Philosophy for Kids : 40 Fun Questions That Help You Wonder About Everything! | 
|  | | | Title: | Philosophy for Kids : 40 Fun Questions That Help You Wonder About Everything! | | Author: | David A. White | | Publisher: | Prufrock Press | | Type: | Book / Paperback | | Publication Date: | 01 August, 2000 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 1882664701 / 9781882664702 | | List Price: | $29.95 | | You Save: | $10.18 | | Amazon Price: | $19.77 | |
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Product Description
Inspire animated discussions of questions that concern kids - and all of us - with this innovative, interactive book. Open your students' minds to the wonders of philosophy. Allow them to grapple with the questions philosophers have discussed since the ancient Greeks. Questions include: "Who are your friends?" "Can computers think?" "Can something logical not make sense?" "Can you think about nothing?" Young minds will find the range of 40 questions to be both entertaining and informative. If you have ever wondered about questions like these, you are well on the way to becoming a philosopher! Philosophy for Kids offers young people (ages 10 and up) the opportunity to become acquainted with the wonders of philosophy. Packed with exciting activities arranged around the topics of Values, Knowledge, Reality, and Critical Thinking, this book can be used individually or by the whole class. Each activity allows kids to increase their understanding of philosophical concepts and issues and enjoy themselves at the same time. In addition to learning about a challenging subject, students philosophizing in a classroom setting as well as the casual reader of Philosophy for Kids will sharpen the ability to think critically about these and similar questions. Experiencing the enjoyment of philosophical thought enhances a young person’s appreciation for the importance of reasoning throughout the traditional curriculum of subjects. The book includes activities, teaching tips, a glossary of terms, and suggestions for further reading. Grades 4-12
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Customer Reviews:
• A+ For David White's "philosophy For Kids" 11 June, 2006
I'm not a teacher, but I am a student of philosophy who knows a great book when she reads one, and Professor White's "Philosophy for Kids" fits the bill. I appreciate this book not only because I think it's effective in getting youth to think about significant scholarly issues (this, I admit, it probably accomplishes quite well). Rather, I give PFK an A+ for its amazing ability to introduce *any* curious person to some of mankind's most timeless and pressing questions--and some of his most insightful thinkers--regardless of the age or academic background of the reader.
Organized into sections according to four major branches of philosophy--ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, and logic--the book eases you into an exciting exploration of a myriad of connected but diverse philosophical questions. White's "leads" at the beginnings of the chapters, or "Questions," are always attention-grabbers, and I find the question-and-answer format helpful for framing the philosophical issue in a practical, concrete way before diving into a more rigorous investigation of the many facets of the Question and how they relate to one or more major philosophers. Far from being heavy-handed or tyrannical, these opening "situations" are thought-provoking engagements for the student. What a refreshing change from dry, overly cerebral, merely explanatory summaries of what a particular philosopher wrote about x, y, and z! The reader gets a stunningly broad introduction to major philosophical thinkers, their questions, and their answers without even realizing it. When a textbook is so inviting that it whets your appetite to read the more difficult, original works of both ancient and modern philosophers, you know you have something special.
The practical questions and answers are often amusing, but never trite. Many gently encourage self-reflection and make dense philosophical ideas actually personal and relatable, and in my opinion, philosophy and self-reflection are always a winning combination.
From an educational view, I think that Part IV on logic, or critical thinking, is alone worth the price of the book. This section helps students start to analyze the very foundations of what it means for a statement to be true, for a thing to be defined, for a thing to be caused. These kinds of cognitive skills are absolutely elemental--and essential--to further study in philosophy (as well as all sorts of endeavors), and so this section of the textbook is pure windfall for both student and teacher.
All of the "little things" also make this book stand out from the rest and show great craftsmanship in layout and details: many of the quotes located at the end of the Questions are exceptionally eloquent (all are relevant food for thought), the black-and-white illustrations of the philosophers are delightful, and even the cover and font are just downright attractive (and especially striking given the work's real potential as a formal textbook). Although I don't have much formal teaching experience, my impression is that the "Teaching Tips" at the end of the book could serve as a real catalyst for refining one's skills at facilitating and fielding classroom discussion. I especially liked the additional exercises and challenges White suggests in "Further Thoughts" and "Teaching Tips"; they constitute a wonderful continuation of the practical "question and answer" protocol highlighted throughout the book.
In summary, the excellence of this lovely textbook certainly speaks to the high caliber of an experienced teacher who knows much about philosophy (and life) and cares deeply about both. One can only desperately and impatiently hope for more luminous correspondence with a mind and heart like his, whether in the form of another book ... or through a different venue.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A38O9T3QAUZ076
• It Really Is Fun! 25 July, 2007
While I have always been moderately entertained by the metaphysical, it has never been something I would quite describe as 'fun'. Until now that is! The chapter on existentialism tickled me rotten and the 'Wittgenstein game' caused uproar at my son's birthday party! If you want to keep the kids entertained for the day (and simultaneously teach them concepts of modal realism) look no further...
- Reviewed by customer ID: AZN3ZSQQU3WW5
• Too Open Ended For Kids 26 August, 2007
I bought this book to read with my nine-year old daughter. Lots of great questions posed, but we found they weren't explored deeply enough for our satisfaction. One could argue that this is precisely the purpose of the book, ie to encourage further discussion, but we're both quite new to the field of philosophy and lack the training and tools for a deep evaluation of the issues. Another book, Philosophy Rocks (Law), offers far deeper analyses (of admittedly fewer questions), but left us far more satisfied and inspired.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A26SG5GMXTVDN3
• The Author Is Great 21 November, 2005
I'm 14 and took a philosophy class for gifted students with the author teaching. He's a certifiable nutcase. He's also amazingly funny and intelligent. Buy this book or discriminate against insane geniuses everywhere.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A2Y669UQDQK3VH
• Should Do The Trick 11 June, 2008
I plan on using this with my Latin I people this coming school year. I think they should have a little Greek philosophy in the culture mix. This looks like it will work well. The lessons are neat little nuggets that I can use independently of each other.
I had trouble last year explaining what a fallacy was. We read the chapter in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" called "love is a Fallacy" which I think they enjoyed, but it felt a tad tangential and they STILL didn't really get it.
This is a bit more on subject.
- Reviewed by customer ID: AVHS2OCHIN627
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