Fairytales to Spark Debate~Ethics in the Classroom

What better way to spark a spirited classroom debate on ethics than by exploring the complex messages often found in fairytales?

Children enjoy a cozy familiarity with fairy tales. By basing a discussion of ethics on fairytales, you are launching from common ground. Children aged eight and older typically are ready for meatier ethical concepts, concepts that skirt into gray areas of lesser evils or relative priorities.
Following are a few suggestions drawn from the land of fairytales to get your students' thought wheels spinning.
PUSS IN BOOTS: WHEN IS TRICKERY JUSTIFIED?
In the classic French fairytale "Puss in boots," a clever cat engineers a succession of hoaxes and lies for the benefit of his master. As a result, his master eventually marries the king's daughter and appoints Puss in Boots prime minister. All parties live happily ever after.
You can print a text version of Puss in Boots from the Internet. A well-illustrated version of the story is also available in The Golden Book of Fairy Tales, by Marie Ponsot (Golden Books).
The story begins with the introduction of a young man whose poor father has died and left him with nothing but a cat named Puss in Boots. The cat proves tireless in his devotion to his master and begins by delivering a sequence of gifts (rabbits, pheasants, and other game) to the king and queen. Each time, Puss in Boots announces that the gifts are from "the Marquis of Carabas." Naturally, the king comes to believe the Marquis of Carabas is a person of great consequence.
Here, you might ask young readers, "Was Puss in Boots wrong to lie to the king and to deceive him?" The absolute quality of honesty can be leveled against the compelling urges of loyalty and friendship.
After several clever tricks, Puss in Boots leads the king and his lovely young daughter to a castle belonging to an ogre. Running ahead of the group, the frisky feline dares the ogre to transform himself into a mouse. When the ogre successfully transforms himself, Puss in Boots promptly pounces on the hapless creature and devours him. That enables his young master, who arrives moments later with the king and his entourage, to claim that the castle is his own. In so doing, the young man clinches his nuptial prospects with the king's daughter.
Here, you can further challenge your students: "Was the cat wrong to trick the ogre and then kill him?" Youngsters who argued earlier that the king was in no way damaged by the verbal deceptions and exaggerations of Puss in Boots must reckon with an act leading to an untimely death.
Finally, pose this question: "Is trickery ever justified?" Challenge students to support their positions, whatever they may be, with cogent arguments.
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: WHAT IS STEALING?
This classic story offers a twist on the theme of honesty. We all know the story of young Jack, whose impoverished mother is left with nothing but the family cow. Jack is sent to market to trade the cow for as much money as he can. Jack is tricked into trading the cow for a handful of beans. In despair, his mother throws the worthless beans out the window.
Overnight, a giant beanstalk grows into the sky. When Jack climbs to the top of the beanstalk, he finds the home of a mean giant. Narrowly escaping from the giant with his life, Jack scampers down the beanstalk with two treasures stolen from the giant - a goose that lays golden eggs, and a magic harp. Thus, Jack happily secures the future for himself and his mother.
You might begin by reiterating that Jack faced imminent danger in the giant's house ("Fee! Fi! Fo! Fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman!"). Ask: "Since the giant wanted to eat Jack, was it OK that Jack stole the giant's goose and harp?"
Listen carefully to the arguments raised, pro and con. You might follow up with this remark: "Jack was an intruder in the giant's house. Since Jack chose to enter the giant's house, does that change your opinion?"
This exercise is also recommended: "Pretend you are the giant. Describe what happens when Jack arrives in your house and how you feel about it."
In a 19th-century version of Jack and the Beanstalk, a fairy is introduced when Jack is climbing up the beanstalk. The fairy informs Jack that Jack's father used to be a wealthy and prosperous landowner but a mean giant killed the father, stole everything his father owned, and reduced Jack's mother and her infant son to poverty. That giant, according to the fairy, is the one who lives at the top of the beanstalk. By destroying the giant, Jack will restore his family wealth.
This version of the fairytale opens another line of questioning: "In the story where the giant had stolen everything from Jack's father, do you think it was OK for Jack to take it back?" Most youngsters will heartily agree.
Follow up with this question: "What if it had been the giant's father who had stolen everything from Jack's father; would it still be OK for Jack to take the treasures?" Then ask: "What if it had been the giant's grandfather who had stolen everything from Jack's grandfather?" And then ask: "What if it had been 100 years before that the giant's ancestor had stolen everything? Do you think it would still be OK for Jack to take the treasures?" Try to find the amount of elapsed time necessary, according to students, to justify Jack's taking the treasures. Challenge them to defend their point of view.
FROM THE ELEPHANT PIT: IS COMPASSION PRACTICAL?
There's a folktale from Tibet, "From the Elephant Pit," that raises the question of whether compassion is always a good idea.
The story tells the tale of a hunter who dug pits to catch and trap wild elephants. One day, he comes to the pit and discovers that trapped inside the elephant pit were a man, a lion, a mouse, a snake, and a falcon. The lion warns the hunter not to rescue the human. Says the lion: "I and the other animals will prove grateful to you and will help you for your kindness to us, so rescue them. But please leave the man in the pit, for I warn you, he will forget your kindness and do you harm." However, the hunter rescues all the animals and the man.
The other animals, indeed, later repay the kindness to the hunter. As the lion had foretold, the man betrays him. At the end of the story, the betrayal of the man is revealed, the hunter is appointed chief hunter to the king, and all ends well.
Children are asked this question: "Do you think the hunter was better off because he rescued the man from the pit? If you think yes, why? If you think no, why not?"
Following is a sampling of responses from youngsters who responded:

