Moral Education
Grade 8
Third Semester
Teacher’s Guide
Pilot Edition
2017 - 2018
I
Ministry of Education - Call Centre
For Suggestions, Inquiries & Complaints
80051115
04-2176855
ccc.moe@moe.gov.ae
www.moe.gov.ae
Trial Edition
2017- 2018
Copyrights reserved -Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates - Curriculum and Evaluation Sector
II
Moral Education
Engaging, Enlightening, Enabling and Empowering Global Citizens
“
”
‘A country’s greatest investment lies in building generations
of educated and knowledgeable youth.’… ‘To the young men
and women of the Emirates, the future is yours. You are those
who will determine your Country’s future’
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan
“
‘Values are the foundation of a nations stability, and the spirit
of its laws. Without values a country has no security, stability
or continuity.’
“
‘The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it and
execute it. It isn’t something you await, but rather create.’
“
”
HH. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
”
HH. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
‘Our children face major challenges, and it is our
responsibility to prepare and protect them. We should not sit
back and watch. We should race faster than light, to ensure
that future generations are well prepared to continue
achieving and progressing.’
”
HH. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
IV
Moral Education
Moral education seeks to foster in students a set of universal values, which will enable
them to peacefully interact and connect with people from different cultural and social
groups who hold different and divergent views and perspectives. It seeks to empower
them to become active, responsible, local and global citizens. It enables them to develop
mutual understanding, respect for difference and empathy, in order to sustain our
cohesive, and prosperous society. Through dialogue and interaction, students are
provided with opportunities to explore different worldviews, to challenge one another’s
assumptions and attitudes and to develop the knowledge, skills and attitude necessary
to think critically, to make informed ethical decisions and to act on them in the interests
of their society.
Values of the Moral Education Course
V
Key Pillars of Learning
The Moral Education Course will be experienced by students as they work their way
through four key pillars of learning as they progress through the course. Each of the four
pillars is constructed around a series of Learning Outcomes.
Moral Education
VI
Character and
Morality (CM)
The Individual and
Community (IC)
Civic Studies
(CIS)
Cultural Studies
(CUS)
Teaching universal
ethical values,
such as fairness,
caring, honesty,
resilience,
tolerance and
respect.
The development
of moral thinking
for individuals as
active members of
their families,
social environment
and communities
at large.
Concentrating on
Emirati history,
trade, travel,
governance, as
well as global
citizenship.
Focusing on local
Emirati heritage,
archaeology, and
the importance of
preserving culture.
Key Skills
The Moral Education Course takes a holistic approach to teaching and learning. It focuses
on educating the Head (the cognitive domain - knowing), the Heart (the affective domain
- feeling) and the Hands (the pragmatic domain - doing), so that students are equipped
with an appropriate skill set to fully participate in a fast-changing world.
Deliberation
Care
Curiosity
Problem solving
Dealing with complexity
Research
Solidarity
Resilience
Managing oneself
Creativity
Adaptability
Working independently
Critical thinking
Communication
Enquiry
Critical reflection
Multiple perspectives
Imagination
Autonomy
Decision-making
Moral reasoning
Respect
Teamwork
Empathy
Taking action
Collaboration
Participation
Active listening
Anti-racism
VII
Values
Values are at the heart of moral education. They are essential to a person’s sense of self;
they operate as the personal benchmarks that guide our thoughts and actions. The
Moral Education aims to support students in identifying their personal goals and the
motivation behind them. Moral education explores many multi-faceted issues, including
trade, mental health and the distribution of resources. It also enables teachers and
learners to explore the ethical implications behind complex global issues, enabling them
to engage as members of the UAE and international community.
It is hoped that in working through the Moral Education curriculum, teachers and
students will become inspired and motivated by a commitment to the values of social
justice, human rights, care for the environment, empathy, respect for diversity and
global solidarity. The lessons of Moral Education course are founded on the principles of
solidarity, equality and inclusion, and support a process for teaching and learning which
explores how personal values are shaped and directed. This Moral Education course does
not impose values, but rather encourages students to explore ethical issues, and
develop an awareness on their individual values.
Teaching and Learning – A Pedagogical Approach
Group is important in encouraging students to be proactive and autonomous learners.
Throughout this moral education curriculum, there is a focus on inclusive group work,
and a student driven approach to teaching and learning in the classroom. Students are
encouraged to have open discussions, guided conversations, activities, and philosophical
debates. This is intended to take students through a process of awareness-raising and
critical thinking, which will allow them to consciously enact moral reasoning in their
everyday lives.
Action Projects
In the upper grades of the course students are encouraged and enabled to undertake
Action Projects, where students are actively involved in developing an issue or topic,
which has arises in class, beyond the usual limits of textbooks and course materials.
These Action Projects encourage active and co-operative learning and the development
and acquisition of skills. They are part of the ‘Hands’ (pragmatic) domain of skills
development.
VIII
Moral Education Course Education Resources
In order to teach the Moral Education course a suite of resources has been developed to
support the teaching and learning of all participants:
Unit
4 Morality in the Context of States
Moral Education
Lesson Objectives
Understanding
State and
Government
Learning Outcomes
In this lesson, the student will learn the basic concepts
of state and government.
•
Required Materials
Define ‘state’ and ‘government’.
Vocabulary
Constitution
Government
A state is:
•
A government is:
•
A constitution is:
Large sheets of paper for posters
•
•
Notebook/copy book
•
The UAE comprises seven emirates. Can you name all seven, and their leaders?
Learning Outcomes
Understanding
State and
Government
Pens
•
Constitution
Pictures of key leaders (to be found in book, or
alternatively may be shown on a projector if
available)
Government
State
1
Coloured markers/crayons/pencils
Complete these sentences and the activity that follows.
•
A state is:
•
A government is:
•
A constitution is:
2
Now look at the accompanying images. These are all very important figures in the government of the United
Arab Emirates. Can you name them?
Define ‘state’ and ‘government’.
•
•
State: A defined territory shared by a community
and ruled by a single government; a country.
Government: A group of people who have the
authority to govern a state or country. They
have the power to create laws, apply them and
monitor their execution.
Constitution: The laws and principles that govern
a state; the collection of fundamental principles
that guide the governance of a state
Ask students:
For Beginners
What are the emirates that constitute the UAE
called? (Emirates)
For Advanced Students
What type of state is the UAE? (A state ruled by an
emir or monarch)
Read about the relationship between the public and the UAE government through the
Federal National Council. Then answer the following questions.
The Federal National Council (FNC) was established as per the provisional
Constitution adopted by the UAE Government in 1971. In this stage, all its 40
members were appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates.
In 2006, H. H. Sheikh Khalifa approved the Supreme Council Resolution No.
4 of 2006, which revised the method of selecting the representatives of the
emirates in the Federal National Council by combining the process of election and
appointment.
Thus, the Ruler’s Court in each of the seven emirates would appoint half of the
members while the electoral bodies representing the citizens would elect the
other half.
20 candidates with the highest votes become members of the FNC.
Voting
Eligibility for FNC membership
Certain rules do apply to prospective and functioning FNC members. They are provided for in Articles 70 and 71 of
the Constitution as follows:
• An FNC member must be a citizen of an emirate of the UAE and must be residing permanently in the emirate
which he/she represents in the FNC
• When selected, he/she must not be less than 25 years of age according to Gregorian calendar
• He/she must have civil capacity, good conduct and good reputation
• He/she must have adequate reading and writing knowledge
• A member of the FNC cannot at the same time hold a public office in the UAE including ministerial portfolios
Model definitions on the board:
•
Leader
Vocabulary
Textbook
Explain to students that the UAE is a group of
emirates, with a federal government and local
governments, as set out in the constitution. Ask
students to consider these three key terms and to
write definitions in their Student Book. Ask students to
share their answers.
Now look at the accompanying images. These are all very important figures in the government of the United
Arab Emirates. Can you name them?
Emirate
Define ‘state’ and ‘government’.
Activity 1 (10 minutes)
Complete these sentences and the activity that follows.
•
•
•
•
•
4 Morality in the Context of States
Lesson 1
Learning Outcomes
State
1
Grade 8
Unit
Lesson 1
Unit 4 Lesson 1
3
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Explain that every state needs a stable government and strong constitution to ensure
it can be ruled effectively. Also, the character and morality of a state may be shaped by
its rulers, and how the state and government of a county must maintain a high moral
code.
Direct students’ attention to the pictures in the Student Book. Ask them to identify
each person. This initial activity assesses students’ current understanding of state and
government in the UAE. Explain that the images are of:
•
•
•
UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
UAE Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Ask the students to write down the names of the seven emirates and the ruler of each.
This activity assesses students’ knowledge of the rulers of the seven emirates. It is
intended that this will be a fast-paced activity. Students can support one another, and
the teacher can give prompts to students who are struggling.
Record any answers on the board.
3
3
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Student Book
Teacher Guide
A book specifically for students with a range of
illustrations, images, texts and activities to engage
and support students in their learning.
The Teacher Guide takes teachers through the course,
highlighting key aspects of the lessons, suggestions
for questions and classroom activities, and specific
guidance on handling each lesson in the classroom.
Also included are suggestions for differentiation and
assessment for learning.
Lettre to the Parents/ Guardians
Dear Parents/ Guardians
Welcome to a new term, one that we hope will be fruitful and beneficial.
We have decided to teach Moral Education in order to facilitate the character
development of our students. We aim to introduce them to a set of individual
and social values, which we hope they will abide by. This will enable them to
play an effective role in the community and create a bright future on both
personal and social levels.
Therefore, we hope you will contribute to our efforts by talking to your children
and discussing with them the topics and lessons of this course.
At the beginning of each unit, you will find a summary of its content and
intended learning outcomes. We hope you will read the summary and learning
outcomes and work with your children to complete one or more activities from
the menu suggested in this unit, thus ensuring interaction between the
students and their family members.
73
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Parent Guide
Each unit of the course has a short guide for parents,
outlining the essential elements of the unit with
suggestions as to how parents can engage with the
course and their children.
The Moral Education programme includes two volumes
Digital Resources
Where appropriate, learners will have opportunities to
use digital technologies, such as eBooks and digital
objects, to support and extend their learning about
aspects of moral education across each unit of the
Moral Education course.
IX
The Moral Education Course Cover and What it Symbolises
A design that evokes local culture, contemporary society and global citizenship
The cover draws inspiration from the flower
with five petals, which is prevalent
throughout the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, in Abu
Dhabi.
The intersecting circles are a key element in
the pattern’s design. They serve to symbolise
union and connection,both at the national
and international levels and within the
community.
