the key concepts*? *Ideas Childhood Equality Education Hope

Philosophical Questions Conceptual – What are the concepts? Central to our lives, rather than trivial Common to most people's experience; ordinary rather than esoteric, yet Contestable, or puzzling; not easy to agree on or settle once and for all Splitter & Sharp (1995)

What questions could you ask? Concept lightbulbs

Guidance can be given on how to generate interesting and philosophical questions… Could Would Should Do What Who How Is Does Why When Where same – always – ever – usually – right – wrong - good

A Question Quadrant – Phil Cam (Thinking Tools, 2006, ACER Press) Research Contextual Reflect Comprehension or 'Look and See' Speculation or 'Use your imagination' Open questions Many possible answers Closed Questions One right answer Enquiry or 'Think it over' Factual knowledge or 'Ask an expert' Intellectual – real life

Year 8 lesson example – Geography SBCHS Questions generated by this stimulus:

Facilitating discussion around philosophical questions… How do you know that? Can you explain? Can you give an example of...? Why do you think that....? What are your reasons...? Is there another point of view..? Can you give me a counter example....? What would someone say who disagreed with you say...? So are we saying...? Does everyone agree...? Are we any closer to answering the question...?

Philosopher’s Backpack™ What would X person think? Would everyone think this? Who agrees or disagrees? Can we look a bit closer at this concept? Are we still following this question? Can we shine a light on the concept/s in this question?

The House at Pooh Corner - A.A. Milne “Pooh began to feel a little more comfortable, because when you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”

P4C drives questioning, reasoning and independent learning skills and, as research shows, it accelerates academic progress. Research Highlights – On Handouts

Lipman says “The community of inquiry in the classroom can function the way a safety net does for acrobats: it’s there in case you fall; it’s there to catch you and to keep you from serious damage.”

Reviewing the Enquiry Questions to aid review, evaluation and self-assessment:- • Did we ask any questions? What good questions did we ask? Why were they good? • Did we listen well? Did we explain well? Who spoke well? • Did we take turns? Did we help each other to speak? Did we help with our ideas? • What reasons did we give? Did we think of different reasons? Were they good reasons?

Reviewing the Enquiry • What ideas did we have? Did we change any of our ideas? Did we improve any ideas? • What did we learn from the discussion? Did it help us understand anything better? What did I learn that I didn’t know before? • Was it a good discussion? Why? • Was the discussion philosophical? In what ways? • Did we make progress in the discussion? How could we make it better in future?

UK websites for further information www.sapere.org.uk (UK P4C membership, conferences, resources, more links) www.p4c.com(online support and resources) www.thephilosophyman.com (free resources) www.childrenthinking.co.uk www.theliteracyshed.com www.janeyates.net www.littlechatters.co.uk International Websites www.icpic.org

Assess spectrum: To some extent good candidates need to ‘take these questions on’. Is it really the case that such schemes are always best? Why are hard engineering, multi-million schemes still built?

British Values Schools should promote the fundamental British values: • democracy • the rule of law • individual liberty • mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs This can help schools to demonstrate how they are meeting the requirements of section 78 of the Education Act 2002, in their provision of SMSC.

Linkage to Bloom’s

REFLECT RESEARCH Look and see Use your imagination Ask the expert Think it over

Questions that seek clarification Questions that probe reasons and evidence Questions that explore alternative views Socratic Questions: to deepen the enquiry Questions about the question/ discussion Questions that test implications and consequences

Introduction to P4C