CCSS and CA SS /Standards: ​(What are the skills being Agenda: ​(What is the snapshot of my class
taught? Which standards are being specifically addressed in flow?)
this lesson?)
CCSS SL.9-10.1 1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range Intro
of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and Reading
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, Four Corners Activity
and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own Presentation
clearly and persuasively. Group Question
Exit Card
Lesson Objective: ​(What will my students KNOW by the end of the lesson? What will they DO to learn it?)
Through collaborative discussions, students will use utilitarianism to explain decisions made in moral
dilemmas by sharing out their responses and building on the responses of their peers
Key vocabulary and phrases: ​Utilitarianism, Moral, Moral Dilemmas
Context of Lesson (what happened previous to lesson and how does this lesson build on that)
Last week, we introduced students to four social students content areas through a gallery walk. We want to
enhance their understanding of their project and their focus group through an examination of social
explanations that help to answer our essential question: “How do these concepts help you better understand
your focus group’s position in the larger society?” During the gallery walk, students read short articles and
looked at images, annotating and responding to short prompts. At the end of the activity, students expressed
their interests via an exit card. We found that many students were interested in sociology, so we are beginning
this aspect of the project with an introduction to utilitarianism and moral dilemmas.

TIM INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE FORMATIVE Materials/

E ASSESSMENT ​Note: A Technology
variety of formative
assessments should be
used at key points
throughout the lesson
Get started/Drill/Do Now:​ ​(What meaningful activity -Projector
will students complete as soon as they enter the -Computer
5 classroom?) -Grouping
min
Sit in homogenous reading groups
Agenda for the class period
Engage/Motivation:​ (​How will student interest be -Projector
sparked? Is there prior knowledge that should be -Computer
tapped? Is there vocabulary that must be cleared? Is
5
there brainstorming that student need to complete before
min
the lesson begins?)

Discussion of morals and introduction to moral dilemmas

 
 
Group Practice/Small Group Instruction: Reading comprehension -Projector
(teacher-facilitated group discussion, student or note catcher -Computer
teacher-led collaboration, student conferencing, -​Notecatcher
re-teaching or intervention, writing process) -Reading “The
10 Runaway
min As a group, students will read through “The Runaway Trolley”
Trolley” and annotate and complete a comprehension
note catcher. Then, they will discuss guiding questions
that further probe what was said in the text to set up the
four corners activity.
Whole Group Instruction:​ ​(Focus lessons [explicit Reflection to Four -Projector
teaching/modeling, strategy demonstration, activate Corners -Computer
prior knowledge], shared reading, shared writing, -Videos
discussion, writing process.) Quote response -​Presentation via
Slides
20 Four Corners activity as a response to the reading. Then, Note Catcher
min I will have them discuss the different variables in each
dilemma posed. Students will share out their justification
for choosing each corner. (10 mins)

Utilitarianism overview with an example (Atomic

Bombs) and explanation using utility (10 mins)
Group Practice/Small Group Instruction: Gun control section of --Projector
(teacher-facilitated group discussion, student or note catcher -Computer
teacher-led collaboration, student conferencing, -Prompt
re-teaching or intervention, writing process)
10
min
Write the moral dilemma of gun control with two options
with very different outcomes. Then, choose an option and
explain from a utilitarian standpoint and then share out
their response with the group
Independent Practice​: ​(individual practice, discussion, Exit card -Projector
writing process.) -Computer
-Prompt
Exit Card prompt: “Use utilitarianism to explain the
5 position of your focus group in the larger society”
min
Students will show they can apply the learning to their
project by explaining the underprivileged position of
their focus group

Evaluate Understanding/Assessment:​ ​(How will I know Share outs

- if students have achieved today’s objective?)
min Note Catcher

 
 
I will know students have achieved today’s objective if Exit card
they work collaboratively to come up with a moral
dilemma for gun control and explain their choice using
utilitarianism

Closing Activities/Summary:​ ​(How will I tie up loose

ends, reinforce/revisit the objective and connect the
lesson to the unit?)
1
min
Before the exit card, I will tie this lesson back to the
essential question and ask students to consider the moral
dilemmas that face their focus groups.
ELL Strategies/Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching/Accommodations: ​(How will my lesson satisfy the
needs of all learners, including IEP, 504 plans, high ability learners, etc.?) ADD ROWS AS NEEDED.

