Philosophy 205/595: Philosophy for Children
 Syllabus Fall 2013 
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Phone:
Jana Mohr-Lone
By appointment
206-221-6297
Meets: Wednesday and Friday 10:30-12:20
Email: mohrlone@uw.edu
Web: www.philosophyforchildren.org
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES
This course is a practicum in doing philosophy with children. Part of the course involves traveling in small
groups on seven Wednesday mornings to two local elementary schools.
Students enrolled in 595 must be graduate students in philosophy or education, and will be responsible for
helping to mentor undergraduate students. Graduate students will lead at least one seminar session.
FOR 205: This seminar will give students:
 A general understanding of ways to facilitate philosophy sessions in K-12 classrooms;
 An awareness of the philosophical content of children’s literature;
 Experience in the K-12 world by being involved in a Seattle public school classroom; and
 Skills and experience leading philosophy discussions.
FOR 595: This seminar will give students:
 Experience teaching philosophy to K-12 students;
 An understanding of the philosophical content of children’s literature and the pedagogical and
philosophical issues involved in teaching philosophy to children using children’s books;
 Engagement in the philosophical and pedagogical questions raised by children’s philosophical
propensities and the community of philosophical inquiry;
 Experience creating a philosophy lesson plan for pre-college students; and
 Skills and experience mentoring undergraduate students.
II. TEXTS

Photocopied and other handouts and electronic reserve materials.

All of the assigned readings are on electronic reserve.
III. TOPICS AND READINGS
TOPIC 1 – 9/25 and 9/27
 What is philosophy & philosophy for children? What is a community of philosophical inquiry?
READINGS AND ACTIVITIES IN CLASS
 “The Schoolroom” from Stuart Little by E.B. White
 The Three Questions by Jon Muth
 Activity: Keep The Question Going (Shapiro)
 Activity: Good News, Bad News (Shapiro)
ALL STUDENTS - ASSIGNED READING FOR CLASS 9/27:
“The Philosophical Self,” Chapter 1 of The Philosophical Child (Mohr-Lone)
ADDITIONAL READINGS FOR 595 STUDENTS:
“Philosophical Sensitivity” (Mohr-Lone) in Metaphysics 44: 1-2
“Philosophical Sensitivity” (Sebo) in Philosophy and Education (Mohr-Lone & Israeloff)
“A Different Education” (Burroughs) in Philosophy in Schools (Goering, Shudak & Wartenberg)
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TOPIC 2 – 10/2 and 10/4
 Logic/Critical Thinking with Children
READINGS AND ACTIVITIES IN CLASS
 Albert’s Toothache by Barbara Williams
 If You Give a Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
 Activity: What’s Your Reason? (Shapiro)
 Activity: selection from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
ALL STUDENTS - ASSIGNED READING FOR CLASS 10/2:
“Guiding a Philosophical Discussion,” from Philosophy in the Classroom (Lipman, Sharp & Oscanyan)
ADDITIONAL READING FOR 595 STUDENTS:
“Philosophical Sensitivity,” Chapter 2 of The Philosophical Child (Mohr-Lone)
“Logic and Practical Reasoning” part VI of Philosophy and Education (Mohr-Lone & Israeloff)
“Reasoning,” from Philosophy and the Young Child (Matthews)
FIRST PAPER FOR 205 STUDENTS DUE 10/18
TOPIC 3 – 10/9, 10/11, 10/16 and 10/18 (10/9 and 10/16 elementary school sessions)
 Metaphysics with Children
READINGS AND ACTIVITIES IN CLASS
 “On the Verandah” by Philip Cam
 The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
 Harry and Hopper by Margaret Wild
 Activity: “Little Shop of Curiosities” from The If Machine (Worley)
ALL STUDENTS - ASSIGNED READING FOR CLASS 10/11:
“Philosophical Rules of Engagement” (Jackson) in Philosophy in Schools (Goering, Shudak & Wartenberg)
ADDITIONAL READING FOR 595 STUDENTS:
“Death, Reality & Identity: Thinking About Metaphysics,” Chapter 3 of The Philosophical Child (Mohr-Lone)
“Metaphysics in the Classroom” part IV of Philosophy and Education (Mohr-Lone & Israeloff)
Chapter 1 of The Philosophy of Childhood (Matthews)
TOPIC 4 – 10/23, 10/25, 10/30 and 11/1 (10/23 and 10/30 elementary school sessions)
 Epistemology with Children
READINGS AND ACTIVITIES IN CLASS
 “The Mirror of Erised” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
 Experience Machine (Robert Nozick)
 The Bear That Wasn’t by Frank Tashlin
 Morris the Moose by Barbara Wiseman
 Activity: How many of these do you know to be true? (Shapiro)
 Activity: Knowledge and belief
 Activity: Self-knowledge
ALL STUDENTS - ASSIGNED READING FOR CLASS 10/25:
“Morris the Moose: Teaching Epistemology,” in Big Ideas for Little Kids (Wartenberg)
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ADDITIONAL READING FOR 595 STUDENTS:
