Put your thinking caps on kiddos! Students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 can win books and games for the classroom in this year’s Little Big Thinker Contest by answering one of the following four questions and sending it to us before May 15th:
- Can you imagine what would happen if no one went to school?
- Imagine a tree could tell you something. What would that be?
- Do you think the world would be a better place if everyone looked the same?
- Imagine you’re in a world where no one uses money. What would happen?
Can you imagine what would happen if no one went to school? I bet you can and do very often! How would life change, and where would you be during the day? Would you have different friends? How would you learn, or would you play all day?
Imagine a tree could tell you something. What would that be? Trees can live to be a hundred, even a thousand years old! What would they be thinking about all that time? They must have a story to tell.
Do you think the world would be a better place if everyone looked the same? How would it change things, or not? What would we look like?
Imagine you’re in a world where no one uses money. What would happen? How would we get the things we need if we cannot make or grow them ourselves? What a different world it would be!
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The Little Big Thinker Contest is based on the Little Book of Questions series and the parlor game Playwise by Dr. George Ghanotakis, founder of the Canadian Institute of Philosophy for Children. Dr. Ghanotakis has developed a line of books and games for the classroom to facilitate the development and assessment of critical thinking ability in elementary students. The practice of answering hypothetical questions challenges students to imagine and engage with new or different points of view. Students will develop their ability to share ideas, challenge their own perceptions and the perceptions of others, and evaluate their own reasoning.
Ask the class to analyse these questions and investigate the possible outcomes of these four hypothetical situations. They may choose to answer in any format that suits their strengths and personal style. If they’re better speakers than writers, please feel free to record their answer. If a student is shy but loves to draw, submit a picture of his or her answer with an explanation of what is being shown.
Encourage the class to imagine the outcome of their decisions and explain their reasoning. Give them time to develop and refine their answers to show them off in the best light.
Send them to info@dcced.ca, or mail them to us at:
DC Canada Education Publishing
180 Metcalfe Street, Suite 204
Ottawa, ON.
K2P 1P5
You can answer these questions in any format you prefer so long as the answer is clear. There are no wrong answers! Write a story based on what you think of the question, or draw a picture and explain what is being shown. Pair up with a classmate if you can work better together, or work as a group to develop your ideas and submit the answer alone. We can’t wait to hear what you think! Submissions are due by May 15th and the contest winners will be announced on May 31st. Contact Susanne at DC Canada if you would like to host a classroom tournament of Playwise! Watch our Facebook page for more information.
