13TET

13 Talking Ethics

Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Dr C. Gavin.

This class will enhance wellbeing and engagement, providing a space where you have a voice and you can hear others ideas too. All opinions are respected. Lessons will have many different interactive and fun activities, providing a high interest and low stress way to gain valuable communication and argumentation skills. It will give you tools to help navigate the tricky world you are in, by using current ethical topics that have real world meaning.

This course will equip students with the critical thinking and communication skills to engage with an ever changing world. Students will use a range of philosophy tools and ways of discussion to build their confidence to express their ideas about ethical issues. This new course provides opportunities and skills that can help students to:

  1. Gain credits in Psychology and Religious studies standards.
  2. Build confidence in communication and critical thinking, this is an important component for future aspirations.
  3. Support gaining credits in other subjects eg literacy credits, research credits or oral presentation credits.
  4. Inquire into areas of high interest and relevance. 
  5. Continue your Philosophy journey.

This course provides a Year 12 subject that does not have a heavy homework commitment. It is a skills based course and the capabilities gained are highly transferable. Skills that the course will focus on developing are: interpersonal collaboration, open mindedness, problem solving, decision making, and ethical reasoning. In addition, respectful argumentation, empathy and developing your own ideas; are important in becoming an adult in todays challenging world.

Students find this kind of Ethical inquiry challenging, fun, and mind-expanding. We explore the big questions and examine different world views. In the Psychology unit, students have the opportunity to run an experiment of their choosing, developing scientific skills, and gaining NCEA credits. 

Students will explore different religious views and analyse the response of one religious tradition to a contemporary ethical issue during the Religious studies standard.

Course Overview

Term 1
The Morals in Fairy Tales - analyzing problem solving, ethical dilemmas and values in Fairy Tales, myths and legends.

Ethics Olympiad - Applying ethics to modern real world cases and the chance to be on an Ethics Olympiad team.

Term 2
Social psychology - introduction to the psychology of groups.

Psychology NCEA standard - design and run your own psychology experiment.

Term 3
World views - cultural and religious studies.

Religious studies NCEA standard - analyze how a religious tradition responds to a contemporary ethical issue.

Term 4
Global studies - UNESCO sustainable development goals.

Altruism - contribute to a community project.

Pathway

This course provides development in social and communication skills, ethical thinking, analytical and evaluative tools. These assist with careers in both the arts and the sciences. Skills gained would help those in careers that involve working with or for others, problem solving, or team work. This course provides valuable practice in the so called 'soft skills' that employers are looking.

Credit Information

You will be assessed in this course through all or a selection of the standards listed below.

Total Credits Available: 12 credits.
Internally Assessed Credits: 12 credits.

Assessment
Description
Level
Internal or
External
Credits
L1 Literacy Credits
UE Literacy Credits
Numeracy Credits
A.S. 90826 v3
NZQA Info
Religious Studies 3.3 - Analyse the response of a religious tradition to a contemporary ethical issue
Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 6
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 6r *
Numeracy Credits: 0
A.S. 91874 v1
NZQA Info
Psychology 3.3 - Conduct independent psychological research with consultation
Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 6
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 6r
Numeracy Credits: 0
Credit Summary
Total Credits: 12
Total Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
Total University Entrance Literacy Credits: 12
Total Numeracy Credits: 0

Disclaimer

We aim to enable every student to have the course that they prefer, however, some courses have limited places or pre-requisits that may restrict the student's choice.