The Inverted Spectrum

About this curriculum

This novel, for middle and high schoolers, is part of an innovative philosophy curriculum that uses engaging stories to introduce students to important philosophical concepts. The story is centered on John Locke’s famous thought experiment about a man who suddenly perceives colors the opposite of how he used to see them. In it, two middle schoolers enter virtual reality to solve Locke’s mysterious disappearance in order to save one of their classmates from a thought experiment gone awry. In the process, they learn about empiricism and its connection to the birth of democracy. The Inverted Spectrum  is the second book in the Noumenal Realm Trilogy, which focuses on the unconventional educational initiatives of an institution called the New Smithsonian Foundation, whose aim is to educate the children of America through virtual reality experiences instead of through the Smithsonian Institution’s dusty museum artifacts. In this novel, middle schoolers Jonah and Roslyn must solve the mysterious disappearance of philosopher John Locke in order to save one of their classmates from a philosophical thought experiment gone awry…