Thursday, December 11, 2014

Gingerbread Ethics

I use the concept of Ethics from Kaplan's Depth and Complexity in my classroom quite often. I think it's important for kids to be able to form an opinion and back that opinion up. We started a unit on Gingerbread stories--there are so many of them! We read many different versions of the story (I will post about those later on this weekend).

In many of these stories the food runs away and chased down to be eaten. Sometimes that protagonist falls for a trick and turns into a snack, sometimes it gets away. But my question was-is it right or wrong that they are all trying to eat the Gingerbread. I was actually very impressed with some of their answers.

Wrong because people want to eat him and he does not like it.

Right because it's delicious--very true!

They had the right to cook it. 

You need them to celebrate Christmas

Right because it may be the only food you have to eat.

Right because other people do it.

Right because (and I'm paraphrasing here) ---hello, it's a cookie!

Right because it's meant to be-- my future philosopher!

(please ignore the fact that they think they can write in cursive! :)

Wrong because the Gingerbread has the right to live. --A future civil rights attorney right here.

Wrong because, let's face it....he's cool!

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  1. Such great thoughts! It's meant to be. :)

  2. We had the same discussion the other day and I was surprised by how many kids said they would eat even a magical talking cookie!! Haha!