Debates on Morality

Lesson Overview

This lesson invites Year 11 students to critically explore the morality of the Roman Games, focusing on violence and entertainment, within a safe and supportive classroom environment. Students will engage in structured debates to articulate and defend their viewpoints, developing ethical reasoning skills aligned with the NSW syllabus for Social Science (Life Skills) for students with mild intellectual disability or autism.

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Learning Intentions

• Students will understand different perspectives on the morality of the Roman Games, considering violence and entertainment.
• Students will express their own ethical viewpoint on the Roman Games clearly and respectfully.

Success Criteria

• Students participate in discussions and debates, demonstrating respectful listening and responding skills.
• Students present clear, reasoned opinions about the Roman Games’ morality, supporting their views with examples.

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NSW Curriculum Links

Stage 5 Life Skills – History:

• Content focus: Explore significant aspects of Roman culture and society including the entertainment provided by the Games.
• Outcomes:
• HTLS-3 identifies features of past societies and describes how people lived and changed over time
• HTLS-7 communicates about the past through oral, written, and visual forms

General Capabilities addressed:

• Ethical Understanding: exploring ethical dilemmas related to past events and their implications today.
• Literacy: articulating ideas in spoken and written form.
• Critical and Creative Thinking: evaluating historical events from multiple perspectives.

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Lesson Duration: 60 minutes

Class size: 5 students (with diverse learning needs)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction and Warm-Up (10 minutes)

• Activity: Recap the Roman Games (brief discussion and visual prompt) to ensure all students recall key facts (e.g., gladiators, animal fights, public spectacle).
• Strategy: Use a large visual image or short video clip (approx. 1-2 mins) showing the Games to engage visual learners.
• Teacher Prompt: “What kind of things happened in the Games?” and “How do you think people felt about watching these events?”

2. Exploring Moral Perspectives (10 minutes)

• Activity: Present two contrasting viewpoints on the morality of the Games:
• View 1: The Games were an important source of entertainment and tradition in Roman society.
• View 2: The Games were violent and unethical because of the harm to humans and animals.
• Provide printed simple statements or cards with these views for students to hold and read aloud.
• Teacher Prompt: “Which of these views do you agree with? Can you think of reasons why?”

3. Debate Preparation (10 minutes)

• Activity: Divide students into two groups (2 vs 3). Each group prepares arguments supporting one viewpoint.
• Use a template to guide thinking:
• What are three reasons for your view?
• How can you explain your reasons simply?
• Support strategies: Provide sentence starters (e.g., “I believe the Games were … because...”) and key vocabulary.

4. Structured Debate (20 minutes)

• Activity: Each group takes turns stating their points and responding politely to the opposing group.
• Teacher acts as moderator, ensuring respectful interaction and encouraging quieter students to share their views.
• Encourage students to use their own words and refer to examples from Roman culture.

5. Reflection and Personal Response (10 minutes)

• Activity: Students write or verbally share their personal viewpoint about the morality of the Roman Games.
• Prompt: “Now that we have heard both sides, what is your opinion? Explain why.”
• Provide writing frames or allow spoken responses based on student preference and ability.

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Differentiation and Support Strategies

• Allow use of assistive technology (e.g., speech-to-text) if needed for written work.
• Use clear, simple language and visual supports to define “morality,” “violence,” and “entertainment.”
• Scaffold debating skills with sentence starters and role modelling.
• Ensure small group discussions to reduce anxiety and support peer interaction.

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Assessment

• Informal assessment through teacher observation of participation in debate and discussion.
• Review written or verbal personal responses for clarity of ethical stance and ability to support views.

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Resources Needed

• Visuals/videos of Roman Games (curated for age-appropriateness).
• Printed viewpoint cards.
• Debate preparation sheet with prompts.
• Writing frames or verbal response templates.

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This lesson aligns with NSW curriculum priorities by fostering ethical understanding through historical investigation, supporting differentiated learning, and building confident communication in complex issues. It encourages year 11 students to engage thoughtfully without oversimplifying, while providing adequate scaffolding for diverse learning needs.