Weekly Critical Thinking & Philosophy Discussion Class for Children (8-12 Yrs)
In each weekly class, students will learn about a new topic ranging from nature to technology, and then engage in philosophical discussions related to that topic. Join during any week! The topics repeat in 24 week cycles.
Ronda Baker, B.Ed
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(380)
Star Educator
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
Students should visit the classroom page prior to class each week to watch a short video about the week's topic. They are encouraged to post comments or questions in response to the post, to stimulate class ideas in anticipation of the class discussion.Class Experience
(SCROLL TO END FOR CLASS TOPICS SCHEDULE) Class Goals: Critical Thinking, Philosophy, Class Discussion, Problem Solving, and Asking Questions **PLEASE NOTE - This is a free-thinking class and all views are welcome, which means peers may respectfully share personal views about politics, faith, or social justice issues so long as it is relevant to the discussion and their thinking on the topic. The teacher will NOT share personal views on politics, faith, or social justice topics in class. Parents should ask questions about the stimuli (web resources and video clips) that I will be showing during class if they are concerned. Please consider your child's personal maturity level and sensitivities when considering this class.** In our current world we are witnessing clashing ideas in politics, world views, and health that have resulted in many negative interactions. Needless to say, critical thinking skills, open mindedness, effective communication, and diplomatic discussion are much needed skills in our world today. Why not teach our children these skills early so that the future society that they engage with will be more open to new ideas, collaborative problem solving, conflict resolution, and peace? 🌺One goal for this class is to provide students with stimulating and challenging discussion topics that challenge them to think critically and to articulate their thinking using reasoning and inquiry. 🌺WEEKLY CLASS FORMAT: (times are approximate and may vary with class size) The week's topic, and a video link to get students thinking will be posted to the classroom page at the start of each week. Students are encouraged to visit the classroom page each week to see the topic/stimulus posted. ~10 min Warm-Up Discussion Question / Community Building ~30 min Exposure to stimuli (lesson portion) to help students build background knowledge about the topic. Students will be invited to share thoughts and reactions to each stimulus during this portion. ~15 min Students will be presented with five teacher-made philosophical questions related to the topic. Each student votes on the 2 questions they most want to discuss, and the question with the most votes will be discussed as a group. 🌺OPTIONAL JOURNAL: An optional printable journal pdf will be provided for note-taking and reflection. This is also helpful for tracking which of the 24 topics have been completed. (Print double-sided, flipped on short-edge, to make a half-sheet booklet) 🌺TOPIC SCHEDULE: *updated 2023 schedule* Schedule subject to change - All attempts will be made to keep this schedule updated and accurate. Week 23: 2/13-2/18, Social Emotional Learning Robots Week 24: 2/20-2/25, Colonizing Mars & Space Tourism (END OF CYCLE/NEW CYCLE BEGINS) Week 1: 2/27-3/4, Animal Sentience & Self-Awareness Week 2: 3/6-3/11, Animal Intelligence & Problem Solving Week 3: 3/13-3/18, Cellular Agriculture & No Kill Lab Grown Meat Week 4: 3/20-3/25, Cloning Technology Week 5: 3/27-4/1, Gene Editing Technology (CRISPR & CAS-9) Week 6: 4/3-4/8, Animal Communication Week 7: 4/10-4/15, Animals Seeking Help Week 8: 4/17-4/22, Autonomous & Self-Driving Vehicles Week 9: 4/24-4/29, Transportation of the Future Week 10: 5/1-5/6, Automation & Industrial Robots Week 11: 5/8-5/13, Poverty & Global Inequality Week 12: 5/15-5/20, Savants and Geniuses Week 13: 5/22-5/27, Aging and Growing Old Week 14: 5/29-6/3, Artificial Womb Technology Week 15: 6/5-6/10, Nanotechnology Week 16: 6/12-6/17, Power of Positivity Week 17: 6/19-6/24, Alternative Home Designs Week 18: 6/26-7/1 - Plastic Pollution Week 19: 7/3-7/8, Food Production and Sustainability Week 20: 7/10-7/15, Energies of the Future Week 21 : 7/24-7/29, AR/VR Technology Week 22: 7/31-8/5, AI Technology and Humanoid Robots
Learning Goals
Students will . . .
~think critically and philosophically
~use inquiry skills to ask questions
~share their thoughts and ideas through class discussion
~give reasons and examples that support their thinking
~actively listen to various viewpoints
~practice diplomatic discussions
~be exposed to new and emerging ideas and technologies
and
~have their minds challenged and stimulated!
Other Details
Parental Guidance
To stimulate topic questions for discussion, an image, news article, or video clip may be used. This is an important part of rich philosophical discussion and provides the platform for student created questions rather than predetermined teacher made questions. The stimuli are selected to stimulate thinking, NOT incite an emotional response. Because I want the students to create questions based on their reactions to the stimuli, it is impossible to predict what questions students will generate and what question the class will vote to discuss.
Rest assured that stimuli I provide will never be pornographic, obscene, or overly graphic, however there is potential for it to be upsetting to some.
I WILL NOT show stimuli specific to controversial topics such as race, gender identity, abortion, politics, or religion. The stimuli will be primarily about science and nature, weather related events, pollution, climate change, or emerging scientific discoveries such as robotics and automation. BUT, please be aware that the topics presented may lead to discussions that touch on the above by peers in the group.
In all situations, I will be facilitating healthy discussions that cultivate open mindedness and tolerance to opposing views. If the discourse begins to veer into inappropriate content, or begins to produce significant emotional disturbance, I will terminate the topic or redirect the conversation. If specific students become inappropriate they will first be moved to the waiting room and given a warning via messaging. If it continues they will be removed from the group. Intellectual and emotional safety is of utmost importance to the success of our discussions. The purpose here is to develop rational thinkers that apply philosophical reasoning rather than emotion and assumptions to help them think about, and understand, the world.
When in doubt, please reach out! I would be happy to share the stimuli with you prior to the class start.
Supply List
Students may benefit from keeping a P4C journal to record topics, thoughts, and questions about ideas shared in class.
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined May, 2021
4.9
380reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hawaii Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Bachelor's Degree in Education from University of Hawaii West Oahu
I have been trained in the P4C Hawaii approach to P4C through my former school district as well as through a professional development college credit course in P4C Hawaii. As a classroom teacher, I used P4C in my classes daily with a variety of student ages for the past 3 years. I have observed and participated in P4C discussions with students from Kindergarten through High School.
I am not affiliated with P4C Hawaii or P4C.com, nor do I use any copyright protected material, curriculum, or names. P4C is just an abbreviated form of the longer title. Reviews
Live Group Class
$12
weekly1x per week
55 min
Completed by 183 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-12
2-8 learners per class
