CCE · Primary 6

Active learning ideas

Public Health Ethics: Pandemics and Policy

Active learning helps students wrestle with abstract ethical concepts by placing them in realistic scenarios where they must defend their choices. This topic demands more than passive discussion, as students need to feel the tension between fairness and urgency that policymakers face during crises.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: Moral Reasoning - P6
• MOE: Social Responsibility - P6

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

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Policy Decision Council

Assign roles like health minister, parent, doctor, and business owner facing a lockdown decision. Groups prepare arguments for 10 minutes, then present in a 20-minute council meeting where the class votes on the policy. Debrief with reflections on trade-offs.

Analyze the ethical considerations in implementing public health measures during a pandemic.

Facilitation Tip

During the Policy Decision Council role-play, assign roles that force students to advocate for marginalized groups, not just their own interests.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'A new, highly contagious virus is spreading. The government is considering mandatory mask-wearing in all public spaces and limiting gatherings to five people. What are the ethical pros and cons of these measures? Who are the stakeholders involved, and what are their competing interests?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 30 min · Pairs

Debate Pairs: Autonomy vs Safety

Pair students to debate vaccine mandates: one side defends individual choice, the other collective protection. Provide evidence cards first, then switch sides for rebuttals. Conclude with a whole-class vote and justification sharing.

Evaluate the trade-offs between individual autonomy and collective well-being in health policy.

Facilitation Tip

For the Autonomy vs Safety debate, provide a timer to keep exchanges focused and prevent dominant speakers from overshadowing quieter voices.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of potential criteria for vaccine distribution (e.g., age, occupation, health condition, lottery). Ask them to rank these criteria from most to least ethical and write one sentence explaining their top choice.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 35 min · Small Groups

Card Sort: Resource Allocation

Distribute scenario cards with patient profiles and limited ventilators. In small groups, rank priorities using equity criteria, then compare rankings class-wide. Discuss criteria adjustments based on peer input.

Justify the criteria for equitable distribution of limited medical resources during a crisis.

Facilitation Tip

In the Card Sort activity, ask groups to present their top three criteria to the class before finalizing, to normalize collaborative decision-making.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one ethical dilemma discussed in class and one specific policy recommendation they would make to address it, briefly explaining their reasoning.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · individual then small groups

Ethical Dilemma Gallery Walk

Post pandemic policy posters around the room with dilemmas. Students rotate individually, jotting notes on sticky notes, then small groups synthesize class insights in a final share-out.

Analyze the ethical considerations in implementing public health measures during a pandemic.

Facilitation Tip

During the Ethical Dilemma Gallery Walk, require students to add sticky notes with questions or challenges to peers' posters to deepen critical engagement.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'A new, highly contagious virus is spreading. The government is considering mandatory mask-wearing in all public spaces and limiting gatherings to five people. What are the ethical pros and cons of these measures? Who are the stakeholders involved, and what are their competing interests?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model uncertainty and curiosity, showing how even experts disagree on pandemic policies. Avoid framing the topic as right versus wrong; instead, emphasize how values shape decisions. Research shows that structured dialogue, not lecture, builds moral reasoning in this age group.

Students will articulate trade-offs between individual rights and public good, use evidence to justify their stances, and revise their views when presented with counterarguments or new information. Success looks like reasoned decisions, not just strong opinions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Policy Decision Council role-play, watch for students who default to 'freedom first' without considering how their decisions affect others.

  Use the role cards to assign each student a perspective that forces them to consider vulnerable groups, such as a single parent with no sick leave or an elderly person living alone.

• During the Card Sort activity, watch for students who prioritize adults over children or leaders over essential workers.

  Provide a fairness checklist with each card sort group, such as 'Will this choice protect the most vulnerable?' and require them to justify each ranking with at least one criterion from the list.

• During the Ethical Dilemma Gallery Walk, watch for students who assume pandemics only harm sick individuals.

  Include a simulation step where students map how a single case of illness spreads through a classroom or community, using sticky notes to show transmission chains and highlighting the universal risk.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis
• Gallery Walk