Big Question
Students sit with an unanswerable question — and just think together.
Teaches sustained philosophical thinking — slows discussion down to the point where it becomes real.
Instructions
Pose a genuinely unanswerable question (e.g. "Is it ever right to break the law?" or "What do we owe each other?"). Students sit in silence for 2 minutes thinking. Then open discussion — but the rule is: you can only speak if you are building on or genuinely questioning what the previous person said. No new threads until the current one is exhausted.
Classroom timer
15:00
Best used when
Once a class can handle open discussion — best used sparingly for maximum impact.
Variation
Students write a response after the discussion: did your thinking change? How?
Time
15 min
Noise
Low
Prep
None
How did it go?
Quick evaluation — helps you find what works again.