Philosophy with Year 2 Boys

Today we enjoyed our second reading of Arthur by Amanda Graham and explored what it meant to be ordinary. We talked about ordinary and less ordinary dogs and looked at dogs on the internet trying to justify our decisions.
We then talked about different jobs that people do and placed them on a continuum of ordinary to less ordinary. The boys were very good at justifying their placement of an occupation. For criteria they tended to use whether they had a direct experience of that job, how much talent was needed to do the job and how much training was required. I enjoyed them respectively disagree and state their opinions. Great to see that they had teaching up there with the less ordinary!

Year 2 Philosophy

We shared a great story called, 'Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten'.

After the story we talked about optimism and pessimism. We discussed the phrases, 'the glass being half full' and 'looking on the bright side'. We linked these ideas to the story and finished with thinking about the best and worst scenarios should there be house for sale next door.

Year 1 Philosophy Today

Today we we had a mixture of children for philosophy and Harry joined us for the very first time. We talked about sharing and all the things that we can share. We finished with talking about how we good share kindness, manners and laughter with others and ended the session by sharing jokes!

Thinking About Emotions

This week the Year 1 philosophers investigated feelings. They first came up with a range of feelings and we talked about these.

Then we dramatised what they might look and feel like.

Joy

Scared

Afraid

Sad

Excited

Excited

Confused

Happy

Angry

We then used out thinking about emotions and our work with metaphors last week to write some poems.

Sickness by Lachlan

Sickness is yellow and orange.

It looks like panadol.

Sickness smells like rotten eggs.

It tastes like very yucky eggs.

Sickness feels like it is a bit bumpy.

It sounds like "bluuuh!'

Happy by Coll

Happy is light yellow.

It looks like the bright sun.

Happy smells like chocolate.

It tastes like lolly cake.

It feels smooth like leaves on a tree.

It sounds like wind blowing the sand.

Sickness by Sophie

Sickness is blue.

It looks like puke.

Sickness smells like rotten salad.

It tastes like yucky potatoes.

Sickness feels like getting spaghetti on your hands.

It sounds like somebody sneezing.

Grumpy by Sammy

Grumpy is sulky yellow.

It looks like rotten eggs.

Grumpy smells like ice cream.

It tastes like sour lollies.

Grumpy feels squishy peas.

It sounds like a lion roaring.

Shy by Lachie

Shy is blue.

It looks like you don't want to look.

Shy smells like a box.

It tastes like banana.

It feels like sand.

Shy sounds like a plane hovering.

Sick by Stella

Sick is white

It looks like puke.

Sick smells like rotten eggs.

It tastes like ice cream.

Sick feels fluffy like a blanket

It sounds like thumping.

Happy by Sia

Happy is pale yellow.

It looks like a birthday party.

Happy smells like chocolate.

It tastes like a lemonade ice block

It feels soft like a dog.

It sounds like "happy clap along if you feel..."

Sick by Georgetta

Sick is orange

It looks like rotten eggs..

Sick smells like mints.

It tastes like yucky cheese

Sick feels like lumpy rice.

It sounds like coughing.

Sick by Beth

Sick is green

It looks like puke.

Sick smells like vomit.

It tastes like rotten rice.

Sick feels lumpy.

It sounds like ahhhhh!

Exploring Time in Philosophy

Does time slow down?

• Not really but it feels like it does and sometimes it feels like it goes fast.

When does it feel slow?

•        at night time,  Aoife
•        when you are bored,  Cooper
•        when the clock is broken, Kai Ying
•        when you are on a six hour road trip,  Rory
•        school time, Lucy
•        waiting for a special time

When does it feel like it is going fast?

•        when you are riding a bike because bikes are fast, Kai Ying
•        when you are having fun because you might be running around a lot, Cooper
•        play dates, Rory
•        when you are in a racing cars because racing cars are very fast, Aoife

Can you stop time?

• Smash a clock, Rory

How do we know that time has passed?