• "Yes, you should always save someone in need." -- Vance, age 10
• "No, because if he would have left him he wouldn't have gone through all that trouble." -- Tara, age 11
• "No, because the man tricked the hunter and ruined his life." -- Newt, age 9
• "Yes, because he did something very kind, which is the best reward anyone could get." -- Laura, age 10
• "Yes, because he got to be the king's top man." --Shawn, age 7

TIPS FOR MANAGING A CLASSROOM DEBATE ON ETHICS

• Before you begin a lesson that will lead to a debate about ethical issues, let children know that you are going to read a story and then you will be asking some questions about the story.
• At the end of the story, allow children time to consider their personal responses to your questions, and ask each child to write down her or his response.
• Break the class into small groups for discussion. Then hold a general discussion. You might want to list the arguments cited, pro and con, on different sides of your chalkboard or whiteboard.
• Continue to look for opportunities in stories to raise questions for ethical debate. Your best source material will be stories that children already enjoy, such as fairytales and folk tales. However, modern stories and popular television shows and movies also provide opportunities for ethics duscussions.
• Here's a final rule of thumb: If the children enjoy a story, consider it a candidate for an ethics debate! Over time, as long as you keep those discussions alive, the capacity for youngsters to understand the complexities of ethical issues will grow.

Elaine L. Lindy is an expert on storytelling for character education. As Founder of Whootie Owl International, Lindy created "Absolutely Whootie: Stories to Grow By," ( https://www.storiestogrowby.org ) a Web site that presents a selection of fairytales and folktales from around the world with positive messages for kids. Each tale is upbeat, "kid-tested," nondenominational, footnoted, and free to educators or home users. The Web site has been recognized by USA Today, Highlights for Children, Teachers.net, and The New York Times on the Web.

Character Education: Strengthening Core Values

Character Education in the Public Schools: A Guide to Strengthening Core Values

When I arrived to collect my 7-year-old from her after-school program the other day, many youngsters were gathered on the playing field to admire a fabulous rainbow arching across the sky. After a while, the rainbow faded. The children and the after-school teachers turned around and returned to their regularly scheduled activities. In a similar way, many educators and parents gather to admire the beauty of the notion of values in the school. Then, after awhile, the beauty of the moment fades and all return to the ongoing demands of school life. 

How to make values last? How to bring the beauty of the goal of holding laudable values such as compassion, persistence and responsibility, from outside the framework of the school day to a phenomenon that thrives within it?

There are no simple answers, only a tapestry of individual school experiences. For over five years, I’ve chaired the Core Values Committee of the Cabot Elementary School in Newton, Massachusetts.

Our committee is composed of our school’s principal, Marilynne Quarcoo, teachers, and parents. When I came to the committee, parents and teachers had already identified three: Becoming Lifelong Learners, Respect for Self & Others, and Commitment to School & Community. From the outset, our challenge was how to weave these central concepts into the fabric of school life. “Core values allow the school community to remain focused on what’s important”, says Quarcoo. “They provide a mirror for our decision making, and provide a guide and reason for our actions and behaviors.”

Here are some approaches to strengthening core values that worked for us, and may work for you.

(1) Define Your Core Values — It Creates a “Default Position”

Nearly ten years ago, the principal, teachers, and parents at the Cabot School, over an extensive process (or so I heard, since it occurred before I entered the school system), identified such concepts. Concomitant to that, all public schools in Massachusetts in 1991 were mandated to formulate a strategy of core values.

Since that time, we’ve found some unexpected benefits to having articulated these ideas. Jodi Escalante, a kindergarten teacher at our school, was the first to coin the phrase “default position” relative to the benefits of core values in the classroom. “As a teacher, I’m frequently called upon to make decisions, resolve conflicts, work through dilemmas or problem solve in other ways,” says Escalante. “Having core values gives me a consistent direction. It removes ‘my opinion’ from the equation, substituting a default position, a previously agreed-to authority.” She adds: “If a solution promotes a core value, it is acceptable.” As a parent, I, too, soon found that having a default position accessible was just as handy a tool at home.

