2. What is P4C?
“The aim of a thinking skills programme such
as P4C is not to turn children into
philosophers but to help them become
more thoughtful, more reflective, more
considerate and more reason-able
individuals”
Professor Lipman
3. Why do it?
• An enquiry based approach to learning-
where in a circle setting a class are
encouraged to become a ‘community of
enquiry’.
• The teacher simply acts as a facilitator
whilst supporting pupils in their thinking,
reasoning and questioning.
• The idea is for pupils to gradually develop
skills and attributes that can be used across
the curriculum at all stages of their
learning.
Thinking like a geographer??
4. How it works…
Equipment/Layout
• The classroom in a circle
• Mini whiteboard (or paper)
• A3 paper
• A stimulus for discussion….
• For example:
5. Concept Board
• Using whiteboards students write down
some words/concepts/ideas – they are
then shared on the main whiteboard
• Students then write 2/3 questions using
these words – choose the best & write
them on A3 paper and share with class
• Class vote on which they discuss…
6. Debate begins…
• Debate begins & students use a ‘palms up’
approach if they want to speak…
• You simply facilitate the learning while they
discuss question..
• If topic ends – next question is chosen…
• Reflection – success?/5R’s/4C’s/learnt?
7. Why its successful…
• Different/easy to organise
• Extended writing opportunities/good for
aiding discussion
• Fits ‘most’ topics- examples:
• ‘Band Aid 30’/Charity/Aid/Natural Disasters
• Inequality/Development/Suffering/Conflict
• Coasts/Management of areas/places
• China/Kenya/Place/News/Current Issues
• Can use variety of extension activities
• Secret Spy – who has been
caring/creative/collaborative/critical – why?
8. Extra Info & Details
• http://www.philosophy4children.co.uk/ho
me/p4c/
• http://www.sapere.org.uk/default.aspx?ta
bid=162
• http://www.thephilosophyman.com/about
-p4c
9. P4C Lesson Structure
STAGE 1 - SET UP A CLASSROOM IN A CIRCLE SETTING. MINI WHITEBOARDS/PENS UNDER CHAIRS. LARGE SHEETS OF
PAPER.
STAGE 2 - PROVIDE A STIMULUS FOR DISCUSSION/THOUGHT (SLIDESHOW, VIDEO, IMAGE, MUSIC, PIECE OF TEXT,
OBJECT…..)
STAGE 3 - PUPILS INDEPENDENTLY CREATE A ‘CONCEPT’ BOARD OF KEY IDEAS/ WORDS. THESE ARE THEN SHARED AND
PLACED ON THE A COMMUNAL CONCEPT BOARD.
STAGE 4- USING THE CONCEPT BOARD, PUPILS ARE ENCOURAGED TO INDEPENDENTLY CREATE BETWEEN 1-3 QUESTIONS
WHICH COULD BE USED AS A BASIS FOR DISCUSSION. IT IS WORTH REMINDING PUPILS THAT OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS ARE
BEST FOR THIS PURPOSE. PUPILS THEN SHARE THEIR QUESTIONS IN SMALL GROUPS AND CHOOSE THEIR ‘BEST QUESTION’ TO
PLACE ON THE LARGE SHEET OF PAPER IN FRONT OF THEM. ONE BY ONE GROUPS THEN PRESENT THEIR QUESTION TO THE
REST OF THE CLASS.
STAGE 5- VOTING FOR THE QUESTIONS. ALLOW PUPILS TO VOTE FOR THE QUESTION THEY WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE.
VOTING CARDS CAN BE USED OR SIMPLY CREATING A TALLY NEXT TO THE QUESTION.
STAGE 6- YOUR COMMUNITY OF ENQUIRY IS READY TO BEGIN. FROM HERE ON IN YOU ARE SIMPLY THE FACILITATOR (TELL
PUPILS THEY ARE NOT TO LOOK AT YOU WHEN SPEAKING AND THAT THEY ARE IN TOTAL CONTROL OF THE DISCUSSION).
DEBATE IS STARTED BY THE PERSON THAT PROPOSED THE ‘CHOSEN QUESTION’. THE NEXT PERSON TO SPEAK IS CHOSEN
VIA A ‘PALMS UP’ SYSTEM. IF ONE DISCUSSION IS NATURALLY COMING TO AN END, START ANOTHER CHOSEN QUESTION.
STAGE 7 - TIME FOR REFLECTION- HOW/WHY HAVE WE BEEN SUCCESSFUL? REFLECT UPON SKILLS DEVELOPED? SECRET
SPY CARDS IF USED. REFLECT UPON THE 4 C’S.
