The class as a community

A community of enquiry is itself a small experiment in living together. Children share time to speak, listen to views they dislike and reach decisions without a single winner. That makes society a natural theme once the group has settled into the routine.

Agree ground rules together rather than handing them down. The process of choosing them can itself become the first discussion: why do we need rules at all?

Stimulus and questions

Stimulus, 'The Island Class': A class is shipwrecked on a small, safe island with food and shelter but no adults. On day one, the fastest runner says she should be leader. On day two, someone suggests a vote. On day three, two children refuse to follow any rules and go to live on the other beach.

• Does a group need a leader?

• Is a vote always the fairest way to decide?

• Should people who don't agree with the rules have to follow them?

• What do you owe to people in your community?

• Can you belong to a group you didn't choose?

Sample session: ages 8 to 12, 50 minutes

Materials: the story, large paper, marker pens, a map of the island drawn simply on the board.

• 5 min: warm-up. Groups of four have one minute to agree on one rule for the island.

• 5 min: read the stimulus in three parts, pausing after each day.

• 10 min: pairs write questions; group and vote.

• 20 min: enquiry on the chosen question.

• 5 min: groups revise their island rule in light of the discussion.

• 5 min: last words. 'One thing a community needs is...'

Facilitator moves

Ask children to take the other side: 'What would the children on the other beach say?'. Test proposals with cases: 'What if the vote was 16 to 15?'. Draw attention to reasons that refer to fairness, safety or freedom, and help the group notice when those values pull in different directions.

Keep examples on the island rather than on real classmates or current news, which can make discussion personal. Younger children can act out the three days with simple role cards before discussing. Older children can compare two ways of deciding, such as voting and taking turns, and list what each one gets right.

Key points

• Let children help write the ground rules; it becomes a first enquiry.

• Use an imagined setting to keep talk away from real classmates.

• Ask children to argue the view of those who disagree.

• Name the values in play, such as fairness, safety and freedom.

Ready-made resources

Printable session plans and materials for this topic are available from EduTrend Contents: P4C-110 Philosophy Starter Kit.

Photos: Parth Savani, Yanhao Fang / Unsplash