Smart & Good High Schools - The Flippen Group

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CHAPTER 5: Fostering the 8 Strengths of Character—Outcome 1to or read about conflicting views, and then demonstrate,perhaps through a written report, their understanding ofthe arguments and evidence on different sides of theissue.Whatever the format, the goal should be to develop criticalthinking and the capacity for rational dialogue thatgrows from entering into the perspectives of others, howeverdeeply we may disagree.OUTCOME 1:Lifelong Learner and Critical ThinkerPromising Practice 3:1Use published curricular materialsthat develop critical thinking aboutvalue-laden current events.Ms. G. is in her third year of teaching 9th and 10th- gradeliterature. Like most high school teachers, she is pressedfor time. She is therefore very grateful to find high-qualityready-made lessons that develop critical thinking aboutcharacter-related issues. She draws these lessons fromCivics in Action (www.civicsinaction.org), an online biweeklyservice that uses current events to help studentsunderstand and practice ethical and intellectual virtues.Designed for secondary classrooms, Civics in Action lessonshave covered a wide-range of high-profile topics:September 11, high school hazing, Internet music piracy,the stem cell debate, the war in Iraq, the Abu Ghraib prisonerabuse scandal, ethnic persecution in Sudan, thepresidential election, and the “basket-brawl” betweenplayers and fans at an Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons basketballgame.“I use these lessons to meet statelearning standards.”Each lesson begins with three to four pages of backgroundnarrative laying out the important issues, followedby a list of key vocabulary for understanding the issue.The lesson plan for the teacher includes goals, virtues tohighlight, discussion questions, writing activities, extensionprojects, and links to relevant readings and websites.Ms. G. comments:I use the Civics in Action lessons to meet a number of thestate learning standards, such as being able to express apoint of view, develop one’s ideas, hold a conversation, andrespond to another’s viewpoint. I find my students need alot of help in these areas. Many of them don’t have opportunities,either in their families or with their friends, for thekinds of conversations we’d like them to be able to havewhen they get to college. For many of them, their educationuntil now has been mostly “listen to the teacher, read thetext, answer the questions.”At this age they love to share their opinions, but I wantthem to really listen and share in light of what someoneelse has said. We always sit in a circle to encourage eyecontact. At the start of the year, we set ground rules forgood discussion. I don’t make them raise their hands; Iwant them to be able to follow the conversational cues. I sitback for the most part, posing an occasional question:“Have you experienced something similar to this?”; “If youwere in this person’s shoes, how would you feel?” I givecredit for participation and also give them a rubric for that.She says the Civics in Action lessons work well with studentsof varied backgrounds.I have honors students, and I have struggling students.These lessons give all of them the opportunity to thinkabout what they believe and express their beliefs withgreater confidence. It’s refreshing for me to listen to theirideas about these issues.“For many students, their educationhas been, ‘Listen to the teacher,answer the questions.’”The prepared lessons, she says, ensure a greater level ofobjectivity than if she were to try to create them.First of all, I wouldn’t have the time—but even if I did, Ithink there would be a tendency for me to select issues thatI have strong opinions about. My own bias might creepinto how I would frame the issue. The Civics in Action lessonsdo an excellent job of presenting all facets of an issue.I keep my opinion to myself, even though my studentsalways try to get it out of me.She says she has also been pleased by some of the connectionsstudents make across lessons.About a year ago, we did the lesson about the awful highschool hazing incident that happened in a Chicago suburb,and discussed the “mob mentality” that can lead people togo along with what the group is doing rather than exercisingindividual judgment and responsibility. Recently, whenwe discussed the lesson on the abuse of prisoners in Iraq,they brought up the hazing incident and the similaritiesthey saw between the two situations.94Smart & Good High Schools
