1. This course is a community-based learning seminar. This means that your presence in class in particularly important. Unexcused absences will be heavily penalized. You are expected to show up each week, having done the reading, prepared to discuss the material actively.

2. You will be assigned to a group made up of three students. This group will play an important part in the course. You will practice teaching philosophy with your group members. Your group will go into a classroom together. You will have to work closely with one another, often meeting outside of our class times. Your work in this group, especially when you go into the schools together, will constitute a large part of your experience in this course and also of your grade. It is important that any problems you have working together be reported to me immediately.

3. Question Set: Choose a children's story that you like. It can either be one from the books for the course or one of your own choosing. In the latter case, you need to have your choice approved. Your are urged to use a picture book rather than a chapter book, but you can ask for dispensation on this issue. Develop a question set for the story for the October 29th class. Bring two copies to class, one to use and one to hand in. Revise these based on the feedback of your classmates. In addition, prepare a general introduction to the philosophic issues raised in the story on the model of the Wise Owl Question Sets. Among the authors you might want to look at are: Dr. Seuss, Arnold Lobel, William Steig, Leo Lionni.

4. Journal: You are to keep a journal of your experience of developing your skills as a teacher of philosophy to children.  Your focus should be on what you are learning as you try to teach philosophy to young kids.  The journal will be collected twice during the semester and Heidi will read it. It will also provide you with material for your reflective essay (see below).

5. Reflective Essay: You are to write a 10-15 page reflective essay on your experience of teaching philosophy to elementary-school children. Details will be discussed later. The essay is due at the beginning of exams. You will meet with Heidi during the semester to discuss your essay.

The required books for this course, listed below, are all available from the Odyssey Bookshop. In addition, all the articles are available on Electronic Reserve (ER) through the Library website.

Books:
Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad Together
William Steig, The Real Thief
Matthew Lipman, Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery
Gareth Matthews, Dialogues with Children
Leo Lionni, Matthew's Dream
Leo Lionni, Let's Make Rabbits