Kohlberg Lesson

8/8/2019 Kohlberg Lesson

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Lesson Title: Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development

Course and Grade: Sophomore English, 10th

Generalization: This lesson is important for providing a structure (framework) through which to

understand moral development and moral issues in literature that we will be addressing. The subsequent

lesson will build on this, the one after that will address Gilligans alternative model, and both will be

compared and contrasted. As students grapple with moral issues it is helpful to have a common point ofreference, a common way of understanding the issues within a framework: this is that framework, and givesthem the common vocabulary they will need.

Learning Targets:

Facts: Kohlbergs various identified levels of moral development, his claims about them

Skills: identify various levels of moral development that influence peoples decisions in moral dilemmasMaterials: Lesson plan,worksheets for Kohlberg, hand outs of moral dilemmas, chalkboard, chalk, papers,

pencils, pens, scissors, gluesticks, an overhead projector, overheads with blown-up (large) images of

pacifier, finger pointing, sheep, lemmings, handcuffs, Dr. King, justice scales, backscratcher, blank

overheads and overhead pens, copies of the pieces of paper with images of: Baby Herman, pacifier, Dilland Tommy and Angelica Pickles, accusatory finger pointing, a no TV sign, hands shaking, people

shaking hands, used-car salesmen, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, backscratchers, people on see-saws,lemmings and sheep, soldiers, police hat and handcuffs, a policeman, handcuffs, a judge, Uncle Sam, the

Constitution, Founding Father, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Dr. King, Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha, Lady

Justice, scales, a globe, Superman logo, copies of Vocabulary Quiz #4 and its Answer Key (for TAs),

copies of Vocabulary List #5, and on the board, the kinds of questions one asks at each level of Kohlberg.Anticipatory Set: Commonly confused and misused words, Word of the Day. Vocabulary Quiz #4.

Introduce a moral dilemma. Have a few groups of students grapple with the dilemma and offer all the

possible ways one might go about resolving it.

A person is very, very sick: in fact, terminally ill. This persons family cannot afford the life-savingmedical treatment that is only available at a few of the most advanced research hospitals in the nation.

They do not have any insurance, and no health care coverage. They do all have jobs, but with the salaries

they receive, even if they save all their money, sell their car, their home, everything they own, there is still

no way for them to raise the money for this person to have the life-saving procedure done before this

person dies. One of the members of the family faces the following dilemma: to steal the money to pay for

the procedure, or not? This person has the opportunity and feels confident he or she could get away with it.

Do you steal, to save a life, or not? That is the question I want you to answer. What are all the different

ways one could approach trying to resolve this question? What could someone struggling with thisquestion do, or how might he or she think about it, what factors might be involved, what might she or he

think about while trying to resolve this? Lets brainstorm some ideas, one at a time. Raise your hand and

let me know one way this person could approach this moral dilemmaimportant distinction herethese

answers you are giving me are not necessarily the things YOU would do in his or her place, or what you

would recommend doing. These are just things you think that some people might think about, or things

that someone might do, ways someonenot necessarily youways that someone might approach solving

this problem. Class gives suggestions and I write them down on the chalkboard.

Context and Purpose: Today well be looking at Kohlbergs theory of moral development, a theory that

well contrast with a competing theory by his protg, Carol Gilligan, next time. She thought his research

was limited by the fact that he only did his research with males, asking them what they thought, and totallyexcluding girls and women from his research. Nevertheless, both of these theories of moral development

will be very useful to us as we read through To Kill a Mockingbird and other texts. The reason we are

learning these two moral development models is not because these are the only ways to look at howhumans develop morals; there are other models. These models, however, are two of the most commonly

and widely used ones. I am not trying to convince you that the theories of Kohlberg and Gilligan are the

only or even the most correct ways of looking at human moral development; what I am trying to do is to

give you all a common frame of reference, and a common understanding, so we can have meaningful

discussions about the moral development of various characters in literature. We need to have a commonlanguage, so that when we use certain terms related to characters moral dilemmas and their decisions, we

all have the same understanding of what those words mean and we know were all talking about the same


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thing. Simply put, I want us all to be on the same page, and a common vocabulary is essential to making

that happen. What Id like for you to know and be able to do by the end of the lesson that begins today

(and may end next time, depending on how quickly we move today) are the following things: tell me the

different levels or stages that Kohlberg identified in peoples moral development, what those levels mean

or in other words what they are based on, and explain the WAYS in which someone at each stage of thatmoral development would go about resolving moral dilemmas, because the WAY they go about answering

the moral dilemma is more important in telling us what stage of moral development they are in than whatthey ultimately decide to do. In other words, when trying to figure out someones level of moral

development, its not so important what someone would do as it is HOW that person comes to that

decision. Id like for you to be able to identify icons or symbols that would be appropriate to represent

each stage of Kohlbergs moral development and explain your reasoningwhy it is appropriate for that

stage of moral developmentand to tell me a one-line phrase or expression that would sum up the idea for

