Understating by Design Draft
Grade: 12
Subject: Philosophy
Topic: Foundations of
Jewish Philosophy
Stage 1
Desired Results
Established Goal(s):
Introduction to Philosophy (PHTU12) this course addresses the main areas
of philosophy: metaphysics, logic, epistemology, and ethics. The students
will learn critical-thinking skills, the main ideas expressed by philosophers
from a variety of the worlds traditions, how to develop and explain their own
philosophical ideas, and how to apply those ideas to contemporary social
issues and experiences.
Understanding(s):
Students will know Contrast & Comparison of Foundations of Jewish
Philosophy.
Students will be able to identify and understand the Introduction to
Philosophy both Jewish and secular perspectives.
Essential Question(s)
Demonstrate an understanding of some of the main questions in Foundations
of Jewish Philosophy.
Is there a difference between Jewish and secular philosophy?
Are their drastic and similarities between both Jewish and secular
philosophers?
Students will:
 Summarize the main questions, concepts, and theories about the
Introduction to Philosophy.
 Evaluate the strength and weakness of responses to some of the main
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questions of Introduction to Philosophy defended by some major
philosophers and schools of philosophy.
 Demonstrate the relevance the Introduction to Philosophical questions
and theories to every day life.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s) & Other Evidence:
 I will ask the students whether they found learning the Introduction to
Philosophy to be difficult?
 I will ask them various questions on the fundamental foundations on
the Introduction to Philosophy in all facets for their better
understanding.
 I will assign Oral and/or written response to one of the essential
Questions monthly.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
One of the many learning activities I would initiate is by using a smart board
in order to engage the students so they can attain the learning goal.
I will first show on the smart board each topic and explaining verbally in
class then they will have to conduct research on their smart phones to further
research on a basic understanding of the introduction to philosophy.
Furthermore I would also ask students questions orally and ‘directly’ in
class. This will ultimately check for understanding if they really understood
the content.
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Grade: 12
Stage 1
Subject: Philosophy
Topic: Metaphysics
Desired Results
Established Goal(s):
Metaphysics (PHTU12) this course addresses the main areas that deals with
the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being,
knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.
Understanding(s):
Students will be able to identify and understand the fundamentals of
Metaphysics.
Essential Question(s)
Demonstrate an understanding of some of the main questions in metaphysics
i.e. What are the ultimate constituents of reality?
Does g-d exist?
What is Being?
What is the relation of mind to matter?
What is the self?
What is personal identity?
Are human actions free?
What is the meaning of life?
Evaluate the positions of some of the major philosophers and schools of
philosophy on some of the main metaphysical questions.
Formulate their own clear and cogent responses to some of the fundamental
questions of metaphysics
Explain with references some classical texts how different metaphysical
theories.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the influence that some metaphysical ideas
about topics such as causality, space and time, and the infinite have on other
disciplines, such as physics and astronomy.
Students will:
 Summarize the main questions, concepts, and theories about
Metaphysics.
 Determine the relevance Metaphysics questions and theories to every
day life.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s) & Other Evidence:
 I will ask the students whether they found Metaphysics to be difficult?
 I will assign Oral and/or written response to one of the essential
Questions monthly.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
I would assign a reading and oral response followed by a group presentation
on metaphysics.
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the responses to some questions of
natural and social sciences defended by some of the major philosophers and
schools of philosophy, and defend their own responses.
Demonstrate an understanding of the main questions in logic (e.g., What is a
valid argument?).
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Grade: 12
Subject: Philosophy
Topic: Logic & the
Philosophy of Science
Stage 1
Desired Results
Established Goal(s):
Logic & the Philosophy of Science (PHTU12) this section addresses the
main areas of philosophy, which is concerned with the foundations,
methods, and implications of science.
Understanding(s):
Students will be able to identify and understand the fundamentals of Logic
& the Philosophy of Science.
Essential Question(s)
 Demonstrate an understating of some main questions in logic e.g.
What is a valid argument? What is a logical misconception?
Distinguish valid from invalid arguments?
 The students will demonstrate an understanding of some main
questions in the philosophy of science.
What differentiates science from non-science?
What constitutes a law-like explanation?
Students will:
 Summarize the main questions, concepts, and theories about
Metaphysics.
 Determine the relevance Logic & the Philosophy of Science questions
and theories to every day life.
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 The students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses given by some of the major philosophical theories of
science.
Such as:
What is the relationship between theory and observation?
 The students will formulate and defend their own responses to some
of the fundamental questions in the philosophy of science.
What makes a scientific theory true?
 The students will explain how philosophical theories have influenced
the development of the natural and social sciences.
 Identify the main questions in formal and informal logic, and in the
philosophy of science.
 Apply logical and critical thinking skills in practical contexts, and in
detecting logical fallacies
 Demonstrate an understanding of how philosophical questions apply
to disciplines of natural and social sciences defended by some of the
major philosophers and schools of philosophy and defend their own
responses.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s) & Other Evidence:
 I will ask the students whether they found Logic & the Philosophy of
Science to be difficult?
