Lesson Plan Template for Dilemma Discussions
Support Materials
Example Lesson Plans:
About
Want to turn real world dilemmas into powerful classroom discussions that build critical thinking and values? This template provides a repeatable, step-by-step structure to guide students from gut reactions to reasoned judgment. It’s designed for you to adapt quickly, perfect for weekly current events or ethics talks.
Student Learning Objectives
- Formulate a transferable life principle from the discussion.
- Critically evaluate the credibility of different information sources.
- Engage in constructive dialogue to build consensus through reasoning.
- Articulate the personal and group values that influence their judgments.
Credits: Ziquan Zhan, University of Pittsburgh, Masters Student Applied Developmental Psychology
Standards
Pennsylvania Career Readiness Standards:
- Standard 13.1 (Career Awareness and Preparation): Students engage in analyzing information from diverse sources and making evidence-based inferences to inform a stance.
- Standard 13.2 (Career Acquisition): Students practice the professional skills of researching, evaluating information credibility, and synthesizing findings—key to any career acquisition process.
- Standard 13.3 (Career Retention and Advancement): The core of the activity involves essential teamwork, consensus-building, negotiation, and conflict resolution strategies vital for career retention and advancement.
C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards:
- D2.Civ.10.9-12: Analyze the impact and the appropriate roles of personal interests and perspectives on the application of civic virtues, democratic principles, constitutional rights, and human rights. (Considering stakeholder views in policy debate)
- D2.His.9.9-12: Analyze the relationship between historical sources and the interpretations to draw conclusions about how to evaluate and use sources. (Evaluating the credibility and relevance of different source types)
- D3.1.3-5: Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, structure, and context to guide the selection.
- D4.3.3-5: Present a summary of arguments and explanations to others, using print and oral technologies.)
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