The Horton Hears a Who lesson is designed for students in 5th through 9th grade and introduces epistemology, the study of knowledge. After a recap of the story, the class holds a mock trial in which Horton is charged with believing something he couldn’t prove. A POPCO facilitator plays Horton, while small groups of students argue for the opposition or the defense, and the rest of the class serves as the jury. Students question “Horton,” cast their votes, and then reflect on how we know what we know and when we should believe what others tell us.

This lesson was inspired by Jana Mohr Lone’s Horton Hears a Who lesson in Philosophy in Education (2016). Using the book as a tool for teaching epistemology comes from Mohr Lone; the Horton Trial format is original to POPCO.

The Giving Tree lesson is designed for students in 2nd through 5th grade. Students listen to a read-aloud of the familiar picture book, then learn to ask philosophical questions about a story rather than only whether they liked it. In small groups, students rotate through three question zones on a tree-shaped poster board, writing their ideas on leaf-shaped sticky notes. The zones ask whether the tree was right to give everything away, whether the boy was right to keep taking, and whether the boy was a good friend. Groups then present their boards and respond to one another’s reasoning, practicing how philosophers evaluate what makes a character, and a friend, good.

The Designing a Free Society lesson is designed for students in 6th through 8th grade. After a short discussion of what freedom is and why a society might value it, students work in small groups to design their own society. They use “society cards” (such as work, school, housing, and money) to decide how their society will be run while keeping it as free as they can. Near the end, groups receive surprise “crisis cards” that test how well their society holds up. The lesson closes with a reflection on whether the best society is the one with the most freedom or one that limits freedom for the good of the group.

This lesson was inspired by Jana Mohr Lone’s Philosophy in Education (2016).

The Question Maps and Socratic Method lesson has been taught to students of all ages, from elementary through high school. In this lesson, students explore the history of Socrates and the origins of the Socratic Method, engage in small-group activities, and come together for a whole-class discussion. In their groups, students create “Question Maps,” building webs of questions and possible answers that connect, diverge, and deepen their thinking about a central philosophical question.

The Ethics of Consumption lesson introduces middle and high school students to ethical theory through real-world consumption dilemmas. Students read and analyze a variety of ethical consumption dilemmas, analyze the cases individually, and then discuss their reasoning in small groups and later as a whole class. This lesson helps students see how philosophers systematically approach ethical questions while reflecting on their own values and decisions.

The Introduction to Logic lesson introduces high school students to the fundamentals of logical reasoning. Students learn how philosophers use logic to evaluate claims, construct sound arguments, and identify flaws in reasoning. Through examples and guided exercises, they practice distinguishing premises from conclusions, spotting common logical errors, and seeing how clear, structured thinking can support or challenge ideas. This lesson helps students understand how logic provides a rigorous foundation for philosophical inquiry and everyday decision-making.