Ethics-Values

= = flat =__**Assumptions**__=


 * Purpose:** To question the assumptions we have about diversity issues.


 * Lesson:** Have students read a slip of paper with the following story:

Pat is in an unhealthy relationship with Casey. All Casey likes to do is sit around, play video games, and eat bad food. Pat likes to go to parks, visit museums, and dance. Pat decides to have an affair with Chris. Chris likes the same things Pat does. They enjoy each other's company. Chris lives on an island that is only accessible by a ferry. The ferry costs one dollar each way to ride. One night, Pat goes to visit Chris but neglects to bring an additional dollar for the ride back to the mainland. Chris does not give Pat a dollar. The ferry driver will not allow Pat back on the ferry to ride home without payment. There is a murderer on the island who finds and kills Pat. Who is responsible for Pat's death?

The point of the story isn't to figure out who's at fault. Ideally, the discussion will move from that initial question to the following questions:

-What diversity issues come up? What assumptions can we make? -Gender (they might not know certain names can be either gender) -Socioeconomic (a dollar is worth more or less to other people) -Race or other (why won't the ferry driver let Pat back on)? -Race, socio-economic status (murderer) -Gender (ferry driver) -Characters' gender by preferred activities -Educational and, by extension, socioeconomic status (preferred activities) -Sexual orientation (couples) -Ability (why does Casey stay in the house?)

=__**"4 Corners"**__=


 * Purpose:** To give students a chance to check their views on open questions, and compare their views with their classmates' positions and reasoning.


 * Lesson:** Establish 4 corners of the room, each corner marked with one of the following signs:


 * STRONGLY AGREE**
 * SORT OF AGREE**
 * SORT OF DISAGREE**
 * STRONGLY DISAGREE**

Establish that there are no right or wrong, no better or worse, answers to any of the statements. When you read a statement, each student must pick the corner that best matches their view. Once students have placed themselves, you can invite a student, or students, from each corner, to explain their reasoning. This will start a conversation you can stay with as long as you want before going to the next statement.

The attachment below has some statements you can use; you can also make up your own. It also has the 4 signs to use for your 4 corners.




 * Additional notes:**


 * One way to lead discussion is to start by inviting one student from each corner that is represented to explain why they chose their corner. So if, say, three students go to "Strongly Agree" then one of them can initially represent that corner by explaining their point of view. If, say, exactly one student goes to "Sort Of Agree" then obviously he/she is the corner's representative, and if, say, no one goes to "Sort Of Disagree" then that point of view can go unrepresented.


 * Usually, once the discussion starts then several students want to answer/weigh in, and this extended Socratic discussion can be really useful. So it can take a while to get through each question, and you may only get to about 5-6 statements in an entire period.


 * Add your own additional notes:**

=__**"Sayings" (Discussion Starters)**__=


 * Purpose:** To provide "conversation starters" for students that allow them to reflect on how they see, and act in, the world.


 * Lesson:** Just reading out a saying (see attachment below), and opening it up for comment and response, can trigger valuable Socratic discussions. However, to make it more interactive you might want to have pairs discuss and then share out, or ask students/pairs/groups to come up with realistic examples or scenarios to support their ideas.



Some good questions you could put on the board, to guide students as they think about a saying, include:


 * What do you think this means?
 * Is there a way you agree with this?
 * Is there a way you disagree with this?
 * Can you give an example, from your own life, that relates to this saying?

Many of the sayings in the attached come from the web site Wise Old Sayings, which has dozens more I haven't included in the attachment.

= = =__**12 "What Do You Do?" Scenarios**__=


 * Purpose:** To give students a chance to reflect upon various realistic life situations that include moral and behavioral dilemmas.


 * Lesson:** You can do this in pairs, groups, or whole class discussion, having students read one of the scenarios (see attachments), and reflect/discuss their ideas. Each attachment has two scenario cards on it.




 * Additional Notes:**


 * The cards are not in any particular order or sequence. I have just chosen 12 out of a set of cards, selecting those most suitable for the kids and age group we have.


 * If you want to use the actual cards, they are in the staff room filing cabinet, light green in color and laminated.


 * Add Your Own Additional Notes:**