The intersections represent the complexity of
the relations between the different entities
Inspired by the Sheikh Zayed
Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi
living in an interdependent world as global
citizens.
At the centre of the cover is a star. This guiding star is created out of infinite circles, and
represents the moral compass that we should all aspire to follow, just as the North Star
has guided travellers through the ages. At the same time the star symbolises the
individual in the middle of the complex structure that is society.
As the grades progress, the number of circles increases, symbolizing how, as students
progress, they develop more connections with contemporary society and international
communities.
The gradation of colour portrays the complexity of the 21st century living.
Books and their covers vary in size. Keeping to the concept of interconnected ideas
influencing one’s moral behaviour, the circular pattern derived from the mosque
matures into a more complex design reflecting how morality and character grow in
complexity as we age.
X
XI
Table of Contents
Unit 4
Moral Education
Teacher’s Guide
Grade 8
Theme Character and Morality
Unit 4
Theme: Character and Morality
Unit 4:
(CM16) Morality in the
Context of States
Morality in the
Context of States
Exploratory Questions
Morality in the
Context of States
These questions provide an overview of the concepts
that the students will learn throughout the lessons in
this unit.
What is a state and what role does government play in it?
What are the characteristics of good and moral government?
What role does politics play in the UAE and around the world?
Note To Teacher
How can governments promote social morality and cohesion?
Each lesson contains at least four texts. However,
please feel free to choose two of them to work on with
your students, based on their needs.
Unit Objectives
The aim of this unit is to allow young people to
explore the concept of government and state, and
examine the characteristics and qualities of good government. They will explore politics, both in the UAE
and global context. And they will also consider how
governments can promote equality and
social cohesion.
Lesson 1
Understanding State and Government
Lesson 2
Laws
Lesson 3
Good Governance: Past and Present
Lesson 4
The Government in the UAE
Lesson 5
The Importance of Ethics in Government
Unit Description
The concepts which are the foundations of this unit
are taught over five lessons and designed to answer
the central question.
What is the role of governments in society and how can they promote
social values?
1
2
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Central Question
Learning Outcomes
Each unit has a central question. All the lessons are structured around this question.
Throughout the unit, students explore the concept of the central question.
1.
Define ‘state’ and ‘government’.
2.
Explain the different historical forms of government and main forms of
government today.
3.
Describe the key characteristics of a good government.
4.
Discuss the role of government in increasing/decreasing the level of social
equality and cohesion in a country such as the UAE.
1
2
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1 Understanding State and Government
P. 3
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2 Laws ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� P. 9
3 Good Governance: Past and Present
4 The Government in the UAE
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P. 15
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P. 21
5 The Importance of Ethics in Government
XII
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P. 27
Unit 5
Moral Education
The Individual and the Community
Unit 5
Theme: The Individual and the
Community
Exploratory Questions
Dealing with Conflict
Unit 5
(IC16) Dealing with
Conflict
Dealing with Conflict
Teacher’s Guide
Grade 8
Theme
These questions provide an overview of the concepts
that the students will learn throughout the lessons in
this unit.
How would we recognise signs of internal conflict and aim to resolve it?
What strategies can we use to deal with internal conflict?
What strategies can we use to deal with external conflict and forces that may
be out of our control?
What are the recommended steps to resolve conflict?
Unit Objectives
The aim of this unit is to allow young people to
explore the concept of conflict and prepare them to
cope with struggles on an individual basis as well as
well as on a domestic and social level. Students will
discover a range of problem-solving strategies as well
as intrapersonal and interpersonal skills to be used in
the classroom and, more widely, in society. They will
also learn a number of strategies to help them live
productively when they are dealing with conflict, such
as reflective and empathetic thinking.
Lesson 1
Internal Conflicts
Lesson 2
Managing Internal Conflicts
Lesson 3
External Conflicts
Lesson 4
Managing External Conflicts
Lesson 5
Resolving Conflicts
Unit Description
How can people deal with conflict in different situations and find ways
to resolve it?
The concepts, which are the foundations of this unit,
are taught over five lessons and designed to answer
the central question.
33
34
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Central Question
Learning Outcomes
Each unit has a central question. All the lessons are structured around this question.
Throughout the unit, students explore the concept of the central question.
1.
Demonstrate, through role-play, an understanding of strategies to deal with
internal and external conflict.
2.
Articulate the importance of showing tolerance for people affected by external
conflict (eg refugees).
3.
Understand why external conflicts take place and the importance of conflictresolution strategies and diplomacy, including being open and tolerant.
4.
Give advice on how to manage internal conflict and cope with external forces
beyond one’s control.
33
34
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1 Internal Conflicts
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P. 35
2 Managing Internal Conflicts ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������P. 41
3 External Conflicts
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4 Managing External Conflicts
5 Resolving Conflicts
P. 47
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P. 53
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P. 59
Unit 6
Moral Education in Action
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P. 65
XIII
Moral Education
Grade 8
Theme Character and Morality
Unit 4
Theme: Character and Morality
Morality in the
Context of States
Unit 4:
(CM16) Morality in the
Context of States
Unit Objectives
The aim of this unit is to allow young people to
explore the concept of government and state, and
examine the characteristics and qualities of good government. They will explore politics, both in the UAE
and global context. And they will also consider how
governments can promote equality and
social cohesion.
Lesson 1
Understanding State and Government
Lesson 2
Laws
Lesson 3
Good Governance: Past and Present
Lesson 4
The Government in the UAE
Lesson 5
The Importance of Ethics in Government
Unit Description
The concepts which are the foundations of this unit
are taught over five lessons and designed to answer
the central question.
What is the role of governments in society and how can they promote
social values?
1
Central Question
Each unit has a central question. All the lessons are structured around this question.
Throughout the unit, students explore the concept of the central question.
1
Teacher’s Guide
Exploratory Questions
These questions provide an overview of the concepts
that the students will learn throughout the lessons in
this unit.
What is a state and what role does government play in it?
What are the characteristics of good and moral government?
What role does politics play in the UAE and around the world?
Note To Teacher
How can governments promote social morality and cohesion?
Each lesson contains at least four texts. However,
please feel free to choose two of them to work on with
your students, based on their needs.
2
Learning Outcomes
1.
Define ‘state’ and ‘government’.
2.
Explain the different historical forms of government and main forms of
government today.
3.
Describe the key characteristics of a good government.
4.
Discuss the role of government in increasing/decreasing the level of social
equality and cohesion in a country such as the UAE.
2
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
Lesson Objectives
4 Morality in the Context of States
Lesson 1
In this lesson, the student will learn the basic concepts
of state and government.
Required Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
Large sheets of paper for posters
Pens
•
Define ‘state’ and ‘government’.
Vocabulary
Textbook
Constitution
Pictures of key leaders (to be found in book, or
alternatively may be shown on a projector if
available)
Government
State
1
Notebook/copy book
Coloured markers/crayons/pencils
Learning Outcomes
•
Learning Outcomes
Understanding
State and
Government
Complete these sentences and the activity that follows.
•
A state is:
•
A government is:
•
A constitution is:
Now look at the accompanying images. These are all very important figures in the government of the United
Arab Emirates. Can you name them?
Define ‘state’ and ‘government’.
Activity 1 (10 minutes)
Explain to students that the UAE is a group of
emirates, with a federal government and local
governments, as set out in the constitution. Ask
students to consider these three key terms and to
write definitions in their Student Book. Ask students to
share their answers.
Model definitions on the board:
•
•
•
State: A defined territory shared by a community
and ruled by a single government; a country.
Government: A group of people who have the
authority to govern a state or country. They
have the power to create laws, apply them and
monitor their execution.
Constitution: The laws and principles that govern
a state; the collection of fundamental principles
that guide the governance of a state
Ask students:
For Beginners
What are the emirates that constitute the UAE
called? (Emirates)
For Advanced Students
What type of state is the UAE? (A state ruled by an
emir or monarch)
3
Explain that every state needs a stable government and strong constitution to ensure
it can be ruled effectively. Also, the character and morality of a state may be shaped by
its rulers, and how the state and government of a county must maintain a high moral
code.
Direct students’ attention to the pictures in the Student Book. Ask them to identify
each person. This initial activity assesses students’ current understanding of state and
government in the UAE. Explain that the images are of:
•
•
•
UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
UAE Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Ask the students to write down the names of the seven emirates and the ruler of each.
This activity assesses students’ knowledge of the rulers of the seven emirates. It is
intended that this will be a fast-paced activity. Students can support one another, and
the teacher can give prompts to students who are struggling.
Record any answers on the board.
3
Teacher’s Guide
The UAE comprises seven emirates. Can you name all seven, and their leaders?
Emirate
2
Constitution
The laws and principles that
govern a state.
Government
A group of people who have
the authority to govern a
state or country. They have
the power to create laws,
apply them and monitor
their execution.
State
A defined territory shared
by a community and ruled
by a single government; a
country.
Leader
Activity 2 (15 minutes)
Read about the relationship between the public and the UAE government through the
Federal National Council. Then answer the following questions.
The Federal National Council (FNC) was established as per the provisional
Constitution adopted by the UAE Government in 1971. In this stage, all its 40
members were appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates.
In 2006, H. H. Sheikh Khalifa approved the Supreme Council Resolution No.
4 of 2006, which revised the method of selecting the representatives of the
emirates in the Federal National Council by combining the process of election and
appointment.
Thus, the Ruler’s Court in each of the seven emirates would appoint half of the
members while the electoral bodies representing the citizens would elect the
other half.
20 candidates with the highest votes become members of the FNC.
Ask students to read the article about the Federal
National Council, which is the parliamentary body of
the UAE. Have a discussion about elections and how
they are important in a democratic government. Ask if
any of them would like to run for election when they
grow up and, if so, why.
Then ask them to answer the questions in their books.
Voting
Suggested Answers
Eligibility for FNC membership
Certain rules do apply to prospective and functioning FNC members. They are provided for in Articles 70 and 71 of
the Constitution as follows:
• An FNC member must be a citizen of an emirate of the UAE and must be residing permanently in the emirate
which he/she represents in the FNC
• When selected, he/she must not be less than 25 years of age according to Gregorian calendar
• He/she must have civil capacity, good conduct and good reputation
• He/she must have adequate reading and writing knowledge
• A member of the FNC cannot at the same time hold a public office in the UAE including ministerial portfolios
Unit 4
Lesson 1
4
a. The Supreme Council Resolution No. 4 of 2006
aimed at providing an opportunity for the citizens
to elect their representatives to the FNC. The
objective of electing members to the FNC is to
boost national loyalty and public interest in the
national affairs, through contributions of young,
educated and enthusiastic population and the
role of the women.
b. Elections show:
Emirate
Leader
Abu Dhabi
H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Dubai
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum
Sharjah
H.H. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi
Ajman
H.H. Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi
Umm al-Quwain
H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla
Ras al-Khaimah
H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi
Fujairah
H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi
Inclusion: reflects the mutual trust between the
rulers and the citizens, and the government’s intention
to maintain social and economic growth hand in hand
with its people.
