Philosophy is the study of ideas, and it is a discipline ripe for pop culture reference and examination. Whether it is discussing how Rick and Morty are existentialists in search of absurdism or how Spongbob Squarepants explains Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, philosophers engaged in all sorts of disciplines are continuously exploring how media and art reflect questions of self and society. In this ongoing class, students meet weekly, bringing their favorite pop philosophy news of the week to discuss with their own peers, as we examine and discuss philosophical references, explore discourse methods, and develop our own questions and hypotheses about what we have learned. This class is for the kid that recognizes that pop culture isn’t all flash and bang and wants to explore what might be behind the “deeper” episodes. 

In relation to the most important issues in life: we believe that teaching students to 'disagree in an agreeable manner' is an essential skill to cultivate with young people in a healthy democratic society.
 
What is taught: Skills aligned with Common Core English Language Arts Standards *See below
TEXTS WILL BE POSTED PRIOR TO CLASS. 
STRUCTURE/ METHODLOGY:  Warm Up Activity and Discussion.  . (5 – 7 minutes); classroom instruction: text examination, video explanations,  and discussion (35 – 40 minutes); reflection visual activity self (5 minutes); recap lesson and objectives (5-7 minutes) 

 Any required experience or knowledge learners need? No experience needed!
 
WEEK 1: Topic/Theme. Socrates: Know Thyself  
WEEK 2: Topic/ Theme: Know thy World
WEEK 3: Topic/Theme:  I Kant Believe it! (Kant and Self)
WEEK 4: Topic/Theme: Hegel and Social Power Structures 
Week 5: Topic/Theme: Existentialism 
Week 6: Topic/Theme: Baudrillard, Saussure and the Hyper-real  
After the first six classes, discussions will be fueled by student request and may circle back to original topics