Philosophy With Teenagers: Nurturing a Moral Imagination for the 21st Century

Hannam and Echeverria (British and Latin American educators) offer an introduction to the 'community of philosophical enquiry'(P4C), a framework for teaching thinking skills. Such communities set the stage for teachers and students to become co-enquirers together in a safe environment where philosophical topics are discussed following the lead of student interest. Educators, mostly secondary teachers, find this method to be one whose exploration model complements the adolescent identity search and development. Likewise, students benefit from examining and practicing the kind of critical and clear thinking demanded by life in a changing global world. Opportunities are also suggested for applying philosophical inquiry to specific subjects, to cross-curricular projects, and to general classroom practice. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Patricia Hannam is County Inspector for RE and History in Hampshire. As head of a large RE department in South Cumbria, she embedded an enquiry approach to learning and supported its development in other subject areas. She is an experienced SAPERE trainer and has written for SSAT and Professional Council for Religious Education.Eugenio Echeverria is director of the Latin American Centre for Philosophy for Children (CELAFIN), which publishes all the P4C materials used in Mexican schools. He has worked with P4C for over 30 years. Recently he has been advisor to the new Intercultural Universities developing across Mexico.