Claire Hancock Marco Cassettari Wilbury Primary School

Aims at Wilbury To introduce children to complex global issues and discuss their opinions and thoughts on these. To use the P4C structure as a forum for quality discussion and development of higher order thinking skills. To develop children’s skills of empathy and the need to think of others.

First steps…. Aims: Assess children’s geographical knowledge using the large world map activity based on chocolate production and consumption. Findings: Children had gaps in their knowledge in relation to the continents and oceans of the world. Evaluation: Children enjoyed the practicality of the activity, LA children gained a lot from the lesson and shone, good partner work, all children were excited and engaged.

Continued… Labelling of oceans and continents on large floor map. Partner work with smaller map to label producers and consumers Labelling of major producers with beans. Labelling of major consumers with chocolate and children’s perceptions of the equator. Labelling continents and Oceans.

Second Session Aims: Consolidate geographical knowledge initiated in previous session. Understand the principles and importance of FairTrade. To be able to empathise and relate to other people in the world. Findings: Major differences between the age groups noted. Excellent lesson for developing children’s argument and reasoning skills. All children engaged and involved in the lesson and eager to share their thinking with the whole class. Evaluation: Children have the skills to empathise and reason with other groups of people. Are able to justify and reason with each other in a controlled manner.

Continued ….

P4C Session One Aims: To be able to empathise and relate to other people in the world. To be able to discuss a complex issue in an agreed manner. To be able to contribute to a group discussion. To begin developing P4C thinking within the classroom. Findings: Major differences between the age groups noted. Excellent lesson for developing children’s argument and reasoning skills. Most children engaged and involved in the lesson and some eager to share their thinking with the whole class. Evaluation: Children understood and followed P4C session accurately. Children required more guidance with discussion than expected. Children generated ‘Higher Level Thinking’ questions ideal for discussion.

This child lives in Africa. He goes for days without food and as a result is severely mal-nourished. These children live in London. They are homeless and also struggle to get food and as a result have to beg for help. On your own… think about the children in the pictures. What thoughts or feelings do they invoke?

Continued… Groups of three discussing thoughts on stimuli. Groups of five devising and choosing group question. Children writing and posting final thoughts on P4C discussion. Pairs discussing initial ideas on values and attitudes. Children casting their votes for preferred discussion question.

P4C Session Two Aims: To be able to empathise and relate to other people in the world. To be able to discuss a complex issue in an agreed manner. To be able to contribute to a group discussion. To continue developing P4C thinking within the classroom. Findings: Children recalled and adhered to P4C structure. Some children did not have prior knowledge required to access the stimuli fully. Use of video as a stimuli was more engaging and thought provoking for the children. Evaluation: Prior/follow up teaching required to prepare children for content of stimuli. Improvement of children participation in the discussion.

Stills from the video stimulus on climate change:

Continued… Children watching video stimuli about climate change. Year 4 group questions and discussion sentence starters. Recapping P4C session rules and introducing discussion sentence starters. Children having individual reflection time on stimulus just viewed. Year 5 group questions.

Children’s Outcomes A greater appreciation of the need to look after the world in which we live A sense of responsibility A greater understanding of the need to respect other people’s opinions and that different views and attitudes are ok. An improved knowledge of the world’s continents and oceans. That the world is not a fair place Skills of empathy Reasoning and deduction skills- being able to argue effectively and appropriately Speaking and listening Respecting others To not see everything from their own viewpoint but to listen to others and their opinions To reflect and evaluate the things they do and how these can be changed to make the world a better place That they don’t always have to agree and that it is ok as long as it is dealt with appropriately (children given strategies to deal with this independently)

Children’s Thoughts… I would like to help this person. Why do adults allow this to happen? I like to talk about how we can help the world. Seeing people like this makes me feel very upset. I am glad for what I have.

Evaluation of Peer Coaching A greater consideration of how I plan for additional adult support within the classroom Support with planning and an appreciation of the importance of effective resources Allowed an insight into another year group and the difference between the children in both their attitudes and subject knowledge. Gained a quicker tempo in moving through P4C session through observing one another. Observing new teaching styles and classroom management techniques.

Next Steps at Wilbury Whole school feedback on findings from the course, the effectiveness of P4C and the need to plan for an element of the Global Dimension in all year groups. Future coaching and mentoring of staff with planning for the Global Dimension. Peer observations of P4C sessions to train other year 5 teachers and beyond. Using elements from the course within whole school curriculum change. Lesson planning and resource sharing with teachers from two other boroughs Considering the possibilities of continuing the work with the two classes in P4C sessions and allowing the classes to mix to share their opinions with different children to develop their thinking further