each stage of moral development and explain to me WHY that phrase is appropriate for summing up thebasic idea for that level of moral development. Id also like for you to be able to tell me the general

principles or beliefs Kohlberg had about peoples moral development; that is, to basically tell me about his

theory and its general principles or its underlying beliefs or assumptions. Here is what we will do today in

order for you to show me this knowledge. (Pass out all the worksheets on Kohlberg.) First of all, as a

class, we will read through the general information about Kohlbergs theory and the description of each of

the total of seven stages of moral development he identified, using this worksheet. Then we will go over

these different approaches on the board that you brainstormed and link these to Kohlbergs different levels

of moral development. After we do that, I will show you a series of icons or images and ask you to choosewhich ones best fit with each stage of moral development and ask you to explain why you think they are a

good fit. This would sort of be like choosing visual metaphors. They will also help you to remember eachstage by giving you a visual cue to associate with each stage. Then well come up with one-line summaries

or catchphrases for each level of development, again to help you remember what each level is about. Your

homework will be to choose images from a series of images on a piece of paper and cut out an image that

you feel does a good job of representing a particular stage of moral development, and paste it on to the

blank squares next to each stage of moral development on your worksheet. Then, next time, well move on

to figuring out what people would do for a particular moral dilemma for EACH level of moral development

according to Kohlberg, and also for Gilligan, whose theory well look at next time.

Instruction: Read the general information on Kohlberg. Then move on to the descriptions of all sevenstages. So, as you can see on your worksheets, the first level is level or stage ZERO. Here there is NO

moral development at all. What feels good, is good; what feels bad, is bad. Pleasure good. Pain bad.

Thats it. Does anyone see any of your brainstormed responses to the moral dilemma I introduced at thebeginning of class up here on the board that would correspond to this level? Move on to explain stages

one through six. Again, ask them to identify any responses on board that would correspond to the different

stages. Now, Ill show you some images or icons and I want you to tell me which ones you think best fit a

particular stage of moral development, and tell me which stage that is, and why the icon or image fits well

with or is appropriate for that stage of moral development. (Show a series of images. Have students saywhich ones fit which stage of development best, and explain why.) Now were going to come up with

good catchphrases that summarize in a single line each stage. Go back through stages zero to six and have

students come up with one-line catchphrases that summarize each stage.

Your homework is to choose an image from one of your two pieces of paper with images on them to

represent each stage of moral development and cut it out and glue it on to the square next to the stage with

which you feel it best fits. Or you could make up an image of your own and sketch or draw that very

quicklyjust doodle itin the square at the left-hand side of your worksheet, next to each stage or level of

moral development. This is to help you remember each stage at a glance and to help you create a visualassociation that will help you to remember the stages later. So, right now I want you look over the images,

look over the different levels, and then turn to the person nearest to you, and then I want you both to telleach other which images you intend to use for the different levels and explain to each other why you chose

the images that you did, that is, why those images are symbolically appropriate for each level. I want you

to explain and to justify why each image you chose for each level does a good job of representing that

level, why it fits that level. Explain your reasoning to each other.HW: Re-read through the worksheets and complete their Kohlberg worksheets (catchphrases and images)

if they have not already done so in class.


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More Moral Dilemmas

Youre at a party where a six foot, six inch, three-hundred-pound, broad-shouldered and well-muscled guy

is obviously extremely drunk. He is about to leave the party and drive himself and his girlfriend home. No

one else makes a move to stop him. What do you do?

A hot-tempered friend of yours is armed and in a murderous rage. He has a loaded gun and is threateningto kill a guy, who you dont know, over some matter that you dont know anything about. He insists that

this man must be shot; either you shoot the guy, or hes going to do it, and if he does it, you know that he

will shoot the man in the head and kill him. What do you do?

Do you steal food when you and your family are starving, or not, or do you steal money to buy food, or

not?

You are on a jury in a capital-crime case: the defendant, if found guilty, will die. You are the only one on

the jury who believes hes innocent. If the head juror declares a hung jury (meaning you cant reach

consensus) then a new trial will happen and the defendant will likely be found guilty. Every other juror

wants to find him guilty and go home: none of you can leave until youve reached a verdict. What do you

do?

You and your spouse (in the future) have conjoined (Siamese) twins. The doctors tell you if you dontseparate them they will both die within a year. If you do separate them one will die and the other might

live. What do you tell the doctors to do: separate them and give at least one a chance to live, or refuse tochoose and let them both die within a year?

You know a particular individual who is suspected of murder. You believe he is innocent. He is running

from the law. You know if he is arrested, he could very likely end up dead as a result of police brutality, or

a lynch mob, or be given the death penalty, despite his innocence, all of which are fairly common in the

area of the country you are in. If you aid and abet him by helping him to escape you are also committing a

crime, and you could go to prison for many, many years, or possibly also end up dead. He comes to you

for help, help in escaping to Canada and from there to a country from which it will be difficult to extraditehim. Do you help him obtain his freedom, and break the law doing so, or not?


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BECAUSE

I SAY SO!


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Documents

Kohlberg Lesson