This is the second part of Frank Breslin’s essay on teaching the humanities. Click here for part 1. But to return to our story – “Okay, now that we’ve solved those questions [muffled laughter], let’s move on to some difficult ones. What happens when one group is absolutely certain that it possesses the truth and … Frank Breslin: Teaching the Greeks, part 2
I had an interesting conversation about Plato’s Ring of Gyges story with the fourth grade class I’ve been teaching at John Muir Elementary School. As is my usual practice, I read the students the story and we began talking about what they would do if they had a ring that allowed them to become invisible, and whether … Fourth Grade Students on Plato
Frank Breslin: Thoughts on teaching the humanities I recently retired after 40 years of teaching in the New Jersey public school system, where I taught English, Latin, German, and social studies. Before that, in the late 1960’s, I was a caseworker with welfare recipients in the inner city of Philadelphia, and prior to that I … Frank Breslin: Teaching the Greeks Part 1
Let’s Do Nothing by Toby Fucile illustrates the perplexity of the concept of nothing. The book tells the story of two boys who, after concluding that they have “done it all,” decide to do nothing. The trouble is that doing nothing is not easy. If you blink, you’re not doing nothing. If you open your … Let’s Do Nothing!
In The Hole by Øyvind Torseter, a man is moving into a new home, and he notices a hole in the apartment. The hole seems to move around, appearing in a wall, on the floor, in a door, etc. The man makes a phone call, saying, “I’ve found a hole . . . in my apartment . . . … The Hole
Benjamin Lukey Honolulu Ever since Thomas Jackson introduced P4C to Hawai‘i in the mid-1980’s, one of the defining characteristics of p4c Hawai‘i has been its commitment to working with classroom teachers in Hawai‘i’s public schools. It has been part of our mission to find every way possible to support these teachers, both in their classrooms … Ben Lukey: The Role of a Philosopher in Residence for P4C
Levi Pinfold’s Black Dog tells the story of a black dog that arrives outside a family’s home one morning. The father in the family wakes up first and calls the police, reporting that, “There’s a black dog the size of a tiger outside my house!” The police officer tells him not to go outside. The mother … Black Dog
Daniel Manus Pinkwater’s I Am the Dog tells the story of Jacob, a boy, and his dog Max. One day they decide to change places. Jacob eats from a bowl on the floor while Max eats at the table with the family. Jacob runs around the yard while Max goes to school. Max does homework while … I Am the Dog
Square Pegs, Round Holes, and Philosophy in Schools By Jessica Jean Davis The manner in which philosophy can be introduced and practiced in K-12 students seems to be largely determined — as may be everything else — by context. Under the jurisdiction of high-stakes testing and assessment, philosophers in U.S. K-12 schools today have no … Jessica Davis: Square Pegs in Round Holes
Allen Say’s picture book The Favorite Daughter is dedicated to his daughter. It’s the story of Yuriko, who is half Japanese. She is upset when other children make fun of her name and tease her about a photo of her wearing a kimono because she has blond hair. Her art teacher mispronounces her name, calling … The Favorite Daughter
PLATO is part of a global UNESCO network that encourages children to participate in philosophical inquiry. As a partner in the UNESCO Chair on the Practice of Philosophy with Children, based at the Université de Nantes in France, PLATO is connected to other educational leaders around the world.
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