CCE · Primary 6

Active learning ideas

Introduction to Ethical Frameworks

Students at this age learn best by wrestling with real dilemmas they can picture in their own lives. Ethical frameworks feel abstract until they tackle concrete policy decisions, so active discussions and role-plays make the concepts tangible. These activities turn abstract rules into tools they can actually use when they notice a problem in their community.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: Moral Reasoning - P6
• MOE: Decision Making - P6

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Concept Mapping
• 30 min · Whole Class

Dilemma Debate: Resource Allocation

Present a scenario like rationing medical supplies in a pandemic. Split class into utilitarian and deontological teams. Teams brainstorm arguments for 5 minutes, debate for 10 minutes, then vote on the best policy with reasons.

Differentiate between utilitarian and deontological approaches to ethical decision-making.

Facilitation Tip

During Dilemma Debate, stand back after posing the scenario and let the pushback happen naturally to surface the hidden assumptions in each side’s reasoning.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'A new factory will create many jobs but also cause some air pollution. Should the government approve it?' Ask: 'How would a utilitarian approach decide? How would a deontologist approach this decision? What are the potential problems with each?'

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Concept Mapping
• 35 min · Small Groups

Framework Sorting: Policy Cards

Prepare cards describing policy decisions, such as building a dam or strict recycling laws. In groups, students sort cards into utilitarian or deontological categories and justify choices on charts. Share and discuss as a class.

Analyze how different ethical frameworks lead to varying policy recommendations.

Facilitation Tip

While students sort Framework Sorting cards, circulate quietly and listen for pairs who argue over the same card’s placement, then ask one group to explain their choice to the other.

What to look for

Provide students with two short policy statements addressing the same issue (e.g., public transport fares). Ask them to identify which statement is more aligned with utilitarianism and which with deontology, and to write one sentence justifying their choice for each.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Concept Mapping
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Policy Makers

Assign roles like mayor, residents, and experts to a dilemma on school closures. Groups use one framework to propose solutions, present to class, and field questions. Reflect on framework strengths in journals.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of applying a single ethical framework to complex issues.

Facilitation Tip

For Role-Play, give the ‘policy makers’ the actual dilemma sheet but do not let them see each other’s roles until the debate starts so the pressure to justify builds authentically.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, ask students to write down one ethical framework they discussed. Then, have them describe one situation where that framework might lead to a difficult choice and explain why it is difficult.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Concept Mapping
• 40 min · Pairs

Ethical Dilemma Carousel

Set up 4 stations with dilemmas on traffic rules, animal welfare, or public transport. Pairs rotate, apply a framework at each, note pros and cons. Debrief highlights framework differences.

Differentiate between utilitarian and deontological approaches to ethical decision-making.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'A new factory will create many jobs but also cause some air pollution. Should the government approve it?' Ask: 'How would a utilitarian approach decide? How would a deontologist approach this decision? What are the potential problems with each?'

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with a tiny personal dilemma they can solve in two minutes so they feel the tug of ethics before you name the frameworks. Avoid lecturing about ‘the right answer’; instead, model how to ask clarifying questions and listen for the hidden values in each argument. Research shows that when students articulate their own reasoning first, they integrate new frameworks more deeply later.

By the end of the unit, students should be able to name both utilitarianism and deontology, apply each to a given scenario, and explain why one approach might be better suited than the other. You’ll see evidence of this when students defend their choices with clear references to outcomes or duties and when they revise their first instinct after hearing peers’ reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Dilemma Debate, watch for students who argue that utilitarianism always supports the majority no matter what happens to the minority.

  Redirect the debate by asking, ‘Who in this room would be harmed most if we chose the majority option, and what long-term consequences might they face?’ Have the group revise the utilitarian calculation to include those future costs.

• During Framework Sorting, notice students who label every duty-based policy as ‘just rules’ and ignore the underlying fairness.

  Ask each pair to turn over their top deontology card and explain which universal duty it protects; if they cannot name it, have them return the card to the ‘unsure’ pile and revisit it after the next activity.

• During Ethical Dilemma Carousel, observe students who insist a single framework will solve every problem.

  Pause the carousel after the first rotation and ask groups to post their utilitarian and deontological answers side by side; then have them circle the places where one answer conflicts with the other to reveal the limits of each approach.

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Methods used in this brief

• Concept Mapping