CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR S.C. TEACHER CADET COURSE | EXPERIENCING EDUCATION, TENTH EDITION
Theme I: Experiencing Learning
Unit 3: Growth and Development
Moral Development -- Background Information
*Mandatory lesson
Objective: Students will be able to identify moral developmental characteristics and stages.
Essential Question: What are some characteristics and stages of moral development?
Activities:
Option 1:
1. Assign each group of 3 or 4 students a type of development-physical, cognitive, moral,
psychosocial, or language. That group will teach the important information regarding this
development after researching the topic. Students can use some of the suggested
activities listed below in option 3 or come up with their own lesson.
Option 2:
1. Introduce the different teaching methodologies as you present each of the different
developmental theories. For example, use a lecture to teach physical development, use
cooperative learning to teach cognitive development, use technology to teach moral
development, etc.
Option 3:
1. Begin this lesson by having students participate in a “values auction.” Use the “Directions
for Values Auction,” and distribute the handout titled, “Bidder’s Sheet for Values Auction,”
to the students.
2. After the auction, discuss the processing questions listed in #6 on “Directions for Values
Auction.”
3. Distribute “Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development.” After you have provided a
mini-lecture on moral development, engage the students in a discussion about the
implications of moral development in the classroom, using the following questions:
a) What is the school’s role in moral development?
b) To what degree is it the school’s role to encourage moral development?
c) To what degree is it the family’s role to encourage moral development?
d) What are your hunches as to some primary influences on moral
development?
e) With what aspects of Kohlberg’s stages do you agree?
f) Kohlberg's theories deal with moral thinking. What are some differences
between moral thinking and moral behavior?
4. Distribute the handout titled, “Scenarios Regarding Moral Development,” and ask small
groups to rank the individual’s or group’s behavior according to Kohlberg’s theories. Below
are possible answers, but participants might give other plausible answers. For further
discussion, students can get into groups of 3 or 4 and discuss the dilemmas in the
handout listed below. They will then report back to the whole group on their discussion.
The class will determine which stage of Kohlberg’s moral development each group was
using based on their discussion.
Possible Answers to Scenarios:
a) Kohlberg: Postconventional Stage, Substage 5
b) Kohlberg: Conventional Stage, Substage 4
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