Philoso-Me

1
Philoso-Me
INSPIRING EDUCATORS AND PARENTS TO ENCOURAGE
PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY IN THE CLASSROOM
Q&A WITH
PHILOSOPHERS,
TEACHERS
AND
AUTHORS
BOOKS TO
GET YOU
STARTED
RESEARCH,
RESOURCES
AND
REALLY
GREAT
IDEAS!
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
2 3
Q&A with experts................................
4, 12, 15
BOOKS to get you started.............................. 10
picture BOOKS FOR KIDS..............................
6
RESOURCES online.......................................
26
feed your brain: RECIPES.................................. 14
RESEARCH on philosophy for kids................ 20
feature ARTICLES........................................... 22
who to follow on TWITTER...........................
24
words of WISDOM........................................... 11
My philosophy
professor walked into class
during my last semester at community
college and tossed a New York Times article on
my desk, saying, Here, youll appreciate this. He
and I had discussed the benefts it would offer if
philosophy were to be introduced to all students
before they went to college. The article, titled The
Examined Life, Age 8, was about a professor at
Mount Holyoke College who was doing just that.
He practiced philosophy with children. He used
picture books to teach philosophical principles
and the kids directed the discussion. I was fasci-
nated.
I learned that the article was about Professor
Thomas Wartenberg who taught a class dedicated
to this kind of inquiry with second graders in a lo-
cal charter school. I immediately ordered his book,
Big Ideas for Little Kids, which stoked this inspired
interest, as his book was designed as a learning tool
for educators to facilitate philosophical discussions
among students, letting students lead the session,
even if they were completely new to this type of
non-participation in a classroom.
I am not an education major, nor have I contin-
ued to minor in philosophy throughout the pursuit
of my bachelors degree. I am a journalism student
- and that is the beauty of this kind of teaching.
One does not have to be a doctor of philosophy
or a seasoned and accomplished teacher to con-
duct philosophical discussions with children. One
must simply possess the desire to bring to the sur-
face questions that children already hold within
themselves.
Interviewing experts, philosophers and educa-
tors to create a short publication is miniscule in the
grand scheme of actually making an impact on
educational policy, but I believe that any attention
that this matter is given, renders this type of dis-
course a worthwhile endeavor.
As I instigate philosophical questioning from
my sister, 12, and brother, 10, I see that a childs
confdence and imagination is only strengthened
by abstract questions about the essence of their
lives, their feelings, their actions and their environ-
ment. Young children are closer to a purer form
of reasoning, as theyve not been deeply affected
by societys infuences the way adults have been.
Over time, reasoning becomes marred. The goal
here is to channel and encourage the right kind
of critical thinking and reasoning before the wrong
kinds enter their periphery. If we aim to have an
informed public, ripe with educated voters and
moral individuals who value things like empathy,
environmental awareness, generosity, forgiveness
and critical thinking, teaching philosophy at young
ages will bear fruit.
In the United States, we teach to the test. The
goals of the public school system are often, sad-
ly, limited to preparing students to score high on
L
E
T
T
E
R

F
R
O
M

T
H
E

E
D
I
T
O
R
Age: 23.
Occupation: Student at SUNY New Paltz.
Location: Pawling, New York.
Favorites: Gardening, Earl Grey tea, David
Sedaris and St. Louis, Missouri.
Aspirations: To write for a publication,
teach philosophy in elementary schools
and thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.
standardized tests, but where is the desire to create
lasting impressions about ethics and love for learn-
ing in children? Our objective should be teaching
children to critically think and to act with a mean-
ingful purpose.
Philosophy targets apathy. Because so many
children and adults are apathetic about educa-
tion, I think the obvious foreseeable solution is to
inspire children and, indirectly, their parents, about
the wonders of learning in a comfortable and wel-
coming atmosphere, where children sit in a circle,
participate in a dialogue among peers and open
up about the thoughts and discoveries that will en-
rich their lives for years to come.
GIANNA CANEVARI
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Learn about
The Center for
Philosophy for
Children on
page 12.
Get great ideas
for using picture
books to discuss
philosophy with
children on page 6.
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
4 5
Q&A Q&A
When and how did you become inspired to pur-
sue teaching children philosophy using litera-
ture?
When my son began elementary school, my
wife wanted me to become involved in the PTO.
This was because she had been on the board of
his pre-school. I thought, Isnt there some way I
can contribute something more than if I just go
to long, boring meetings that I dislike? I decid-
ed Id try to institute a philosophy program at the
school, which was suffering from budget cuts that
impacted their ability to offer art and music class-
es among other things. That was the beginning
of my involvement in working with young children
and philosophy. I did a workshop for teachers who
were interested and eventually began working
with a second grade teacher doing weekly visits
to her class as well as designing lesson plans with
her.
Because I couldnt expect the local teachers
to commit to a complicated, possibly expensive
training program, I decided to use something
they were already teaching as the vehicle for our
philosophical discussions: picture books. My idea
was that they could use the books to initiate phi-
losophy discussions among their pupils. So they
wouldnt be adding a new subject, only a new way
of teaching material that they were familiar with.
The more I have worked with picture books,
the more respect I have gained for their authors.
I have even come to believe that many picture
books raise genuine philosophical issues. In my
recent book, A Sneetch Is a Sneetch and Oth-
er Philosophical Discoveries: Finding Wisdom in
Childrens Literature, I delve into some of my fa-
vorite picture books to introduce philosophy to
adults. And Ive also offered an introduction to
philosophy course for college students that initi-
ates our discussion of philosophical issues with
picture books. They are a much underappreciated
and underused resource for philosophy.
