Grade Level: High School & Beyond

Exploring Existential Angst and The Self in Social Media

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Existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre in Nausea Students will be introduced to Existentialism through discussion and excerpts from Jean-Paul Sartre’s novel, Nausea, which describes a certain vague feeling that the main character, Roquentin, calls “nausea.” This feeling is a result of suspecting that there is a reality behind what we perceive as reality, an objective and … Exploring Existential Angst and The Self in Social Media

Macklemore’s White Privilege II

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sign reads: Use your privilege to opt in.

Seattle hip hop rapper Macklemore (aka Ben Haggerty) is one of the few widely-known rappers who is white. In his song “White Privilege” (2005), Macklemore sings about his experience as a white rapper, including how being white was advantageous in the music industry. In 2016, Macklemore collaborated with Chicago singer Jamila Woods to release the … Macklemore’s White Privilege II

In-Class Ethics Bowl

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Materials needed: Prior to Activity: A useful general description of ethics designed for High School Ethics Bowls – to use as supplement to in-class teaching (see Supplemental Materials below) Copies of cases (given to students to prepare) from the National High School Ethics Bowl archives (sample case provided below) For the Ethics Bowl: Scoring criteria … In-Class Ethics Bowl

Justice and Utopia

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Black and white woodcut print of a map of Thomas More's "Utopia" featuring large ship sailing around the edges of the island. On the island, there are several 16th-century buildings. In the lower corners of the image, two men dressed in 16th-century clothes talk to one another.

Students engage with the ‘Ring of Gyges’ story from Plato’s Republic and John Rawls’ concept of the ‘veil of ignorance’ to examine how a just society might be organized.

Social Contract Theory: Creating a Cooperative Learning Environment

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Wooden people figures shaking hands

Materials needed: John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government, chapters two and eight. An alternative is James Rachels’ The Elements of Moral Philosophy, chapter eleven, “The Idea of a Social Contract” (see full citations and links in the ‘Resources’ section) Questionnaire (see below) Poster board for displaying the finished constitution Optional: online discussion forum; wig and … Social Contract Theory: Creating a Cooperative Learning Environment

What Do We Find Beautiful?

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Rose on sheet of music

Introduction This can be a week-long lesson or you can do this in one day. Ask the students to choose a song that they think is beautiful and write down why they think it is beautiful. (You can also ask students to choose a song they think is ugly.) Longer Assignment: Ask students to choose … What Do We Find Beautiful?

Logic Charades

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Photograph of a young woman speaking to a group out of frame. She is pointing to her chest while she makes a point. Two other young women are seated next to her and watch her speak.

High school logic lesson in which students identify the premises and conclusions of arguments. Then they creatively enact their own deductive arguments.

Convince your Teacher/Principal

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teacher in classroom in front of students

Introduction What is an argument? An argument consists of a set of reasons that are given with the intention of persuading someone else that a particular action or idea is right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or undesirable, etc. It is a method of trying to convince another person (or persons) that your position … Convince your Teacher/Principal

Stereotyping

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row of 5 paper dolls

Materials needed Plenty of paper Several sets of 5 different colored pencils or markers Timer Warm-Up Activity: Ask your students to think about how they define a stereotype. Work in small groups to come up with a basic definition. Have your students write this definition down. After small group discussion, write each group’s definition on … Stereotyping