Featured Lesson Plan Bundle: Philosophy, Power, and Leadership

They’re awfully big, complicated, maybe even intimidating topics, aren’t they? Now imagine centring a discussion about them with a little thinker. Yeah…we know.

We also know, however, that these are things a little thinker will need to get their head around in order to participate fully in their community, their country, and their culture as they grow up. Starting these conversations early can really help a child to:

·      Understand and appreciate the contributions of both leaders and citizens to the world they live in.

·      Learn to problem solve, especially in situations that involve interpersonal conflict.

·      Feel empowered as an individual, with important things to contribute.

·      Compare and contrast options.

·      Appreciate the variety of worldviews out there, and find ways to hold more than one in their head at a time.

·      Open up important lines of communication between family members.

If we’re being honest, kids aren’t nearly as distanced from these subjects as we think. With respect to power and leadership, even very small kids wonder about:

·      Who should get to make important decisions.

·      What makes a decision important in the first place.

·      Why some people get to do some things, while others don’t.

·      What an individual or group should do when there’s disagreement, or problems to solve.

·      What it means to be powerful, and how many different kinds of power there are (both good and bad).

Our understanding of power, leadership, and related ideas such as justice, fairness, equality and equity, is built long before we’re old enough to vote or participate in politics. Little thinkers may not need to know about all current events in detail. However, starting them early with a foundational understanding of these concepts, and the skills they need in order to discuss them, can allow them to grow into the harder, more complicated parts with greater confidence and comfort.

If you’d like to start exploring these ideas and questions with your little thinker in a fun and engaging way, check out our free lesson bundle here. It’s got four fantastic ways to get these conversations going!