Our Centers for Ethics:

Weekly writing prompt

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March 8 - 14, 2009 National Poison Prevention Week March 8-14 is National Poison Prevention Week. Using the words of Michael Josephson, students will examine the dangers of toxic substances. Learn more about Poison Prevention »

Write or discuss it! Foundations for Life gives teachers an easy way to improve students' critical thinking and composition skills. Each of these weekly prompts comes with a maxim illuminating an ethical issue. Students can analyze it and apply it to current events and their own lives, through discussion or writing. Each prompt also references at least one of the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. As a result, students can easily tie the author’s words to community values. Suggestions for using the prompts:

• Read the biographies in the Teacher’s Resource.
• Present the maxim to the students.
• Briefly discuss:
  •   What did the author mean?
  •   Can you think of ways the statement applies to something in your life?
• Point out the Pillar related to the maxim.
• Present the writing prompt to the students and have them answer these questions in their draft book or other format.

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Elementary level

"No matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn."
– Michael Josephson, American ethicist, author, radio commentator, and founder of CHARACTER COUNTS! and the Josephson Institute (b. 1942)

Focus Pillar: Responsibility
Your class has just been appointed the local poison control for your city. You are in charge of making people aware of household poisons and childproofing homes. You will each create your own information sheet. First, make a list of 10 household poisons people need to be aware of. Next, write a “how to” paragraph for people to keep their kids safe around poisons. Be sure to include:

• Clear topic sentence
• Transitions ("first," "next," "then")
• Clear description of the steps needed to make the home safe

After you are done with the assignment, you will all share your ideas!

Secondary level

"Experimenting with drugs is like target practice where your head is the bull’s-eye."
– Michael Josephson, American ethicist, author, radio commentator, and founder of CHARACTER COUNTS! and the Josephson Institute (b. 1942)

Focus Pillar: Responsibility
You just arrive at your friend Ray’s house and find out he has just taken half a bottle of pain pills from his parents' medicine cabinet. He thinks it's cool and is enjoying the high, and your other friends there think it’s cool too. You know you need to get Ray to the hospital urgently, but have to convince everyone else to cooperate with you. How are you going to persuade everyone that he needs immediate aid? Develop a speech to deliver to Ray and your friends. This important speech must include:

• A statement of the urgency of the situation
• Steps needed to solve this problem
• Explanation to your friends of why pain pills are dangerous

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