“I freely confess: It was the objection of David Hume which first, many years ago, interrupted my dog-matic slumber” (Philosopher Immanuel Kant)”
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*** Star Wars offers the image of the Teacher: Think of the wise, respected, and mysterious martial arts Teacher, and the focused, eager, and respectful student/learner.
Dear Teachers:
One of the difficulties in teaching citizenship, multiculturalism, and pluralism is integrating into lessons resources that are effective at encouraging differentiated instruction and fostering creative and critical thinking while being truly cross curricular and engaging. I think you will find a springboard for all those things at this site as a whole. Our goal here is not simply to provide set units and lesson plans, but rather offer a springboard from which lessons and rubrics can be drafted with students, grade/division teams, etc.
There are a wealth of freely available creative and critical thinking resources from school boards and the web, so it is just a question of integrating them into lesson and unit building. If students are to be assessed on their creative and critical thinking skills, these need to be explicitly taught and modeled.
Darth Plagueis The Wise: Teacher of Darth Sidious
*** image fair Use Wiki: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Darth_Plagueis?file=DarthPlagueisHS-SWI130.jpg
Here are some of my favorite Lesson Building Resources:
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Where did Everything Come From?: A Short Philosophy Novel for Kids
Join young Billy and Beatrice, squabbling siblings, as they visit imaginary neighborhoods in different time periods, and even blast off into outer space! Engaging with oddball characters like Mr. Whom (a balloon), Mr. Sour Hour (a vulture) and Mr. Darwinkle (a bearded moose), they come to grips with Big Questions, like the nature of God,…
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Graphic Organizers: Four Square
Did you know we learn most of our ideas visually. One great strategy for thinking is to use graphic organizers like mind maps and concept maps. One such organizer use is 4-Square Writing: These can be used from primary school all the way to university. Try to see how many ways you can think to…
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Be a Word Gatherer
Frederick the mouse was different from his family. While they gathered food for winter, he gathered words. QUESTION: What sorts of jobs are for word-gatherers?
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Religion and Kids
One of the most well-known defenders of the Christian faith is Lee Strobel, with his best-selling books like The Case for Christ and the movie based on it. Strobel has also re-written his books to sell his message to a kid audience: Activity: Read one of Strobel’s books for kids and say what you think…
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Protecting The Environment
What things do we need to be doing to care for our planet that we really aren’t doing yet?
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Take A Screen Break
Did you know that some of the biggest problems eye doctors see in children is blurry vision and brightness of vision, which is directly relate to video screen use. Eyeglasses help when you are reading, and sunglasses are a must when going outside, especially in bright situations like the sun glaring of the snow. Give…
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I-Statements
When you are having a disagreement with a friend, one good strategy is to express how you feel using I-Statements. Focus on the behavior you don’t like and how it makes you feel, not calling the other person names like “jerk” or “loser.” For example: I FEEL lonely WHEN YOU Ignore me BECAUSE I have…
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How To Disagree In A Friendly Way
When talking about topics that are very important to people like religion, there is no need to lose friends just because you disagree with them. Be respectful. Say things like: “I understand your point of view, but I disagree with the reasons you give fo what you think.” Be open to changing your mind if…
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The Bible in Schools in Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s education leader Ryan Walters recently declared that every teacher had to use the Bible in class. The leader of one of the largest districts now says his staff won’t comply: “We are not going to require our teachers to teach from the Bible.” Hemant Mehta notes with the new school year beginning in a…
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Religion and Cartoons: Not So Long Ago
Not so long ago, children were expected to say the Lord’s prayer in school. In fact, you might even detect the Christian message in your afternoon cartoons. Here are a couple of examples from extremely popular cartoons The Flintstones and Charlie Brown: The Flintstones: Charlie Brown: There is currently a movement to put the 10…