Overview

Medical decision making is complex, wrought with personal, professional, societal, institutional, and, most of all, ethical implications. One tremendous challenge for medical professionals, policy makers, patients, and caregivers is negotiating the ethics of a situation, which can range from participating in a clinical trial to considering whether to prolong someone’s life. The choices are not easily made. In this lesson, students confront a number of medical circumstances that require close ethical analysis drawn from varied viewpoints.

Grade Level:

Grades 9 – 12

Time Allotment:

Time frames accompany each activity.

Subject Matter:

Health, Health Education, Science, Technology

Learning Objectives

As a result of completing the lesson, the students will:

• discern ethical issues and concerns that emerge in the medical field
• summarize the foundations/theories — their own and others’ — that shape individual, professional, and/or institutional “ethical” or “moral” positions
• practice informed decision-making when presented with medical illness and treatment dilemmas that raise ethical concerns and/or arguments

Standards

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
http://www.mcrel.org/
Level IV (Grades 9-12)

Health

Standard 1: Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information
Standard 8: Knows essential concepts about the prevention and control of disease

Science

Standard 13: Understands the scientific enterprise

Technology

Standard 6: Understands the nature and uses of different forms of technology

Thinking and Reasoning

Standard 1: Understands and applies the basic principles of presenting an argument
Standard 2: Understands and applies basic principles of logic and reasoning
Standard 6: Applies decision-making techniques

This lesson was prepared by: Michele Israel