Equality: by giving an equal opportunity to all
candidates to become members.
Justice: by giving the public the right to vote for
whoever they believe can represent them in
the council.
On the other hand, the public can send messages and
post videos and photos on what they would like the
FNC to discuss. The app was developed in response to
suggestions from the new generation who seek easy
ways to use communication.
4
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 3 (10 minutes)
Rules for voters
As per the official election guide, voters need to adhere to the following rules while exercising their right to vote:
1. The family book (Khulasat Al Qaid) is the benchmark, which indicates the emirate to which the UAE
national belongs.
2. Membership to the electoral college will change upon each new election term.
3. Voting is a personal right, which must be exercised only by the voter. The voter cannot authorise this right to
anyone else.
4. The voter must present an Emirates ID to verify his/her identity before voting.
5. Each voter is entitled to cast only one vote for only one candidate from among the candidates of the emirate
he/she belongs to.
To support better communication between the FNC and the public, an app is being developed. Provisionally named
Weyakum, which means ‘with you’ in Arabic, the app when launched will enable closer interaction between the
public and the FNC.
Ask the students to read the quote from Sheikh Zayed.
Then have a discussion about his life. Explain that he
always shared his thoughts with the citizens and was
very close to them. He believed that the government
had a responsibility to develop the UAE for the benefit
of all its citizens. Divide the students into pairs to
answer the question.
Suggested Answers
What Sheikh Zayed is talking about in this quote is the
relationship between the government and the citizens.
He is encouraging citizens to share responsibility for
the development of the country. He is also saying
that the government should take care of the citizens
and that they all have the right to a good standard of
living. However, each citizen also has to be respectful
of the laws of the UAE and support the leaders in their
efforts to build a country to be proud of.
3
a.
What is the aim and the objectives of the Supreme Council Resolution No. 4 of 2006?
b.
How do elections show inclusion, equality and justice?
Read the quote from Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan (may God have mercy on his
soul), and then answer the question that follows.
“The process of construction and development requires the efforts not only of the government but also of all
the citizens of the UAE.”
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan (may God have mercy on his soul)
•
5
5
Analyse the quote, stating the responsibility of the government and its citizens.
Teacher’s Guide
4
Activity 4 (10 minutes)
Like other countries and states, the UAE is ruled by a government that was set up by
the constitution. Read the following text about the Federal Supreme Council and then
answer the questions that follow.
Remind students that constitutions set up
governments to rule states. The UAE is no exception.
Explain that the seven Emirati rulers make up the UAE
Federal Supreme Council. This is the constitutional
authority, or government, of the UAE.
Ask students to carefully read the article about the
Federal Supreme Council. Then have a discussion
around the questions in the Student Book.
Suggested Answers
a. Each of the seven emirates has one vote on the
council resolutions and deliberations.
UAE Federal Supreme Council
b. Responsibilities include formulating policies;
endorsing laws and decrees; ratifying treaties;
and approving key appointments. Have students
explain which responsibilities they think the
most important.
The Federal Supreme Council is the highest constitutional authority in the United Arab Emirates. It is also the
highest legislative and executive authority that draws up general policies and approves various federal legislations.
Formation of Federal Supreme Council
The Federal Supreme Council is made up of the rulers of the seven emirates or their deputies in the case of the
ruler’s absence. Each emirate has one single vote in the council’s resolutions and deliberations.
c.
Responsibilities of the Federal Supreme Council
The Federal Supreme Council performs the responsibilities outlined below:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Formulating the general policy on all matters concerning the Federation under the Constitution, and
considering all matters that could lead to the achievement of the objectives of the Federation and the common
interests of the member emirates.
Endorsing the various Federal laws prior to their issuance, including laws on the annual general budget of the
Federation and the closing accounts.
Sanctioning the decrees on matters that by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution are subject to the
ratification and approval of the Federal Supreme Council. Such sanctioning takes place prior to the issue of
such decrees by the President of the council.
Ratification of treaties and international agreements through decrees.
Unit 4
Lesson 1
The Supreme Council ensures that each emirate
has a voice in the government of the UAE. It also
provides a peaceful, diplomatic space where the
sheikhs can discuss policies and laws. Engage
students in a brief discussion about how the
inclusion of the seven emirates in the decisionmaking process ensures a level of social equality
and cohesion.
6
6
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 5 (15 minutes)
e.
Remind students that any large group of people,
whether it’s a community, an organisation or a state,
needs an effective government to ensure the effective
running and functioning of the community. And a
school is another example of a community with a
government.
f.
Ask students to read the article about school councils.
Address any questions they raise.
c.
g.
h.
Approving the appointment of the Prime Minister of the Federation, accepting his resignation, and requesting
him to resign upon the suggestion of the President of the Federation.
Approving the appointment of the President and the judges of the Supreme Federal Court, accepting their
resignations, and dismissing them in the cases specified by the Constitution. Such actions are done by decrees.
Supreme control over the affairs of the Federation in general.
Any other relevant responsibilities stipulated in the Constitution or in the federal laws.
Discuss the following questions with your class:
a.
b.
Divide students into small groups. Instruct them to
design a poster to highlight the responsibilities of a
school council. Using the eight responsibilities of the
Federal Supreme Council as a model, students should
be able to draw up a number of responsibilities and
consider their rationale for each choice. They can also
draw upon their own logic and experience and what
they know of responsible actions and duties.
5
How many votes does each emirate have in the council resolutions and deliberations?
List three responsibilities of the Federal Supreme Council that you think are the most important. Explain the
reasons for your choices.
What is the impact of all the different emirates coming together in order to resolve conflict and engage in
deliberations at the meeting of the Federal Supreme Council?
Read the following text and then complete the activity that follows.
Differentiated Learning
This activity is aimed at helping visual learners. It
promotes teamwork within the classroom. It also
provides a space in which advanced students will
prevail as they will be required to explain their
rationale to their peers within the group setting.
The student work should be collected and displayed
on the wall of the classroom in order to showcase the
hard work of students. It will also be a useful resource
to go back to in Lesson 2. It will also help them to
understand how representative bodies affect them on
a smaller scale.
7
School Council
It’s not just states and countries that need effective governments. Most companies and organisations have a form of
government, such as a management team or a board of directors. And charitable organisations have committees to
ensure the effective running of the charity.
Towns and cities also have local government organisations to deal with local issues, such as budgets, waste
collection, housing, and responses to local emergencies. In fact, any community needs some form of government in
order for it to function efficiently.
Your school is another type of community. You could think of it as a mini-state. And the teachers are like the rulers
of that state! The school is run by a principal and different teachers are responsible for different subjects, just like
different ministers in government are responsible for different policies.
However, students can also have a voice in school government. They can take part in a school council. A school
council is an elected body that represents students’ interests and brings them to the attention of school
7
Teacher’s Guide
Activity 6 (5 minutes)
management. Elected by the classmates, the members of the school council might meet with the principal or an
assigned teacher every week or month to address concerns or collaborate on school projects.
School councils help students feel like they are part of the wider school community and their voices are heard.
They also encourage responsibility and collaboration among students. And they give some students an early taste
of being in government!
Remind students that government occurs at many
different levels of society, including the state, the local
community and even the school. Ask students to write
a paragraph about government.
Consider this question:
•
How would you develop a school council and ensure collaboration between students?
As they write, walk around the class offering support
and encouragement. If students are struggling, help
them with some prompts:
CREATE!
Using the eight responsibilities of the Federal Supreme Council and your own knowledge about government as
guidance, create a poster aimed at highlighting the responsibilities of a school council.
The school council should uphold the moral values of students and protect their rights, similar to how the local
and national governments do this in the UAE and elsewhere.
6
•
•
•
Complete the following activity.
Write a short paragraph about how government helps you in your daily life, and how it helps the community
you live in.
•
Governments ensure that utilities such as water
and electricity are working.
Governments protect us from crime and attacks.
Governments ensure our transport networks
run smoothly.
Governments organise budgets so there are
funds for our schools, hospitals and so on.
Key Skills (Head, Heart, Hands)
Unit 4
Lesson 1
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Critical thinking
Moral reasoning
Communication
Multiple perspectives
Decision making
Creativity
Collaboration
Teamwork
8
Evaluation/Reflection
Consider the small group dynamics when identifying
which students are going to be part of which group.
Ensure there is a mix of more and less confident
speakers within each group.
Make explicit the ‘rules’ for group discussions:
turn taking, good listening, making sure everyone
contributes, and respecting others’ contributions.
Differentiated Learning
Pacing: Activity 2 could be a whole-class reading
and discussion led by the teacher if students need
greater support. If the students do not need greater
levels of support, they may be able to get the reading
completed in class time or as part of their homework.
8
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
Lesson Objectives
4 Morality in the Context of States
Lesson 2
In this lesson, the students will learn about the
role of a moral compass in government and the
characteristics of a good government.
Learning Outcomes
Laws
•
Describe the key characteristics of a good
government.
Required Materials
•
•
•
Posters (made by students in Lesson 1)
Vocabulary
Textbook
Law
Large piece of paper (optional)
Moral Compass
1
Learning Outcomes
•
Conscience
Describe the key characteristics of a good
government.
What do you think are the key characteristics of a good council and good government?
Discuss with your group.
Activity 1 (10 minutes)
Ask the students to consider what they think the key
characteristics of a good council and government are.
Suggested Answers
Make laws for the benefit of the state and its
citizens
•
•
•
•
Qualified people with good experience
•
Commitment to protect citizens
Fairness towards all citizens
Focus on the state’s and the people’s needs, not
on individual selfish needs
Emphasise the law-making role of the council or
government. These laws protect the people and guide
behaviour.
Check that students understand what laws are: rules
created by government to protect citizens or punish
wrongdoers.
Put students into groups of four or five. (These should
be the same groups they were in to do the poster
making activity in Lesson 1.)
For Beginners time keeper, note taker speaker to be
stationed at group poster.
For Advanced Students Investigative journalist who
has the task of thinking up questions to ask other
groups within the class.
9
Good or Bad?
