Introduction to Philosophy
*This course is intended for lower elementary students
Class Schedule
4:00-4:50 pm PST
June 17th, June 18th, June 19th, June 20th, June 21st
*Note: This is a weeklong course meeting each day from Monday-Friday
Note: Classes are listed in PST, click below to convert time to your time zone.
Course Overview
Our youngest learners are often the members of our society that are asking the deepest philosophical questions as they continue to develop and make sense of the world around them. This course will introduce students to foundations of philosophical thought while honing their abilities to provide strong reasoning to back up their opinions and how to question previous ideas. Matthew Lipman summarizes the goal of introducing philosophy to younger children beautifully, sharing: “Philosophy is a discipline that contains logic, and therefore is concerned to introduce criteria of excellence into the thinking process, so that students move from merely thinking to thinking well.”
In these classes, students will use texts to ponder if characters are wise, honest, or brave, to debate ideas about discoveries vs. inventions, and to think futuristically about the potential good and bad about the introduction of more robots in this world. These classes aim to stretch students' thinking and leave them with more questions than answers.
Student Outcomes:
- Practice formulating arguments and questions
- Collaborate with peers to solve problems
- Gain comfortability in the unknown
Student Experience
Debater
Literary Analyst
Creative Writer
Inventor
Your Teacher: Sarah Merkt
Sarah Merkt has worked as a teacher and curriculum designer for over 12 years in gifted schools in both Asia and America. She holds her certification in Middle Childhood Education from Xavier University. Most recently, she worked for 4 years at The Nueva School in Hillsborough, CA. She is a passionate advocate for gifted students and their parents and strives to infuse best practices into her curriculum in the classroom. She currently serves as Program Manager and Learning Consultant at Cresconova.
