A boy wonders what it is that makes him him and not somebody or something else ... Task Questions: Are you the same as a snail? Are you the same as a racing car? Are you the same as your jumper? What makes you different from a computer? What makes you different from someone else?

Starter Activity Draw a large outline of a person with plenty of room to write words inside on a piece of paper, and photocopy enough for each child in the class. Ask the children to think of all the things that it is that makes us who we are. Provide a couple of examples that demonstrate the range of characteristics you expect: 'guitaris...

A three-minute play by Paul Bodin.   Revised by fifth graders Audrey McCarthy & Jasmine Klein For more info on how to use this play for an enquiry, have a look at Pete's blog at the following link: https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/blog/dialogues-in-philosophy-with-children. (Note:  CAFO is pronounced “ka&rdq...

Tamara, Carim and Miriam decide to bake a cake together. Tamara does all the necessary shopping; in fact she spends most of this month’s pocket money on ingredients. Far more than his friends, Carim puts enormous effort into making the cake. He has baked before, so is very good at it as well as very enthusiastic. Miriam mostly watches and ...

By Steven Hoggins This is a session based on ideas of responsibility – to what extent is someone responsible for their actions and the consequences of their actions? Resources: 3 pupils and something to turn on – I use my phone which has an on button on the front. Session Stimulus Place the phone in the middle of the c...

THE PAINTER AND THE WISE OLD LAY 7 SESSIONS MONDAY There was once a painter who lived in a small village deep in the countryside. He spent all day carefully painting beautiful pictures which he would sell in the market. It was a peaceful job and he had plenty of time and silence to think. Sometimes he would have questions about life tha...

Tell the story of ‘Cookies’ (from Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel) for young children or read ‘Bite’ from Thoughtings for older students. Run an enquiry around one of these stimuli. Possible TQs: TQ (Cookies): Did either Frog or Toad use any will power? TQ (Bite): What decides what your tongue likes? Or,...

Developed in classrooms by Miriam Cohen Christofidis and Peter Worley from an original idea by Miriam. Starter 1 and 2 could be viewed as alternatives, in which case, choose which one you’d prefer to start your session with. Or, you could use one starter one week and the other the following week, as they are closely related but deal wit...

Say: A 100-metre race was run. Christina came first and Jemal came a very close second. Christina was the fastest runner in the school and did not practice for the race at all. Jemal, however, knew that Christina was the fastest in the school and last year he had come fourth, so he had practiced for one hour every night for a whole month befo...