Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PROCESS
Read the text together as a whole class, or in small groups if that seems more appropriate. Discuss the ideas in the text and the different terms targeted. Next, break your class into small groups, if you have not already done so. Pass out copies of the Ethical Values and Other Kinds of Values worksheet. Ask students to work together in their small groups to determine the ethical and nonethical values in each example. Ask them to mark E over the ethical and N over the nonethical values, as per the directions at the top of the sheet. Then, as an extension to the worksheet, invite each group to choose a scenario to perform for the class (or assign one to each group). Give students time to prepare their skits. After each group presents to the class, use the opportunity to firm up the difference between ethical values and other kinds of values through discussion about the skit.
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N
Is being athletic about goodness or doing the right thing?
Is considerate?
SCENARIO #2: Sheila is one of the most responsible people I know. She is very adventurous and likes to challenge herself in all sorts of ways, but she doesnt forget to be sensible. Once some of us climbed a really tall tree together, and then I had trouble getting down. Sheila didnt just run off, but helped me find a way to the ground. She knew I could have hurt myself if she hadnt stayed to help.
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SCENARIO #3: I like visiting Rakeshs family because theyre so hospitable. Theyre pretty wealthy, but they never make me feel uncomfortable at their home. Just the opposite is true. They make me feel like a part of the family and we always have lots of fun. Is being hospitable about goodness or doing the right thing? Is wealthy?
SCENARIO #4: I like Samantha because shes respectful of everybody, even though she can be really funny. Some kids tell jokes that are hurtful and mean. Samantha knows how to make everybody laugh, and nobody gets hurt. Is being respectful about goodness or doing the right thing? Is funny?
SCENARIO #5: Barry is very musical, and sometimes I wish I could play the guitar as well as he can. I also admire his honesty. The other day, when band practice didnt go very well, he was the first to admit that he hadnt really practiced the way hed promised. Is being musical about goodness or doing the right thing? Is honesty?
SCENARIO #6: Jill is very creative and will probably become an artist someday. Shes a great help when we work on group projects because she always has good ideas about what we should do. She also is cooperative with everyone else. When we work together, I never feel like shes bossing me around, even though she usually knows the best way to go about getting the job done. Is being creative about goodness or doing the right thing? Is cooperative?
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C ATEGORIZING V ALUES
PURPOSE
To continue exploration of ethical values and other types of values
PROCESS
Have your students work through the worksheet individually, in pairs, or as a whole class. Once the worksheet is complete, check answers and make sure the meaning of ethical value is clear. Now use the students work to make a poster. List Ethical Values in one column on the poster. List Nonethical Values in another column. Leave space in the Ethical Values column for more words. Throughout literature, history, science, and other content area studies, you will come across more examples of ethical values. Add to the list as your students discover new words, helping them to make connections to ethics from a variety of subject matter.
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WHICH IS I T ?
All the words listed below represent values. Circle the words that represent ethical values. Honest Playful Serious
Smart
Gentle
Considerate
Careful
Kind
Adventurous
Outgoing
Genuine
Witty
Athletic
Responsible
Artistic
Reserved
Creative
Respectful
Attentive
Hospitable
Open
Fair
Ambitious
Brave
PROCESS
Provide students with the opportunity to read about respected people in history. As they read, ask them to look for character traits that seem to represent important values. Have the students list these traits on chart paper. After they are finished reading and listing character traits, ask them to test each trait as was done for them in the Ethical Values and Other Kinds of Values activity. Have each group present their findings to the class. Post the lists of values in the classroom. As an extension to the research, invite each reading group to write an imaginary interview with the famous person they have studied. Or, they might act out the most interesting event from their reading.
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PROCESS
Ask each group to explore four or five stories from each genre. As they read the stories, have the students list the character traits of the heroes or sympathetic characters in each story. (Villains have character traits too, but they are usually negative. Focus on the positive ones.) After they are finished reading and listing the character traits, ask them to test each trait as was done in the Ethical Values and Other Kinds of Values activity. Then have each group present their findings to the class. Post their lists of values in the classroom. Use extension activities like the ones described in the Character Traits: Famous People activity, if time allows.
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A N OTE TO P ARENTS
_______________________________________________ All of us have different kinds of values. Our _______________________________________________ ethical values define what we think of as good _______________________________________________ or right. This week in school we are working _______________________________________________ on identifying ethical values and other kinds of _______________________________________________ values. _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________
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