R&L Education
Pages: 184
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Trim: 6 x 9
978-1-61048-619-4 • Paperback • March 2012 • $39.00 • (£30.00)
978-1-61048-620-0 • eBook • March 2012 • $37.00 • (£30.00)
David A. Shapiro is a full time faculty member in philosophy at Cascadia Community College and Education Director of the Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children at the University of Washington. He has been doing philosophy with young people in kindergarten through high-school classrooms since he was a graduate student back in the 20th century.
Introduction: Why Do Philosophy With Young People?3
Why Use Philosophical Exercises?7
How Are the Philosophical Exercises Organized?11
How Are the Philosophical Exercises Used?16
Tips for Successful Pre-College Philosophy Sessions19
Lesson Plans20
Topic One: What Is Philosophy?21
Lesson Plan: Are You a Philosopher?23
Lesson Plan: One Rule Game33
Lesson Plan: The Three Questions40
Lesson Plan: Energizer Activity—Word Association44
Lesson Plan: Blind Painter48
Lesson Plan: Keep the Question Going53
Lesson Plan: Sense and Nonsense56
Topic Two: What is Good Thinking?58
Lesson Plan: Good News, Bad News58
Lesson Plan: A Little Logic63
Lesson Plan: How Many of These Do You Know?70
Topic Three: What Do I Know?74
Lesson Plan: “What’s Your Reason?” Game74
Lesson Plan: Two Trues, One False79
Lesson Plan: The Egg Drop Game86
Lesson Plan: Assassin Game92
Lesson Plan: Hypothesis Generation Exercise98
Lesson Plan: Which Story Is True?102
Lesson Plan: What Do I Know (About this Strawberry?) Exercise107
Lesson Plan: Confirmation Bias Exercise110
Topic Four: What is Real?114
Lesson Plan: Reality Scavenger Hunt114
Lesson Plan: “What Makes the Team the Team?” Exercise119
Lesson Plan: What Makes Me Me?123
Lesson Plan: Could Anything Else Have Happened?131
Lesson Plan: Got a Minute?136
Topic Five: What is Art?140
Lesson Plan: Aesthetics Scavenger Hunt141
Lesson Plan: “Smoke”144
Lesson Plan: Art Market147
Topic Six: What is the Right Thing to Do?152
Lesson Plan: Ring of Gyges Diary153
Lesson Plan: Life Boat Exercise157
Lesson Plan: What Do Rights Look Like? Exercise166
Lesson Plan: The Red/Green Game173
Lesson Plan: “Hand Dealt”179
Lesson Plan: Fair or Equal?190
Lesson Plan: Ants and Chocolate195
Lesson Plan: Fish and Candy200
Topic Seven: What is the Meaning of Life?203
Lesson Plan: What’s Worth Doing?203
Lesson Plan: “What Is the Meaning of Life?” Game206
Lesson Plan: Why?209
Ten Recommended Readings for Exploring Philosophy with Children211
Reading: Williams, Margery, The Velvetine Rabbit220
Reading: Wiseman, B., Morris the Moose220
Reading: L’Engle, Madeline, A Wrinkle In Time222
Reading: Koss, Amy Goldman, The Ashwater Experiment223
Reading: Rowling, J.K., Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them223
Reading: Baum, Frank L., selection from The Tin Woodsman of Oz224
Reading: Tashlin, Frank, The Bear That Wasn’t225
Reading: Steig, William, Yellow and Pink226
Reading: Lewis, C.S., The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe227
Reading: Mills, Claudia, Dinah Forever227
Bibliography229
Plato Was Wrong is full of stimulating activities that can help philosophy come alive for students from elementary school to college. With clear and easy-to-follow descriptions of how to implement each activity, the book is a valuable resource for active ways to engage young people in thinking about the large questions of philosophy.
— Jana Mohr Lone
Kudos to David Shapiro for this collection of wonderful philosophical exercises to engage in with students! Everyone who wants to encourage young people’s interest in philosophy should run out and grab a copy of this book. They’ll discover that Plato definitely was wrong and that philosophy can be fun at any age.
— Thomas E. Wartenberg