Philosophy for Teens (1): I Think Therefore I Am-An Exploration of Logic

➖ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆?➖
Ever wonder why some choices just seem to make more sense than others? From school dilemmas (these happen in homeschool classes, too!)  to friendship dramas, we will look at real-life scenarios and arm you with the tools to make informed choices. You will navigate life's choices with logic! Join our class for insightful discussions, empowering you to make reasoned choice!

• Have ever wished you had a guidebook for life's tough decisions? Philosophy is that guidebook. It introduces you to logic, helping you navigate ethical concerns and make informed choices.
• Philosophy hones your critical thinking skills. It's like a mental workout that strengthens your ability to analyze, question, and think deeply about complex ideas. 
• Philosophy is your ticket to exploring the deep questions about existence, morality, and the human experience. It's a journey that helps you understand not just the world but also yourself.
• Take a walk in someone else's shoes. Philosophy fosters empathy by exposing you to different perspectives and worldviews, making you more compassionate and open-minded.
• Life is full of challenges. Philosophy equips you with problem-solving skills that go beyond the ordinary. It's like having a toolkit for tackling life's puzzles.
• What do you truly value? What do you believe in? Philosophy helps you explore these questions, allowing you to develop a strong sense of your own values and beliefs.
• The future is full of uncertainties. Philosophy prepares you to face the unknown with resilience and adaptability. It's not just about finding answers; it's about asking the right questions.
• Philosophy isn't just about thinking; it's about expressing your thoughts articulately. It hones your communication skills, helping you convey complex ideas with clarity and precision.
• Dream of making a positive impact? Philosophy empowers you to be a changemaker. It encourages you to question the status quo and envision a better world.
• Engaging with philosophy is an invitation to a never-ending journey of exploration and intellectual curiosity.

Studying logic involves learning the skills of critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and reasoning. As you analyzes sound reasoning through studying arguments and fallacies, you will develop and apply these reasoning skills to recognize the truth from lies in a social media post, an advertisement, political campaign speech, or a news article.

➖𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲➖
In this ongoing class the teacher will use the book 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙞𝙧'𝙨 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 by Matthew Lipman to explore different situations each week. The chapters are a springboard for our discussions. The discussions will follow the ideas and thoughts of the learners. Each chapter stands alone allowing learners to enter the class at any time and be able to participate in the philosophical discussion. The teacher will provide a pdf of the relevant chapter by sharing their screen with the class.

What's on the skills lineup, you ask? 
• Critical Thinking and Reasoning
• Leadership
• Communication 
• Problem Solving
• Open-Mindedness

In our circle of inquiry all ideas are worthy of examination. This class is student centered. The teacher does not impose their ideas, opinions, or perceptions.  Instead the teacher facilitates the discussion, drawing out the student's ideas into our non-judgmental environment of trust and respect for one another. This method empowers the student and allows them to gain confidence in their ideas and sharing them.

Please note that the below listed topics are a guideline. There are multiple groups with varying start dates.  Due to multiple active groups, 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.

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 story of the day 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.

𝙎𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧: Intro to logical thinking. What is thinking? The structure of logical statements. What are we really asking?
𝙊𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧: What makes you you? Where do thoughts come from? How do we know what is real? What is fairness? Are thoughts real? 
𝙉𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧: Navigating ambiguity and vagueness. Why do we find some things interesting? Do we sometimes have to say and do things we do not mean?  Who should be in charge of education?
𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧:   What do we value? Thinking for oneself. Can we choose to think? Is the mind different from the brain? Do only human beings have minds? 
𝙅𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮:  What is culture? What distinguishes humans from other animals? Private thoughts, Different styles of thinking. Why are some things called good? Symbolism.
𝙁𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮: What is respect? Do children have rights? What makes something a good reason? Can a feeling be a good reason? Generalization - useful or not? 
𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝: Encouraging self respect. Understanding others. Must there be reasons for everything we do? Contradictions, Identifying differences. Applying logic to everyday situations. 
𝘼𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙡: What is a person? Does everything have a beginning? Means and Ends. What is a possibility? Is there a right way to think? 
𝙈𝙖𝙮:  Friendship. Natural objects vs. man made objects. Having feelings and showing feelings.
𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙚: How much is too much?, Are habits useful? Causes and reasons. What is freedom?
𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙮: What is a hunch?, What is innocence?, Being right for the right reasons. Applying logic.
𝘼𝙪𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙩: Is it worthwhile to try to "figure things out"? Frames of reference, Perspective and frames of reference.

The material will rotate back to the beginning after the last subject is covered.

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀:

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.

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆:
When you enroll your child in my classes, you are paying for a live, interactive group learning experience. To maintain the integrity of this format, I do not release recordings of my live classes.
The decision not to share recordings is to protect the safety and privacy of all learners. Many families prefer that recordings of their children not be shared or distributed to others, and I fully respect and prioritize that preference. Additionally, this policy helps safeguard my intellectual property, as the lessons I teach are original content I have personally developed. Unfortunately, the misuse or unauthorized distribution of educational resources is a growing concern, and this policy helps mitigate such risks.
Thank you for your understanding and support in creating a safe and respectful learning environment.