9
Gesture towards the posters that are hung on the wall. Explain that the students will
have five minutes to visit each another’s posters and ask questions about the rationale
behind the responsibilities they feel school councils should have.
Tell students about the roles they must have in the group. The jobs should consist of:
It may help to change assigned roles at one minute intervals so everyone has a chance
to take on each role. The jobs should consist of:
•
•
Time keeper
Note taker speaker to be stationed at group poster
Pacing: If necessary, reading activities can be a whole-class with discussion led by
the teacher. This may help if students need more support. If the students do not need
greater levels of support, they may be able to work alone.
Teacher’s Guide
2
Below are six scenarios that you may one day have to deal with in your life. If you were
faced with any one of these scenarios, what would you do? Let your conscience guide
you. Making notes in your copy will help you to balance the pros and cons of
your decision.
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
A girl at school has broken her leg and is on
crutches. She needs help carrying her books and
belongings around the school. She is new to the
school and doesn’t have any good friends yet. How
could you help her? What other traits would you
also draw on?
There is a new student in your school who has
recently moved from another country. There is a
small group of students who are making fun of
him because he has a strong accent. They keep
surrounding him at break-time and in the hall and
mimicking the way he talks. How can you help?
Scenario 3
Scenario 4
You aren’t chosen for the part in the school play
that you wanted or for the sports team you wanted
to be on. How do you help yourself to feel better?
You find money on the floor in the bathroom. How
do you decide whether to keep the money or give it
to the teacher?
Scenario 5
Scenario 6
Some students at break-time are whispering a mean
story about someone else. They tell you the story
and say, “Pass it on.” What should you do, and why?
A new student is coming to your class in a few days
and your teacher asks you to think of ways to help
the student feel welcome and comfortable. What
can you do by yourself? What could you do as
a group?
Lesson 2
Conscience
A person’s moral sense of
right and wrong.
Moral Compass
An internalized set of
values and objectives that
guide a person with regard
to ethical behaviour and
decision making.
This activity encourages students to both talk and
listen to one another and hopefully provides students
with an opportunity to add to each other’s work and
critically reflect upon their work when they were
working independently.
Put students into pairs and tell them that they are
going to draw a compass in their copy books. It should
resemble the picture in their books (activity 1).
Draw the compass on the board or on a large piece of
paper and label it.
Differentiated Learning
Working with the person next to you, draw a moral compass on a separate sheet. You can choose whatever
design you like. Ensure you label it so that someone reading it will understand which side indicates a moral
choice and which side indicates an immoral choice.
Unit 4
Law
A rule created by
government to protect
citizens and punish
wrongdoers.
10
This activity will be useful to those who are visual
learners and those who are creative. Giving the
students space to decide upon their own beliefs - and
include only those - will encourage them to take
ownership over their own ideas.
Activity 2 (15 minutes)
Ask students if they know what a moral compass is and write the definition on
the board.
A moral compass is an internalized set of values and objectives that guide a person
with regard to ethical behaviour and decision-making.
People’s moral compass will help them to follow laws. But what about situations
where law isn’t involved?
Allocate each student in class a number from 1-15. If it is a larger class, the numbers
can be used multiple times.
Ask students to open their Student Book in which they will find a number of scenarios
with corresponding numbers. Instruct students to work alone and make notes of their
thoughts. This will encourage students to engage in critical thinking and empathy in
many of the cases presented to them.
10
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 3 (10 minutes)
3
Bring the students’ attention to rules and laws. Have a
discussion about rules they have at home or at school.
Then ask them to read the text and think of
the questions.
Read about the rules and laws then answer the following questions.
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behaviour, wherever
possible. Law is important for a society for it serves as a norm of conduct for citizens and it acts as a guideline as to
how they should behave.
It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations
between people.
Suggested Answers
The objective of law is to bring order in the society so its members can progress and develop with some sort of
security regarding the future. Rules are intended to move us in a certain direction that we assume is good, or
prohibit movement in direction that we believe is bad.
Differentiated Learning
For Beginners
a. Students might say that they abide by rules
because they are afraid of the consequences. But
the teacher should clarify that we abide by them
out of respect.
Governments set rules and laws based on values of equality and justice.
For Advanced Students
b. We need rules and laws because they create a
set of correct ways of behaviour. They provide
protection, security, equality and justice in
the society.
Law
11
11
a.
Why do we abide by laws and rules?
b.
Why do we need rules and laws in the society?
Teacher’s Guide
4
Activity 4 (10 minutes)
Read about few laws in the UAE then answer the questions that follow.
Have an open discussion with the students about
the laws in their country. Listen to their replies and
compare laws if possible.
Although we are all different in the way our countries are governed, we are all united in that our governments
create laws for the benefit of their people.
The UAE has adopted a codified system of laws which is transparent. Ignorance of the law is no excuse in courts.
Ask them to read the text then have another
discussion about it. Allow students to talk about each
law, give examples and maybe compare with their own
country’s laws.
The concept of justice and safety is inherent in the UAE’s government system and it is considered as a fundamental
part of the UAE’s Constitution and effective governance.
Article 14 of the Constitution provides that equality, social justice, safety, security and equal opportunities for all
citizens shall be the pillars of the society.
Among the safety laws are:
Explain that each law is set to protect the citizens and
to treat them equally.
Food:
The law imposes standards and regulations for maintaining the safety and quality of food. It imposes strict penalties
on those found to be endangering food safety across the UAE.
Divide them into pairs. Have them answer the
question and share the answer with the class.
Land transport:
The law imposes that land transport activity may not be practised before obtaining a licence from the respective
authority.
Consumer goods:
Suggested Answers
a. Laws are for each and every citizen, and those
who break the laws are treated in the same way.
This show how laws emphasize equality.
The law defines consumer’s rights and obligations and outlines certain protection measures to fight monopoly,
overpricing and fraudulent commercial activities against consumers.
b.
It is mandatory to adhere to the speed limits set on highways, internal streets, and residential areas.
Talking on cell phone while driving is prohibited.
a.
How do laws emphasize equality among people?
b.
Deduce how would the laws related to food, land transport, and consumer goods protect the
citizens? Fill the table below.
Laws of
Food
Laws of
Protection
Land Transport
Food
Consumer Goods
Land Transport
Protection
Health and sickness
Car accidents
Expired good, high prices
Consumer Goods
Unit 4
Lesson 2
12
12
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 5 (10 minutes)
5
Talk with the students about Sheikh Zayed. Tell them
how fair he was and how much he did for the UAE.
Now read the quote and divide students into groups of
3-4 students. Ask each group to analyse the quote.
Read the following quote from Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, then answer the
question that follows.
One’s homeland is like a tree that constantly requires the care and attention of its citizens. Every UAE citizen is
committed to serving his nation and working toward its prosperity and welfare.
Suggested Answers
• Sheikh Zayed wanted to improve the life of all
citizens, to him, this was an utmost goal.
On the other hand, he says that the government
is like a tree, it should protect the citizens. And
having laws in the country is mainly to
protect citizens.
He also says that the citizens should take care
of this tree (which is the government and the
country), make it grow well and respect it. And
this is the healthy relationship between the
citizens and their country: a relationship of
respect and protection.
•
13
13
Analyse this quote and its meaning.
Teacher’s Guide
6
Activity 6 (5 minutes)
Complete the following activity. What have we learned today?
Students should be encouraged to take notes on any
unfamiliar key terms. This will help them to feel more
informed about citizenship. Doing so will also provide
them with key notes during revision.
Define in your own words the key words according to what you have learned in this lesson.
Providing students with additional terms will enable
them to settle into subsequent lessons with greater
ease. They will be less likely to feel overwhelmed
when introduced to additional terms and definitions.
Key Skills (Head, Heart, Hands)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unit 4
Lesson 2
Critical thinking
Critical reflection
Enquiry, curiosity
Multiple perspectives
Active listening
Teamwork
Participation
Working independently.
14
14
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
Lesson Objectives
4 Morality in the Context of States
Lesson 3
In this lesson, the students will learn how to outline
the principles of good governance.
Good Governance:
Past and Present
Required Materials
•
•
•
Learning Outcomes
•
•
Textbook
•
Role cards (printable included in teacher pack)
For activity 3: Five pieces of paper pre-prepared
by teacher with one of the following words
written on each:
Explain the different historical forms
of government and main forms of
governments today.
Describe the key characteristics of a
good government.
Discuss the role of government in increasing/
decreasing the level of social equality and
cohesion in a country such as the UAE.
Vocabulary
Telecommunication
• Agree
1
• Strongly agree
Agreement
Look at the images below. How does change affect people?
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Neutral
(Make sure these cards are prepared before the
lesson. The can be rectangular cards or shaped like
speech bubbles.)
Old car
New car
Learning Outcomes
•
•
•
Explain the different historical forms
of government and main forms of
government today.
Describe the key characteristics of a
good government.
Discuss the role of government in increasing/
decreasing the level of social equality and
cohesion in a country such as the UAE.
Activity 1 (5 minutes)
Ask students to look at the two images and to then
compare the old and the new cars. Explain that many
things change over time. And most of the change is
for the benefit of humans. Now ask what has changed
in cars and ask students to list the advantages and
disadvantages.
Suggested Answers
Car nowadays are more powerful than before and get
you places faster. They are also more fuel-efficient and
more comfortable in all types of weather.
15
15
Differentiated Learning
For Beginners
Students are encouraged to list the changes that happened to cars:
Cars now have air conditioners, windows, flashers, hazard buttons, and radios and
music players. Some cars even have fridges.
For Advanced Students
How did this affect people?
Cars are now safer. The change made people feel more comfortable and able arrive
faster at to their destination. Flashers and hazard buttons helped in driving ethics as
drivers can use their indicators to show where they are going. And radios help drivers
feel happy while listening to some music.
Teacher’s Guide
2
Read about the telecommunications in past and present governments. And then, with
your group, answer the questions that follow.
Telecommunication
The way people connect
and communicate from a
distance using technology.
Agreement
An accordance or deal after
negotiation between parties.
The historical development of technology and telecommunications made a great change in people’s lives. Not only
individually and socially, but on the governmental level as well.
Long time ago, people communicated through sending letters or using messengers. They even used pigeons to
send messages from town to town! It took days for governments to connect with their representatives or to spread
information among citizens.
In the 19th century, the telegraph was developed. It was a basic invention, but an important turning point. The
telegraph was the earliest telecommunication device. It worked by transmitting messages through electrical signals
directly from the sender to the receiver. Messages that used to take ten days to be delivered took almost one hour
using the telegraph.
