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Philosophy, for questioning minds - Spring

Philosophy, for questioning minds – Spring Edition – Thursday, 10 AM PT

$249.00

“I really liked the Philosophy class because it allowed me to express my feelings and thoughts with other kids like me. I really liked discussing stuff with the class, and hearing other opinions. Dr. Kirsten was my teacher and she was very good and made the class fun and interesting for everyone.” ~Student T.O.

Please contact the instructor to be placed on their waitlist:
Dr. Kirsten Stein

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Offered By Instructor

Dr. Kirsten Stein
Content Level

Upper Elementary – Junior High – Grades 5-8
Course Length

16-Week Course – Spring Semester
Day & Time

Thursdays, 10 AM Pacific – 1/21/21 – 5/22/21
Enrollment

Enrollment Options Linked Below

Description

Human beings are born with a natural curiosity about the world, and questions fall from our lips as soon as we learn to talk. Wondering about things like nature, human behavior, and reality is the foundation of philosophy. From ancient Greece to the modern day, philosophers have been debating the big questions about human life.

At Athena’s, our students approach philosophical questions that philosophers have asked for ages. Students learn how to think carefully, critically, and with clarity. They will understand how to take a logical approach to addressing challenging questions and examining hard issues. They will begin to look at things from a variety of perspectives, to discuss and debate with kindness while uncovering common ground.

Come philosophize with us and learn skills that are important for life.

Spring discussions focus on:

  • Reality
  • Critical Thinking
  • Questions we discuss are unique to our spring semester Philosophy course and are not included in our fall or summer Philosophy courses.

The Philosophy series follows in progression and can be taken in any order:

  • Philosophy: Fall Semester
  • Philosophy: Spring Semester
  • Philosophy: Summer Semester (8-weeks, occasionally offered)
  • The above courses may be taken in any order.

Example questions may include:

  • Can you think about nothing at all?
  • Is it important to speak and write so you can be understood?

Note to parents: 

  • Why we should teach philosophy to kids? Find out in this TED Blog discussing a British Journal of Educational Psychology study.
  • Check out this TED Talk about how Philosophy sparks the love of learning. Let’s spark your student’s love of learning!
  • Philosophy, for questioning minds – Summer Session follows this course in the same time slot in the summer.
  • When offered, High School level students may continue philosophy with Dr. Marianne’s course titled Examining Life, advanced philosophy for questioning minds.

Offered by:

What to Expect

What to expect in the Required section in the classroom each week:

  • Respond to 2-3 forum prompts — writing at least one five-sentence paragraph for each.
  • Respond with positive and encouraging comments on their classmates’ posts in the classroom forums.

What to expect in the Highly Suggested & Optional sections in the classroom each week:

  • Curated resources, including websites & videos, are provided to excite learners and to add depth to the subject matter.

What to expect during the weekly webinar:

  • Weekly webinars are 50 minutes long. Recorded sessions are available for students with schedule conflicts. Although recorded sessions will be available, students should be able to attend at least 75% of the webinars.
  • Active Participation (via the microphone and chat) in online class discussions.
  • This class is discussion based. Only students who are ready (or need minimal encouragement to become ready) to use the microphone in an online class should enroll.

Materials & More

Before taking this course, students should be able to: 

  • Read at a strong 5th grade level or above.
  • Write a paragraph independently.

Students should be willing to:

  • Be prepared for the webinar.
  • Actively participate (via the microphone and chat) in the class discussion.
  • Verbally participate in webinar discussions – this class is discussion based.
  • Have the desire to complete the discussion forums in the Philosophy classroom.
  • Be ready to discuss challenging topics in a respectful manner.
  • Encourage class discussion by adding their questions/ideas in the chat window during the webinar.
  • Respond with positive and encouraging comments on their classmates’ posts in the classroom forums.

Parents should know: 

  • Although recorded sessions will be available, students should be able to attend at least 75% of the webinars since the courses are discussion-based.
  • Although the curriculum is written for students “10 and up,” Athena’s invites gifted students of all ages to attend. Our class median age range is usually ages 10-11. 

Required books & materials:

  • No textbook required.
  • The philosophy class follows the curriculum guide: Philosophy for Kids by David A. White, Ph.D., Prufrock Press. There is no need to purchase the curriculum guide. Parents who choose to purchase the book should use it only to help foster further discussion after the webinar. Please avoid sharing upcoming content from the book with your child as it limits student’s thought processes during the webinar discussions. This course is for student exploration of ideas.

Enrollment Options

Live Webinars - Thursdays, 10 AM Pacific – 1/21/21 – 5/22/21

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