Lesson Plan | Socioemotional Learning | Ethics and Will

Objectives

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to introduce students to the concept of behavioral ethics, exploring its importance and how it can influence human decisions and actions. This introduction prepares students to critically reflect on ethical dilemmas and the role of ethics in everyday life, promoting a profound understanding that will serve as a foundation for subsequent class activities.

Main Goals

1. Understand the importance of behavioral ethics as a human duty.

2. Analyze how ethics can override personal will in different scenarios.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

Emotional Warm-up Activity

Mindfulness Session for Focus and Presence

The emotional warm-up activity will be a Mindfulness session aimed at promoting students' focus, presence, and concentration. Mindfulness is a practice that involves being fully present and aware of the current moment, helping students disconnect from distractions and concentrate on the lesson.

1. Ask students to sit comfortably in their chairs, with their feet firmly planted on the ground and their hands resting on their thighs.

2. Instruct students to gently close their eyes and focus on their breath. Suggest that they take a deep breath in through their nose, hold the air for a moment, and then exhale slowly through their mouth.

3. Guide students through a brief body scan, asking them to direct their attention to different parts of their body, starting from their feet and moving up to their head. Ask them to notice any tension or discomfort and try to relax those areas.

4. After the body scan, ask students to refocus on their breath, observing the natural rhythm and the sensation of the air entering and leaving their body.

5. To conclude, ask students to slowly open their eyes and return to focusing on their surroundings, bringing with them the sense of calm and focus they cultivated during the practice.

6. Explain that this brief Mindfulness practice can be a useful tool for improving concentration and presence during lessons and other daily activities.

Content Contextualization

Behavioral ethics is a fundamental theme that permeates our daily lives, influencing our decisions and actions. In many situations, we are confronted with dilemmas where our personal wills may conflict with what is ethically right. For example, a student may feel tempted to cheat on a test to get a good grade, but behavioral ethics guides us to act with honesty and integrity.

Understanding the importance of ethics above personal will helps us make responsible choices and build strong character. By exploring real cases and stories that illustrate these dilemmas, students can reflect on their own experiences and develop a deeper understanding of the relevance of ethics in their lives.

Development

Duration: (60 - 75 minutes)

Theoretical Framework

Duration: (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Definition of Ethics: Explain that ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with what is morally good and bad, right and wrong. Emphasize that ethics involves the analysis and reflection on moral principles that govern human behavior.

2. Behavioral Ethics: Detail that behavioral ethics refers to the practical application of ethical principles in daily behavior. This branch of ethics seeks to guide individual and collective actions to be in alignment with high moral values.

3. Human Duty: Discuss the idea that behavioral ethics is a human duty, highlighting philosophers like Immanuel Kant, who argued that morality should be based on universal duties, known as categorical imperatives.

4. Personal Will vs. Ethics: Address how personal will can often conflict with ethics. Provide practical examples, such as the temptation to lie to escape an uncomfortable situation versus the duty to be honest.

5. Historical and Contemporary Examples: Use historical and contemporary examples to illustrate ethical dilemmas. For instance, Nelson Mandela's decision to fight against apartheid, even knowing it could lead to his imprisonment, or ethical dilemmas faced by journalists in their reporting.

6. Analogies and Illustrations: Use analogies to facilitate understanding, such as comparing an internal moral compass to the laws governing a country. Explain that just as a compass guides a traveler, ethics should guide our daily actions.

Socioemotional Feedback Activity

Duration: (35 - 40 minutes)

Ethical Dilemmas in Action

In this activity, students will be divided into groups and given different scenarios that present ethical dilemmas. They must discuss and decide what the most ethical action would be in each case, considering behavioral ethics and how it overrides personal will.

1. Divide the class into groups of 4 to 5 students.

2. Distribute an ethical dilemma scenario to each group. Examples of scenarios: 'A friend asks you to lie for them', 'You find a wallet full of money on the street', 'You see someone being unfairly accused of something.'

3. Ask them to discuss the possible actions that could be taken in each scenario and their consequences.

4. Guide students to identify the predominant emotion in each scenario and recognize how that emotion may influence the decision.

5. Request that each group choose the action they consider most ethical and justify their choice.

6. Ask each group to present their scenario and the decision made to the rest of the class.

Group Discussion

After the presentations, guide a group discussion using the RULER method. Recognize the emotions expressed by students during the activity, both in the presentations and in the internal group discussions. Understand the causes and consequences of those emotions, questioning how they influenced the decisions made. Name the identified emotions correctly, helping students expand their emotional vocabulary. Express the importance of addressing ethical dilemmas with empathy and critical reflection. Regulate emotions by discussing strategies to maintain emotional balance when facing real-life ethical dilemmas, such as the mindfulness practice mentioned earlier.

Encourage students to reflect on how they can apply these principles in their daily lives, emphasizing the need to act not only according to personal will but also with behavioral ethics. Encourage feedback exchanges among groups, fostering a collaborative and empathetic learning environment.

Conclusion

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

Emotional Reflection and Regulation

Ask students to write a paragraph reflecting on the challenges faced during the lesson. Request that they address how they felt at each stage and how they managed their emotions. Alternatively, promote an open discussion where students can share their emotional experiences and emotional regulation strategies used. Encourage them to consider how the recognition and understanding of emotions influenced their decisions and behaviors during the ethical dilemmas activity.

Objective: The objective of this activity is to encourage self-assessment and emotional regulation, helping students identify effective strategies for dealing with challenging situations. The written reflection or discussion allows students to become aware of the emotions they experienced, understand their causes and consequences, and develop skills to name, express, and regulate these emotions appropriately.

Closure and A Look Into The Future

Explain to students the importance of setting personal and academic goals related to the lesson content. Ask each student to write a personal goal and an academic goal they wish to achieve. These goals should be aligned with the understanding of behavioral ethics and how it can be applied in their daily lives. Encourage them to reflect on how ethics can influence their future decisions and how they can practice self-control and responsible decision-making.

Possible Goal Ideas:

1. Apply ethical principles in everyday situations.

2. Develop the ability to make responsible and informed decisions.

3. Practice self-control in challenging situations.

4. Cultivate empathy and social awareness in interactions with others.

5. Strengthen social skills through effective communication and collaborative work.

6. Regularly reflect on emotions and emotional regulation strategies. Objective: The aim of this subsection is to strengthen students' autonomy and the practical application of learning, aiming for continuity in their academic and personal development. By setting goals, students are encouraged to internalize ethical concepts and apply them in their lives, promoting continuous growth and the building of an ethical and responsible character.