After the telegraph came the telephone. This was another very important shift in the field of communicating and
made life even easier. People did their work in the moment. In other words, whatever needed to be said was heard
on the spot.
Towards the mid of the 20th century the internet (or the “net”) became popular. People around the world started
using the net for personal and business connections. Lots of technologies were introduced as a result of this,
including online shopping and mobile apps.
Suggested Answers
a. Among the answers are:
We witnessed many advances in Information Communication Technologies (ICT), which affected governments as
well. Governments around the world adapted these technologies and introduced the e-government. They used
these technologies to transform and modernise the organisations in their countries and strengthen their operations
to serve citizens in a more effective, accessible, and accountable way.
• Communicating with embassies around the
world
The UAE, supported by the vision of its leaders, initiated numerous programs that aimed at effective governance
and effective policy making along with service delivery.
In your opinion, in which areas did the development of telecommunication change the past and present
governments?
Research about the programs that are offered by the e-government of the UAE and how they help citizens.
• Collecting data regarding information about
citizens
• Making services easy to obtain (personal
papers, residencies and so on)
• Controlling safety and stability (such as
police departments)
• Financial, trade, markets information and
data
Connection technology
Unit 4
Lesson 3
16
b. Advise students to check on the UAE government
portal and do their research there. They will find
many programs that include education, health
matters, law information and so on.
Activity 2 (10 minutes)
Continue with the students the discussion of how things change over time, and how
these changes affect people’s lives. Tell students that governments also are affected
by change. Introduce the word “telecommunication”. Ask students if they know what it
means.
After few answers, write the definition on the board:
Telecommunication: The way people connect and communicate from a distance using
technology.
Ask students to read the text, and then have a discussion about it. Help students see
the difference between the past and the present governments in the world. Make sure
they understand that change affects governments. It modernises them to become
even more effective and helpful to citizens.
Now divide students into groups of 3-4 and ask them to answer the questions.
16
Moral Education
Grade 8
3
How would government agreements affect citizens? Read the text and then, with your
group, answer the questions that follow.
The European Union, also known as just the EU, is a union of 28 countries that work together in political and
economic matters. The majority of the union member countries are located in Europe. Making the decision
whether or not to join the European Union is a big one for any country. Before taking this decision, countries and
governments need to think of the advantages and disadvantages that affect their citizens.
Here are some advantages and disadvantages of the EU.
Advantages:
• Tax-free trading among members
•
•
•
Activity 3 (10 minutes)
One of the biggest benefits that is offered to EU member countries is that they are free to trade with other
member countries at no additional taxation.
Opens up more opportunities
Movement among all of the countries in the EU is completely unrestricted and open for all citizens.
Culture is not lost
The EU has never had an “official language” and doesn’t interfere with the cultural aspects of any country.
A common currency
Most of the member countries of the EU use the same currency, the euro.
Disadvantages:
Draw students’ attention to the fact that some
countries around the world unite and make a union.
Ask them for examples: the UAE, the USA, the EU and
the Arab League...
• Communication barriers
•
•
Now ask them to read the text. Divide students into
groups. Ask each group to answer the questions and
then share their answers with the class.
Suggested Answers
a. The 28 members of the EU are Austria, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
It becomes very difficult for the EU to communicate with all of its citizens because they all speak different
language.
Takes power from governments
The European Union has some power over the government in the member countries.
Serves the interests as a whole
The policies, decisions and rules put in place by the European Union are not necessarily there to protect the best
interests of each individual country. Instead, their goal is to advance the EU as a whole.
a.
Name few of the EU countries.
b.
Determine the consequences of each advantage and disadvantage of the EU. Fill your answer
in the table below.
17
b.
Advantage consequences
1
Tax-free trading among members
This helps to keep prices of goods and food down in these countries.
2
Opens up more opportunities
This opens up many more job and education opportunities for people.
3
Culture is not lost
This helps to ensure that, while you are part of the union, you are also your own country.
4
A common currency
This makes doing business, traveling or moving to other countries, and buying things much simpler.
Disadvantage consequences
17
5
Communication barriers
It makes it harder to bring people together.
6
Takes power from governments
7
Serves the interests as a whole
This means that if they do not like a political leader, they can simply remove them out of office. It can
cause major problems in government sectors
This has caused many damages in smaller countries, that are often left unheard.
Teacher’s Guide
Advantage consequences
1
Tax-free trading among members
2
Opens up more opportunities
3
Culture is not lost
4
A common currency
Disadvantage consequences
4
5
Communication barriers
6
Takes power from governments
7
Serves the interests as a whole
Read about the different governmental systems in the world. Then answer the questions
that follow.
Many government systems exist in the world. Here are some, with their main definitions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Parliamentary
The power to make and execute laws is held by a parliament that is elected.
Federal government
It divides the powers of government between the national government and state and local governments.
Consultative
Ordinary people are able to communicate their problems to local leaders by talking to them directly in the
traditional consultative forum that the leaders hold regularly.
Military dictatorship
An authoritarian government is controlled and run by a military and its political designees.
Constitutional monarchy
A country is ruled by a king and queen whose power is limited by a constitution.
One-party state
The country is ruled by a single political party.
Unit 4
Activity 4 (10 minutes)
Tell students that there are different government
systems in the world and that they will read about few
of them. Ask them to read the text, and then have a
discussion about it.
Ask students to do the exercise in their book.
Lesson 3
18
Suggested Answers
Aspect
Government system
1
Inclusion of a ‘Majlis’
2
A royal is not a politician
3
Forming of political parties
is forbidden
One-party state
4
Citizens elect their
representatives
Parliamentary
5
Army governance
Military dictatorship
6
Power is local and national
Federal government
Consultative
Constitutional monarchy
18
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 5 (10 minutes)
a.
Fill in the table below with the correct government system of each aspect.
Remind students that there are many different types
of government around the world. Different countries
have different forms of government.
Aspect
Divide the class into pairs. Ask students to look at the
table in their books. Explain to the students that they
have to fill table by researching examples of countries
that have the given forms of government .
Ask students to share their answers with the class, if
they feel confident doing so.
Suggested Answers
Parliamentary democracy: France, Lebanon,
Ireland
•
•
•
•
•
•
Inclusion of a ‘Majlis’
2
A royal is not a politician
3
Forming of political parties is
forbidden
4
Citizens elect their
representatives
5
Army governance
6
Power is local and national
Constitutional Federation: UAE
Federal government: USA
5
Military dictatorship: North Korea
Find countries that follow the governmental systems below:
Constitutional monarchy; parliamentary: England
Government system
One party-state: China
Ask students to consider the question in the book.
They should discuss this with their partner. As they
discuss, you should walk around the room, ensuring
that students are adhering to the rules of respect,
active-listening and participation. Listen in particular
for any comments from students that display
prejudice. These comments should be addressed.
Ask pairs to share their thoughts with the class. Make
sure students are able to defend their choices.
19
19
1
Government system
1
Parliamentary
2
Constitutional federation
3
Federal government
4
Military dictatorship
5
Constitutional monarchy
6
One-party state
Country
Teacher’s Guide
6
Activity 6 (5 minutes)
Complete the following activity.
Remind students that good governance brings many
benefits to the state and its citizens. Ask students to
write a paragraph about good governance.
Consider how good governance can benefit you. Write a short paragraph about what you look for in a
government and the benefits you get from it.
As they write, walk around the class offering support
and encouragement. If students are struggling, help
them with some prompts:
•
•
•
Good governance ensures that citizens are
looked after.
Citizens have more respect for a government
when it exhibits good government; this inspires
citizens and serves as a model for them.
Citizens feel more secure when they can see that
their state is stable and well governed.
Key Skills (Head, Heart, Hands)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Critical thinking
Moral reasoning
Communication
Multiple perspectives
Decision making
Collaboration
Teamwork
Differentiated Learning
Unit 4
Lesson 3
20
•
•
Consider the small group dynamics when
identifying which students are going to be a part
of which group. Ensure there is a mix of more and
less confident speakers within each group.
Make explicit the ‘rules’ for group discussions:
turn taking, good listening, making sure everyone
contributes, and respecting others’ contributions.
20
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
4 Morality in the Context of States
Lesson Objectives
Lesson 4
In this lesson, students will learn how to describe the
political system in the UAE.
The Government in
the UAE
Required Materials
•
•
Textbook
•
Copy books
1
•
Ask students to bear these terms in mind as they
complete the next activity.
21
Citizens
Consultative
Complete the following activity.
Monarch:
2
Read about the government system of the UAE then answer the following question.
The United Arab Emirates is a constitutional federation established on the 2nd of December 1971.
The political system is based on the Constitution which explains the main rules of the political and constitutional
organisation of the country. The Constitution demonstrates the main purpose of the establishment of the federation
and its objectives at the local and regional levels. It guarantees all UAE citizens equal rights and opportunities,
safety and security, and social justice.
The operations of the government are distributed between the federal and the local governments of each emirate.
The UAE’s Constitution defines the scope of jurisdiction for each level maintaining smooth coordination between
the two.
Federation: A collection of states that are
governed by the same ruler, such as a monarch
or a president.
Monarch: The leader (for example, a king or
emperor) of a state or kingdom, who is usually
not elected but assumes power as a member of
the ruling family.
Monarch
President:
Model some definitions on the board:
President: The leader of a state, elected by the
citizens or by an assembly.
Federation
Federation:
Explain that the UAE, like other states, has decided on
its own form of government. Ask students to look at
the words associated with government in the Student
Book. Ask them to share their suggested definitions.
•
Discuss the role of government in increasing/
decreasing the level of social equality and
cohesion in a country such as the UAE.
Do you know what the following words associated with government mean?
Discuss the role of government in increasing/
decreasing the level of social equality and
cohesion in a country such as the UAE.
Activity 1 (5 minutes)
•
•
Vocabulary
A4 pieces of paper (one per group of four or one
per pair, as the teacher decides)
Learning Outcomes
•
Learning Outcomes
21
Activity 2 (15 minutes)
Ask the students to read the text. Explain that the government of the UAE has five
major authorities who serve for the benefit of the citizens.
Have a discussion on the major duties of each of the five, showing who their work is
targeted at. Then divide the students into pairs. Ask them to answer the questions in
the Student Book then share their answers with the class.
Teacher’s Guide
Federation
There are five federal authorities in the UAE government:
The Supreme Council
The President
Monarch
The Council of Ministers or
the Cabinet
The Federal National Council
The Federal Judiciary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Federal Supreme Council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE. It consists of the rulers of the
seven emirates. Elects from among its members a President for a five-year term.
