Infusion of Ethics and Values in Pre-College Science Teaching

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This is a collaborative research and education project which has the following goals: 1) producing and publishing a textbook designed to provide practical support for secondary school teachers who wish to incorporate topics in ethics and values in their curricula; 2) exploring state and national science curricula to identify opportunities for introducing ethics and values the primary and middle school grades; 3) developing ethics and values in science lessons in the junior and senior high ; 4) begin exploring and testing the feasibility of integrating ethics and values in science lessons at the elementary school level; and 5) developing models for summer institutes and/or in-service instructional programs designed to provide the education, support and encouragement needed to promote the teaching of ethics and values at all levels. The textbook for secondary school teachers will include introductory education sections on effective means of introducing junior and senior high school students to the study of moral and value-laden aspects of the practice and uses of science in society. This material will be based on the experience gained by the principal investigators during the summer institute program, their prior experience in teaching ethics and the rapidly growing literature on the teaching of ethics using case studies, role-playing and other pedagogical techniques. The principal investigators, a philosopher with considerable successful experience in teaching ethics to grade school children and an environmental scientist who has taught ethics and values in science to both college students and high school teachers, will take advantage of their mutual sabbatical leaves to educate each other and work together on this project.