 I will assign Oral and/or written response to one of the essential
Questions monthly.
 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the responses to some
questions of natural and social sciences defended by some of the
major philosophers and schools of philosophy, and defend their own
responses.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
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Learning Activities:
I would assign a reading and oral response followed by a group presentation
on Logic & the Philosophy of Science.
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Grade: 12
Subject: Philosophy
Topic:
Epistemology
Stage 1
Desired Results
Established Goal(s):
Epistemology (PHTU12) this course addresses the main areas of the theory
of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope.
Understanding(s):
Students will be able to identify and understand the fundamentals of
Epistemology.
Identify the main questions, concepts, and theories of epistemology.
Demonstrate an understanding of the main philosophical questions of
epistemology (e.g., What is human knowledge? Are there some things that
we know with absolute certainty?).
Essential Question(s)
•
The students will demonstrate an understanding of the main
philosophical questions of epistemology.
What is human knowledge?
Can humans know what the world really is?
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Are there some things that humans can never know?
Are there some things that we know with absolute certainty?
Students will:
 The students will identify the main questions, concepts and theories of
epistemology.
 The students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of responses
to some of the main questions of epistemology defended by some
major philosophers and schools of philosophy, and defend their own
responses.
 The students will demonstrate the relevance of philosophical theories
of epistemology to concrete problems in everyday life.
 The students will explain how different epistemological theories apply
to subject areas such as psychology.
 The students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses given by some of the major philosophers and major schools
of epistemology to some of the main epistemological questions.
Is human knowledge based entirely on sensory perception?
What counts as a justification in claiming to know something?
 The students will formulate their own ideas about some of the main
questions of epistemology, and explain and defend those ideas in
philosophical exchanges with others.
 The students will describe instances in which philosophical problems
of knowledge occur in everyday contexts, and can be clarified and
analysed using philosophical theories of epistemology.
 The students will explain how theories of knowledge are adopted and
applied in subject areas such as psychology.
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Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s) & Other Evidence:
 I will ask the students whether they found epistemology to be
difficult?
 I will assign Oral and/or written response to one of the essential
Questions monthly.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
I would assign a reading and oral response followed by a group presentation
on epistemology.
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the responses to some questions of
natural and social sciences defended by some of the major philosophers and
schools of philosophy, and defend their own responses.
Demonstrate an understanding of the main questions in logic (e.g., What is a
valid argument?).
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Grade: 12
Subject: Philosophy
Topic:
Ethics
Stage 1
Desired Results
Established Goal(s):
Ethics (PHTU12) this course addresses the main areas of the branch of
knowledge that deals with moral principles.
Understanding(s):
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Illustrate the relevance of philosophical theories of ethics to concrete moral
problems in everyday life.
Identify the main questions of ethics (e.g., What is integrity? Why be moral?
What obligations do people have to one another?).
Evaluate the responses given by some of the major philosophers (e.g.,
Maimonides, Kant) and major schools of ethics (e.g., utilitarianism)
Essential Question(s)
 The students will demonstrate an understanding of the main questions,
concepts, and theories of ethics.
 The students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of responses
to ethical questions and moral problems defended by some major
philosophers and schools of philosophy, and defend their own
responses.
 The students will illustrate the relevance of philosophical theories of
ethics to concrete moral problems in everyday life.
 The students will demonstrate an understanding of how philosophical
theories of ethics are implicit in other subjects.
Students will:
 The students will identify the main questions of ethics.
What are good and evil?
What is the good life?
What is virtue?
Why be moral?
What obligations do people have to one another?
 The students will evaluate the responses given by some of the major
philosophers and major schools of ethics to some of the main ethical
questions
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Are moral values objective?
On what grounds should the rightness and wrongness of actions be
determined?
 The students will use critical and logical thinking skills to defend their
own ideas about ethical issues and to anticipate counter-arguments to
their ideas.
 The students will demonstrate how the moral problems and dilemmas
that occur in everyday contexts can be effectively analysed using a
variety of different philosophical theories.
 The students will describe how problems in ethics and the theories
that address them may be illustrated in novels and drama, and in
religious stories and parables.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s) & Other Evidence:
 I will ask the students whether they found ethics to be difficult?
 I will assign Oral and/or written response to one of the essential
Questions monthly.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
The following would be assigned as a reading and oral response followed by
a group presentation on ethics.
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the responses to some questions of
natural and social sciences defended by some of the major philosophers and
schools of philosophy, and defend their own responses.
Demonstrate an understanding of the main questions in logic (e.g., What is a
valid argument?).
 The students will demonstrate an understanding of the main questions,
concepts, and theories of ethics.
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 The students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of responses
to ethical questions and moral problems defended by some major
philosophers and schools of philosophy, and defend their own
responses.
 The students will illustrate the relevance of philosophical theories of
ethics to concrete moral problems in everyday life.
 The students will demonstrate an understanding of how philosophical
theories of ethics are implicit in other subjects.
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