“Knowledge and Belief: Thinking About Epistemology,” Chapter 4 of The Philosophical Child (Mohr-Lone)
“Epistemology in the Classroom” part III of Philosophy and Education (Mohr-Lone & Israeloff)
“Knowledge,” from Dialogues with Children (Matthews)
SECOND PAPER FOR 205 STUDENTS DUE 11/15
TOPIC 5 – 11/6, 11/8, 11/13, and 11/15 (11/6 and 11/13 elementary school sessions)
 Ethics with Children
READINGS AND ACTIVITIES IN CLASS
 “Dragons and Giants” from Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
 An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant
 The Rainbow Fish by Peter Catalanotto
 Activity: Is life fair? (Shapiro)
ALL STUDENTS - ASSIGNED READING FOR CLASS 11/8:
“Dragons and Giants: Teaching Ethics,” in Big Ideas for Little Kids (Wartenberg)
ADDITIONAL READING FOR 595 STUDENTS:
“Morality and How to Live: Thinking About Ethics,” Chapter 5 of The Philosophical Child (Mohr-Lone)
“Ethics in the Classroom” part II of Philosophy and Education (Mohr-Lone & Israeloff)
“Ethics” in Dialogues with Children (Matthews)
TOPIC 6 – 11/20, 11/27 and 11/29 (11/27 last elementary school sessions)
 Philosophy of Art with Children
READINGS AND ACTIVITIES IN CLASS
 Selection from The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
 Ish by Peter Reynolds
 The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson
 Activity: What is beauty? Beautiful and ugly songs
ADDITIONAL READING FOR 595 STUDENTS:
“Art and Beauty: Thinking About Aesthetics,” Chapter 6 of The Philosophical Child (Mohr-Lone)
“Aesthetics in the Classroom” part V of Philosophy and Education (Mohr-Lone & Israeloff)
Chapter 10 of The Philosophy of Childhood (Matthews)
FINAL PAPERS FOR 205 & FINAL PAPERS/LESSON PLANS FOR 595 STUDENTS DUE 12/6
TOPIC 7 – 12/4 and 12/6
 Questions about the Meaning of Life with Children
READINGS AND ACTIVITIES IN CLASS
 The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
 Selection from Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
 Why? by Lindsey Camp and Tony Ross
 Activity: What’s worth doing? (Shapiro)
ADDITIONAL READING FOR 595 STUDENTS:
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“What Do We Want for Our Children?” Chapter 7 of The Philosophical Child (Mohr-Lone)
“The Lost Dimension of Education,” in Philosophy in the Classroom (Lipman, Sharp & Oscanyan)
IV. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SESSIONS
1.
2.
3.
5.
5.
6.
7.
V.
October 9:
October 16:
October 23:
October 30:
November 6:
November 13:
November 27:
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
On the Verandah by Philip Cam
Game - What’s Your Reason? (Shapiro)
Morris the Moose by Barbara Wiseman
The Bear That Wasn’t by Frank Tashlin
“Dragons and Giants,” in Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
Ish by Peter Reynolds
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
• A successful philosophy class is a shared enterprise, a community of inquiry, so please come to
class, having done the readings and prepared to discuss the material.
• Written assignments are as follows:
For 205
o Two short papers (2-3 pages each)
o One final paper (4-6 pages)
For 595
o One detailed philosophy for children lesson plan suitable for inclusion on the website (using a
book or activity not already on the site, in the format used on the site), which will include a
description of the stimulus used and the philosophical questions it raises.
o One final paper (8-10 pages) that explores philosophical and pedagogical issues involved in the
community of philosophical inquiry and/or the emergence of philosophical thinking in
childhood and its significance.
VI.
GRADES
This is a credit/no credit course. In order to get credit, you must complete all of the following:
For 205:
 Attendance and participation in the course (25%)
 Attendance & participation in philosophy sessions in a local elementary school classroom (25%)
 Completion of the two short papers (25%)
 Completion of the final paper (25%)
For 595:
 Attendance and participation in the course, including leading one seminar session (20%)
 Attendance and participation in philosophy sessions in a local elementary school classroom,
including mentoring undergraduate students (30%)
 Completion of the philosophy for children lesson plan (20%)
 Completion of the final paper (30%)
PLEASE NOTE:
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Participation is important; our goal is to establish a classroom community of philosophical inquiry, and
it’s incumbent upon each of us to be fully participating members in this community.
Unless special circumstances apply, you won’t get credit for the class if you miss more than 4 sessions.
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