What can you say about TeachingChildrenPhi-
losophy.org, your Whats The Big Idea?
program and the importance that this kind of
philosophy serves for elementary and middle
school students?
Both of these websites are intended to help
teachers without any prior philosophical knowl-
edge begin teaching philosophy in their class-
rooms. The frst uses picture books; the second,
short clips from popular flms because these are
age appropriate ways to initiate a philosophy dis-
cussion. The children are not really taught phi-
losophy in the traditional sense by a teacher using
these websites. So, the children dont learn what
Kant thought about morality or what the different
theories there are about the relationship between
the mind and the body. Instead, the children ac-
tually engage in the activity of philosophizing by
focusing on issues presented in the books or the
flm clips.
This means that they are learning how to ex-
press their opinions on different issues, back those
opinions up with good reasons, listen to others
views, and decide how to respond to criticisms of
their ideas. These are incredibly important skills for
children to develop and this way of getting them
to develop them is based on their own interests,
Q&A
Tom
Wartenberg
Tom reads
Frederick,
by Leo Leonni
at the Island
Bay School
in Wellington
New Zealand
their own curiosity. In this way, the children are
more committed to and excited by the oppor-
tunity to discuss the issues that are found in
the books and flms theyve seen.
When a student at Mount Holyoke takes
your class, what can they expect to learn?
What is the relationship between your class
and the school(s) open to this program?
When I began to teach this course, I was
more interested in getting philosophy into the
schools than what my students would learn. But
its turned out to be an amazing experience for
them. Because they teach a range of philosophi-
cal issues, they really have to learn a lot about phi-
losophy. There is an old adage that the best way
to learn something is to teach it, and I think thats
really true. So my students learn a great deal of
philosophy.
But they also are deeply engaged with young
children in the course. And they come to learn
about the nature of education, both their own and
these kids. So they learn many different things in
many different ways. They also develop poise and
self-confdence as they work with the kids and re-
alize that they just have to do a good job or theyll
be disappointing these lovely young children.
Thats a great motivator.
I teach my course every fall and for the last
six years we have worked at an inner-city charter
school in Springfeld, MA, the Martin Luther King
Jr. Charter School of Excellence. The vast major-
ity of the children at this school come from very
poor families, so it can be a real eye opener for
many of my students. We have now become part
of their second grade curriculum. This semester,
four of my students have been working at the Pi-
oneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School.
We work at these schools because they have
asked us to come and teach philosophy. I began
working at the Jackson Street Elementary School
in Northampton, MA, but I saw working at the
MLK School as a great opportunity because they
wanted all the second graders to take philosophy,
something that I hadnt succeeded in achieving at
Jackson Street.
Do you think this movement, if we
may call it that, will eventually have
an impact on U.S. public schools?
I certainly hope that it will. I am
currently the Vice President of a newly
founded group, Philosophy Learners
and Teachers Organization (PLATO).
Several students and children have a
philosopical discussion at the Martin
Luther King Jr. Charter School of
Excellence in Springfeld, Mass.
Photos courtesy of Tom Wartenberg.
One of the students in Philosophy for Children
reads The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein at
the Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School of
Excellence in Springfeld, Mass.
Continued on page 8
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
6 7
CHILDRENS BOOKS CHILDRENS BOOKS
These books, analyzed in Big Ideas For Little Kids, By Thomas Wartenberg, guide children to
critically think about abstract ideas which help them deepen their contemplation about real-
life situations. Simple questions about the characters actions in these books will introduce a
new way of thinking about philosophical themes, as children
are already naturally
inquisitive and incredibly
creative.
The Giving Tree
The Important Book
Frederick
Leo Leonni
Margaret Wise Brown
Shel Silverstein
Socio-political philosophy
can be simplifed with this
book about a poetic mouse
who prefers creative
endeavors over pragmatic
ones. The story raises
questions about members
of communities who serve
different roles but provide
important contributions to
society.
Metaphysics takes on the
challenging task of analyzing
the essence of things and
beings. The very abstract
ideas of substance, qualities
and properties are brought
to the surface. The book takes
average, everyday items and
lists that one important thing
about each. Though the book is
incorrect in observing essence,
the misrepresentations are
used as a learning tool.
This beautiful story illustrates
environmental philosophy
using the relationship between
a tree and a boy. We delve
into the ideas of respect, love,
gratitude and generosity and
the often destructive nature
of the mankind-natural world
relationship. Students ponder
whether or not this parable
applies to their life and what
can be good or bad about the
way humans treat the world.
Photo from mtholyoke.edu
Photo from mtholyoke.edu
Photo from mtholyoke.edu
Great Books For Teaching Children Philosophy
Dragons and Giants
Emilys Art
The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz
Arnold Lobel
L. Frank Baum
Peter Catalanoto
The concept of philosophy
of mind is explored by this
beloved classic. The ideas
of personal identity and
consciousness are introduced
using the Tin Woodman,
as children contemplate
the possibility of mutually
exclusive characteristics in a
person or being. This story
provides the opportunity to
explore what it means to be
conscious and aware, and how
we know we are.
Aesthetics, which is the
exploration of the nature of art,
is an important theme in this
story. The tale of a young girl
who is an exceptional artist, but
has a non-realistic approach to
her drawings, guides children
to consider how we come to
judge creativity. Subjectivity
is brought to light here so that
the notion of taste, preference
and calling things good
and bad are critiqued in a
way that will teach children
an important lesson about
accepting others for their own
personal choices and styles.
The focus of this book is on
ethics: how we should live our
lives, how we should behave.
