Introduction

Background information and didactical perspective

Philosophy for Children (P4C) is an approach that was developed by Professor Matthew Lipman, who was influenced by educational psychologists and philosophers such as Vygotsky, Piaget and Dewey as well as by the tradition of Socratic dialogue. P4C builds on higher order thinking (critical, creative and caring thinking), inquiring, reasoning, listening and dialogical skills. Children are encouraged to create their own philosophical questions. The facilitator supports children in their own thinking, reasoning and inquiring, as well as in building on each other’s ideas in a dialogue. In P4C, the facilitator fosters student-led discussions on philosophical questions. The role of the facilitator is crucial to ensuring quality dialogue and progress, as well as integration within the curriculum. It is well documented that P4C has an impact on children's cognitive, personal, social and emotional development. P4C encourages children as well as young adults to think for themselves and develop dialogical skills.

Learning outcomes

Competencies
critical thinking, creative thinking, reflective skills, inquiry skills, dialogical skills
  • Play
  • Play
  • Play
Suitable age 10-14
Time frame 9 x 60 min.
Required materials board/flip chart;
Subjects / Topics Cosmopolitan issues

Lesson plan

Abbreviations:

  • A = Activity
  • D = Discussion
  • GW = Group work
  • IW = Individual work
  • HW = Homework
  • PW = Partnerwork
  • PTS = Previous Teacher’s Study
  • PO = Pupils opinions
  • PP = Pupil’s presentations
  • TP = Teacher’s presentation

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Phase Content Media, Material

Introduction
(5 min.)

  • PTS
  • TP

What is a right? What is an obligation?

Preparation
  • Teacher studies previously the leading idea Rights and obligations in order to have a guide to stimulate reflection in the students during the discussion raised by the exercise
  • Prepare a circle of chairs
Execution
  • Teacher hands out a copy of exercise What is a right? What is an obligation? to each pupil, then introduces subject asking students to answer the questions contained in M2, giving reasons for each of them
M1
Leading idea “Rights and obligations”
M2
Exercise “What is a right? What is an obligation?”

Main section
(10 min.)

  • PO
  • Students work individually on the exercise

Discussion
(40 min.)

  • D
  • Teacher invites pupils to discuss the issues that they think are more relevant with their classmates, referring in particular to the last two questions of the exercise
Phase Content Media, Material

Introduction
(10 min.)

  • TP
Preparation
  • Prepare a circle of chairs
  • Hand out a copy of the Declaration of Human Rights
Execution
  • Teacher introduces subject reading the content of exercise The Declaration of Human Rights and asks the pupils to try to discover which obligation or obligations are connected to each of the rights that appears in the Declaration of Human Rights
M3
Activity “The Declaration of Human Rights”

Discussion
(40 min.)

  • D
  • Pupils confront each other and discuss about which obligation or obligations they think are connected to each of the rights that appear in the Declaration of Human Rights giving reasons for their agreement
  • The exercise can be also done as an activity
M3
Activity “The Declaration of Human Rights”
Phase Content Media, Material

Introduction
(5 min.)

  • TP
Preparation
  • Prepare a circle of chairs
  • Prepare a flip chart
  • Hand out a copy of each exercise to each student
Execution
  • Teacher writes the questions listed in exercise Do children have the same rights as adults? on the flip chart. Then asks students to choose one or more questions to reflect on. After choosing the questions, the teacher divides students into groups and asks them to discuss the topics arisen by the questions and to make notes. Finally, asks students to share their own conclusions with each other
M4
Exercise “Do children have the same rights and obligations as adults?”
Additional material
  • board/flip chart

Main section
(15 min.)

  • PO
  • Students work into groups discussing on the topics and making notes about them

Discussion
(30 min.)

  • D
  • Students share with each other their own conclusions
Phase Content Media, Material

Introduction
(5 min.)

  • PTS
  • TP
Preparation
  • Teacher studies previously the leading idea Rights in order to have a guide to stimulate reflection in the students during the discussion raised by the exercise
  • Prepare a flip chart
  • Hand out a copy of each exercise to each student
Execution
  • Teacher hands out a copy of exercise Rights and asks pupils to think about the questions
M5
Leading idea “Rights”
M6
Exercise “Rights”
Additional material
  • board/flip chart

Main section
(35 min.)

  • PO
  • Students work individually on the exercise

Discussion
(10 min.)

