Some of the best philosophical conversations start from very familiar experiences and beliefs: I dream; I consider myself the same person today as yesterday; my judgments, especially memories, are liable to error; friendships that I expected to last forever can suddenly end. When we turn to nature, though, to plants and animals and living systems, it is centrally important that we are turning away from our familiar world to beings and systems with their own rules and timelines and purposes. Indeed, part of the power of nature is that it forces us to take account of what’s outside us. So, there’s a lot to learn about nature, and many children’s books about nature are primarily vehicles for delivering information. Further, within the information presented, one quickly finds out about crises and extinctions and human-made catastrophes, and so the second, totally natural impulse of writers is to preach and exhort, to move children toward activism and responsible environmental citizenship. Within these, admittedly noble, projects, where is the space for free questioning, for critical response, for fundamental explorations?
It seems likely that working with nature topics will require that philosophy for children discussion leaders imagine new dimensions of philosophy, new ways of approaching questions, and new ways of using familiar materials. The following ten categories describe different ways or “directions” in which books and other media for children and young adults lead into philosophical thinking about nature. For your convenience in choosing books and evaluating reviewers’ comments, we have included links to Youtube read-aloud versions of some books we recommend.
Acknowledgements This thematic chapter was developed by the Thinking in Stories Editorial Board (Peter Shea, Maughn Rollins Gregory, Megan Jane Laverty, and Samantha Piede), in consultation with the following educators and philosophers: Joshua Benjamin 📚 Ellen Cahill 📚 Brenda Dales 📚 Alaina Gostomski 📚 LeAnn M. Holland 📚 Roberto Franzini Tibaldeo 📚 Aaron Yarmel
It seems likely that working with nature topics will require that philosophy for children discussion leaders imagine new dimensions of philosophy, new ways of approaching questions, and new ways of using familiar materials. The following ten categories describe different ways or “directions” in which books and other media for children and young adults lead into philosophical thinking about nature. For your convenience in choosing books and evaluating reviewers’ comments, we have included links to Youtube read-aloud versions of some books we recommend.
Acknowledgements This thematic chapter was developed by the Thinking in Stories Editorial Board (Peter Shea, Maughn Rollins Gregory, Megan Jane Laverty, and Samantha Piede), in consultation with the following educators and philosophers: Joshua Benjamin 📚 Ellen Cahill 📚 Brenda Dales 📚 Alaina Gostomski 📚 LeAnn M. Holland 📚 Roberto Franzini Tibaldeo 📚 Aaron Yarmel
Browse the Thinking in Stories About Nature Collections:
1. Stories that derive human lessons from stories about animals
2. Stories that help us think about the parts of nature that are different from human life
3. Stories that offer insights into things looking different when one approaches them differently
4. Stories about children who kept asking questions
5. Stories that query: "Can nature be—or be made to be—beautiful or ugly?"
6. Stories that trace out connections that emerge from studying nature
7. Stories that address spiritual responses to the natural world