Lesson 2
As we begin to think about how the common good and personal liberty apply in the realm of public health decision-making in the US, we will do a close reading and discussion of ideas expressed in seminal documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. We will determine the meaning of key vocabulary in the texts.
Lesson Goals
Can I understand the ethical concepts, approaches, and themes related to balancing the common good with individual rights and personal liberty?
Can I use a variety of strategies (e.g., context clues, word study, and vocabulary resources) to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, phrases, and figurative expressions?
Texts
Core
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- “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making,” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, 2015
- “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making,” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Markkula Center, Santa Clara University
Materials
Tools
Reference Guides
Question Sets
Editable Google Docs
Activity 1: Read – Write – Discuss
We will closely read and discuss the preamble to the Constitution. We will consider how our founding fathers tried to balance the common good and individuals’ rights. We will also determine the meaning of key vocabulary from the excerpt.
Step 1
Access The Common Good and Personal Liberty Handout. Skim the handout, noting which seminal US documents it includes excerpts from.
As a class, do a close reading of the first excerpt from the Preamble to the US Constitution, annotating phrases that seem to relate to either the common good or personal liberty. Discuss the following question:
In what ways does the preamble suggest that the government should protect the common good?
Step 2
For this segment, you will use a Vocabulary Journal, which you will maintain for the entire unit. You might use a Vocabulary in Context Tool for words you can decipher from the text; for others, you might use morphology to decipher the meaning or a reference resource to check if your meaning is accurate. For some words, your teacher might present you with definitions.
Write down the following words and definitions from the unit’s Vocabulary List in your Vocabulary Journal. Some of these words have multiple meanings. Be sure to consider not only the textual context but also the historical and political context as you determine the precise meaning of the words as they are used in this text. For each word, identify the vocabulary strategy (e.g., context, morphology, reference resource) you used to determine its meaning.
domestic
tranquility
welfare
posterity
Activity 2: Read – Write – Discuss
We will do a close reading and discussion of an excerpt from The Declaration of Independence. We will consider how our founding fathers tried to balance two purposes of government: the common good and individuals’ rights. We will also determine the meaning of key vocabulary from the excerpt.
In pairs, do a close reading of the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, annotating phrases that seem to relate to the common good or personal liberty.
Write down the following words and definitions from the unit’s Vocabulary List in your Vocabulary Journal. Some of these words have multiple meanings. Be sure to consider not only the textual context but also the historical and political context as you determine the precise meaning of the words in this text. For each word, identify the vocabulary strategy (e.g., context, morphology, reference resource) you used to determine its meaning.
self-evident
endow
secure
derive
unalienable
Using your understanding of key terms, discuss the following question:
How would you paraphrase the unalienable rights that governments are instituted to secure?
Activity 3: Read – Write – Discuss
We will do a close reading and discussion of excerpts from the bill of rights and consider how our founding fathers tried to balance two purposes of government: the common good and individuals’ rights. We will also determine the meaning of key vocabulary from the excerpt.
Step 1
Individually, read closely and annotate each of the three amendments from the Bill of Rights listed in the excerpt.
Write down the following words and definitions from the unit’s Vocabulary List in your Vocabulary Journal. Some of these words have multiple meanings. Be sure to consider not only the textual context but also the historical and political context as you determine the precise meaning of the words in this text. For each word, identify the vocabulary strategy (e.g., context, morphology, reference resource) you used to determine its meaning.
redress
construe
disparage
prohibited
delegated
reserved
petition
enumeration
Step 2
Form a summary claim in response to the following question:
What does each amendment suggest should be the relationship between the US government and peoples’ rights?
As a class, discuss what these seminal US documents seem to be saying about balancing the common good with individual rights.
Activity 4: Write – Discuss
We will interact with the words we defined to cement our understanding of their meaning.
Work with a partner or group to respond to the vocabulary exercises, as directed by your teacher.
Activity 5: Read – Write
For homework, we will read “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making” from the Markkula Center, considering a set of text-dependent questions.
Access the text file for the Markkula Center, “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making.” For homework, read and annotate the framework and answer the following text-specific questions in your Learning Log:
What is one thing that stands out to you in the framework’s discussion of what ethics is not?
What are the five sources of ethical standards presented in the framework? How do these connect to previous reading and thinking you have done?
What does the framework suggest are required for making good ethical decisions?
Write new or interesting words you encounter in your Vocabulary Journal.