10. Top Tips…
DUPLO AS A MEANS OF ENCOURAGING
SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS. PLACE ON TOP
IF BUILDING ON SOMEONES IDEAS OR NEXT TO IF
MAKING A NEW POINT. OPPOSITE FOR AN
ALTERNATIVE VEIW. ENCOURAGE ALL PUPILS TO
USE AT LEAST ONE DUPLO PIECE.
THE 4 C’S
CREATIVE COLLABORATIVE
CARING CRITICAL
ENCOURAGE THESE AS SKILLS. PUPILS STAND IN
THE CORNER OF THE ROOM TO REPRESENT THE
COMMUNITIES STRENGTH AND AREAS FOR
DEVELOPMENT
PREPARE QUESTIONS UP YOUR SLEEVE TO
GUIDE/PROMPT IF NEEDED.
GROUND RULES ARE IMPORTANT IN P4C- WHY
NOT LET THE PUPILS CREATE THESE RULES?-
OWNERSHIP.
WOULD YOU RATHER ACTIVITY- WARM UP
E.G.
A) PUT ON AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK FOR THE DAY?
B) HAVE A MAGIC CARPET TO TAKE YOU
ANYWHERE FOR THE DAY?
C) HAVE UNLIMITIED MONEY FOR THE DAY?
STAND ON THE IMAGE AND JUSTIFY YOUR
POSITION
MAKE SURE YOUR STIMULUS IS SPOT ON – IF IT
LEADS STUDENTS OFF TOPIC IT WONT GO THE
RIGHT WAY
11. P4C – 4C Starter Ideas
CREATIVE STATERS
• Provide an intriguing image upon entry pupils have to sit down and record what they think is going on in the picture…give it
a title….what emotions are the people feeling? What question would you ask this person if you were there?
• If (INSERT TOPIC e.g. love/hate) was a colour it would be….If (INSERT TOPIC) was an animal it would be…. If (INSERT TOPIC)
was an object it would be.
• The folding story. On an A4 sheet of paper write the answer to the following questions. After each question has been
answered fold over the paper and pass it to the next person.
• Name of a male character (real or fictional)
• Name of a female character (real or fictional)
• Name of a place where they meet
• When they meet he says something to her…Write what he says….
• She replies…Write what she says
• What was the consequence/result of this encounter?
• Show the links between 5 random words or images. Create a chain of how these things may influence each other in the
world.
• Tell a story as a group, one part each. The last person has to bring the story to a close.
COLLABORATIVE STARTERS
• SENTENCE BUILDING Offer pupils a topic e.g. global warming and ask them to list key words on their board. Then go around
the circle choosing every third person asking them to say one word each and see if they can create a sentence together to
define the topic as clearly as possible. You can make it harder by saying they can only use words on their board.
• ARRANGING CHALLENGE -Ask the class to arrange themselves in order or age, shoe size, birthday months without talking to
each other.
• GIANT DOMINOES- give one domino to each pair and ask them to lay out the dominoes on the floor as a continuum.
• PLAYDOH GAME In mini teams, give each team some playdoh, each team has to create an idea, event or object clue
(given to them on paper by you) using the playdoh in a time limit. Groups then visit each other ‘creations’ and see how
many they can guess as a class.
• Twenty Questions- mystery object/place/event/image of a person under a cloth in the middle of the circle. The class are
given 20 Q’s to ask as a class. You are only allowed to say YES or NO to their questions.
• Stand to attention- explain that all children have to stand up individually but never at the same time. No communication
(verbal or non-verbal) at all allowed. If they stand up at any point at the same time they they have to start again.
12. P4C – 4C Starter Ideas
CRITICAL STARTERS
• Would you rather…have a magic carpet that could take you anywhere…an invisibility cloak or possess immortality? Would
you rather marry someone that is good looking, compliments you or makes you laugh? Etc.
• Ranking activity- rank concepts/qualities or arguments in order of importance. Discuss why you think one is more important
than the other.
• Thunks to promote critical thinking and discussion- if I borrow a million pounds am I a millionaire?
• What if? (Type what if box… into TES) scenarios…. Can be random to get them thinking critcally or just a general question to
prompt creativity….E.G. What if there were no laws in the country? What if Schools were only opened at night time? What if
animals could talk?....This can equally be used as a creative starter.
• PUZZLE and RIDDLE STARTERS THAT HAVE TO BE SOLVED E.G ‘What is the beginning of eternity? The end of time and space: the
beginning of every end and the end of every race? The letter E (type critcical thinking game into TES).
CARING STARTERS
• Physical and non-physical features- draw yourself on a mini whiteboard and write your name above it. Label two sides
‘physical’ and ‘non-physical’. Ask pupils to pass around the boards and they add features of each other that are
positive under either physical or non-physical- remind to be caring.
• Describe a feature of the person next to you that you think will make them a successful learner this lesson/ successful
person in life etc.
• Say something positive about the person next to you.