In this story, the theme of
bravery is addressed by the
characters, Frog and Toad. The
pair venture out in the world
to see if they are as brave as
they feel. They challenge their
bravery with the situations
they encounter, prompting
questions about values, self
confdence and judgment. Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo from mtholyoke.edu
Photo from mtholyoke.edu
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
8 9
Q&A Q&A
Its aim is to get philosophy into schools in the US.
Its a real challenge and there is not a lot of mon-
ey to support it. But, as President Kennedy once
said, The journey of 1,000 miles starts with the
frst step.
This is not a completely unrealistic hope. If you
look at teachingchildrenphilosophy.org, youll see
that there are now at least eleven other programs
that have sprung up across the country inspired by
the work that I do and that use in the website and
my books as guides. If each of those eleven pro-
grams can inspire eleven others and so on, maybe
philosophy will become a fxture in American pub-
lic education.
Does everyone have the ability to teach chil-
dren philosophy? Do all children have the abil-
ity to think philosophically?
My conviction is that the answer to both these
questions is yes, but its true that some people
have more aptitude than others. One of the things
that really surprised me when I observed philos-
ophy discussions was that many of the students
who were most engaged were children who were
not the ones the teachers anticipated would be
excited by it. Ive seen this in classrooms here and
also in New Zealand, where I had the good fortune
to spend fve months on a Fulbright Fellowship.
I was at the Island Bay School (a public elemen-
tary school), working both with groups of kids and
the teachers who were interested in learning how
to use philosophy in their classrooms. Again and
again, I saw the teachers surprised by some of the
kids who took to philosophy.
Speaking more philosophically, my conviction
is that everyone thinks about philosophical issues
some of the time. Philosophy begins with our re-
fections on our own lives. Its just that we are not
encouraged to think of those thoughts that we
have as a nascent form of philosophizing. But they
really are. What we try to do in our classes is get
children to develop an ability that they already
have, and thats why I think that everyone can do
philosophy.
Teaching philosophy is hard and not every
teacher has the confdence necessary to do so.
Thats because, when you facilitate a philosophy
discussion, you have to give most of the control
of the discussion to the kids themselves. Its their
responses that determine the course the discus-
sion will follow. So teachers have to be willing to
take a risk when they commit themselves to open-
ing their class to philosophy discussions. But they
always fnd that the results are worth it because
they can see what the children get out of this op-
portunity.
What is your advice for high school or college
students who want to conduct philosophy ses-
sions with children?
I actually wrote my book, Big Ideas for Little
Kids: Teaching Philosophy Through Childrens
LIterature, to help people work with kids. So one
piece of advice would be to read what I have to
say. Aside from that, my most basic piece of advice
would be to listen carefully to what the children
have to say and help other children respond to it.
Listening is one of the skills that is not taught in
our educational institutions. Its not that hard, but
you have to really work at it. It means not thinking
about what you are going to do next, but focusing
on what a child is saying. That can be hard when
you are nervous about facilitating a discussion.
They other piece of advice Id give is not to get
prematurely discouraged. Last semester, my stu-
dents all loved the frst day when we went to the
school and they met the kids. Everyone was so ex-
cited. But when they returned and tried their hand
at facilitating a philosophy discussion, they were
surprised that things had not gone as smoothly as
they expected. You have to give yourself permis-
sion to mess up a bit when you are doing some-
thing new. If you anticipate that it may take a while
for both you and the children to get used to this
new classroom experience and dont fall prey to
self-doubts, you can have a wonderful experience.
I love to quote the seventeenth-century philoso-
phy Baruch Spinoza to support me: All things
excellent are as diffcult as they are rare. So dont
get discouraged, but persevere on your course
and you will achieve something excellent and, un-
fortunately, all too rare in todays educational sys-
tem.
What is the most important thing for parents
and educators to know if they are completely
unfamiliar with philosophical inquiry but want
to facilitate these kinds of discussions with their
children or students?
On my website, teachingchildrenphilosophy.
The Golden Mean
Philosopher: Aristotle (384-322 BC)
Aristotles Golden Mean is explained by the desirable middle between two
extremes. On one side of the spectrum, there is the excess, on the opposite, there
is the defciency. The golden mean is the virtue that lies in between these two vices.
Lets consider modesty, temperance and courage as virtues that you value.
Modesty: shamelessness is the defciency, bashfulness, the excess.
Temperance: insensibility is the defciency, self indulgence, the excess.
Courage: cowardice is the defciency, rashness, the excess.
The golden mean keeps us mindful of our actions and thoughts, reminding us to
know the true meaning of our virtues as we apply them to our lives.
org, there is a video that shows children discuss-
ing philosophy. Its a short flm that was made by
Julie Akeret and does a really nice job of explain-
ing how we lead philosophy discussion and show-
ing what children are capable of. I would suggest
that a parent or educator watch it really carefully,
maybe a couple of times, focused on how the
children discuss the books. That will give them a
good idea of what an elementary-school philoso-
phy discussion is like.
My book, A Sneetch Is a Sneetch and Other
Philosophical Discoveries, is also a pretty painless
way to learn about philosophy. I use picture books
to introduce all the major felds of philosophy. Al-
though its written in a very approachable style, it
doesnt shy away from presenting complex philo-
sophical ideas. People who have read it tell me
that its a great way to get over their philosophy
anxiety and I hope that more parents and educa-
tors discover it.
Aside from your books, what are some resourc-
es that aid educators in their efforts to intro-
duce programs like yours into their school?
There is a Resources link on teachingchil-
drenphilosophy.org. This will take educators to
both books and programs that are focused on
pre-college philosophy. There really is a lot of in-
formation out there both in traditional print media
and on the web, and Ive tried to make it easy for
people to fnd those resources.
