Is it a Lie?

Stimulus:

By Steven Hoggins

Jeff (the children chose the names) is playing ball outside and kicks it through a window. The owner comes out and says: "Did you break my window?"

Jeff responds with, “no."

Task Questions: 

• Did Jeff lie?
• What makes it a lie/not a lie?

The children talked about whether Jeff intended to or not, some said if it was by accident then he didn’t (actively) break it, it just happened - so it’s not a lie. Others claimed it was a lie because he knows that it was him but didn’t say. - I didn’t think this would be controversial, it was supposed to just get them to think of a definition for lie.

Extension:

Jeff is playing ball outside and kicks it through a window. Jeff leaves and forgets about it, he goes to school, grows up and gets a job delivering parcels for Amazon. He returns to the house to deliever a package. The occupant opens the door and says: Aren’t you the boy who broke my window 15 years ago? Jeff has no memory of this so says ’No.”

Task Questions:

• Is it a lie?
• Can you lie by accident?
• Is it a lie if he’s pretty sure he didn’t do it?
• If he thinks he might have done it and says ‘Yes’, is that a lie?

 

Further Extension:

Jeff is playing ball outside and kicks it through a window. He leaves and meets his friend Ella. He tells Ella all about it. Later Ella walks past the house to see the window that Jeff broke. The owner spots her and says, “Do you know who broke my window?” Ella replies:
“I wasn’t there when it happened”

Task Question:

• Did Ella lie?

Nested Questions

• Is not answering the question the same as lying?
• If you let someone think something that is not true are you lying?
• Are adverts (Center parcs - the best day of your life!) lying?
• Are stories lies?
• Is the truth important?
• Are lies important?

Works well with: All that glistens (from TPS, p105) and Truing and Lying (from 40 Lessons to Get Children Thinking)

Download Is it a Lie?