Moral Questions in the Classroom: How to Get Kids to Think Deeply About Real Life and Their Schoolwork - Softcover

Simon, Katherine G.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300101686 ISBN 13: 9780300101683

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2003

Synopsis

What constitutes a just war? How does race matter in America? Are the interests of corporations the same as those of the public when it comes to the environment or public health? Middle and high school history, literature, and science classes abound with important moral, social, and political questions. But under pressure to cover required materials and out of fear of raising controversy, teachers often avoid classroom discussions of questions of profound importance to students and to society.

This book investigates how schools can responsibly take an active role in moral education while honoring their academic mission. Using extensive observations in public, Catholic, and Jewish high schools, Katherine Simon analyzes the ways in which teachers avoid or address moral questions raised by students and implicit in course materials. She examines how morally charged issues may be taught responsibly in a diverse democracy. And in an afterword that teachers and teacher educators will find particularly useful, Simon provides practical tools and strategies for structuring discussion and designing units to help teachers explore moral issues more deeply with their middle and high school students.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Winner of the 2002 Educator's Award given by The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Selected as one of four outstanding books in curriculum for 2001-2002 by Division B (Curriculum) Book Forum Committee of the American Educational Research Association

From the Back Cover:

"This is a book for every educator committed to helping students expand their intellect, while grappling with the big questions of life and living."-Patricia A. Wasley, Dean and Professor, University of Washington; "Simon writes fluently, integrating transcripts of classroom discussions smoothly into her narrative and engagingly conveying her idealist's passion for reform."-Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0300101686
• ISBN 13: 9780300101683
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304