I know that many teachers are intimidated at
the idea of teaching philosophy. But there are so
many false preconceptions about what that in-
volves that I really hope people will use my web-
site to see that its not what they thought it was.
When parents hear that Im going to be teaching
their kids philosophy, their frst reaction is, How
great! but their second reactions is often How
are you going to do that? Part of why they are
puzzled is that they think philosophy is something
that only college students can really understand, if
even they can. But the basic activity of philosophy
is something that everyone has some acquain-
tance with in the normal course of their lives and
they can use that experience to encourage young
children to become experienced philosophical
thinkers.
Bites of Philosophy:
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
10 11
RESOURCES RESOURCES
Hey Adults !
By Thomas E. Wartenberg
Pages 164
Thomas Wartenberg wrote this book specifcally for adults so they could
begin to understand and appreciate philosophy through 16 thought-
provoking childrens books. He takes some of the books analyzed in Big Ideas
for Little Kids, and digs deeper with a more intense focus on the meaning of
themes like metaphysics, philosophy of language, aesthetics, environmental
ethics, discrimination and existentialism so parents and educators are well
prepared when young children repeatedly ask with fervent wonder, But
why? Wartenberg also provides a glossary of terms and brief biographies of
important philosophers.
A Sneech Is A Sneech and Other Philosophical Discoveries
Provocations: Philosophy for Secondary School
By David Birch
Pages: 306
David Birch focuses on the importance of involving older students in
the inclusive and communal art of listening and conversing. He reaffrms
the important point that philosophy discussions may not always lead to a
sense of instant accomplishment and that the presenters voice is not a tool
to dictate or suggest, but to serve as a catalyst. Each of the 52 sessions,
formulated to fll an hour, gives students questions to ponder. Birch also
includes a list for further reading in the books explored philosophical
themes such as: autonomy, belief in God, emotions, gender, lying, madness,
the nature of evil, privacy, the soul and utopia.
The If Machine: Philosophical Enquiry in the Classroom
By Peter Worley
Pages: 197
Peter Worley does a wonderful job of making philosophical exploration with
elementary and middle school children easily-digestible. This book breaks
down 26 stimuli (stories), tells the reader the ages that each activity suits
between 5 and 13, an introduction to the philosophical themes in each story,
teaching strategies, questions for discussion, tips for allowing a discussion
to unfold among the class and extension activities for further analysis. He
includes a glossary of teaching terms and online resources based in the
United States and Europe.
Words of Wsdom
The unexamined life is
not worth living.
Socrates
I Think, therefore I am.
Rene Descartes
To be is to be perceived.
George Berkeley
The philosophy of the school
room in one generation will be
the philosophy of government
in the next.
Abraham Lincoln
Wonder is the feeling
of the philosopher,
and philosophy begins
in wonder.
Plato
Circumstance does
not make the man,
it reveals him to
himself.
James Allen
The essence of philosophy is
that a man should so live
that his happiness shall depend
as little as possible on external
things.
Epictetus
Photos by Gianna Canevari
Here are some books for you!
$29.45
$24.32
$13.15
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
12 13
Q&A Q&A
What inspired you to pursue teaching children
philosophy as a profession?
For me, it began in high school. I had a high
school philosophy class at a very large high school.
In my senior year, my history teacher decided to
teach philosophy and I loved it. I just couldnt
believe there was a whole discipline devoted to
these kinds of questions. So, when I went to col-
lege, I studied philosophy as an undergrad. I then
went to law school to become lawyer and worked
for a law frm, and at the same time began working
on my Masters degree in philosophy, really as an
avocation rather than a vocation. But in my legal
practice I did a lot of work with women and chil-
dren, primarily in the area of family violence, and
I became interested in ways to empower children.
The law can try to fx problems after they occur,
but I began to focus on how to prevent some of
the things I was seeing from happening in the frst
place. After my frst son was born, I really thought
more about the work I could be doing with chil-
dren. When I was working on my dissertation, my
oldest son was 4 or 5 and was beginning to ask
questions that I recognized as very philosophical.
I began considering philosophy as a way to em-
power children because for me, having strong rea-
soning and thinking skills are pivotal to cultivate
for children.
I hadnt thought of kids as natural philosophers
until I was a parent. Around that time I read a book
that a former professor of mine, Gareth Matthews,
has written, The Philosophy of Childhood. That
was when the two came together for me, teaching
philosophy to children as a profession, as a way to
empower children to trust their own ideas, judg-
ments and questions.
I never had to do a lot of convincing. That
could be because of Seattles progressive think-
ing, but we have been welcomed everywhere. In
fact, we have more demand from schools than we
have people who are able to cover that demand!
How did the Center for philosophy for Children
come about and what is your involvement?
When I fnished my dissertation, I started the
center as a nonproft. Originally, it was indepen-
dent and not yet part of the University of Wash-
ington. I had experience working for nonprofts
before, and had been involved in development,
personnel, etc., and so starting it was not daunting
for me. I also knew a lot of people in Seattles non-
proft community which helped. The Department
of Philosophy at the University of Washington ap-
proached us to have the center become part of
the department. Ultimately we ended up with a
dual identity, in which we are part of the university
but are also a community based organization.
What does a typical philosophy session look
like at the center?
We actually travel to the public schools to
teach these programs, the children do not come
to the center. Many of our classroom philosophy
programs continue all year long. This spring were
in 22 classrooms around the Seattle area. There
are two elementary schools where we have a pres-
ence in almost every grade and in almost every
classroom. There are also a couple middle and
high schools where we have a varying level of a
presence. In general, we come in with some kind
Jana
Mohr
L
Lone
Q&A
Jana Mohr
Lone has
been teaching
philosophy
in classrooms
from preschool
to college since
1995.
of stimulus: an activity, book or game that inspires
a philosophical exploration. In a second grade
class recently, I brought strawberries for the chil-
dren, as an activity that turned into a discussion
about how they know a strawberry is a strawberry.