The President is the second of the five federal authorities. Of its main roles presiding over the Federal Supreme
Council, appointing the prime minister, approving federal laws, and representing the Federation inside the
country and abroad.
The Council of Ministers or the Cabinet executes all internal and external affairs of the Federation as per the
provisions of UAE Constitution and the federal laws. Of its main roles are drafting federal laws and drawing up
the annual general budget of the Federation.
The Federal National Council (FNC) is the consultative council, the parliamentary body of the UAE. Of its main
roles is passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws.
The Federal Judiciary is presided by the Federal Supreme Court as the highest judicial authority in the UAE and
the local judicial departments at the local government level.
a.
How does this government system serve the citizens?
b.
Explain how citizens in the UAE can benefit from the government.
Unit 4
Lesson 4
A collection of states or
emirates that are governed
by the one ruler, such as a
monarch or a president.
The leader (for example, a
king or emperor) of a state
or kingdom or emirate,
who is usually not elected
but assumes power as a
member of the ruling family.
Citizens
Members of a nation or a
state or emirate who are
legally allowed to live in the
state and participate in its
society and politics.
Consultative
Able to advise and suggest,
but not implement policy.
22
Suggested Answers
a. The political system is based on the constitution which guarantees all citizens
equal rights and opportunities and social justice.
The distribution of the operations in the government makes sure that each
authority works towards executing the laws.
The FNC passes, amends or refuses laws, the cabinet executes the laws, and the
judiciary authority maintains the rule of laws and ensures that justice is achieved.
This distribution and relationship of the authorities assures equality and justice
among citizens.
b. By following the law and respecting the government, since the government
protects the rights of the citizens and guarantees their safety and stability
through those laws. It continuously works on developing the standard of living
and the welfare of its citizens.
22
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 3 (10 minutes)
3
Read out the text about elective monarchies around
the world. Ask students if they know of any more
examples of monarchy or elective monarchies around
the world. Ask students to look at the image of
Princess Diana and the quote that appears in their
Student book.
Read the following text and then complete the activity that follows with your partner.
Elected Monarchies
Malaysia: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Supreme Head of State) is elected to a five-year term by the Council of
Rulers. The Council consists of nine hereditary rulers from the Malay States.
Cambodia: The King is chosen for a life-term by the Royal Council of the Throne from candidates from the royal
family.
Vatican City State: The Pope is elected in a conclave by the College of Cardinals.
Ask students if they know who Princess Diana was.
Explain that Princess Diana was the wife of Prince
Charles, the son of Queen Elizabeth II of the United
Kingdom. Diana was extremely popular with the
people, known for her empathy and warm personality.
She died in a car crash in 1997.
Divide the class into pairs and ask them to discuss the
questions in the student book. Ask pairs to share their
thoughts with the class.
Suggested Answers
a. These countries have monarchs who are elected
by different assemblies, such as a council or a
conclave. Similarly, the president of the UAE is
elected by the Supreme Council.
b. She meant that the monarchy needs to be
responsive to the needs of its people. It needs to
understand its citizens, and their hopes, fears,
wants and needs. It should not be cold and aloof,
or cut off, from the people.
QUOTE!
“It’s vital that the monarchy keeps in touch with the people. It’s what I try to do.”
With your partner, consider this quote and answer the following questions:
23
23
a.
How do these countries have similar government to the UAE?
b.
Consider the quote by Princess Diana, what do you think she meant by this?
Princess Diana
Teacher’s Guide
4
Activity 4 (10 minutes)
Read the newspaper article below and answer the questions that follow.
Remind students about Princess Diana’s quote.
Emphasise the importance of governments being in
touch with the people they serve.
Call for Emirati women to embrace Year of Zayed and highlight Founding Father’s legacy.
UAE’s General Women’s Union said women should show their appreciation for a ‘rare man’.
While the country lays down its plans for the Year of Zayed, the UAE’s General Women’s Union called on Emirati
women to show their appreciation for the late president.
Ask students if they know anything about an event
planned for the UAE this year. Explain that 2018 is the
Year of Zayed. Point out that Sheikh Zayed is a great
example of a ruler who was in touch with his people
and worked tirelessly to promote their best interests.
Director general Noura Al Suwaidi said it was important that women took the opportunity to appreciate and
highlight the work a “rare man” did for them.
H. H. Sheikh Khalifa, president of the UAE, declared 2018 the “Year of Zayed”, as the year marks 100 years since the
birth of the late Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed (may God have mercy upon his soul). The announcement was made
to coincide with the anniversary of Sheikh Zayed’s (may God have mercy upon his soul) Accession Day August 6, 1966.
The Year of Zayed aims to achieve objectives such as highlighting the role he played in establishing the UAE and
consolidating its foundations of modern development, with an emphasis on the nation’s achievements. It is also
seen as an opportunity to portray Sheikh Zayed’s (may God have mercy upon his soul) legacy in forthcoming projects
and initiatives that express his vision and values.
Ask students to read the newspaper article about the
Year of Zayed. Then discuss the questions that follow
with the class.
“The Year of Zayed is a great national occasion when we will proudly share memories of the life of the Founding
Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (may God have mercy upon his soul), and his gift to us of deeply-rooted
values, principles and traditions that have become part of our Emirati identity,” said the President.
He called for making 2018 a year of achievements, initiatives, events and programmes that reflect the personality of
Sheikh Zayed (may God have mercy upon his soul), highlighting his pioneering role, his vision and his
sound leadership.
Sheikh Zayed (may God have mercy upon his soul) ordered the establishment of a women’s union in 1975. Ms. Al
Suwaidi said that the achievements made by Emirati women are due to Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman
of the General Woman’s Union, and Sheikh Zayed (may God have mercy upon his soul), who led the region by
presenting opportunities for women to develop their roles in society.
She asked that women intensify their efforts to show their appreciation “to a rare man who dedicated his life to
making his people happy and support women.”
“Everything the UAE and Emirati women have achieved so far is because of solid foundations laid down by Sheikh
Zayed,” she said.
“We call on Emirati women to be the first to respond to the calls of the leadership for more activities and events in
honour of Sheikh Zayed’s legacy.”
Plans for activities and initiatives to be held during the Year of Zayed are yet to be announced.
H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed
Forces, said on his Twitter account: “We look forward to making the Year of Zayed exceptional with new projects and
initiatives inspired by his legacy.”
The Minister of State, Noura Al Kaabi, said the year was “a fitting tribute to the long journey of progress led by the late
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE. It is a message of pride to every Emirati citizen –
pride in the prominent position that the UAE has come to occupy, a journey that began at our country’s very inception”.
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Media Council, said that
“…the Year of Zayed is an opportunity to learn from the journey of wisdom and giving of the founder of the nation,
to teach our sons and daughters about his journey and enable them to benefit and continue reaping the rewards.”
Taken from an article published in the National, 6 August, 2017
Unit 4
Lesson 4
24
24
Moral Education
Grade 8
Suggested Answers
a.
Why was 2018 chosen as the year in which to honour the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed?
a. It marks 100 years since the late Sheikh
Zayed’s birth.
b.
In what ways did Sheikh Zayed support women during his time as president of the UAE?
c.
Highlight the role that H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the current president of the
b. He was dedicated to protecting and looking after
all people in the UAE and put special emphasis
on the role of women, encouraging them to play
an active role in society.
c.
UAE, plays in supporting women in the UAE?
d.
Is this story an example of good governance? Why?
KEY FACT
He could celebrate the achievements of women
in UAE history and encourage women to work
towards leadership positions in their
various fields.
H. H. Sheikh Khalifa, the President of the UAE, announced that 2018 will be the “Year of Zayed”.
5
d. Yes, it celebrates the achievements of one of the
founders on the UAE and it encourages people to
reflect on his vision for the emirates.
Complete the following activity.
The newspaper article above stated that “…plans for activities and initiatives to be held during the Year of Zayed are
yet to be announced”.
With your group, write a letter to your local government in which you pitch an idea for an activity your class could
play a part in to commemorate Sheikh Zayed.
KEY FACT
Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating
the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Americans celebrate their system of democracy on this day.
25
Activity 5 (10 minutes)
Explain to students that many activities will take place in 2018 to celebrate the Year
of Zayed.
Divide the class into small groups (three or four students). Explain that each group has
to come up with an idea for one activity to celebrate the Year of Zayed. They should
then write a letter to a local government official, pitching their idea. Alternatively, they
can write an email or a tweet. How they choose to pitch the idea is up to them.
Differentiated Learning
Ensure each group has a mixture of ability levels. Beginners can help with
brainstorming ideas for the activity, whereas advanced students can develop the idea
or write the letter.
Depending on the ability of the class, this activity can be to write a letter, an email or a
tweet to a local councillor. Some students may be unable or unwilling to write a
whole letter.
25
Teacher’s Guide
6
Activity 6 (5 minutes)
Complete the following activity.
Remind students that the UAE is a constitutional
federation where decisions are based on consultation,
with a president, a Supreme Council and a prime
minister. Ask students to write a paragraph about how
the Supreme Council ensures good governance in the
UAE.
Consider the role of the Supreme Council in UAE government. Write a short paragraph about how the Supreme
Council, with the president and the prime minister, ensures the good governance of the UAE.
As they write, walk around the class offering support
and encouragement. If students are struggling, help
them with some prompts:
•
•
•
•
The Supreme Council ensures that the voice of
each emirate is heard.
It also ensures that all power does not reside in
just one person.
The Supreme Council provides knowledgeable
guidance for government.
The Supreme Council enables the rulers
to discuss all decisions in a co-operative
environment and to consider all aspects of an
issue before deciding on policy.
Key Skills (Head, Heart, Hands)
Unit 4
Lesson 4
26
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Critical thinking
Curiosity
Deliberation
Respect
Multiple perspectives
Active listening
Dealing with complexity
Participation
Decision making
26
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
Lesson Objectives
4 Morality in the Context of States
Lesson 5
In this lesson, students will learn how governments
can promote social morality, social cohesion
and equality.
Learning Outcomes
The Importance of
the role of government in increasing/
Ethics in Government • Discuss
decreasing the level of social equality and
cohesion in a country such as the UAE.
Required Materials
•
•
•
Textbook
•
Coloured markers/pencils/crayons
Vocabulary
Copybooks
A4 pages if the teacher decides to do the
supplementary text and activities that
accompany it
1
Social Equity
Discrimination
Morality
Read the text below and then complete the activities that follow.
In order for a country to operate fairly and ensure equality for its people, it is vital that those in power act in a moral
way. This means they must make decisions on the basis of what is right and not what is easy.