•        we are a little bit older, Erin
•    * we have had one more birthday than last time
•        when you have been somewhere and you haven’t been there for a long, long time. Lola
•        when the sun goes up or down a little bit, Rory
•        when day time has gone and it is night time, Lucy
•       when you look at the clock and the time has gone past, Aoife/Kai Ying
•        things might be different like a flower blooms and dies. Cooper

Philosophy This Week

Year 2 continued thinking about 'Where the Wild Things Are' but this week we looked at reality and thought about what was real and why we thought things were real or not. As always great discussion with some funny and interesting ideas.

Year 1 children explored the idea of same and different. They discovered that something's appear to be the same but when you look closely there are lots of differences. Although we all cry it was different things that made us cry. We thought about trees and then brainstormed all the different kinds of trees we could think of.

Year 2 Philosophy

Today in philosophy we started by reading 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak.

This led us to a discussion about imagination. We talked about aspects of the story before talking about imagination and the places it can take us. The children thought that dreams were our imagination at work and thought that in the story Max fell asleep and was probably dreaming. We discussed what it means to have a wild imagination and whether you choose to imagine or whether it just happens.

Children shared that imagination often just takes over when you are relaxing.

All children agreed that the imagination was very useful particularly when it came to art, writing, solving problems, playing and even getting out of trouble!

We then used a venn diagram to compare real and imaginary friends.

Loneliness

Today our Year 2 group continued to explore the idea of loneliness. They then recorded their thinking in a poem and described the image they would like to accompany their work. I then put them together for publishing.

How do you know who and what you are?

Today's discussion centred around what makes us special and unique. We first explored things about us we thought were pretty special.

Ava loves her long hair and playing in the sandpit.
Mae loves that she is great at reading.
Max loves he has lots of friends.
Rory loves his jumping.
Kai like playing games and paling on the big playground.
Olivia loves that her Mum and Dad take her out for dinner.
Charlotte likes she is gentle.
Cooper loves having lots of people that love him.
Patricio likes that he is strong.
Magnus likes that he is love.
Emily loves how fast she can run.

How do we know what and who we are?

• by measuring ourselves
• our family tells us
• we can listen to our selves
• we can write down information about ourselves
• look at photos
• watch DVD's and videos of when we were younger
• look in the mirror
• ask others
• feel yourself
• our friends and teachers tell us
• people want to be out friends
• we can use similes to describe ourselves

Friday's Philosophy

This week the Year 2 group continued to use Amelia Ellicott's Garden although this week we explored the concept of loneliness.

Was Amelia Ellicott really alone?
What does it mean to be alone?
What does it mean to be lonely?
Is being alone the same as being lonely?
Can you be in a crowd and be lonely?
Can you be by yourself and not be lonely?
Are there times when it is good to alone?
Are there times when it is good to be lonely?

Next week we will write some poems, drawing on our discussions of loneliness.

The Year 1 read the Kathryn Cave book 'Something Else.'

We then discussed what is the same and different amongst our group.

Same	Different
·      Hair ·      Bodies ·      We play games ·      We wear clothes ·      We cry ·      We laugh and smile ·      We can move and jump ·      We talk	·      Eye colour ·      We are boys and girls ·      Some wear glasses ·      Coloured hair and kin ·      Speak other languages ·      Play with different otys ·      Learn different things ·      Have different kinds of families

We finished the session by identifying and sharing the things about ourselves that we really liked.

Wilfred Gordon and Names

For the past few weeks we have discussed names. Our homework this week was to find out the story behind our own names.

Magnus the Magnificent - Magnus was named after Magnus Magnusun. He is famous in the U.K. for being the presenter of Mastermind. His Dad loved the name even though he was very small when he was born.

Erin Isabel - means 'Ireland's Poet'. It is her Mum and Dad's favourite girls name. Isabel is her English Grandma's name.

Charlotte - is the feminine form of Charles. It is both French and Italian. Charlotte's Mum and Dad thought is was a beautiful name. Her middle name is Rose and her parents thought she was a beautiful as a rose.