One young girl said,
I only know because someone told me its a
strawberry, but how do I really know?
For the frst time this year at one of the schools
in which were involved, we have a philosopher-
in-residence who is both a classroom philosophy
teacher and a resource for our teachers. Many of
the teachers from the schools in which we teach
attend our annual philosophy work-
shops. We come into the classroom as
an outside resource to teach philoso-
phy, but when they become inspired,
teachers continue philosophical in-
quiry in other areas of the curriculum.
Many of them, after taking our work-
shop, begin to be involved with us,
or they continue the conversation at
other points during their week.
Are the reactions of parents positive and what
kinds of changes occur (academically, morally,
intellectually) within the student after they
have done philosophy?
On the whole, yes, totally positive. We try to
send out a notice to parents to explain what we
will be doing, inviting them to come and observe.
Over the years there have been several parents
whove contacted me who were a bit skeptical,
but they come, observe the session and see that
what were doing is great for the kids.
We have not been involved in any individual
child-focused study, but we are thinking about
doing qualitative and quantitative studies. We do
hear a lot of anecdotal stories from teachers about
children who dont generally speak in class or have
conficts, but perform well and enjoy themselves
in philosophy discussions. Our fellowship program
is open to graduate students in philosophy or ed-
ucation and I think this program has the potential
to bear fruit for research projects from the College
of Education.
What do you think the next step is for introduc-
ing philosophy lesson plans and curriculums to
public school boards of education?
I have recently had an experience that has
caused me to think about this. I taught a philoso-
phy webinar for teachers this past March with the
National Humanities Center and it was simply the
coolest thing. Its not that I was skeptical, but I
wasnt really sure how it would work, as I was only
familiar with this facilitating kind of inquiry in a
classroom.
There were about 50 middle and high school
teachers tuning in to the webinar online, writing
their comments and opinions as we went along. It
really created that sense of being in a classroom
even though teachers were only seeing each oth-
ers writing. It was amazing to me about how furi-
ously they were writing and how connected they
were to the topic and each other. There was such
freedom of expression with anonymous users and
a rich and powerful experience came out of that.
Several said that after, they felt like they now had
skills and resources they could use it in their own
classrooms. The webinar focused on the ways in
which philosophical exploration can emerge from
texts already being taught; the books I used in the
class were The Bluest Eye, The Book Thief
and To Kill A Mockingbird. It was fabulous. It
made me think the way in which the Internet is
actually a powerful tool for involving people who
are, for example, in rural places who are interested
in philosophical inquiry in classrooms.
I was really impressed by the possibilities for
using online classes to create a real sense of com-
munity and give people tools to incorporate phil-
osophical inquiry in their classrooms.
Jana
teaching
philosophy
at John
Muir
Elementary
School in
Seattle,
Wash.
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
14 15
RECIPES RECIPES
Feed Your Brain!
cup raw chia seeds
2 cups unsweetened almond milk (you can also use coconut, soy, rice or cows milk)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons agave nectar or pure maple syrup
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ready after: 4 hours
delicious recipes for growing minds
This shows
the recipe
tripled and
topped with
strawberries,
clementines
and
blueberries.
This serves a
party of 8 to
10.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
TOPPINGS
1. Combine all ingredients in a tupperware container about twice
the size of the ingredients.
2. Wisk all ingredients well.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, shaking the container every
20 minutes or so until the pudding has thickened.
4. Serve with any toppings you want.
Pistachios and dried coconut
Fresh strawberries and blueberries
Goji berries and mango
Orange slices and almonds
Grapes and cantaloupe
One Fuji apple peeled
One banana
One handful of fresh kale, rinsed with stems removed
1 cups of water or fruit juice
Ice cubes
Prep time: less than 5 minutes
Two organic sweet potatoes
Two tablespoons olive oil
teaspoon sea salt
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F with the oven rack in the center.
2. Rinse, dry and slice the sweet potatoes as thin as possible with knife or
mandolin.
3. Toss the slices in olive oil to coat, then sprinkle with salt.
4. Lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 2 hours,
fipping chips at halfway point.
5. Remove once crispy and brown.
6. Serve and enjoy!
1. Blend kale with water or juice until
smooth.
2. Add apple, banana and ice and blend on
high until creamy.
3. Serve and enjoy!
These chips go
wonderfully
with hummus
or a black bean
dip.
This
smoothie is
great for kids
because they
can only tast
the banana!
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
16 17
Q&A Q&A
Q&A
Roberta
Israeloff
What is your offcial title and
in what capacity do you serve
The Squire Family Foundation?
My offcial title is executive
director. The founder, Gary Squire, and I are the
core of this small foundation. I oversee the every-
day running of the organization and work with oth-
er organizations such as the American Philosophi-
cal Association, the National High School Ethics
Bowl board and PLATO (Philosophy Learning and
Teaching Organization). I envision my role as more
of an advocate than grantmaker. Though we do
have a modest granting budget, we try to bring
people together to infuence educational policies.
Many other philosophers were working in this area
before our foundation existed, but the feld wasnt
unifed; there wasnt much coordination. Our role
was to connect people and to see what happens
as the network grows and deepens.

How did you become involved with the organi-
zation - what is your professional background?
I actually have no background in philosophy.
