Newsletter Contents
Publisher's Pen: Moral Dilemmas
“What is right is not always popular; and what is popular is not always right.” (Author Unknown)
I once saw a sticker on a teacher’s door that read, “what is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right.” That got me thinking about my own values. Are my values clearly defined? Are they sound?
If we don’t take the time to guide our children in their moral development, then they will take their cues from the world around them. They already are accustomed to taking cues from other kids at school, the media, and their relatives and/or caretakers.
There are timeless principles that exude from all of the major religions; principles from our Higher Power. They are tried and true. It’s just that, in a school setting, we are not allowed to talk about God, or any specific faith in particular. But, some educators, parents and other caretakers have been teaching these principles for generations. They are an essential part of any academic setting, just as they are an essential part of the home.
I hope that you enjoy the moral dilemma, “The Open Window.” It was an all-time favorite with students. It is one way to turn bored looks on kids’ faces into excited discussions. Just remember to keep it nonjudgmental. You will open up the hearts of kids and develop a special bond with them before you are through with the process, believe me. It’s where they live. It’s where we live. Every day.
What will our choices be?
May we guide our children into thinking about and acting on the right choices for their lives. Let the true gold inside of them shine forth, for it IS there.
Smiles,
Elaine
Empowering Parents and Teachers:
I used moral dilemmas from the writings of Kohlberg with students in grades 2 through 8 during the time that I was teaching to explore moral issues. I found that most of the time, students knew right from wrong. The key to getting them to open up is to be nonjudgmental. One of the favorite dilemmas of all time is the story, “The Open Window.”
Lesson Plan: “The Open Window:”
This lesson plan can be used in the classroom or at home. There are countless stories like this one that we hear about daily in the news. It starts out with warm-up questions before reading the story. The story stops at strategic points to ask further questions for discussion.
Cut and paste the three parts to the story on separate sheets of paper and have a different student or student group read a part out loud before each discussion. If you are doing this at home, talk about a news story or something that has happened in your neighborhood or town.
Keep the questions separate and pose the questions to each group for discussion, or write them on the board and have students respond with writing. Then, post the writings on the wall for further review and reference when similar situations come up in the classroom, at lunch, or recess.
Sample warm-up questions:
How often have you been playing and having fun with a group of kids when someone says, “hey, let’s go do something!” It sounds like fun at the time, until you realize that is may not be the right thing to do.
Have you ever been in a situation where you thought it might not be good to be somewhere, but everyone else was doing it, so you thought it was okay?
Story: “The Open Window” (paraphrased)
Each evening, right after dinner time, the big playground next to the school was always filled with kids. Kids from the neighborhood were always starting softball, kickball, or sometimes volleyball games which lasted until it was almost dark.
One evening, Tanesha, Jake and Pauly, along with a few other kids, had been playing kickball. It was almost dark and the game was almost over when one of the girls who had been on the sidelines shouted, “Hey, look what I found!” The other five kids ran over to see what she was so excited about. When they got to where she was, they saw what she had seen. A window in one of the classrooms was open.
Jake excitedly said to everyone, “Let’s boost each other up and go inside! We’ll be the only ones in there.” Everyone thought that would be fun, so they helped each other climb in through the window as if they were climbing into a fort in the backyard.
Tanesha was the last one to climb through the window, and she watched as the other kids ran out of the classroom and into the hallway. The room was getting dark, and she was afraid. She also knew that they weren’t supposed to be there. So, rather than follow the other kids, she climbed back out of the window and went home. She didn’t say anything to her parents.
Story Break Questions:
Did Tanesha do the right thing?
Should she have told her parents what the other kids did?
What do you think happened in the school after Tanesha left?
The next day, when Tanesha arrived at school, there were teachers gathered together in groups talking. There were kids gathered in groups in the classrooms, talking and laughing. She soon found out what all the commotion was about.
The principal began the morning announcements by telling everyone in the school about something that had happened in school the night before. He said that there had been a break-in. Chairs and desks had been overturned. Some of the teachers’ desks had candy missing. Some of the writing samples on the wall by the library had been ripped down and walked on. All of the chalk from the classrooms had been thrown out in the hallway and crushed, making a big mess.
Tanesha’s teacher said that this was a serious prank, and not funny at all. Her teacher explained that the school belongs to everyone who attends it, and that everyone must show respect for the building and for the things that belong to other people. She then told the class that if anyone saw anything, or heard anyone talking about what happened, that it was the responsibility of that student to go to the principal and tell him. She said that the police had been called to report the incident. Some kids said that they had seen newspaper reporters pulling into the school driveway.
Tanesha was too afraid to say anything to her teacher or to the principal. In fact, she worried all day over whether or not anyone would find out anything. She was glad when the bell rang for everyone to get ready to go home, when, all of a sudden, she got a note to go to the principal’s office.
When Tanesha got to the principal’s office, he told her that a lady who lives across the street from the school had heard the news report on the radio and had called the principal to tell him that she saw Tanesha climbing out of the school window. The principal asked Tanesha why she did all of those horrible things. He also wanted to know who was with her when she did it.
Story Break Questions:
Do you think that she should have gone to the principal right away?
Do you think that the principal will believe her story now?
How might it have been different if she told her parents the night before?
That wasn’t the worst of it. During the day, Tanesha found out that something really bad had happened. A sixth grade classroom had a pet chinchilla and a chameleon. The chinchilla had been let out of his cage, and had not been found yet. The chameleon was outside his cage, too, and had been trapped under a glass in the corner of a window. By the end of the day, the sunshine, along with not enough air inside the glass, had caused the chameleon to suffocate and die.
Tanesha’s next-door neighbor, Takeem, was a sixth grader who played on the school grounds almost every evening, just like she did. When he saw her come out of the principal’s office, he asked her if she had done all of those rotten things. He told her that the kids in his class were crying and very angry over losing their class pets. Tanesha was so upset that she ran home crying too.
Story End Questions:
Do you think that her friends will be angry if she tells on them?
Should they be angry?
What kind of consequences should happen as a result of what happened?
What kind of consequences do you think would happen if a situation like this happened at your school/home/church/club?
How can this be prevented in the future?
It’s important to stress here that it is not only the children who should be involved in consequences for behavior. Children need to know what preventative measures adults would take in this type of situation.
Some good examples of preventative measures would be to not only make sure that windows are locked, but also to teach about responsibility and respect for that which belongs to the community as a whole. The school can take a community approach to the clean-up, have an assembly, and work on other schoolwide programs that teach the above mentioned values.
Empowering K.I.D.S. (Kids In Daily Situations):
What can I do?
What can I do to help make sure that I don’t get involved with something like this at my school?
I can make sure that I do what I know is right, even if it is not popular with my friends.
What can I do if the adults don’t seem to care about what happens?
I can talk to them about it. I can share this lesson plan. I can ask my friends to come with me.
How can I remember what is right and what is wrong?
I can talk to myself about it. I can say good things about myself even though I make mistakes sometimes.
What can I do when something bad happens to me that wasn’t my fault?
I can tell myself to remember that it wasn’t my fault. Everybody makes mistakes, both kids and adults. Then, I tell myself to forgive and move on.
Copyright© 2007 Empowering Kids! All rights reserved.
Articles may be reproduced and freely distributed as long as this footnote is included.
Subscribe at www.empoweringkids.com
|