  • D
  • Teacher invites pupils to discuss their answers and share their conclusions
Phase Content Media, Material

Introduction
(5 min.)

  • PTS
  • TP

Exploring Children’s Rights

Preparation
  • Teacher studies previously the leading idea Children’s Rights in order to have a guide to stimulate reflection in the students during the discussion raised by the exercise
  • Prepare a circle of chairs
  • Hand out a copy of each exercise to each student
Execution
  • Teacher hands out a copy of exercise Exploring children's rights to the pupils and introduces the subject asking students to think about and answer the questions in this exercise
M7
Leading idea “Children’s rights”
M8
Exercise “Exploring children’s rights”

Main section
(15 min.)

  • PO
  • Students work individually on the exercise and answer the questions

Discussion
(30 min.)

  • D
  • Teacher invites pupils to discuss and reflect on the questions with their classmates
Phase Content Media, Material

Introduction
(5 min.)

  • TP
  • PO

Do children have rights? Imaginary Island

Preparation
  • Teacher studies previously the leading idea Children’s Rights in order to have a guide to stimulate reflection in the students during the discussion raised by the exercise
  • Prepare a flip chart
  • Hand out a copy of each exercise to each student
Execution
  • Teacher asks pupils to think about children’s rights
M7
Leading idea “Children’s rights”
M9
Exercise “Do children have rights?”
Additional material
  • board/flip chart

Main section
(50 min.)

  • PO
  • TP
  • D
  • Step 1 Teacher hands out a copy of exercise Do children have rights?. Students work individually and think whether they agree or disagree with the statements
  • Step 2 Teacher invites pupils to discuss the statements and their reasons with their classmates
  • Step 3 Teacher hands out a copy of exercise Imaginery island and asks pupils to write a list with three rights their island should offer
  • Step 4 Teacher invites pupils to discuss the rights they think are important
M9
Exercise “Do children have rights?”
M10
Exercise “Imaginary Island”
Phase Content Media, Material

Introduction
(5 min.)

  • TP
Preparation
  • Prepare a circle of chairs
Execution
  • Teacher introduces subject asking pupils to make a list of their rights and to explain which conditions are necessary in enforcing them (e.g. the right to receive an education implies the need for a family to bring you up and a school near home; the right to food implies having access to food).
M11
Exercise “Rights of children and youngsters”

Main section
(10 min.)

  • PO
  • Students work individually writing their own list of the rights.

Discussion
(40 min.)

  • D
  • Step 1 In order to encourage discussion, teacher asks students the following questions: To what extent do you think the rights on your classmates’ lists are respected in your particular case? To what extent do you think those rights are present at school? In the rest of the country? In the rest of the world?
  • Step 2 After that, the teacher emphasizes the existence of other rights, (some of which appear in the exercise Children rights). These other rights are probably unknown to most students, and are therefore less likely to appear in spontaneous discussion. As the teacher goes through this new list, s/he could ask them the same question s/he asked about their own lists.
M12
Exercise “Children rights”
Phase Content Media, Material

Introduction
(5 min.)

  • TP
Preparation
  • Prepare a flip chart
  • Hand out a copy of each exercise to each student
Execution
  • Teacher introduces the subject by writing the quote in leading idea Privacy on a flip chart and asking the students to think about it
M13
Leading idea “Privacy”

Main section
(15 min.)

  • PO
  • Students work in pairs or groups and discuss whether they agree with the statement concerning privacy or not. They should justify their answer

Discussion
(35 min.)

  • D
  • Teacher hands out a copy of exercise Privacy and asks pupils to discuss the questions with their classmates
M14
Exercise “Privacy”
Phase Content Media, Material

Introduction
(5 min.)

  • PTS
  • TP

What would happen if...?

Preparation
  • Teacher studies previously the leading idea Social pact in order to have a guide to stimulate reflection in the students during the discussion raised by the exercise
  • Prepare a flip chart
  • Hand out a copy of each exercise to each student
Execution
  • Teacher hands out a copy of exercise What would happen if... to each pupil, then introduces subject asking students to write a brief essay
M15
Leading idea “Social pact”
M16
Exercise “What would happen if...”

Main section
(15 min.)

  • PO
  • Students work individually on the exercise

Discussion
(40 min.)

  • D
  • Teacher invites pupils to discuss with classmates the issues arisen from their brief essays