MORALITY FINALPROJECT – Creating a moral position on a moral issue.
You will bewriting a report in which you are taking a stance on a significant moral issue. As part of the report you will be expected to include Church teaching and will be presenting your report to the class.
Groups
- The project will be completed in groups of 2 or 3. You will select your own groups and submit this to Mr. Leone as soon as you have your group. In order for your group to officially select a topic you must submit the following to Mr. Leone:
1) An explanation of the topic you are going to select.
2) A thesis statement which says what side you are going to take on this issue.
3) A list of the people in your group.
You need to email this to me directly at (). Once I approve your topic submission, your group will have that topic.
Topic
- You will be selecting a topic from the list that you would like to report on for your project. Each group must have it’s own topic, no two groups can report on the same moral issue.
- If you would like to select a topic that isn’t on the list of possible topics, that may be acceptable but you MUST consult with Mr. Leone FIRST.
- Topics will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis. As soon as you know your topic, submit this to Mr. Leone.
- You need to have a thesis statement that clearly states your position within the moral issue. For example, drinking underage is morally unacceptable or it is morally acceptable to have a death penalty. Remember your topic should be a MORAL position and not a political or legal one.
Pick 1 of the 2 formats for your topic that works best
FORMAT #1: CHURCH Approach–this approach works best for topics that directly correlate to Church teaching.
•1. Select a moral issue and develop a presentation with the following points:
•2. The church's position (example: prolife)
•3. The opposing position (example: prochoice)
•4. Collect as facts, statistics and/or data for both positions
•5. Use morality information we learned about in class
•6. Include Media sources
•7. Present to the class
FORMAT #2: CAUSE&EFFECT Approach–this approach works best for topics that don’t directly to Church teaching.
•1. Select a specific moral dilemma
•2. Describe the dilemma
•3. Include causes that led to the dilemma. (CAUSE)
•4. Explain the effects of the immoral act(s) by the people involved. (EFFECT)
•5. Propose alternative behavior that could eliminate, alleviate, or make better the situation andprovide methods that can prevent such a dilemma in the future.
•6. Include Media Sources
•7. Present to the class
Here are some websites that you can use to access Church teaching
Parts of the Project
1) Report 50% (At least 2 pages)
You will be writing a report that explains your moral stance on your issue. In your report make sure to include the following:
-Explanation of your thesis
-Inclusion of class information to support your position
-Inclusion of Church teaching in your report
-Inclusion of facts and data to enhance your position
-Explanation of an opposing position to your thesis and how you would respond to that
-Conclusion expressing your position and what that means in today’s society
-A works cited listing the sources that you used for your presentation
2) Presentation 25% (10-15 minutes)
- Create an interactive presentation that summarizes the main points of your position and information to the class (Example: Powerpoint, prezi, etc…)
- Lead a discussion with the rest of the class that gives everyone a chance to respond to your position and participate.
- Use class information in your presentation (Example: Conscience, Sin, Virtues and Vices)
3) Reflection 25%
- Each group member needs to write a personal reflection about how this topic to relevant to them in their lives. You need to discuss how your perspective on your moral issue affects your life. Make sure to include how researching this topic and completing your project affected you as well.
Completing the Project
- All reports are due by the final due date for the class and MUST be submitted to Mr. Leone in person during that class period.
- Part 2 (The presentation) will be due on the day that each group presents. Each group will sign up for one of the days to present on the class calendar according to the order in which groups had their topics approved. Your group must be ready to present a class period before the day you sign up for.
- Part 3 (Individual Reflection Paper) will be due on the assigned day for everyone.
Morality Topics
These are the list of topics you may choose from. If you want to select a topic that isn’t on the list, please check with Mr. Leone to receive his approval. Once you have selected your topic, you must submit that in writing to Mr. Leone with a brief explanation of why you are interested in creating your project on this moral issue.
•Abortion
•Death penalty
•Euthanasia – Physician Assisted Suicide
•Prostitution
•Sexual promiscuity – hooking up
•Gambling
•Drinking and driving
•Racism
•Rape
•Athletes and Steroids
•Gun Control
•Child abuse
•Drug and Alcohol abuse
•Recreational use of marijuana
•Sexual harassment
•Gang violence
•Domestic Violence
•Human Trafficking
•Catfish
•Bullying
•Use of social media (make sure to be specific)
•Pollution/Climate Change
•Recycling
•Academic Integrity – Cheating
•Moral response to terrorism
•Gay marriage
•Poverty