I took one philosophy class in college and I cant
say that I enjoyed it much. I got my teaching cer-
tifcate and taught writing for about ten years. But
my main work was writing: Ive published a doz-
en books and hundreds of magazine articles, es-
says and short stories. Gary Squire and I became
friends in high school and stayed friends through
the years. He went to Yale and Oxford where he
studied philosophy, and then realized he wasnt
cut out for academia. After studying law, he went
into the real estate business.
Early on, he realized that his philosophy educa-
tion was useful to him both professionally and per-
sonally. He appreciated the rigor of his training,
the way it taught him to think through situations
and overcome obstacles. In 2007, he decided to
set up a foundation that promoted philosophy for
young students. By doing so, he felt he was repay-
ing a debt to his philosophy education. It was also
true that there were no other organizations devot-
ed to teaching philosophy before high school. In
fact, philosophy is the only major discipline that
was not taught pre-collegiately. This became the
niche for the Squire Family Foundation.

Youre on the board of directors for PLATO -
what are the issues that the board members
take on at meetings and how did it begin?
Originally PLATO grew out of an American Phil-
osophical Association committee that dealt with
pre-college instruction in philosophy. I met Jana
Mohr Lone, (who started the University of Wash-
ingtons Center for Philosophy for Children) when
she became chair of that committee. We both felt
that we needed a national network to connect phi-
losophy teachers and those who wanted to teach
it. This way, they could share resources, ideas,
texts, lesson plans, and opportunities for training.
To accomplish this, PLATO holds biennial con-
ferences: the next one will be in Seattle in 2015.
PLATO also has a very information-rich website:
plato-philosophy.org. PLATO sponsors two con-
tests: one recognizes the best teacher lesson
plan, and one is an essay contest for high school
students. There are cash awards, and in addition,
the winning student essays are published in Ques-
tions, the offcial journal of PLATO that features
student writing, reviews, and articles of interest.
Most signifcantly, PLATO is encouraging the cre-
ation of a network of university-based centers for
philosophy for children like the one founded by
Jana Mohr Lone at the University of Washington.
Other PLATO initiatives include creating regional
teacher training sessions, presenting at national
educational and research conferences, encourag-
ing philosophers to teach NEH summer seminars
for interested teachers, compiling all the research
thats been conducted on philosophy for children
Continued on page 18
THE NATIONAL
ETHICS BOWL
HIGH SCHOOL
2 0 1 4
Students from Cherry Hill East High
School take turns giving commentary
on the opposing teams presentation
East Chapel Hill High
students take a break
in between preliminary
rounds to discuss
strategies and ideas.
East Chapel Hill High
won 1st Place this year.
Photos courtesy of Rachel McClain
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
18 19
Q&A Q&A
Students from Little Rock
Central High School watch as
judges reveal the scores.
Students
from Cherry
Hill East
High School
team take
turns giving
commentary on
the opposing
teams
presentation.
since the 1970s, fnding new sponsors, and fund-
raising to help support our many activities.
Can you speak about what you fnd most im-
portant in the movement to teach children to
think philosophically?
There are not that many opportunities for chil-
dren to engage in the kind of open-ended creative
thinking and listening that philosophy demands.
Now that education is focusing on test prepara-
tion, test results, and accountability, teachers have
to spend time making sure their students master a
set of skills. Not enough time is put aside for deep
refection. As a result, children arent always taught
to think analytically for themselves, to distinguish
between argument and opinion, between fact and
belief. But children are natural philosophers.
If you spend time with toddlers, youll quick-
ly discover that they ask question after question
about why things are the way they are, and we
should encourage and develop this natural ten-
dency. We talk about doing philosophy because
its active. We want to encourage schools to de-
vote space and time to promoting communities
of inquiry so that kids can think together about
the big questions hard questions and to ex-
change ideas and analyze information in system-
atic and refective ways. This not only enhances
critical thinking, but also fosters empathy, respon-
sibility, and civic engagement.
What are the hurdles that proponents face, and
what are some roadblocks youve encountered
in your experience?
There are a lot of roadblocks and a great deal
of resistance, some from academic and profes-
sional philosophers who say that children dont
have the developmental capacity to think philo-
sophically. But this notion is based on outmoded
studies. Some philosophers think that if we dont
have superbly well trained teachers, philosophical
inquiry will be taught badly. They say that expos-
ing kids to poorly planned philosophical discus-
sions is worse than giving them no philosophy at
all. But every other discipline has fgured out how
to teach its subject matter to young children.
Think about a seventh-grade science class: its
students arent learning what college students
learn, but theyre still learning science. Or as one
person put it, Imagine kids playing basketball in
the schoolyard. You could argue that theyre not
ready for the NBA, but theres no way you can ar-
gue that theyre not playing basketball.
Educators voice a more practical set of prob-
lems. There are so many mandated requirements
Photos courtesy of Rachel McClain
these days that its hard to squeeze in another
elective such as philosophy. One way around this
is to encourage interested teachers to create phi-
losophy clubs and participate in events like high
school ethics bowls. Once the resources are allo-
cated, and educators see how popular events like
these are, they may be persuaded to allow an in-
terested teacher to develop a philosophy course.
Philosophy can also be taught across the cur-
riculum in a unit in an English class, for example,
on the meaning of identity, or a bioethics unit in a
science class. Philosophy has even been taught in
middle school math classes! Another issue were
grappling with is what kind of preparation and
training teachers need to teach philosophy well.
There are many interested teachers who need
more tools and practice leading philosophical dis-
cussions, and were trying to create opportunities
for them.

What is the reaction to the organization when
you discuss it with those who are unfamiliar?
Does it take convincing?
