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Four Session Philosophy Module with Year 2 Themes: True/false, lies, stories, make believe.
(Half hour sessions)
Session One Activity - True and false. Go round the class asking each child to say something true about themselves. Begin yourself, to offer an example, for instance: “I am thirty five years old and I drive a blue car”. Then go round and ask each child to say something false about themselves. Begin yourself, to offer an example, for instance: “ I am seven feet tall and right now I am fast asleep”.
Discussion Questions Was it more fun saying what was true or what was false? Why? Was it easy to think of something false to say? Why or why not? When you said something false about yourself, were you lying? If that wasn’t a “real lie” can you give an example of something that would be a “real lie”? What makes something a “real lie”? Are there different types of lies?
Excercise: Is this a lie?
1. Your friend asks you how many sisters you have. You have two, but you say you have none. 2. The teacher asks you what one plus one is, and you say “three”. (what is the difference between a mistake and a lie?) 3. Your mother asks you who took the last slice of cake, and you did, but you say nothing. (can you lie by not saying anything?) 4. Your friend asks you if you think her doll is beautiful, and you say yes, even though you think it isn’t very pretty at all. (is it still a lie if you tell it to make someone feel good?)
Session Two Read Does Daniel Wilmott Tell Lies? Ask for questions about the story (take just one or two to begin with) and invite the group to try to answer them.
Additional Discussion Questions Why do Daniel’s friends think he is telling lies? Do you think he is telling lies? Why or why not? Are there any reasons for believing that Daniel was telling the truth? Are there any reasons for believing that Daniel was lying? Was Daniel tricking his friends? What is the difference between a trick and a lie?
Go through each page and invite the class to look for evidence in the pictures
Do you think that Daniel’s Aunt Joanna really went to the moon? Is it possible for Aunt Joanna to have been in those places?
Session Three Activity - Co-operative story telling Explain that all together the class is going to make up a story about someone they all know (a famous person, a class member, you, the principal). Each person in turn adds a sentence to the story. Begin, for instance: “One day Mrs Compton was walking her dog....” The class may wish to have more than one try at this.
Discussion Questions Did we make up a good story? What made it good (or bad)? How could it have been better? Was our story about Mrs Compton true? Why or why not? Were any parts of it true? Would it have been a better story if more of it had been true? If there were untrue parts, were they lies? What is the difference between lying and making believe?
Session Four Activity - making believe Have the class stand spaced out around the classroom and ask them to make believe that they are, for instance: 1) a rabbit, 2) a very important person, 3) a balloon floating in the sky 4) a witch, 5) a seed that first sends shoots above the ground, grows into a sapling, then a beautiful big tree . . etc etc
Discussion Questions Did you enjoy making believe? Why? Can you say how you make believe? Can you make believe that you are anything or anyone? Why or why not? Can you make believe that you are you? Could someone make believe all the time? Are there some times when it’s especially good to make believe? Are there some times when you shouldn’t make believe? When and why?
Vanya Kovach
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