Thinking Space at Meynell Primary: A Journey in Thinking

Thinking Space promotes dialogue and enquiry. We work in schools and communities, creating space for people to talk and think together.

This 2011 Creative Partnerships project was a partnership between Pete Brashaw a Primary School Teacher of many years experience and Grace from Thinking Space.

Focusing on improving independent writing, we worked with a year five literacy class over a period of seven months. Our plan was to first promoting independent thinking in the hope that the children's enthusiastic engagement in philosophical enquiry would form a firm foundation for greater independence in associated writing activities. This progression from independent thought to independent writing was made a success, we think, by the use of 'Thinking Diaries.'

During the project the children began to receive a series of letters from a mysterious philosopher. As they corresponded the philosopher began to send packages, emails, voice messages and later even visitors to the school, with each new arrival forming the basis of rich philosophical enquiry.

The trip culminated in a trip to Western Park museum in search of the philosopher where they got a bit more than they bargained for!

NOTE - This film was made in an open plan classroom, the noise you can here is the class next door working!

Find out more: http://thinkingspace.org.uk/

This film was made by James Fryer at Ogle http://oglefilmandmedia.co.uk/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• P4C
• Enquiry
• Inquiry
• Philosopher
• Philosophy
• +Philosophy
• for
• children
• education
• schools
• Grace
• Robinson
• Thinkingspace
• Thinking
• Space
• Sheffield

[dopekick]

Love the variety of resources. The questions the children asked where really insightful. Amy is ace "do you have to have a mirror to see your true self' . Thank you for sharing this work.