The Socratic K-5 Classroom 1.0: An Introduction Jerilyn Olson
K-5 teachers often wonder how the Socratic Method applies in a K-5 classroom – are kindergartners really supposed to seminar on Aristotle? In this workshop, we will discuss lesson planning with inquiry in mind, unit introductions that inspire wonder, and the “sweet-spot” questions that follow. For Great Hearts Staff: Please note that this is the same workshop offered at Great Hearts New Faculty Orientation.
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The Wonders of the Wardrobe: Learning from Lewis in Teaching Literature Meredith Frey
With childlike wonder, we will open the doors of discovery in the world of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia. We will unlock and explore the adventures of the unknown in learning. We will gain insights into how to spark curiosity in students, use imagination in the classroom, and live daily life in wonder as educators through engaging with Lewis’ literature and in the world beyond the wardrobe.
The Wonder Years: Science Through the Eyes of a Child Karly Barksdale
How can we inspire young learners to see the world with curiosity and awe? In this breakout session, we will explore strategies to cultivate wonder in the K-5 science classroom by embracing the natural inquisitiveness of children. Participants will discover practical ways to design lessons that encourage observation, inquiry, and discovery while aligning with the classical education model.
Through hands-on activities, discussion, and examples, this workshop will demonstrate how to transform everyday science topics into moments of wonder that spark a lifelong love of learning. Whether you’re a seasoned teacher or new to the classroom, you’ll leave with fresh ideas and resources to create a classroom environment where students see science as a thrilling adventure. Together, we’ll celebrate the joy of learning science through the eyes of a child.
The Wonder of the Past Andrew Zwerneman
“Historians look for differences in the past and for how those differences changed and evolved to create the world we know, which contains, however deeply buried, the residues of those past worlds.” —Bernard Bailyn
“History, it seems to me, is the most useful key we have to open the mysteries of the human predicament.” —Donald Kagan
Aristotle says that all knowledge begins in wonder. What is it about the past that makes us wonder? How does wondering about the past lead to knowledge and understanding? The past is different from the present. Historians observe past events carefully until what is different, eruptive, and enduring emerges. Like the future, the past does not exist; yet, it has a great hold on our memories and shapes our sympathies. How do teachers of history lead students to wonder about the past? We will explore three facets of history as an occasion to wonder: how historical narratives work on us; what we learn of ourselves by observing our forebears; and how human memory collects the most important features of our life together—what we know and what we love. For each of the three facets, workshop participants will examine historical artifacts—the very kinds of materials that historians work up: imagery (maps and photography), data (GDPs and emigration demographics), individual and group narratives (eye witness accounts), and social structures (laws, military strategies, and public programs). Through it all, we will discuss ways for our students to see what the past frees them to see: that we live under history; that we are bound to the dead, the living, and the yet to be born; and that remembering the past is key to knowing who we are and how we ought to live together in society.
Unlocking Curiosity: The Power of Math Anchor Tasks Jessica Kaminski
Explore how anchor tasks ignite curiosity and cultivate wonder in the math classroom using Singapore’s approach to mathematics. By connecting students’ prior knowledge to new conceptual learning, these opening tasks serve as powerful tools for deeper understanding. Participants will analyze student work and discover how to refine their own teaching craft, customizing lessons that showcase and elevate student thinking. Participants will learn to implement anchor tasks that inspire engagement through various research-based methods and drive conceptual growth for a variety of learners.
Mathematical Wonder: Verum, Bonum, Pulchrum Jake Tawney
The arts of number make up four-sevenths of the liberal arts. More than that, there is something unique in the human soul that can only be satisfied by wondering about mathematics. Why is it then that a “classical approach” to mathematics seems to be an enigma for many schools? This talk seeks to begin the conversation by outlining a few principles of curriculum and pedagogy for the discipline. With any luck, it will do more than that. It will also bring the audience along a journey through the discipline using the lens of truth, goodness, and beauty, and leave all of them wanting to become teachers of mathematics, thereby also solving the teacher pipeline problem.
The Role of Wonder in Lesson Planning William Perales
What is the role of wonder in lessons? While philosophy may begin in wonder, why should lessons do so? This session focuses on the importance of awakening wonder at the beginning of lessons usually through a sensory-based experience. Building upon that, we then sustain the wonder as we lead students to know and remember, think more deeply, and then communicate eloquently and persuasively.
Little Republics: Civic Education and Civic Virtue in Every Classroom Bridget Doughty & Christen Arbogast
Taking the time to teach and reinforce beautiful handwriting has decreased in favor of efficiency and technology in the classroom. This workshop seeks to explore the origins, progression, value, the essential physical connection to the brain for learning and transposing content, and the state of handwriting as an art form in the classical classroom.
Reading Between the Lines: Empowering Students to Master Math Word Problems Jessica Kaminski
In this session, participants investigated strategies to help students actively engage with word problems by connecting to the natural curiosity of children using the context of the problem. Teachers will learn how to guide students to ask their own questions, visualize the scenario, and become invested in the learning process through reading for information. By incorporating visual bar models to solve the problem, students will break down complex problems even further, making them easier to solve. Using these strategies, students will actually want to solve word problems and even write their own.