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A concluding lesson where students gather their biggest questions and celebrate being young thinkers.
Have you ever wondered why the stars twinkle, or what it feels like to be a butterfly? Your brain is like a treasure chest full of these amazing 'Big Questions' just waiting to be opened!
In school, we answer many Small Questions. A small question usually has just one right answer. For example, if you ask 'How many apples are in the basket?', you can count them and find the answer. But Big Questions are different! They are about the 'Why' and 'How' of the whole world. A big question like 'What is love?' or 'Why do we have dreams?' makes your brain work in a special way. These are called philosophical questions.
Quick Check
Is 'What color is my shirt?' a Big Question or a Small Question?
Answer
It is a Small Question because it has one simple answer you can see right away.
In math, we know that . There is only one correct answer! But in the world of philosophy, one question can have many different answers, and they can all be good. Imagine asking, 'What makes someone a good friend?' One person might say 'sharing toys,' while another says 'listening.' Both are right! When we share our different answers, we help each other's brains grow bigger.
Let's look at the Big Question: 'What does kindness look like?' 1. Student A says: 'Kindness is giving a hug when someone is sad.' 2. Student B says: 'Kindness is helping pick up dropped crayons.' 3. Both students are correct! Even though the answers are different, they both help us understand kindness.
Quick Check
Can two people have different answers to a Big Question and both be right?
Answer
Yes! Big questions are special because they can have many different right answers.
A philosopher is a person who loves wisdom and loves to ask 'Why?'. You don't have to be a grown-up to be a philosopher. Because you are curious and love to think about the world, you are a Young Philosopher! Your 'Big Questions Journal' is a place to keep all your wonderings. Being a thinker is like having a superpower that helps you understand the world and the people in it.
To be a Young Philosopher, you can start a 'Wonder List.' 1. Think of something that makes you go 'Hmm...' 2. Write it down starting with 'Why' or 'How'. 3. Example: 'Why do animals not talk like people?' or 'How do I know I am me?'
Try to think of three Big Questions that have no easy answer. 1. Question 1: Something about nature (like 'Why is the grass green?'). 2. Question 2: Something about feelings (like 'Where does happiness go when we are sad?'). 3. Question 3: Something about the future (like 'What will the world look like in 100 years?').
Which of these is a 'Big Question'?
A philosopher is someone who loves to ask big questions and think about the world.
If your friend has a different answer to a Big Question than you do, what should you do?
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, look at a tree or a pet and try to think of one 'Big Question' about it. Tell a grown-up your question!
Practice Activity
Draw a picture of yourself with a 'Thinking Cap' on. Around the cap, draw three bubbles and write one Big Question in each bubble.