A Method of Doing Philosophy with Young Adults
Doing philosophy with young people is not new. In fact, Socrates examined and interrogated his world with the Athens youth of his time. In today's American classrooms, introducing perennial philosophical questions can deepen the study of literature, quicken the development of empowering literacy skills, and perhaps most importantly, give our youth a voice in the ongoing history of powerful ideas (See Lipman; Worley; Hannam and Echeverria).
The theoretical foundation of the modern Philosophy for Children movement provides an effective and elegant way of introducing philosophy in English classroom. I divide this standards-based method of doing philosophy in the English Classroom into four recursive steps:
(1) reading for all purposes,
(2) writing to inquire and learn,
(3) speaking and listening in philosophical discussion, and
(4) writing to argue and reflect.
The theoretical foundation of the modern Philosophy for Children movement provides an effective and elegant way of introducing philosophy in English classroom. I divide this standards-based method of doing philosophy in the English Classroom into four recursive steps:
(1) reading for all purposes,
(2) writing to inquire and learn,
(3) speaking and listening in philosophical discussion, and
(4) writing to argue and reflect.
Step 1: Philosophical Literacy
To stimulate philosophical exploration, Step 1 involves "philosophical literacy" -- that is, the ability to process information in a way that connects to basic philosophical questions. To this end, the Philosophical Literacy page contains mini-lectures, materials, and handouts designed to introduce students to philosophical reading, questioning, and thinking.
Step 2: Philosophical Inquiry
Step 2 provides a formal opportunity for students to further engage with philosophical ideas in their thinking and writing. The Philosophical Inquiry page, again borrowing the Unit Plans, contains a selection of write-to-learns that give students a taste of philosophical inquiry and gives them an opportunity to inquire about character, purpose, knowledge, reality, and goodness.
Step 3: Philosophical Discussion
Step 3 builds on teacher- and student-generated philosophical to generate facilitated, focused philosophical discussion. Speaking and listening philosophically requires a respectful community of philosophical inquiry. The Philosophical Discussion page helps teachers set the guidelines for discussion and provides a sample of kinesthetic philosophical discussion activities.
Step 4: Philosophical Writing
Lastly, Step 4 gives teachers the opportunity to assess student learning through formal writing assignments. Borrowing from the Unit Plans, the Philosophical Writing page provides sample formative and summative writing assignments for structured composition to argue and reflect. This philosophical writing, in turn, contributes to further (and hopefully deeper) reading, writing, and communicating.
Critical Thinking
In the Critical Thinking page, I connect Steps 1-4 to agreed-upon definitions of critical thinking, and briefly argue that giving students practice in critical and reflective thinking is one of the key academic and behavioral benefits of doing philosophy with young people.
Common Core Standards
In the Common Core Standards page, I show how this method of doing philosophy emphasizes the Language Arts Common Core Standards of Oral Communication and Listening, Reading for All Purposes, and Writing and Composition.
To stimulate philosophical exploration, Step 1 involves "philosophical literacy" -- that is, the ability to process information in a way that connects to basic philosophical questions. To this end, the Philosophical Literacy page contains mini-lectures, materials, and handouts designed to introduce students to philosophical reading, questioning, and thinking.
Step 2: Philosophical Inquiry
Step 2 provides a formal opportunity for students to further engage with philosophical ideas in their thinking and writing. The Philosophical Inquiry page, again borrowing the Unit Plans, contains a selection of write-to-learns that give students a taste of philosophical inquiry and gives them an opportunity to inquire about character, purpose, knowledge, reality, and goodness.
Step 3: Philosophical Discussion
Step 3 builds on teacher- and student-generated philosophical to generate facilitated, focused philosophical discussion. Speaking and listening philosophically requires a respectful community of philosophical inquiry. The Philosophical Discussion page helps teachers set the guidelines for discussion and provides a sample of kinesthetic philosophical discussion activities.
Step 4: Philosophical Writing
Lastly, Step 4 gives teachers the opportunity to assess student learning through formal writing assignments. Borrowing from the Unit Plans, the Philosophical Writing page provides sample formative and summative writing assignments for structured composition to argue and reflect. This philosophical writing, in turn, contributes to further (and hopefully deeper) reading, writing, and communicating.
Critical Thinking
In the Critical Thinking page, I connect Steps 1-4 to agreed-upon definitions of critical thinking, and briefly argue that giving students practice in critical and reflective thinking is one of the key academic and behavioral benefits of doing philosophy with young people.
Common Core Standards
In the Common Core Standards page, I show how this method of doing philosophy emphasizes the Language Arts Common Core Standards of Oral Communication and Listening, Reading for All Purposes, and Writing and Composition.
The Method Applied: Philosophy-enriched Unit Plans
Philosophy-Enriched Unit Plan #1: Character and Purpose
This standards-based five-week unit focusing on the exploration of character and purpose in a student's choice book, allows teachers to assess student achievement through doing philosophy. This Unit Plan is designed to be adaptable to grades 6-12. Heeding the National Commission on Writing advice to teachers, this unit incorporates a wide variety of writing tasks and focuses on the Common Core standard of writing and composition. Philosophical write-to-learns offer low-stakes opportunities for exploratory writing, and descriptive, argumentative and literary analysis constructed responses provide assessment data.
Philosophy-Enriched Unit Plan #2: Happiness and 21st Century Technology
This standards-based five-week unit focusing on M.T. Anderson's award-winning Feed outlines the process for introducing philosophy. Focusing on the relevance of young adult literature, this unit features philosophical inquiry that asks students to engage their understanding of "the good life" with current global issues of environmental degradation, consumerism, and critical literacy of new media. This unit also provides a summative interactive web-quest, where students are directed to compose an argumentative essay and create a five-minute multimedia philosophy presentation. This unit gestures towards the possibilities of creatively integrating young adult literature, philosophy, and 21st-century pedagogy.
This standards-based five-week unit focusing on the exploration of character and purpose in a student's choice book, allows teachers to assess student achievement through doing philosophy. This Unit Plan is designed to be adaptable to grades 6-12. Heeding the National Commission on Writing advice to teachers, this unit incorporates a wide variety of writing tasks and focuses on the Common Core standard of writing and composition. Philosophical write-to-learns offer low-stakes opportunities for exploratory writing, and descriptive, argumentative and literary analysis constructed responses provide assessment data.
Philosophy-Enriched Unit Plan #2: Happiness and 21st Century Technology
This standards-based five-week unit focusing on M.T. Anderson's award-winning Feed outlines the process for introducing philosophy. Focusing on the relevance of young adult literature, this unit features philosophical inquiry that asks students to engage their understanding of "the good life" with current global issues of environmental degradation, consumerism, and critical literacy of new media. This unit also provides a summative interactive web-quest, where students are directed to compose an argumentative essay and create a five-minute multimedia philosophy presentation. This unit gestures towards the possibilities of creatively integrating young adult literature, philosophy, and 21st-century pedagogy.