➖ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆? ➖
In the age of information, philosophy is the key to supercharging critical thinking, logical reasoning, problem-solving, and the art of crafting compelling arguments. It's not just about learning; It is about a journey that not only nurtures learning but also cultivates empathy and a deep understanding of diverse perspectives. Empower your child to navigate and shape the world with wisdom.


➖ 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 ➖
In this class, we embrace the idea that children are natural-born philosophers. Children have an amazing curiosity and a knack for asking big, thoughtful questions about the world around them. Whether they're wondering why the sky is blue, what makes something fair, or how we know what’s real, kids naturally explore deep ideas. In class, this curiosity is encouraged, giving them the space to think, question, and share their ideas with others, helping them develop their critical thinking skills in a fun and supportive environment.

Join me on a journey of wonder and exploration as we delve into the philosophical world in Matthew Lipman's book 𝘒𝘪𝘰 & 𝘎𝘶𝘴. The teacher will share the relevant sections as PDFs during class, and we’ll explore big ideas together. This class is a safe space where students can share their thoughts, questions, and doubts about topics like the nature of reality, the power of imagination, and the values that matter most. I’ll help guide the discussion, and together we’ll see how these ideas connect to our everyday lives and how we can use them in real situations. So, come along on this adventure where we sharpen our thinking skills and discover how interesting and meaningful the world can be!

In this class, kids aren’t just sitting back and listening—they’re actively involved in learning through discussion. We use the 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙈𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙙, where we create a circle of inquiry and dive into big questions together. The teacher encourages students to question things, challenge assumptions, and explore different viewpoints without fear of judgment. Through open-ended questions and dialogue, learners start to think about how they think—a skill they can use in all areas of life.

The topics we cover are thought-provoking and touch on deeper ideas like reality, courage, truth, and friendship. These conversations help students better understand the world and figure out their own values and beliefs. In a supportive and inclusive environment, they get the chance to think critically, share their opinions, and grow more confident in their ideas. This approach empowers them to be confident thinkers and communicators.

Here are some key aspects of the Socratic Method:
𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻-𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Socratic questions are open-ended and require more than a simple "yes" or "no" answer. They encourage participants to think critically, analyze concepts, and consider various possibilities.
𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: The Socratic Method often involves a dialogue between a facilitator and the learner. Through this dialogue, participants engage in a back-and-forth exchange of ideas, building upon each other's responses.
𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Instead of providing direct answers or explanations, the instructor guides participants to discover answers on their own. This approach empowers learners to develop their own thought processes and problem-solving skills.
𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀: The Socratic method is particularly effective for exploring abstract concepts, ethical dilemmas, and complex issues that don't have simple solutions.

𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝙆𝙞𝙤 & 𝙂𝙪𝙨:
Kio visits his grandparents’ farm and becomes friendly with Gus, who lives with her family not far away. Each chapter presents different situations such as Kio's grandfather telling him about his encounter with a whale when he was a sailor.  This book consists of conversations between Kio and Gus as they explore the nature of animals, people and things in the world. 

The maximum number of learners in class will be 6. This ensures that all learners have the opportunity to share their thoughts with their peers. 

𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀:
Introductions/Warm up questions, such as: Think of something you are glad happened. Can you be happy and sad at the same time? Think a funny thought.
Round table discussion of the philosophical concepts facilitated by the teacher.
Wrap up/Goodbye

Please note that the below listed months are a guideline. The study of philosophy is a spiral where the concepts are covered multiple times and in multiple ways throughout the classes. Even when not specifically listed the topics are being covered each month. There are multiple groups with varying start dates.  Due to multiple active groups and amount of student driven discussion and engagement, not all groups are on the same topic. If you are looking to join in at a specific topic of discussion, please send me a message so I can let you know which group will best meet your needs. Thank you for your understanding.

Topics to be covered each month: 
𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Hypothesizing, Can you be afraid of nothing? Relationships between children and animals, what can animals understand?, Taking turns, Intentions, Imagining, Cause & Effect, Inferring
𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Metaphors, Is it possible, Quantity & Quality, Figures of speech, Making a difference, Inferring, Persuasion, Fixing, Remembering & Forgetting.
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Making, Saying, & Doing, Arguments, Animal Rights, Justifying, Because, Logical fallacy, Might makes right, Family relationships, Making distinctions, Picturing or Imagining, Wondering, Similarities & Differences, 
𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Figuring out, Homonyms, Saying & Speaking, Exploring, Exclamations, Believing, Trust, 
𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Real or Fake, Description, Deciding, Analogies, Direction, Recognition
𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Mental Acts (Wondering, Knowing, Understanding), What do we mean by "Probably", what does it mean to do something wrong?, Pretending & Make Believe, Making, saying, and doing, Differences of degree, beauty, what is fair?
𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: What is truth? What is best? Hypothetical reasoning, Thinking, Knowing, What is simple?, What is real, Analogical reasoning, Where do things come from? Differences of degree, beauty, what is fair?
𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Truth, Believing and Knowing, What is good?, What is best? Seeing and Knowing, Making, Analogical reasoning.
𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Where do things come from? Why do things happen the way they happen? Life on the Farm vs. Life at Sea, Figuring things out, Intentions.
𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: The word "next", Do things have names?, Are numbers real?, Inventions, Minds, Communication, Guessing, Saying No, Being Mean, Knowing someone, Supposing & Assuming, Taking turns.
𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Idioms, Human Beings, Animals, Wishing, Wondering, Being Puzzled, Not blaming, Thinking, Existing, "Really", Trusting.

Material rotates back to the beginning when the last topic is covered.

The methodology of this course is based upon the teachings of Matthew Lipman.

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆:
I follow Outschool's policy on refunds for ongoing classes: Parents enrolled in an ongoing class will see a “stop subscription” button instead of “withdraw” on the classroom page after the class’s first meeting. Use this button to prevent any future weekly charges, starting with the following billing period, which rolls over Sunday mornings Pacific time. You can use this to stop future charges at any time.  There will be no refunds issued for a student(s) missing class.  

𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆: If your learner misses a class meeting, you are not entitled to a refund. If your learner misses 3 consecutive class live meetings without communicating with the teacher, you forfeit the class fee and the teacher may cancel the class or withdraw your learner.” 

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆: Please note that per Outschool policy, if there are 0 students after the first 10 minutes of the class, the class will be canceled for that day. The live meetings are scheduled for 50 minutes; however, depending upon the number of students and the amount of participation from the class, some live meetings may be shorter than 50 minutes.  If the teacher needs to cancel class a makeup class will be assigned. If the student is unable to attend the makeup class a refund will be issued after the makeup class.