STUDENTS WITH IEP/504 PLANS

IEP/504 PLANS: CLASSIFICATIONS/NEEDS NUMBER OF STUDENTS SUPPORTS, ACCOMODATIONS, MODIFICATIONS, PERTINENT 
IEP GOALS
Group Work 2 Students will complete the reading and
discussions in groups
Visuals 3 Instructions are on slide and on worksheet
There are two videos in the presentation
Images accompany most slides
Use of Graphic Organizers 3 The reading is accompanied by an organizer
that asks students to question, comment, and
identify main idea
STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LANGUAGE NEEDS
LANGUAGE NEEDS (ELL) NUMBER OF STUDENTS SUPPORTS, ACCOMODATIONS, MODIFICATIONS

Advanced English Language Learners 2 Visual Instructions

Group work/support
STUDENTS WITH OTHER LEARNING NEEDS
OTHER LEARNING NEEDS (High ability, struggling readers) NUMBER OF STUDENTS SUPPORTS, ACCOMODATIONS, MODIFICATIONS

Struggling readers 6 There is a reading comprehension note catcher

that asks students to think deeper about what
they are reading. They also can work
collaboratively to complete the reading.
Finally, I will be working closely to check for
understanding with the groups with struggling
readers
High Ability 5+ If students finish early, ​read and annotate an
article about the psychology of the moral
dilemma.​ Then, complete a note catcher

 
 Name​________________________
 
Utilitarianism and Moral Dilemmas 
Moral Dilemma: a conflict in which you have to choose between two or more actions and have moral 
reasons for choosing each action. 

As a group, read and annotate “The Runaway Trolley” then, complete the first four boxes 

Write down 3 questions you have from the reading  Write down 3 reactions (comments) you have to the 
  reading 
1.  1. 
   
   
2.  2. 
   
   
3.  3. 
   
   

What is the main idea? Describe it in detail.  Identify the Most Valuable Phrase (quote) from the 
reading. Record it and explain why you believe this to be 
the MVP 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Reflect on your choices in the Four Corners activity.  In the Four Corners activity, which decision was the 
What made you choose the corner that you did?   hardest to make?  
 
   
 
   
Why? 
How do you determine what is right? 

 
Demystify this quote about utilitarianism. What does it mean? 
 
“The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest-Happiness Principle, holds that 
actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of 
happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of 
pleasure.” 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

How does utilitarianism explain the decisions made in  Do you agree with the way the US justified the 
moral dilemmas?  bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?  
 
 
 
Why or why not? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Gun Control 
 
Moral Dilemma: 
 
 
Option 1: 
 
 
Option 2: 
 
 
Your choice and why: 

Exit Card: Use utilitarianism to explain the position of your focus group in the larger society 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Essential Question:
How do these concepts help you
understand your focus group’s
position in the larger society?
 10 mins The Runaway Trolley
As a group, read through the story and complete
the note catcher.

Discuss these questions and be ready to share

out your responses:

● How do the two situations differ?

● Why does the person’s intention matter?

● Should both situations be handled the same

way?
 Four Corners
1. Turn the trolley and kill
1 man and save 5

2. Push the heavy man

and save the 5
 Utilitarianism
the doctrine that an action is right if it promotes happiness,
and that the greatest happiness of the greatest number
should be the guiding principle of conduct
What was the moral dilemma?
The United States wanted an end to the
war.

1. They could drop the bomb and kill

thousands in Japan, but spare more
American lives
2. The US could not drop the bombs,
invade Japan, delay the end of the
war, but not kill thousands of
innocents

Why did the US choose option 1? What

was the utility?
What do you think?

Gun Control
1. What is the moral dilemma?
2. What are two options and their outcomes? Who do the
outcomes benefit? What are the consequences of each?

Be ready to share out your response to both parts