Mini Unit on Morality and Ethics
1. We started by looking at the concept of a hero. Students and teach brainstormed what it means to be "A Hero."
2. We watched "Batman saves Gotham City." The Dark Knight Rises – Batman Carries a bomb at great threat to himself to save the city.
He talks about the concept of the "Hero" by saying that “A hero can be anyone. Even a man who doing as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boys shoulders to let him know that the world hadn’t ended.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohQY7kpOc50
-Play this link if you want a louder version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKruTde5LdE
2. We watched "Batman saves Gotham City." The Dark Knight Rises – Batman Carries a bomb at great threat to himself to save the city.
He talks about the concept of the "Hero" by saying that “A hero can be anyone. Even a man who doing as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boys shoulders to let him know that the world hadn’t ended.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohQY7kpOc50
-Play this link if you want a louder version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKruTde5LdE
|
|
Explain how we are planning to move from a unit where we studied some stories of spurious ethics to a mini unit where we will examine our own ethics.
3. Mr. Fitton shared two quotes that have been guiding principles in his life:
Quotes:
“All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”
“Doing what’s right isn’t always easy, but it is always right.”
-Explain the importance of knowing yourself and having a clear sense of your values. Try to emphasize that this unit is about understanding who they are. Ethical dilemmas often have no warning, so we must be ready for them.
3. How Heroic are you? Class discussion: if you saw someone in distress, would you assist them?
Play youtube clip. 50 seconds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfh4OMgUJUU After the clip, we will discuss why people walk by others who are in distress. This will lead to a discussion of the concept of "diffusion of responsibility." Often, if someone else is around, we won't act, because we believe someone else will.
3. Mr. Fitton shared two quotes that have been guiding principles in his life:
Quotes:
“All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”
“Doing what’s right isn’t always easy, but it is always right.”
-Explain the importance of knowing yourself and having a clear sense of your values. Try to emphasize that this unit is about understanding who they are. Ethical dilemmas often have no warning, so we must be ready for them.
3. How Heroic are you? Class discussion: if you saw someone in distress, would you assist them?
Play youtube clip. 50 seconds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfh4OMgUJUU After the clip, we will discuss why people walk by others who are in distress. This will lead to a discussion of the concept of "diffusion of responsibility." Often, if someone else is around, we won't act, because we believe someone else will.
4. Do Rushworth Kidder activity. Look at a youtube clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb8jSR2aMsE
-Ask kids about what are universal values. Right down a list on left side of the board. We will come up with a list of values that run across all cultures. Try to make about five at least.
(Kindness, love, honesty, integrity) – now do we actually live these values out even if they are central to us.
-Ask kids what types of people in history have lived with these values in mind. Draw on right side of the board. Who lives these out? (Gandhi, Jesus, The Buddha, Dalai Llama).
-Draw 4 concentric circles in the middle of the board. (Like a dart board) Smallest middle circle = Family) Second circle is friends, third circle is neighbourhood, third circle is “world”
-Now, ask kids a series of moral questions.
-You are on a bus and it is crowded. Your grandma gets on, do you give up your seat. (Then ask if it was your neighbour down the street, then ask, a homeless person…).
-How far out in these circles do you live your ethics? Just family? Just neighbourhood?
-If your mom dropped a $20 bill do you give it back? Neighbour, Rich man? Billionaire.
Your office manger confesses that she stole money from the office account to buy medicine for her ailing father. Her father has died and she offers you a check from the insurance proceeds to pay you back. After you cash the check, do you fire her or forgive her?
(Kindness, love, honesty, integrity) – now do we actually live these values out even if they are central to us.
-Ask kids what types of people in history have lived with these values in mind. Draw on right side of the board. Who lives these out? (Gandhi, Jesus, The Buddha, Dalai Llama).
-Draw 4 concentric circles in the middle of the board. (Like a dart board) Smallest middle circle = Family) Second circle is friends, third circle is neighbourhood, third circle is “world”
-Now, ask kids a series of moral questions.
-You are on a bus and it is crowded. Your grandma gets on, do you give up your seat. (Then ask if it was your neighbour down the street, then ask, a homeless person…).
-How far out in these circles do you live your ethics? Just family? Just neighbourhood?
-If your mom dropped a $20 bill do you give it back? Neighbour, Rich man? Billionaire.
Your office manger confesses that she stole money from the office account to buy medicine for her ailing father. Her father has died and she offers you a check from the insurance proceeds to pay you back. After you cash the check, do you fire her or forgive her?
|
5. Ethical dilemma Sheet for groups to discuss. As a class, we will divide into groups and read/discuss some ethical dilemmas. Discuss how Ethical dilemma is never a "Right Vs Wrong" situation. It is a "Right Vs Right" situation.
Watch the trolley problem as another dilemma.
5+ - Optional task, have students go to computer lab and do the "9 Moral Dilemmas that will break your brain quiz" from Buzzfeed!
https://www.buzzfeed.com/tracyclayton/moral-dilemmas-that-will-break-your-brain?utm_term=.ch7WWYrMN9#.joovvVk5KY -Another site with additional dilemmas... http://psychopixi.com/uncategorized/25-moral-dilemmas/ https://listverse.com/2007/10/21/top-10-moral-dilemmas/ |
6. Zimbardo – Give some background on Philip Zimbardo and his experiment. We will then watch a video where Philip Zimbardo explains how we can make more heroes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grMHzqtRm_8 What Makes a Hero 9:15
-A good youtube clip with Zimbardo where he explains what makes a hero. How heroism is like a bell curve with evil and heroes on each side. Try to make reluctant heroes into heroes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grMHzqtRm_8 What Makes a Hero 9:15
-A good youtube clip with Zimbardo where he explains what makes a hero. How heroism is like a bell curve with evil and heroes on each side. Try to make reluctant heroes into heroes.
7. Read “How to be a hero” handout as a class. Very easy to find small ways to be a hero.
-Mr. Fitton will distribute the sheet.
-As a class, pick 5 and put into our words. Summarization activity - use whiteboards.
-Mr. Fitton will distribute the sheet.
-As a class, pick 5 and put into our words. Summarization activity - use whiteboards.
10_ways_you_can_become_a_hero_|_heroes__what_they_do___why_we_need_them.pdf | |
File Size: | 123 kb |
File Type: |
8. Introduce Journal assignment. Random acts of kindness.
-Brainstorm some random acts of kindness as a class.
-Kids must select three. Journal about them. (Duotangs for each kid?) Then have a week to do it. Then we journal about the results. Do this throughout the course of the rest of the year.
9. Additional video: Heroes a TED Talk by Philip Zimbardo.
-Brainstorm some random acts of kindness as a class.
-Kids must select three. Journal about them. (Duotangs for each kid?) Then have a week to do it. Then we journal about the results. Do this throughout the course of the rest of the year.
9. Additional video: Heroes a TED Talk by Philip Zimbardo.
Additional Videos on Everyday Heroism/Bystanders
A. (bystander effect - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSsPfbup0ac&feature=related )
B. Show youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIvGIwLcIuw (staged kidnapping, how many people will help? Search Bystander Effect People watch Girl Be Abducted
C. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU5EmuisrOY New York Subway potato chip guy
B. Show youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIvGIwLcIuw (staged kidnapping, how many people will help? Search Bystander Effect People watch Girl Be Abducted
C. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU5EmuisrOY New York Subway potato chip guy
|
|
|