The Kids Philosophy Slam is an annual program designed to make philosophy fun and accessible to all kids, as well as to help promote critical thinking skills and encourage dialogue with other students and adults. The Philosophy Slam asks kids to answer a philosophical question such as "What is the Meaning of Life?" Depending on their age, kids can express themselves in words, artwork, poetry or song. Each grade level has its own national winner, and the top four high school students debate the question at the national finals. The winner earns the title of "The Most Philosophical Student in America" Schools also compete for the title of" The Most Philosophical School in America".
The Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership promotes the study, development, expanding recognition, and impact of transformational leadership. The Foundation funds graduate research, transformational leadership awards, educational loans, scholarships, and symposia to support the development and dissemination of cutting-edge, forward-thinking human performance technology, philosophy, and methodology.
This collection of books represents a large portion of the Western canon: Homer, the Athenian playwrights, the early Greek philosophers, Rome, early Christianity, Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, early American political philosophy, and Victorian literature up until the end of the 20th century. This series provides extensive original documents on science, mathematics, government, philosophy, literature, and much more.
The authors - a rabbi and a priest - collaborate to present the predominant world religions in an easy to read format. They are able to compare and contrast Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Filled with interesting stories, the book works to answer all the big questions about religion that the kids might have. This book addresses, "How should we live, What happens to us after we die, Why does bad stuff happen to good folks and How can we talk to God?" among other questions.
Michael Gelb's book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, is an inspiring and inventive guide that teaches readers how to develop their full potential, using the principles of da Vincian thought identified by the author.
This book talks about common philosophical issues that kids think about: What is God? What is life? Should I eat meat? Do I see things differently than other people? It does not talk down to kids and discusses the ideas rather than the history of philosophy.
Authors Sharon Kaye and Paul Thomson, examine some of life's biggest topics, such as lying, cheating, love, beauty, the role government, hate and prejudice in this teenager-friendly book. Both sides of the debates are covered on every issue, with information from some of the world's most noted philosophers. For grades 7-12.
This is an introductory book to philosophy, which is divided by topics (ethics, metaphysics, etc.). Each section also contains a list of suggestions for further reading.
By Norweigian author, Jostein Gaarder, this story is about a young girl, Sophie, who becomes embroiled in a discussion of philosophy with a faceless correspondent. At the same time, she must unravel a mystery involving another young girl, Hilde, by using everything she's learning. The truth is far more complicated than she could ever have imagined. This unique book combines a comprehensive history of Western philosophy with compelling mystery, experienced through the life and learning of a 14-year-old Norwegian schoolgirl.
Winner of the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award, this intriguing book for ages 9-12 While this unusually long picture book (240 pages) provides no answers to the many queries posed by a young girl who can't sleep because "Too many questions are buzzing through my head." There is no story; it's simply a catalog of questions and fears ranging from typical concerns about appearance to fears to universal enigmas. This inventory of mind-bending mysteries may provide an outlet for adolescents unable to formulate their concerns and could serve as a jumping-off point for discussions at home or in the classroom.
This book, by David White, is designed for use in a variety of ways: philosophical, practical, and theoretical. Recommended for grades 6-12, this is an excellent teachers’ handbook for using advanced philosophy in the classroom. Click here to read a review of this book.
This illustrated color encyclopedia provides the reader with insight into the rich and varied traditions of the world’s religions. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are covered in detail, and there is extensive information regarding less widely understood faiths such as Sikhism, Taoism and Rastafarianism.
This book, written by Nobel Prize-winning physicist M. Gell-Mann, is an engaging introduction to the life's work of one of this century's most accomplished and influential scientists. This is Gell-Mann's own story of finding the connections between the basic laws of physics and the complexity and diversity of the natural world. From the simple, a quark inside an atom, to the complex, a jaguar prowling its jungle territory. Exploring the relationship between them becomes a series of exciting intellectual adventures.
author Jostein Gaarder had an unlikely international success with Sophie's World, a novelized exploration of western philosophy through the eyes of a young girl. This is an earlier work, translated from the Norwegian, as a fable-like story that dabbles in philosophy as well. It tells of a Norwegian boy traveling across Europe with his calm and reflective father in search of his long lost mother. The boy finds a tiny manuscript that reveals the secret of a magic deck of cards that can tell the future.
This book covers 2,500 years of Western philosophy, from the ancient Greeks to the present day. This book is appropriate as either an introduction or for more advanced students.
Author Jon Muth based this story on a short story of the same title by Leo Tolstoy. Nikolai is a boy who believes that if he can find the answers to his three questions, he will always know how to be a good person. His friends--a heron, a monkey, and a dog--try to help, but to no avail, so he asks Leo, the wise old turtle. "When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?" Leo doesn't answer directly, but by the end of Nikolai's visit, the boy has discovered the answers himself.
This book offers a view of the predominant religions of the world including: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Christianity, and Judaism, among others. The book conveys the important components and teachings found within each religion.
This site for the TV science talk show Closer to Truth, brings scientists, scholars and artists to debate fundamental issues. Topics discussed include quantum physics, defining human consciousness, ethics and civility, societal changes created by the Internet and much more.