Resource Bulletin Contents
Download p4c.com leaflet to spread the news
Resources
One for the book library
Ideas for using 'The Important Book' (pupils aged 4 to 8).
p4c craft
Thinking circles to help create questions and monitor inquiries (all ages).
An inquiry builder
An activity to support the giving of reasons when agreeing and disagreeing with statements (age 8 upwards)
'The pit' and tourism
Exploring the concept of tourist (pupils aged 9 to 14).
Invitation to contributors
p4c news
Dear Friend
We are pleased to send you the first of our p4c.com resource bulletins. We hope you will find the resources interesting and useful. They are the kinds of things, among many others that you will find on the p4c.com website when it is launched. We will send out a resource bulletin every and the beginning of every month. Please feel free to emal this newsletter to a friend and let them know what p4c.com has to offer.
p4c.com progress
We have been spreading the word about p4c.com to our personal contacts. We are pleased to report that we have 372 people already signed up to subscribe on launch. We have started uploading resources to the website working to make it website as useful and flexible as possible. Of course we are hoping to reach our launch figure as quickly as possible but we are also excited about being able to provide you with a regular supply of ideas through this resource bulletin. Please let us know if you like what we have sent or have any special requirements we could work on.
We also encourage you to consider becoming a contributor to the site and share in the revenue generated by membership subscriptions. Contributions can be as short as your own favourite ‘starter’ or ‘follow up’ activity, but also as long as a collection of ideas for one or more lessons or some recommendations for using a particular stimulus. If you are interested, please contact Steve Williams (thinkingscripts@yahoo.co.uk) who is currently drawing up guidelines, terms and conditions.
One for the book library
The p4c.com website will have a 'library' section with containing ideas for using recommended picture books and other stimulus material. It will also contain dialogues, articles on p4c, recommended YouTube videos and, eventually, original podcasts. Steve Williams, has started producing some material on YouTube videos. These will be transfered to p4c.com and more will be added. For this resource bulletin, Steve has submitted a book recommendation (The Important Book) for p4c with young children and lots of ideas for inquiry.
Dowload 'The Important Book' now
p4c craft
The p4c craft section of the website will be a collection of practical ideas on aspects of facilitating inquiry such as preparing materials, helping pupils create questions, pushing for depth in dialogue and planning for progression. In this bulletin, we present the strategy of 'Thinking Circles' as a means of stimulating and gathering ideas prior creating questions or evaluating an inquiry. We think it would be suitable for all ages from 8 upwards.
Dowload 'Thinking Circles' now
An inquiry builder
I invented thinking circles to help people gather their ideas prior to choosing questions for an inquiry. Thinking circles encourage private reflection on the concepts people perceive in stimulus material such as stories, poems, pictures or objects. Individual thinking circles could be shared with others in small groups so that members could compare interests, questions and notes before creating a 'group question' to go forward for consideration by the whole community. Thinking circles provide an effective focus for initial exploratory dialogue.
Dowload now
'The pit' and tourism
Ages 9 - 16
In the 'Pathways' section of the website we will have ideas on how p4c can play a role in key subjects and in cross-currular cross-curricular priorities such as Social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL), global citizenship and learning to learn. James Nottingham has been gaining credit among teachers for his practical notion of 'the learning pit' and his lessons to explore and apply concepts through interactive questioning and inquiry. Here, he applies 'the learning pit' to the concept of tourism. The resource would be suitable for ages 9 to 16. There are references to the Learning Pit, an overview of which can be downloaded from: www.sustained-success.com/index.php/488
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Reflection on practice
I invented thinking circles to help people gather their ideas prior to choosing questions for an inquiry. Thinking circles encourage private reflection on the concepts people perceive in stimulus material such as stories, poems, pictures or objects. Individual thinking circles could be shared with others in small groups so that members could compare interests, questions and notes before creating a 'group question' to go forward for consideration by the whole community. Thinking circles provide an effective focus for initial exploratory dialogue.
Dowload now
Invitation to contributors
I invented thinking circles to help people gather their ideas prior to choosing questions for an inquiry. Thinking circles encourage private reflection on the concepts people perceive in stimulus material such as stories, poems, pictures or objects. Individual thinking circles could be shared with others in small groups so that members could compare interests, questions and notes before creating a 'group question' to go forward for consideration by the whole community. Thinking circles provide an effective focus for initial exploratory dialogue.
Dowload now
Sincerely,
Roger Sutcliffe, James Nottingham and Steve Williams
Directors, p4c.com
www.p4c.com