I have to say that on frst blush, most people
are intrigued and enthusiastic; they want to learn
more and see the possibilities. I would say thats
the reaction in 90% of the cases.
Some skeptics maintain that kids are too young
to do philosophy. Others are suspicious about
philosophy because on some level it is subversive
it asks kids to think for themselves! Some par-
ents are fearful of this. But my overall experience
has been pretty positive.
Most parents, teachers and school administra-
tors who attend ethics bowls, for instance, leave
much more enthusiastic about the event than they
were when it began. They see how hungry stu-
dents are for this kind of opportunity, and all the
advantages of it. One parent said that she never
felt as encouraged about young people as she did
after seeing her child participate in an ethics bowl.
A teacher told me that this event was the most
impressive educational experience she had. Tom
Wartenberg, who takes his Mt. Holyoke philoso-
phy majors into neighboring schools after training
them to do picture book philosophy with third
graders, has a wonderful video on his website that
I bet will convince many skeptics that young chil-
dren, even those in economically disadvantaged
areas, grasp and enjoy talking about profound
philosophical subjects.

What do you think the future is for philosophy
for children in the U.S.? Is this movement mak-
ing an impact on public schools?
There are many well-developed philosophy
programs in the UK, Europe, South America and
Australia and New Zealand. Other countries are
way ahead of us. Ontario recently mandated that
all its students must study philosophy before
graduating from high school. We are trying to
learn from these pioneers what types of programs
and approaches would work for us. In this country,
many private and religiously-funded schools al-
ready have ethics or character building programs.
But the million-dollar question is how were
going to make inroads into public schools. This
will be challenging. We will probably have to co-
ordinate with schools of education and with state
boards of education. But until we can fgure out
a successful top-down approach, well continue
to work on a grassroots level, spreading the word
about PLATO and the National High School Ethics
Bowl; encouraging university philosophy students,
both graduates and undergraduates, to bring phi-
losophy into neighboring schools; and convincing
people who allocate educational resources that
this is a good investment.
Philosophy has a broad appeal its not just
a subject for academically advanced or economi-
cally privileged students. In fact, many students
who struggle academically excel when doing phi-
losophy. We continue to hope that every student
will have the opportunity to discover the pleasures
of thinking hard about important issues by doing
philosophy.
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
20 21
RESEARCH RESEARCH
The Categorical Imperative
Philosopher: Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
Kant introduced this method for evaluating motivations for actions with his book,
Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. You may be familiar with his concept
by a different name, however. The Golden Rule, states do unto others as you
would have them do unto you. This is just a simplifed version of Kants Act only
according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should
become a universal law without contradiction.. So, only behave in a way that you
could tell all others to act in that same way.
The second formulation of the Categorical Imperative states Act in such a way
that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other,
never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end. In
simpler terms, it is a persons moral duty to treat others, and oneself, never as a
means to an end, but always as an end, as treating a person instrumentally does
not honor their inherent value.
The If Odyssey Project was an experimental research study done in 10 classrooms and seven
school in Camden Town, England, during the Fall of 2012. Students participated in philosophy
sessions once a week based on Homers Odyssey, written in the 8th century, B.C., following the
teaching stragegies presented in Peter Worleys book, The If Odyssey.
The Philosophy Foundation evaluated feedback from students and teachers about the effects
philosophy sessions had on the students learning and instructors ability to present the sessions.
These are the improvements that teachers observed:
There were improvements in higher-order thinking in the areas of analysis, synthesis and
evaluation.
Children demonstrated great thinking...before giving answers, showing cognitive developments
in reasoning skills.
Students who found writing diffcult and students who were shy or quiet, benefted from the
sessions.
Many teachers found that the sessions improved the students understanding of science, as it
developed their reasoning skills.
The children thought about other points of view other than their own.
What is The If Odyssey Project?
I can ask more interesting questions.
...the simplest questions turn into big questions.
I loved it and I want to do it every day.
It was fun and exciting.
[Philosophy] has made me more confident to say my ideas.
I have [learned]you need to think into a question
instead of giving a straight away answer. And I am
more confdent in giving answers and contributing.
These are statements from the children who participated in these sessions:
The If Odyssey Stats: Student Feedback
BRILLIANT,
ONE OF MY
FAVORITE
LESSONS VERY
GOOD
GOOD
BORING
0%
What did you think of the philosophy sessions and the Odyssey story?
OK, COULD
BE BETTER
0%
56.7%
26.7%
16.6%
Bites of philosophy:
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
22 23
FEATURE ARTICLE FEATURE ARTICLE
It
seems to megranted, Im a cranky per-
sonthat we often look in the wrong
places for the right things. Want to raise
student achievement? Put computers in the
classroom. Want to make schools more ac-
countable? Mandate high-stakes testing.
Want to improve teaching? Abolish tenure, or
increase teacher salaries, or both. No matter
how big the problem, we act as if there were a
quick answer for it.
But I wonder, would the great sages of old
have been even greater if they could have fol-
lowed the trends or used the tools of modern
education? Would Socrates dialogues, for
example, have been any more effective if he
had been able to jazz them up with Power-
Point slides? Or would Hillel, the most revered
teacher in Jewish tradition, have been more
conscientious if his students had been re-
quired to take annual standards-based tests?
Personally, I dont think so. The stories and
legends that have come down to us about the
sages emphasize the importance of integrity,
patience, and love of learning in being a good
teacher. There is nothing in the stories about
technology, or testing, or any of the other so-
lutions on which we put so much emphasis to-
day.
