Cognitive Moral Dilemmas – Inquiry Teaching

President Carter’s Dilemma

Drew Story — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 21:07:52 +0000

This cognitive moral dilemma lesson was originally written as a current events activity. It has been used since to discuss the power of former Presidents, and also tying past to present with a look at American foreign policy. It can also be used to discuss diplomacy powers, too.

Carter’s Dilemma asks students to consider what they would do if they had been President Carter as he attempted to negotiate a peaceful outcome with the Haitian government knowing that the Clinton administration was preparing to send in military forces.

Please download and read our free Cognitive Moral Dilemma Teaching Guide to prepare for this teaching strategy.

Subject Areas: Social Sciences, Sciences, Humanities, Government
Materials Required: Whiteboard or display
Time Needed: Typically half or an entire class period

World War I Dilemma

Drew Story — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 00:56:45 +0000

Is it moral to give an order in wartime when you know the majority of your troops will be killed? Officers in World War I faced this decision often, fighting from trenches against new mechanized weapons of war.

This dilemma is intended for a high school or middle school history class and works well with English classes reading All’s Quiet on the Western Front, or perhaps A Farewell to Arms.Be sure to download our free Cognitive Moral Dilemma Teachers Guide, too, as it provides the methodology and lesson’s process, too.

- Subject Areas: Social Sciences, Sciences, Humanities, Literature, English
- Materials Required: Whiteboard or display
- Time Needed: Can run an entire class period or less.

Socrates’ Dilemma

Drew Story — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 00:37:07 +0000

If your classes are studying philosophers or the classical Greek period of time, this is a lesson plan to consider. This rather simple dilemma never failed to get a good debate going in our middle school World History classes. Students were far more interested in learning about Socrates afterwards.

Be sure to download the free Cognitive Moral Dilemma Teacher’s Guide, too, which provides the methodology and lesson plan process.

Subject Areas: Social Sciences, Sciences, Humanities, Philosophy
Materials Required: Whiteboard or display
Time Needed: Typically an entire class period

Ellsberg’s Dilemma

Drew Story — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 00:31:40 +0000

Whether you are teaching about the Vietnam war, America in the 1970s, censorship in media, the Nixon Presidency, or covering current events — this dilemma will engage your students with a real world problem faced by Daniel Ellsberg and the publishing of the Pentagon Papers. This lesson is part of our very popular cognitive moral dilemma series.

Be sure to download the free Cognitive Moral Dilemma Teacher’s Guide, too, as it provides the methodology and process for using this lesson plan.

Subject Areas: Social Sciences, History, Humanities, Government, Media Studies, Current Events
Materials Required: Whiteboard or display
Time Needed: Typically an entire class period

The Civilization Dilemma

Drew Story — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 00:15:39 +0000

The Civilization Dilemma is part of our popular Cognitive Moral Dilemma series and can be used in conjunction with a Government, Psychology, Sociology, or even Literature class. We have often used it to begin a deeper look at a current event.

This dilemma asks students to consider when might it be a more civilized act to break the law.

Be sure to download the free Cognitive Moral Dilemma Teacher’s Guide, too, as it explains the methodology and process behind this lesson plan.

Subject Areas: Social Sciences, Psychology, Sociology, History, Humanities, Government, Literature, Current Events
Materials Required: Whiteboard or display
Time Needed: Typically an entire class period

Julius Caesar’s Dilemma

Drew Story — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 00:07:30 +0000

If you are teaching a World History class and about the Roman Empire, this simple cognitive moral dilemma is a good class activity for getting students interested in learning more about how the Roman Republic was changed under Julius Caesar.

This lesson plan includes all materials needed but be sure to download the free Cognitive Moral Dilemma Teacher’s Guide, too.

Subject Areas: World History, Humanities
Materials Required: Whiteboard or display
Time Needed: Typically most of one class period

Teaching Guide for Cognitive Moral Dilemmas

Drew Story — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 23:56:57 +0000

FREE! This handout explains the cognitive moral dilemma teaching format in greater detail and should be downloaded and read with any purchase of our other dilemma lessons.

Morality plays a part of everyday life, and yet teachers struggle with how to not inculcate their own moral code upon their students. This teaching strategy will give students the ability to consider all points of view, and articulate their moral choices with one another.

The teaching of cognitive moral dilemmas will provide teachers with the structure needed to allow students to debate and view alternative viewpoints.

This teaching guide provides a detailed description of Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory and definition of cognitive moral development, detailed instructions for using this lesson format, and a guide for constructing your own. It also has a sample moral dilemma you may wish to use with your classes, too.

Subject Areas: Social Sciences, Sciences, Humanities, Government
Materials Required: Whiteboard or display
Time Needed: Typically an entire class period