Learning Outcomes
•
Social Cohesion
Discuss the role of government in increasing/
decreasing the level of social equality and
cohesion in a country such as the UAE.
“Compassion is the basis of morality.”
- Arthur Schopenhauer “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
- Marcus Aurelius “So far, about morals, I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you
feel bad after.”
Activity 1 (10 minutes)
- Ernest Hemingway -
Explain to students that leadership isn’t just about
power. It’s also about morality and doing the right
thing. That includes the right thing for the state, and
also the right thing for the people of the state. Explain
that the state must act in a moral way.
Check that students understand what morality is.
Ask for suggested definitions. Explain that morality
involves knowing the difference between right, or
good, behaviour and wrong, or bad, behaviour.
Which of these quotes reflects best your
view on morality?
b.
Find an image or a picture that depicts your
chosen quote about morality.
c.
Why is it important that leaders remain
moral in their duties?
27
Divide students into pairs. Read out the introduction to
the activity in the Student Book. Ask them to read the
quotes and discuss them with each other. Then ask
them to consider what morality means to them.
Suggested Answers
a. Leaders should set an example for all citizens in society.
Ask students to find a quote that explains morality to
them. You can give them access to websites or books
to find a quote.
c.
Next, ask them to find an image that illustrates their
chosen quote about morality. Again, provide them
with the resources (links, books) to do this.
Finally, ask them why morality is important for
leaders.
27
a.
b. In a society where morality is important, there’s less likelihood that there will be
injustice, corruption or inequality.
Leaders who are guided by morality are able to decide on clear laws about how
citizens should behave. Leaders can then work towards building a just, equal
society for their people.
Teacher’s Guide
2
Read the article and then discuss the questions that follow.
Social cohesion
The force, energy or desire
that unites a society so that
all members work for the
good of that society.
Social equity
All people in a society or
group are treated fairly.
Understanding social equality
Social equality, sometimes referred to as social equity, is the idea that all people in a society are equal and therefore
have equal rights. These rights include right to life, right to expression, right to education and right to good health
and well-being.
In societies that lack social equality, you’re likely to see discrimination, injustice, poverty and social tension. When
people feel that they are being treated less fairly than others, this can lead to tensions between different groups in
society. Instead of working together for common good, people begin to look for others to blame for their problems,
leading to social bonds breaking down.
Social equality and government
Discrimination
Governments play a key role in promoting social equality. First of all, they should set a moral example for the
people. There should be no hint of corruption or self-interest among leaders in society. They should be seen to be
working for the good of the state.
Governments can also promote social equality through their laws and policies. On the one hand, they can punish
those who engage in unfair practices that take advantage of others, especially those less fortunate. They can
also show that they won’t tolerate corruption in any form. And they can pass laws to prevent discrimination or
harassment against any groups. On the other hand, they can implement policies that reduce poverty and ensure all
people are able to reach their potential and prosper. They can help all people develop their skills (through education
policies) and earn a living (through their economic policies). And they can celebrate the rich, diverse range of groups
that make up any society, showing that all groups are valued equally.
Morality
Treating people differently
(especially unfairly) because
of their race, gender,
age, etc.
Knowing the difference
between right, or good
behaviour and wrong, or bad
behaviour.
Social equality and you
However, social equality is not just a matter for politicians and leaders. We all have a role to play in promoting social
equality. What do you do when you notice discrimination? How do you help those less fortunate than yourself? Do
you tolerate corruption or cheating? Do you interact and engage with people who are different from you? In these
everyday decisions, you could be doing your own small bit to create an equal society that values all members.
Suggested Answers
a. Right to expression; right to health; right to
freedom; right to resources.
a.
What rights are all people equally entitled to?
b.
How can a lack of social equality lead to problems
in society?
c.
What are the qualities of a moral leader?
d.
What two things could you do to promote social
equality at school?
b. Inequality leads to social problems because
some people have more resources than others,
leading to jealousy and tension. This can result in
social conflict. In addition, in a socially unequal
environment, practices such as corruption,
discrimination, and harassment can thrive.
c.
Unit 4
Lesson 5
28
Activity 2 (20 minutes)
Explain that morality plays an important role in government. Moral leaders provide an
example that all citizens can follow. This ,in its turn, helps to promote social equality.
Ask students if they know what this term means.
Model a definition on the board: Social equality occurs when all people in a society or
group are treated equally and fairly.
Ask students to read the article in the Student Book.
Moral leaders lead by giving a good example.
They are seen to be selfless and devoted to
the good of their society, so they don’t tolerate
corruption, discrimination or unfair behaviour.
Instead, they enact laws that promote social
equality in order to ensure all citizens have an
equal chance to thrive in society.
d. You could stand up to and report any incidents
of bullying, whether physical or emotional.
You could refuse to tolerate any forms of
discrimination. You could help fellow students
who might not be as fortunate as you, by inviting
them to your home, for example. And you could
ensure that all students complete their school
tasks fairly, without cheating.
Facilitate a discussion around the questions in the Student Book.
28
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 3 (20 minutes)
3
Ask students to read the article. Discuss the
challenges that people of determination face. Mainly,
not being included in much of the society and not
having easy access to places whether physically or
morally.
Read about the provisions for people of determination in the UAE and answer the
following question.
The term special education describes the programmes and services designed for people of determination in order to
ensure that all students can reach their full potential.
The term ‘special educational needs’ is used to describe the educational needs of any one with a disability, disorder,
difficulty, impairment, exceptionality or any other factor that may affect a student’s access to learning and
educational performance.
Then ask students to answer the question in the
Student Book.
The government of the UAE strongly supports education and learning services for people of determination.
Federal Law No. 29 of 2006, is the first law in the UAE to protect the rights of people of determination. Article 12 of
the law provides: the country guarantees them equal opportunities in education within all educational, vocational
training, adult education and continuing education institutions in regular classes or special classes with the
availability of curriculum in sign language or Braille and or any other methods as appropriate.
Suggested Answers
a. It promotes the rights of people of determination
and treats them equally. Just as any other citizen
in the country. By doing this, the government
is acting in the utmost ethical way ensuring
inclusion, fairness, equality and justice to
all citizens.
The Ministry of Education’s strategy is to adapt public schools to facilitate education for people of determination.
Accordingly, people of determination are entitled to enroll in any school, without exception. These students have
access to the same educational opportunities as students in the regular education system.
a.
How does this article show ethical actions of the government?
School for all
KEY FACT
after adopting the initiative which was launched under the slogan ‘School of All’ dozens of people continued their
education, many of whom have graduated from higher education and some received their PhDs.
29
29
Teacher’s Guide
4
Complete the following activity.
Activity 4 (15 minutes)
A happy society is one that everybody is glad and proud to belong to. This strengthens social cohesion.
Explain to students that a happy society is more likely
to have greater social cohesion. Ask students what
they think social cohesion means.
Social cohesion is:
Index
Indicator
Human
Development
Index
1
4
Key Sponsor
Rank 42
(2016 Report)
Federal
Competitiveness
and Statistics
Authority
Source
An indicator that measures the individuals
level of happiness and satisfaction with their
lives. The factors measured include factors
such as income level, average healthy life
expectancy, social support received, absence
of corruption, and freedom to make life
choices.
United
Nations
Sustainable
Development
Solutions
Network Gallup World
Poll
Rank 21
(2017 Report)
Minister of
State for
Happiness
Number of
Olympic and
Paralympic
medals won
An indicator that measures the achievements
and number of medals collected in the
Olympic and Paralympic championships in
various sports.
General
Authority for
Youth and
Sports
Rank 21
(Up to 2016)
Olympic Medals - 2
medals
Paralympic Medals
- 19 medals
General
Authority for
Youth and
Sports
National
Identity Index
An indicator that measures the sense of
belonging and national identity of citizens
(NKPI specific to the UAE).
United Arab
Emirates
University
96.2%
(2016)
Ministry of
Culture and
Knowledge
Development
Social Cohesion
Index
An indicator that measures the level of social
cohesion among the people in the UAE based
on factors such as family cohesion, education
and culture, justice, security, and national
belonging (NKPI specific to UAE).
Family Cohesion
Index
An indicator that measures the social bond
in the relations between parents, between
parents and children, among children, etc.
The Official
Portal of
the UAE
government
86.4% (2013)
Ministry of
Community
Development
5
6
An indicator that measures the well-being
of nations using three United Nations
perspectives: life expectancy, educational
attainment and the standard of living.
Results
United
Nations
Development
Programme
Happiness
Index
2
3
Definition
Unit 4
Lesson 5
Model a definition on the board: The force, energy or
desire that unites a society so that all members work
for the good of that society
Explain that it can be thought of as the strength of the
bonds that hold society together. You can measure
social cohesion by using key performance indicators.
Ask students to examine the table in the Student
Book. Discuss the questions that follow the table.
30
30
Moral Education
Grade 8
Consider these questions:
Suggested Answers
a. Health; income; opportunity; freedom; support.
b. They give us a good idea of how happy people are
to belong to UAE society. They also help identify
any groups that might feel that they do not
belong to UAE society.
•
b.
What are the benefits of measuring
national cohesion and identity in
this way?
Social cohesion is about a feeling of belonging and inclusion
THINK!
What kinds of things might bring people together in society? And what kinds of things may prevent people
coming together? With your group, present a short role play showing social cohesion in action.
If students are having difficulty coming up with
scenarios, you could suggest some:
•
•
•
What types of things are taken into
consideration when measuring the
happiness of citizens in the UAE?
Remember! Social cohesion is like the bonds or the
glue that bring us all together in society.
Remind students that social cohesion is the glue
that holds a society together. Divide class into small
groups. Ask each group to present a short (two
minutes) role play showing social cohesion in action.
•
a.
5
A person of determination is assisted as he tries
to do his shopping
Read the text below and then answer the questions that follow.
A Story: Youth and Social Cohesion
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing the Youth and Social Cohesion Project
(YSCP). This provides alternative pathways for the youth by developing their livelihood skills and engaging them
in healthy recreational activities that can direct them away from violence and conflict. These interventions are
complemented by community-led village development schemes which provide small scale infrastructural support to
some of the most deprived and underdeveloped communities.
A 30-year-old resident of one of the villages has headed a Local Support Organization. An agriculturist by
profession, he has come a long way from placing bets on his favorite teams in village cricket and volleyball matches.
In fact, UNDP has allowed him to assume a local leadership role in terms of overseeing and supporting development
and recreational activities in his village.
