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Ethical Decision-Making

Tenth graders build responsible decision-making by exploring the values behind ethical choices — integrity, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and empathy — so they can make choices they can stand behind.

Grade 10CASEL: Decision-Making45 minutes1 class periodCASEL SELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain ethics.
  • ✓Name ethical values.
  • ✓Match values to meanings.
  • ✓Make choices you stand behind.
Essential Question

Some choices aren’t about right vs. easy — they’re about right vs. wrong. Ethical decision-making rests on core values. What are they?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Ethical Value

Project this and match each ethical value to its meaning — tap a value, then tap its meaning.

⚖️ Match each ethical value to its meaningTry it
Value
What It Means
Now tap its meaning!
The Lesson · SEL Flow (Check-In · Learn · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Check-In — Right vs Easy

5 min

Some choices are about right vs. wrong — what values guide them?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a check-in.
  • Pose an ethical choice.
  • Be caring.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Check in.
  • Consider.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Ethical Values

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Ethical Value.
  • Match each one.
  • Discuss them.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Discuss.
  • Check.
3

Practice — Practice

12 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Apply a value to a dilemma.
  • Explain the right choice.
  • Weigh the impact.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Apply it.
  • Explain.
  • Weigh it.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Face a real dilemma.
  • Use your values.
  • Choose with integrity.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Face it.
  • Use them.
  • Choose it.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name an ethical value.
  • Explain integrity.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL 5 Social & Emotional Learning Competencies.

CASEL
Responsible Decision-Making

Make ethical decisions.

CASEL
Responsible Decision-Making

Apply values to choices.

CASEL
Responsible Decision-Making

Consider consequences and impact.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Act with integrity and empathy.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Value + meaning cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ means ___.”
  • Use a dilemma.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with honesty and fairness.
  • Match one pair at a time.
  • Use a clear example.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Analyze a real dilemma.
  • Explain a values conflict.
  • Write an ethics code.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • ⚖️Value cards
  • 💻Match the Ethical Value
  • 📓Dilemma scenarios
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

ethicsideas of right and wrongintegritydoing right unwatchedhonestybeing truthfulfairnesstreating people justlyresponsibilityowning your choicesempathyconsidering othersvalueswhat matters to youdilemmaa hard choice
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is integrity?
Doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
QUESTION 2
What does fairness mean?
Treating people justly and equally.
QUESTION 3
What is responsibility?
Owning your choices and their consequences.

Reflect: choose with integrity.

Have students name one value that guides their choices and explain why. A printable ethics sheet is in the SEL library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Responsible Decision-Making: Ethical Decision-MakingFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Responsible Decision-Making: Ethical Decision-MakingQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Responsible Decision-Making: Ethical Decision-MakingPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: dilemma, empathy, ethics, fairness, honesty, integrity, responsibility, values
  1. owning your choices
  2. doing right unwatched
  3. being truthful
  4. treating people justly
  5. considering others
  6. what matters to you
  7. ideas of right and wrong
  8. a hard choice

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is integrity?
  2. What does fairness mean?
  3. What is responsibility?
Answer key — Part A: 1) responsibility · 2) integrity · 3) honesty · 4) fairness · 5) empathy · 6) values · 7) ethics · 8) dilemma
Part B: 1) Doing the right thing even when no one is watching. 2) Treating people justly and equally. 3) Owning your choices and their consequences.