The qualities of heart and mind that sepa-
rate good teachers from bad are illustrated in
a rabbinic anecdote about Hillel and the lead-
er of a rival school, Shammai. A non- Jew once
approached Shammai and said, Teach me
the entire Torahin effect, all of Judaism
while I stand on one foot. Shammai, who
was notorious for his ill temper, beat the man
with a ruler. The man then went to Hillel and
made the same request, but received a totally
different reception. What is hateful to you,
Hillel replied, do not do to your fellow man;
this is the whole Torah, the rest is commentary;
go, complete your study.
Hillels reply is distinguished by its epi-
grammatic felicity, its loving concern, its ethi-
cal zeal. Where Shammai believed that the To-
rah shouldnt be taught to just anyone, Hillel
maintained that it should be taught to every-
one. The bad teacher restricts his or her efforts
to a special few. The good teacher is demo-
cratic and inclusive and treats all students as
deserving of encouragement, even the odd
and the impudent.
It is perhaps not surprising that one of
the most famous sayings attributed to Hillel
is, The impatient cannot teach. (Some ver-
sions add and the timid cannot learn.) Un-
fortunately, we live in an impatient age, as a
quick look aroundwho has time for more?
shows. We bounce from express checking to
speed dialing to instant-messaging, and gulp
fast food in between. But the faster things go,
the more impatient we seem to become. We
hate worse than ever to stand in line or wait in
traffc. We pound our fsts and curse when our
computers are even a little slow. And if we are
impatient with computers that operate at light
speed, how long will we wait for teachers and
students to get their academic act together?
Not very, it turns out. Common Core instruc-
tion and state-mandated tests instruct schools
in the U.S. to administer these annual tests in
reading, science and math to every student in
grades K through 12. Schools whose scores fail
to improve from past years could lose federal
aid or be forced to replace
their teachers and admin-
istrators.
On paper, standardized
tests may look good. Its
promise to get tough on
low-performing schools
is emotionally satisfying
and politically popular.
But even so, I cant shake
the feeling that the an-
cient sages wouldnt ap-
prove. To them, education
was more about instilling
a love of learning than
about giving tests or mak-
ing threats.
Both Socrates and Hil-
lel are portrayed in stories
as ever eager to learn. Hil-
lel, who was born in Baby-
lonia about 30 B.C., came to Jerusalem for ad-
vanced study. For a long time after his arrival,
he peddled fuel, using part of his meager daily
earnings for food and other personal needs
and the rest to pay for admission to school. Ac-
cording to legend, when one day Hillel didnt
sell enough wood to meet the admission fee,
he climbed to the roof of the schoolhouse so
that he might hear the discussions under way
indoors. In his concentration, he never noticed
that it had begun snowing. He was covered
in snow and almost frozen to death before
his teachers discovered him and brought him
down.
The story is intended as a rebuke to those
who would cite poverty or the press of busi-
ness as an excuse for not furthering their learn-
ing. This includes teachers. Teach in order to
learn, the Indian yogi Baba Hari Dass said,
implying that one of the primary rewards of
teaching is keeping up with the emergence
of new knowledge and ideas. It is also a pri-
mary responsibility. Students will forget sooner
or later the specifc information they learn for
a test, but not the love of learning teachers
model for them.
Platos dialogue Crito, about the last days of
Socrates, provides a mov-
ing account of a teacher
modeling what one com-
mentator has called the
constituent ideals of the
civilized mind. In the
dialogue, Socrates is in
prison, having been con-
victed of corrupting the
youth of Athens with his
teachings and sentenced
to die. Crito, a friend and
former student, visits him
just before dawn to beg
him to escape, but the
old philosopherhe is
about 70refuses. He ex-
plains that if he fed to a
neighboring city with the
help of his supporters,
he would be disrespect-
ing the institutions and laws of Athens. And
wouldnt that, he asks, be shameful, for hadnt
he always taught that virtue and justice and
institutions and laws were the best things
among men? He calmly tells Crito that he
will drink poison and die rather than betray his
principles. It is the ultimate in lesson plans.
Given the sacrifces of Socrates, Hillel,
and other legendary sages, it seems almost
silly to complain about such things as one-
size-fts-all standards and high-stakes testing.
Then again, it is perhaps precisely because
the sages showed how important teachers
can be that we should resist the current trend
to reduce teaching to preparing students for
tests or learning to doing well on them. When
will people realize, damn it, that learning isnt
about knowing the answer, but about ponder-
ing the question?
The Age of Impatience
By Howard Good
Would the great sages
of old have been even
greater if they could
have followed the trends
or used the tools of
modern education?
Howard Good
Howard Good
teaches journalism
at the State
University of New
York at New Paltz
and has authored
10 books on topics
ranging from
journalism to flm
to school politics.
Philoso-Me Philoso-Me
24 25
RESOURCES RESOURCES
Twitter Accounts to Follow
There is a vibrant community
on Twitter with knowledgeable
philosophers, parents, teachers
and others who share ideas about
philosophy for children. Following
these accounts will give you a
steady fow of information to keep
you updated on developments,
opportunities and research. Use
the hashtag #P4C for tweets
specifcally about philosophy for
children.
Philoso-Me
26
for futher reading
ONLINE RESOURCES
Thank you to all those who have helped make this little magazine come together.
Your interviews, photos and articles have been invaluable.
Gianna Canevari can be reached at gianna.e.canevari@gmail.com
The Center for Philosophy for Children
depts.washington.edu/nwcenter
Whats The Big Idea?
whatsthebigideaprogram.com
Teaching Children Philosophy
teachingchildrenphilosophy.org
The National High School Ethics Bowl
nhseb.unc.edu
The Philosophy Foundation
philosophy-foundation.org
The Squire Family Foundation
squirefoundation.org
Education Endowment Foundation
educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk