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Let's Think - Philosophical stories to stimulate thinking

This book has principally been written to provide stories for assemblies in the primary school. They have been written in groups of themes, using classical philosophical ideas. They are designed to stimulate thinking and discussion, and to engage the children in realising how the understanding of such issues affects their own lives.

The stories can also usefully be used in the classroom, especially with a 'community of enquiry' method as advocated by proponents of Philosophy with Children. Most usefully, a story that has been introduced in the context of an assembly, can be further developed in the classroom.

The ten themes are:

If daily assemblies are held, each theme corresponds to a week's work and therefore provides some continuity and progression. Alternatively, single stories or a small group can be used in a 'pick-n-mix' fashion.

Variety is provided through including some traditional stories from different cultures, as well as some new original stories. Some are in narrative form and some in dialogue. A few are written as plays so that pupils can at least read the parts if not fully enact the drama.

The most important part is not the story, but the thinking and subsequent engagement of the pupils. For this some tips in how to take an effective assembly are given, but more substantially, a number of questions are given after each story in order to stimulate children's thinking. A 'Thought for the Day' is also given after each story. This is to encourage further thinking by the children after the assembly.

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Thinking Through Philosophy

The 'Thinking Through Philosophy' programme develops both these important areas and is backed by current research. The books contain a 'theoretical' section that give details of all facets of the programme, and practical sections containing thirty fully-detailed sessions, which comprise a year's work. No further planning is necessary.

Varied stimuli are used and a range of thinking skills developed. A variety of themes ensures that children can debate a range of moral and ethical issues.

Thinking Through Philosophy Book 1 ISBN 1-904374-59-X The Thinking Through Philosophy series has been designed to help pupils of all ages to understand the importance of being self-aware, self-regulated, motivated and to be empathetic. These books aim to help pupils think well, learn how to handle information, learn creative thinking, reasoning and to evaluate. Varied stimuli are used and a range of thinking skills developed. A variety of themes ensure pupils can discuss a range of moral and ethical issues. An ideal cross-curricular resource for Literacy (speaking and listening skills), RE (spiritual intelligence) and also P.S.H.E. (emotional intelligence). Book 1 is suitable for 7 - 9 year olds or Yr 3 (P4 Scotland) Buy from Amazon
Thinking Through Philosophy Book 2 (ISBN 1-904374-41-7) Book 2 is aimed at Yr 4 (P5 Scotland) It includes the start of Critical Challenges. Buy from Amazon
Thinking Through Philosophy Book 3 (1-904374-42-5) Book 3 is aimed at Yr 5 (P6 Scotland) Included is the development of critical thinking to include Mysteries. Thinking Maps are also practised. Buy from Amazon
Thinking Through Philosophy Book 4 (ISBN 1-900818-24-8) Book 4 is aimed at Yr 6 or 7 (P7 Scotland) Buy from Amazon
Thinking About Personal and Social Development (ISBN 1904904513) This book addresses key issues in PSHE/PSD at Key Stage 3, (S1 & 2 Scotland) such as bullying, drugs, alcohol, sex and peer pressure. It is a combination of Philosophical enquiry and other 'thinking' methods to enable the students to examine the issues involved at a deeper level, to the point where there is choice over their actions. There is flexibility in how the resource may be used, with the teacher able to tailor its use to school and curriculum requirements. Suitable for 11 - 14 year olds. Buy from Amazon

The main story is said to be part of a speech by Chief Seattle (more correctly 'Seathl') in 1854. There is much debate about the various versions of the speech, however, although we may never know exactly what he said, it is likely that the original was as eloquent as this, and the other subsequent versions.

How Can One Sell The Air? Teaching Notes

1. Practice the exercise.
   
   
2. Recall the poem 'What Is He?' and let someone read it aloud (or two people take a part each). Look at last weeks 'Thought for the Week' and take any further observations.
   
   
3. Tell children the background to "How Can One Sell the Air", then read the story.
   
   
4. Ask some questions to check that children have understood the content of the story. For example 'What are talking wires?'
   
   
5. Working in pairs, give each pair a copy of the words of Chief Seattle, beginning at 'The President in Washington…..'. Get the pupils to look for main ideas which have linked and supportive ideas. How many can they find? Take examples and briefly discuss these.
   
   
6. Children should next use these main ideas to formulate possible themes and philosophical questions. Take examples.
   
   
7. Use the 'Questions for Thinking' to stimulate dialogue.
   
   
8. To close, ask for volunteers to sum up what has taken place in the dialogue. (Explain the technique of association of ideas to the children). It is very difficult for any of us to hold 6 or 7 ideas in mind simultaneously. The above technique is to choose a main idea to begin with, and start explaining it. This naturally leads, through association of ideas, to the next main idea. In this way, by having the confidence to start and then listen to what one is saying, the individual can speak intelligently at length linking a number of main points.
   
   
9. Explain the Thought for the Week.

'The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy and sell the sky, the land? The idea is strange to us. Every part of this earth is sacred to my people, every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow is holy in the memory and experience of my people. We are all part of the earth, and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. Each ghostly reflection in the clear lakes tells of memories and events in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

If we sell our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath receives his last sigh. This we know. The earth does not belong to man: man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that connects us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are slaughtered? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with scent of many men, and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with the talking wires? The end of living and the beginning of survival.

When the last red man vanishes with his wilderness, and his memory is only a shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores still be here? Will there be any spirit of my people left?

We love this earth as the new born loves its mother's heart beat. So if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it; care for it as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is as you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it as God loves us all. One thing we know. There is only one God. No man, be he red man or white man, can be apart. We are brothers after all'

Questions For Thinking

1. Think about the content of the story. Can you think of any ways in which this story could be considered beautiful? (Children may speak of the beauty of nature that is described, the beauty of the language, the beauty of ideas, and so on. Accept their answers, but do not give any of your own.)
   
   
2. Sometimes things can be beautiful not because we can appreciate the beauty through the senses by seeing, hearing, or touching it, but because we can appreciate beautiful ideas with our mind. Did Chief Seattle have any ideas that you thought were beautiful? (Take answers and ask the children to give reasons for their choices.) This is a difficult concept (especially from memory) so if no answers are forthcoming give some examples of your own and ask if anyone agrees with any of them, and why.
   
   
3. Is the language beautiful? (Give some examples by re-reading some small sections that appeal to you.) What effect does this have on us? (For example, it draws us to connect more with the meaning, it makes us want to hear more, we have a greater emotional response to what is being said.)
   
   
4. Have you heard any ideas which you think are useful to us today? Having a written copy of the speech to explore at greater length would be useful.
   
   
5. What is unity?
   
   
6. Does the story help us to understand more about unity? How? What?
   
   
7. What is conservation?
   
   
8. What has the idea of unity as described in the story, got to do with conservation?
   
   
9. When we speak about 'conservation', what do we think needs conserved? Why?
   
   
10. Is there any relationship between beauty and conservation? What is it (or what are they)?

Thought for the Week: If we can see the unity in everything it is difficult not to see the need for conserving the environment. See if you can see ways in which you can play your part in this.