Creator: Ask Philosophers | visit site
Grade Range: 8 - 11
Sometimes, right in the middle of an ordinary lesson, a student asks a question that is so profound, so abstract, that it brings the entire class to a screeching halt. It’s so tempting to say to the student, "We don’t have time for that right now..." This site is about those big questions, and it’s really very simple. Ordinary people send questions to a panel of philosophers, and the philosophers answer the questions. There are over 3000 questions answered on the site, all indexed by topic or keyword, and be aware that one of the topics is "sex." It’s not pornographic, but the questions are direct.
In the Classroom
If you’re looking for meaty writing prompts, this site is full of interesting and open-ended questions. The questions might also serve as a good data base for a class learning debate. It may also be helpful for students to see that philosophers use formal rules of thinking in answering their questions; they don’t just say what they "feel" is right. Understanding that moral and ethical decision making is based on a set of predetermined principles is a concept that many students struggle with. This site would be useful for teaching ethical decision making with students whose thinking has progressed to the point where they are able to think more abstractly and philosophically: a gifted class perhaps? Have a class wiki dedicated to philosophy and profound questions. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the <a href="/content/wiki/">TeachersFirst’s Wiki Walk-Through</a>.
At Home
Challenge your philosophical student to explore this site. This site would be useful for teaching and supporting ethical decision making with students whose thinking has progressed to the point where they are able to think more abstractly and philosophically.
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Subjects
Careers & Guidance, Character Education, English, Gifted, Government/Civics: U.S, Language Arts, Parent Information, Social Studies, Social Studies, Writing,