One frenzied morning not long after, my then-7 year-old cried, “Why do I have to brush my hair? Why does it matter anyway?” While I fruitlessly searched for a plausible answer, a worry tugged at the corners of my mind: “You know her hair will only get mussed in the course of the day…” Almost without thinking, I grabbed onto this explanation: “Because brushing your hair shows respect for yourself, and ‘Respect for Self & Others’ is one of the Core Values of the Cabot School!” Thankfully, the phrase had popped to mind, if only because I had memorized it. And so, in the flailing of the moment, these stated ideals had provided me a safe landing ground.

Thus, our two-dimensional core values, painted on a poster in the main lobby, have come alive within the subconscious of teachers and parents walking throughout our school.

(2) Each Year, Spotlight a Different Core Value or Concentrate on an Arena of School Life

Transforming a school to exemplify an array of core values is, indeed, a daunting task! Better to divvy up the task into smaller, more manageable pieces. At the Cabot Elementary School, we first decided to focus on one value each year. Though we remain conscious of all of them, the core value on rotation receives special emphasis. At the nearby Angier Elementary School, parents and teachers identified five which they also spotlight, in turn.

H ave Courage
E ffort
A chieve
R espect
T ake Responsibility
[Here’s their slogan:] “At the Heart of Angier”

A different approach is to focus each year on a certain arena of school life. The challenge here is to brainstorm how the dynamic that occurs within that arena can be improved to reflect core values. The arenas may be physical places such as the bathrooms, cafeteria, hallways, homeroom, or playground. Or, you might prefer to concentrate on procedural arenas such as class routines, conflict resolution, curriculum, students reward systems, or traditions & ceremonies. At the Cabot Elementary School, however, we found that one year hasn’t been enough time for a given core value; without fail we’ve extended an initial year devoted to a given core value to a second year. With two years devoted to each of our three core values, a given student is immersed in core values activities throughout the elementary school experience from kindergarten to grade five.

(3) Display Student Interpretations of Core Values for Other Students to See

Not to be underestimated for its impact on students is the public posting of work by other students. Take advantage of any chance you have to display writing assignments, art projects, holiday work (such as for Martin Luther King Day) that ties to your school’s core values. Here’s an example: At the Cabot Elementary School, each year the 5th grade gives a gift to the school as a departing gesture. Several years ago we provided the 5th graders a banner showing the three core values of our school and asked each student to write their interpretation of them on attached fabric triangles, later attached to the bottom of the banner. The banner is now on permanent display in our main lobby. Here’s a sampling of comments from the students:

Listen to your heart.
When someone is in trouble, never turn your back on them.
If you want friends, be yourself.
Don’t smoke.
Remember that everyone has different talents.
Never stop learning.
Recycle.
Do your best at everything at school.
Be Unique.
If you have to walk the race, walk it but never give up.
Don’t exclude people just because you’re not great friends with them.
Be kind.
Life is short, use time well.

For awhile, a floor-to-ceiling paper machè tree was secured to the wall in our main lobby. Once, when we were spotlighting the core value, “Becoming Lifelong Learners”, we asked each student at the beginning of the school year to write on a red cut-out of an apple a single goal of something she or he would like to learn that year. That springtime, we asked each student to identify on a white cut-out of an apple blossom one learning goal that had been achieved. The beauty of this approach is that as students search to find their own apple or blossom cut-out display on the tree, they inevitably read a number of other students’ goals as well. Thus, they couldn’t help but be struck with the collective nature of the effort.

Making values last is an aim that, challengingly, reaches a moving target. Each year, one grade graduates and a new class of kindergartners and their parents enter. You might plan for this by sharing the school’s core values with new entrants. Distribute to incoming kindergarten parents, during the springtime orientation, flyers that explain the school’s core values. Discuss in the first few parent-teacher meetings in the fall the history and goals of the school’s core values. Be sure that new hires, including lunchroom monitors, librarians, janitorial, school nurses, as well as teaching staff, are conversant with your school’s core values.

At the same time, with new entrants come a fresh source of energies and ideas. It may well evolve that a consensus of core values that had been formed by parents or teachers no longer with the school may be rewritten to reflect the priorities of an ever-reshaping school community. This, thankfully, ensures that the most important quality of the core values experience, that is the quality of dynamism, is built into the equation. Only when the individuals who are expressing the core values, in their own hearts, believe in the underlying concepts, will they become forces that move that lovely rainbow admired outside into a transforming experience that lasts within your school’s walls.

Elaine L. Lindy is an expert on the strategy of storytelling in character education. As Founder of Whootie Owl International, Lindy created the award-winning web site, “Absolutely Whootie: Stories to Grow By” ( https://www.storiestogrowby.org ). The web site, which presents a selection of ethical and entertaining fairytales and folk tales from around the world, has received recognition from USAToday, Highlights for Children Teacher.net, The New York Times on the Web, and is recommended to teachers by Disney. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Elaine_L_Lindy/1226617