Philosophy: Time
updated May 30, 2021


Recorded here is my own personal collection of articles, resources, favorite links, teaching ideas, and lesson plans. It encompasses many years, from the very beginning of my experience studying and learning about Waldorf to the present time. People from all around the world visit my site and recommend it to others. Welcome!

This site records my journey. I hope my honesty is encouraging and helps break down some barriers that may prevent people from trying Waldorf methods. Because this is an ongoing site documenting my curriculum planning and ideas, some materials are more Waldorf-y than others. Please feel free to take what you like and leave the rest.



Philosophy lesson plans
for children

WHEN to teach Philosophy is a source of great contention; I leave it up to your discretion. I am comfortable teaching it in elementary and middle school. Others would insist high school.

Mission Statement - Consulting Services - Lending Library



Booklist: Essential Text


Little Big Minds: Sharing Philosophy with Kids

by Marietta McCarty


You will not be able to successfully teach children philosophy simply by looking at the booklist below; you will need her book (above) for her teaching tips, discussion questions, and exercises for

    The Topic,
    The Philosophers,
    Change, and
    Permanence.


Booklist: Resources

Marietta suggests the following:

a sundial

a chart of the timezones

a variety of clocks, set to different places around the world

a houseplant

Chinese landscape painting


A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet

Madeleine L'Engle


"Best Season of Your Life" poem

Wu-Men


"Women" poem

Alice Walker


Echoes of Time and the River

George Crumb


"Big Yellow Taxi," "The Circle Game" songs

Joni Mitchell


Confessions

Augustine


The Spirit of Zen

Alan Watts


Tao: The Watercourse Way

Alan Watts


A Briefer History of Time

Stephen Hawking


I also recommend:

Andy Goldsworthy!

    "Andy Goldsworthy is a British artist known for his site-specific installations involving natural materials and the passage of time. Working as both sculptor and photographer, Goldsworthy crafts his installations out of rocks, ice, leaves, or branches, cognizant that the landscape will change, then carefully documents the ephemeral collaborations with nature through photography. 'It's not about art,' he has explained. 'It's just about life and the need to understand that a lot of things in life do not last.'" - artnet.com


Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature

by Andy Goldsworthy


Sumi-E Board
for calligraphy - For Small Hands catalogue


The Time Book: A Brief History from Lunar Calendars to Atomic Clocks

by Martin Jenkins


Two Ways to Count to Ten: A Liberian Folktale

retold by Ruby Dee


Animals by the Numbers: A Book of Infographics

by Steve Jenkins


Just a Second: A Different Way to Look at Time

by Steve Jenkins

We spent four sessions doing the Paper Plate Tree Weaving lesson from Cassie Stephens. This was a great thing to do with our hands while we discussed time... and I wanted to make a classroom display with a tree changing through the seasons. Thomas Locker's Sky Tree is a perfect fit for introducing this!


Blog posts from when I was teaching this topic in 2018:



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