CHAPTER 5: Fostering the 8 Strengths of Character—Outcome 1Not all of the lessons, she says, deal with controversialissues.Some just present an inspiring role model, like Pat Tillman[the U.S. Army Ranger who, at the peak of his NFL career,left football to volunteer for the Army and was later killedin Afghanistan]. We all could agree on the qualities thatmade him admirable. The same was true for the lessonabout the disabled student who overcame obstacles toachieve academic excellence.Some lessons present aninspiring role model.lessons, and how they can be used to develop criticalthinking, an excerpt from the lesson on music piracyappears below, and an excerpt from the lesson on thehazing incident appears on the next page.I am learning all the time. The tombstonewill be my diploma.—EARTHA KITTTo illustrate the design and content of Civics in ActionTHOU SHALL NOT STEAL . . . . DOES THAT INCLUDE MUSIC? (www.civicsinaction.org)LESSON GOALS: Help students understand the virtues ofintegrity and respecting others’ property; see the connectionbetween copyright protection and creativity; understandthe civil justice system’s role in deterring illegalactivities. Read the introductory narrative, then discussthe questions below.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. What are the reasons so many people are downloadingmusic without paying?2. What is the purpose of copyright law?3. Do you agree with the decision of the recording industryto sue downloaders?4. If we didn’t have copyright laws and artists and recordingcompanies weren’t assured that they would be paidfor their work, do you think artists would strive to createas much music?5. Do you agree that downloading copyrighted musicwithout paying for it is ethically the same as stealing apair of shoes from a sports store? How do you definestealing?6. Do you think downloading copyrighted music lessensour integrity? How do you define integrity?7. If the recording industry had been responsive to consumersby developing an inexpensive downloading service,do you think most people would have used the legalservice—or would they still download illegally for free?WRITING OPTIONS. Should people proven to have violatedcopyright laws through music piracy be held responsiblefor their actions by being convicted and punished? Whyor why not? Given what we have discussed in this lesson,has your view on illegal downloading changed? Explain.EXTENSION PROJECTS◆ Conduct a survey of parents asking: “Is illegal downloadingof music stealing?”◆ Should parents be held responsible for the illegaldownloading activities of their children?◆ Organize a class trip to your local music store. Ask,“What effect does music downloading have on yoursales?”◆ Have the class research getting something copyrighted:www.copyright.gov/◆ Investigate the landmark Supreme Court decision inwhich freelance authors wanted compensation for worksthey had previously written which were being offered ina new form on the Internet.LINKSHow File Sharing Workshttp://computer.howstuffworks.com/file-sharing.htmFuture of Music Coalition www.futureofmusic.org/Free and Legal Music Downloadshttp://mp3.about.com/cs/freemp3sites/a/freeandlegal.htm95Smart & Good High Schools
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A Report to the NationSmart & GoodH
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A wonderful piece of work that addr
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Dedicated to the memory ofWinifred
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AcknowledgementsWe would like to ex
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Table of ContentsLetter to the Read
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ELC PRINCIPLE 4: TAKE PERSONAL RESP
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1. Develop Critical Friends Groups
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Letter to The Reader“Are you a he
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Letter to the ReaderBut we also do
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How to Read This Reporttices relate
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Patrick Bassett, president, Nationa
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Research Methodologyand Criteria fo
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Research Methodology and Criteria f
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Principles of a Smart & Good High S
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CHAPTER 1The Call to Character:Perf
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est work and be their best ethical
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CHAPTER 1: The Call to Charactercha
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CHAPTER 1: The Call to Charactertin
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CHAPTER 1: The Call to CharacterA S
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CHAPTER 1: The Call to CharacterBec
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CHAPTER 1: The Call to CharacterTHE
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CHAPTER 2: Performance Character an
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Smart & Good High SchoolsCHAPTER 2:
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do not self-identify as “characte
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EndnotesCHAPTER 2: Performance Char
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Galvanized by this finding, she and
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CHAPTER 6Commonly Asked Questionsab
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Comprehensive EndnotesLetter to the
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Comprehensive Endnotesof stage-envi
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Comprehensive Endnotes6B. Watts Dav
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Comprehensive Endnotesside, 1990).3
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