Metaphysics – Materialism vs Dualism
This lesson plan is accessible using the Lesson Attachment above.
Grade Level: High School & Beyond
Imagining New Realities
“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.” – Lewis Carroll Materials needed: Computer (and projector if possible) to show video clip, paper and writing utensil, white board and dry erase marker or chalkboard and chalk Activity: Part 1: Ask students to write a list of 5 things that they can imagine and … Imagining New Realities
Identity Activity: What makes you, you?
Materials needed: Lesson plan (warm-ups, story, and game) Space for participants to form opposing groups Description: Before presenting participants with the thought experiment, engage them in at least one warm-up. For first time philosophers and/or for longer class periods, warm-up using the “Philosophy Warm-Up” prompts below. If the group has already developed basic ideas about … Identity Activity: What makes you, you?
Value Conflicts in Environmental Ethics
The Mountain Goat Dilemma Mountain goats are not native to Olympic National Park. They were introduced into Olympic Peninsula in the 1930s to encourage an increase of tourism via hunting. Shortly after, Olympic National Park was established. Under Park jurisdiction, hunting of any kind is forbidden, so the mountain goats placed there were protected. Olympic … Value Conflicts in Environmental Ethics
Ethical Relativism
Moral Relativism Many students come to the classroom assuming values are variant. Have you heard any of the following? After all, we are all different, right? Wouldn’t it be boring if we all believed the same thing? To each his own! Celebrate diversity? Who am I to judge someone else if they feel they are … Ethical Relativism
Epistemic Scavenger Hunt
Epistemic Adventure: Are you sure that you know? Materials needed: Epistemic scavenger hunt document (at least 2 per group, one for before the discussion and the other for after) Orienting quotes Visual prompts Description: 1. Before presenting participants with one or more of the prompts outlined above, have them gather into pairs or small groups … Epistemic Scavenger Hunt
Snooping Around Snopes
Snooping Around Snopes: Assessing Fake News This lesson revolves around reading and discussing Carl Sagan’s “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection” and then sending students to Snopes.com to explore the large archive of hoaxes, crazes and fake news stories. Website Resource for Fact-Checking Snopes.com has become an indispensable and entertaining site for assessing the … Snooping Around Snopes
Wants versus Needs Exercise
Step One: Distinguishing Wants and Needs Give the students a worksheet with the following questions (PDF of the worksheet is available in the lesson attachment link above): 1. What are some things you want? 2. What are some things you need? 3. What is the difference between what you want and what you need? 4. … Wants versus Needs Exercise
Thinking About Gratitude
This is an exercise that works well in the weeks just before the winter holiday break. Start with an anecdote about receiving a gift that is disappointing and not feeling particularly grateful. You can use an example from real life, but it also works to make something up or think of an example from a … Thinking About Gratitude
Philosophy Warm-Up Activities
Ethics Warm-up #1: Think of someone you know who you think is a really good person. What makes that person a good person? Warm-up #2: Think of something that’s pretty good. Now think of something that’s better than pretty good, that’s good. Now think of something that’s better than that, that’s really good. Think of … Philosophy Warm-Up Activities