IAPC Materials

Matthew Lipman

In the 1970s and 80s, Matthew Lipman and his colleagues at the IAPC Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children created a series and philosophical novels and accompanying manuals. The manuals are full of exercises and discussion plans on significant concepts and tools for reasoning.

The work put into those materials will probably be unsurpassed in the field of P4C. The IAPC have agreed to make some of the exercises and discussion plans available to subscribers of P4C.COM. They could be used to support any curriculum. Matthew Lipman discusses his view of exercises and discussion plans in ANALYTIC TEACHING Vol. 16 No.2 'Philosophical Discussion Plans and Exercises'

We will publish them here in 2011 and 2012. They will also be listed in the Concept Stretcher' and 'Enquiry Builder' Sections. And, of course, the items will be tagged with key words and age recommendations to help you find what you want.

Title Category Author Createdsort icon
Democracy
Six classroom activities with which to explore the concepts of democracy. 		IAPC Materials, Notes and Activities IAPC 22/02/2012
Answers, Questions and Truth
Here are two activities with which to explore children's attitudes to questions and to ask them to consider degrees of truth in answers to a questions. 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 03/02/2012
Good Reasons
Six exercises to introduce the notions of relevance, strength and sense with which to evaluate reasons. 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 03/02/2012
Wondering
Two activities to stimulate young children to reflect on their wondering. 		IAPC Materials, Notes and Activities IAPC 03/02/2012
Good and Bad
Exercises with which to explore the different uses of the words "Good" and "Bad". 		Examples, IAPC Materials IAPC 03/02/2012
If ...
Exercises with which to reflect on the logical, causal and imaginative uses of the word "if". 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 03/02/2012
Knowing and Believing
An exercise and discussion plan on these two essential and connected concepts. 		Examples, IAPC Materials IAPC 03/02/2012
Fair
An exercise to explore the concept of fairness 		Examples, IAPC Materials IAPC 02/02/2012
Examples
An exercise on giving examples 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 25/01/2012
Generalization
An activity to help children become aware of generalization,its uses and abuses 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 25/01/2012
Kinds of Truth
Exercises to explore 'truth by definition', 'truth from evidence', and 'the whole truth' 		IAPC Materials, Notes and Activities IAPC 25/01/2012
The Land of I Suppose
A story that challenges children to argue for alternative ways of doing things in an imaginary land 		IAPC Materials, Stories & Storytelling, Role plays IAPC 25/01/2012
Questions and Answers
Activities to help children think about what makes good questions and answers and how to answer them. 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 25/01/2012
Purposes
Exercises to explore the concept of 'purpose' 		IAPC Materials, Notes and Activities IAPC 25/01/2012
Changing one's mind
When do we change our minds and why? 		IAPC Materials, Opinions IAPC 24/01/2012
Roles
Some exercises to help pupils think about the different roles people play 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 24/01/2012
Similarities and Differences
Thoughts and an exercise about similarities and differences with respect to ... 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 24/01/2012
'Probably'
Two exercises on, using the word 'probably' and the links to inductive reasoning. 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 26/10/2011
Inferring
Two exercises on inferring, the act of thinking beyond what is give. 		IAPC Materials, Reasoning Concepts IAPC 26/10/2011