Cooper - Cooper's name came from a pair of trackies that his Mum wore when she was pregnant with Cooperstown New York on the label. His Mum also loved Mini Cooper cars and now she has her own little Mini Cooper. His middle name, John is also his Grandad's name.

Olivia - is a name linked to the word olives and also means an army of elves.

Rory - Rory's parents liked his name and it means strong.

Emily - this name comes from England.

Kaiying - Kaiying's Dad chose her name.

Patricio - this name can also be Patrick. It means leader.

Ava - Ava's name means a bird in German. Her parents also like Ella or Alice but she doesn't think her Dad really liked the name Alice.

After we had talked about names we talked about simile and metaphor and came up with simile for the following starters. What words would you use?

• As hungry as a...
• As funny as a...
• As tall as a...
• As silly as a...
• As grumpy as a... 

Thinking about being neighbourly

This week we read and discussed this interesting text. The key themes to explore are being neighbourly and feeling lonely.

Here is a glimpse of today's thinking.

What did the story make me think about?

• visiting neighbours - Lucy
• my Poppa's chickens and their names beginning with H - Annabelle
• that I would like some chickens - Ava
• my neighbours Wayne and Nova - Lorenze
• checking on neighbours after the earthquake - Mrs H

What did you like and agree with?

• That they shared the garden - Bina
• They helped put the garden back together - Sammie
• Baby chickens hatching - Ava
• That the neighbours go to know each other - Lucy

What did you dislike and not agree with?

• The tornado ruining things
• That Amelia didn't have a family - Lucy

We then spent time discussing and categorising actions into neighbourly, not neighbourly and not sure.

What do you think of these situations? Where would you put them?

• Being asked to look after your neighbour's fish but not doing it until the day before they came back from holiday.
• Taking apples from a neighbour's tree, making a cake and then gifting it to your neighbour.

Year Two Writers

Our philosophy group has evolved into a writing group. We started this term reading and exploring the idea of memories from MemFox's 'Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge'. Here are some poems that the children put together.

Memories are kind, like a cup of love  bursting with laughter.

They are clouds filling your mind with sadness.

Memories are like popping candy

Making your mind jump up and down.

Lucy

A memory is a special feeling to you.

Like when you hold your new baby girl.

That is special to you, isn’t it?

Sammie

Remembering is sort of resting.

Samuel

Memories make my mind a better place.

I remember happy and sad things like when

I was a little girl and Nana said it wasn’t her

That hid the lollies in her letter box.

She said it was the mail man.

I remember my Poppa tricking me and Libby.

We laughed and Nana did too.

Annabelle

Memories are things that make you cry or laugh.

Memories make your heart glow

When you remember.

I remember back in the days

When my Pop was around.

I sat near him and ate ice-cream.

Bina

What are memories?

Memories are some things that you remember

From long ago.

Memories are thoughts.

I remember wearing my jarmies in the pool.

We were swimming in our sleep.

Ava

Memories are spaces that hold you thoughts.

You can be reminded by all sorts of things.

Like, when I looked at a photo

Of my very first time on a plane.

It brings my self back to where I was.

I remember dancing with Papa

When I look at this old dancing shoes.

Cindy

Memories can make you happy or sad.

They make you laugh or cry.

I remember dancing with Isabella and Miss Pam.

We were twirling and whirling dizzily around the dance floor.

A memory is a wonderful thing to have.

Remembering feels like floating in the air.

Isobel

A memory is a treasure.

It’s special and makes me smile.

It might make me sad or make me laugh.

Memories are old and new.

It brings the past back.

Memories remind us of people or places.

They are as warm as toast or as funny as jokes.

Amelia

On Sunday we went to my Grandad’s house. 

At my Grandad’s house my Grandad said to me that my heart glowed

and memories are nice things to learn.

Kaiying

I remember that I went to my friend’s house.

We played on the x-box.

He was 18, now he’s 19.

Lorenze