Philosophy for Children through interactive story telling
Chapter 9
The Escape
Delphi took a deep breath. She was a philosopher. She could do this. She stood up straight.
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“People of Athens!” she declared, and her voice launched itself across the crowd. “People of Athens, listen to me!”
It could be the last day of Socrates' life. The good news is that an escape is planned - but the bad news is that it's never going to work. Delphi decides the only way Socrates is going to be free is if she can persuade everyone to let him go. But with time running out, can Delphi really make a speech that's persuasive enough?
Big Questions:
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Why should Socrates be freed?
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How can you be persuasive?
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Is escaping really the best idea?
Skills focus:
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Speaking persuasively
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Choosing persuasive reasons
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Making links between ideas
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Lesson Overview
This lesson gives the children an opportunity to put forward their own philosophical argument based on the story and all the skills they have learned. It focuses on the children’s explanation and persuasion skills by leading them to make a short speech about why Socrates should be freed. This chapter is best covered over two lessons to allow children plenty of time to prepare, practise and present their speech alongside Delphi’s. In the first lesson, the focus can be on gathering ideas and understanding how to speak persuasively. The second lesson can then be used to present the children’s speeches, before hearing Delphi’s and giving their response. As the activities assume some knowledge of Socrates and the story, it is best delivered after other lessons from Delphi the Philosopher.