“The local UNDP staff informed me about their intentions to bring development to my village. I wanted to see
improvements in the lives of my fellow villagers. I became part of their initiative and they introduced me to the
concept of community organisations, something I knew nothing about in the past.”
His leadership role has extended beyond the boundaries of his village as he wanted residents of other villages to
benefit from the YSCP. In fact, he has considered all neighboring villages as his own and has been instrumental in
convincing landowners to donate land for community centers being constructed under the project. In this regard,
he has been highly appreciative of the UNDP’s work and its positive impact on the lives of youth in his area.
An expatriate is welcomed into a UAE home
A sad student is cheered up by their classmates
An older person is kept company by a
younger person
A rich person carries out some charity work
a.
What measures are being implemented in the project to promote social cohesion in
the village?
b.
In your opinion, how important are community organizations in building friendships between
people of different backgrounds?
31
Activity 5 (15 minutes)
Explain that social cohesion can take many forms in society.
Ask students to read the text in the Student Book alone as they may need time to
process the more advanced language used compared to the other texts in this unit.
Discuss the questions in the unit.
Suggested Answers
a. For Beginners
Building people’s skills; engaging people in healthier pastimes; directing people
away from conflict and violence; helping people develop leadership roles in
society.
b. For Advanced Students
Community organizations give people opportunities that they might not
otherwise have had. People from different backgrounds learn to work together
on projects for the benefit of their shared community.
31
Teacher’s Guide
6
Activity 6 (10 minutes)
Complete the following activity.
Remind students that leadership is about more than
power and imposing rules. It involves moral leadership
too, promoting equality, happiness and cohesion. Ask
students to write a paragraph about how they could
promote these values.
What roles would equality, happiness and cohesion play in your ideal society? Write a short paragraph about
how you could promote these values.
As they write, walk around the class offering support
and encouragement. If students are struggling, help
them with some prompts:
•
•
•
You can promote equality by standing up against
discrimination and unfair treatment.
You can promote happiness by celebrating
people’s achievements.
You can promote cohesion by not tolerating any
form of harassment and making sure all people
feel welcome in society.
Key Skills (Head, Heart, Hands)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unit 4
Lesson 5
Imagination
Critical thinking
Enquiry
Empathy
Care
Dealing with complexity
Participation
32
32
Moral Education
Grade 8
Theme
The Individual and the Community
Unit 5
Theme: The Individual and the
Community
Dealing with Conflict
Unit 5:
(IC16) Dealing with
Conflict
Unit Objectives
The aim of this unit is to allow young people to
explore the concept of conflict and prepare them to
cope with struggles on an individual basis as well as
well as on a domestic and social level. Students will
discover a range of problem-solving strategies as well
as intrapersonal and interpersonal skills to be used in
the classroom and, more widely, in society. They will
also learn a number of strategies to help them live
productively when they are dealing with conflict, such
as reflective and empathetic thinking.
Lesson 1
Internal Conflicts
Lesson 2
Managing Internal Conflicts
Lesson 3
External Conflicts
Lesson 4
Managing External Conflicts
Lesson 5
Resolving Conflicts
Unit Description
How can people deal with conflict in different situations and find ways
to resolve it?
The concepts, which are the foundations of this unit,
are taught over five lessons and designed to answer
the central question.
33
Central Question
Each unit has a central question. All the lessons are structured around this question.
Throughout the unit, students explore the concept of the central question.
33
Teacher’s Guide
Exploratory Questions
These questions provide an overview of the concepts
that the students will learn throughout the lessons in
this unit.
How would we recognise signs of internal conflict and aim to resolve it?
What strategies can we use to deal with internal conflict?
What strategies can we use to deal with external conflict and forces that may
be out of our control?
What are the recommended steps to resolve conflict?
34
Learning Outcomes
1.
Demonstrate, through role-play, an understanding of strategies to deal with
internal and external conflict.
2.
Articulate the importance of showing tolerance for people affected by external
conflict (eg refugees).
3.
Understand why external conflicts take place and the importance of conflictresolution strategies and diplomacy, including being open and tolerant.
4.
Give advice on how to manage internal conflict and cope with external forces
beyond one’s control.
34
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
5
Lesson Objectives
•
•
Dealing with Conflict
Lesson 1
Understand what conflict is.
Internal Conflicts
Explore what internal conflict is.
•
•
Required Materials
•
•
•
Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate an understanding of strategies to
deal with internal and external conflict.
Give advice on how to manage internal conflict
and cope with external forces beyond
one’s control.
Whiteboard and marker
Copybooks
Vocabulary
Photos depicting conflict (Photos should be
checked beforehand to make sure they are
suitable for the students.)
Morals
Conflict
Internal conflict
Learning Outcomes
•
•
1
Demonstrate an understanding of strategies to
deal with internal and external conflict.
Give advice on how to manage internal conflict
and cope with external forces beyond
one’s control.
Think about the ideas in the text below. Discuss them with your partner and then
complete the activity.
We often struggle with stress when it comes to what we believe is right and wrong. Conflict often arises when
our morals are being tested.
It can be difficult for people to cope and deal with conflict on many levels, from personal to international.
But what is conflict?
35
Activity 1 (5 minutes)
What is conflict?
Introduce the lesson by reading the first paragraph in the Student book. Ask the
students if they know what “morals” are. Facilitate a brief discussion.
Write a definition on the board: Values and principles that guide your actions so that
you do good and do not harm others.
Now read the second paragraph. Explain that conflict can arise when our morals are
tested and we are unsure what the right thing to do is.
Ask students to complete the activity, after they have shared their definitions, write a
definition on the board:
A disagreement caused by two or more opposing viewpoints
Point out that a conflict can be between two people or even two cities or countries,
and it can also be within a person. Explain that we’ll be exploring different types of
conflict throughout the lesson.
35
Teacher’s Guide
2
With your group, complete the activity below.
Morals
Values and principles that
guide your actions so that
you do good and do not
harm others.
Conflict
A disagreement caused
by two or more opposing
viewpoints.
Internal conflict
A conflict within a person,
caused by competing
feelings, desires or
thoughts.
Draw a mind map that illustrates the concept of conflict. Use it to name four main components of conflict, and
add as many others as you can think of.
Activity 2 (10 minutes)
Remind students that conflict can be either internal
or external. Explain that there are a lot of concepts
that relate to conflict.
The components
of Conflict
Explain that students are going to create a mind
map to express the different ideas about conflict.
Ask students if they can remember what a mind
map is. After listening to suggestions, remind them
that a mind map is a diagram used to represent a
complex topic. It’s like a map of the ideas in your
mind.
Divide students into groups of four. Give each group
an A3 sheet of paper. Draw students’ attention to
the definition of “conflict” on the board.
Give each group five minutes to draw a mind map
that conveys their idea of conflict.
Unit 5
Lesson 1
36
Ask each group to share and explain its mind map.
Suggested Answers
Check that the following ideas have been captured
in the mind map: stress, struggle, morals, values,
anger, disagreement, difference, and decision.
If time allows and technology is available, show
students a series of photos that illustrate different
kinds of conflict.
36
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 3 (15 minutes)
3
Explain to students that conflict can take many forms.
Ask them to read the text, then draw their attention to
the two images. Ask students what type of conflicts
these are.
Read the text below and then complete the activities that follow.
There are many different types of conflict. When we talk about internal or inner conflict, we mean a struggle that
is going on inside a person. Often, we may not see, hear or notice it. An internal conflict can have many causes, for
example, when we have to choose between two opposite desires. It can happen when our mind tells us we should not
do or say something or go somewhere because of a possible consequence. Another example could be that we do not
agree with what the group wants to do but don’t want to be left out. Sometimes the urge to do or not do something
becomes very strong and it creates a conflict within ourselves. We cannot make up our mind and that is known as an
internal conflict.
Domestic conflict is a struggle that happens inside the home when members of the family or those living in the same
house disagree and fight with each other.
Image 1: Domestic conflict between siblings.
Image 2: International conflict, a war
between countries.
An international conflict is a fight or war that involves two or more different countries.
Conflicts can take many forms: a clash of different opinions, feelings or needs, a violent fight between two people, or a
war between two countries.
Divide students into groups of five (if numbers allow).
Explain that each group has to come up with examples
of conflict: internal, domestic, and international. Check
for understanding to make sure students understand
what is required. Suggest that, in each group, each
person comes up with at least one of the examples.
Remind students to write the examples in their
Student books.
Identify what type of conflict is shown in the images below.
2
1
Allow groups 10 minutes to complete the activity. Then
ask each group to share and explain its examples.
In your group, identify different conflict scenarios. Try to be specific. Who are the people in conflict? What is the
conflict about? Then fill in the table below.
Type of Conflict
Internal
Domestic
International
37
37
Who is involved
What is the conflict about
Teacher’s Guide
4
For example, if one experiences fear, one should
behave courageously.
Read the text below and then complete the activity that follows.
Have a discussion with the students on how one
should behave in cases of internal conflict.
A compass is an instrument that we use for finding directions. Its needle always faces north, allowing us to get our
bearings. When we are lost, we must face north in order to find the right way and navigate properly.
Examples:
A moral compass is what we use to guide our behaviour. Using our values, it provides moral direction for our
decisions. And it helps us make the right decisions during times of internal conflict. Any time we are in conflict, our
moral compass turns to ‘true north’ and directs us to follow the right values for the situation. So if we are afraid, our
true North will be ‘courage’. If we are lazy, our true north will be ‘motivation’ and so on.
If we are afraid, we need courage.
If we are shy, we need self-confidence.
The earth’s magnetic field shows us the north on a regular compass. On our moral compass, however, it is our
decision that finds the north (the values) that we need to follow.
a.
If we are lazy, we need motivation.
If we are angry, we need self-control.
Complete the moral compass below with values that you think are important.
If we are impatient, we need patience.
If we are intolerant, we need respect.
If we are deceitful, we need honesty.
North
West
Compass
Then divide the class into pairs. Ask them to fill in the
moral compass in their books.
East
Suggested Answers
Motivation
Duty
South
Courage
Motivation
Courage
Duty
Responsibility
Perseverance
Moral
Compass
Responsibility
Perseverance
Moral
Compass
Honesty
Resilience
Care
Honesty
Resilience
Justice
Unit 5
Lesson 1
38
Care
Justice
Activity 4 (20 minutes)
Differentiated Learning
Begin this activity by reminding students that one type of conflict is internal conflict.
This occurs when we feel conflicting urges inside us and find it difficult to make a
decision. Ask students if they can think of examples of internal conflicts. Write the
suggestions on the board.
Try to ensure that each pair has a mix of beginner and
advanced student. The beginner student can identify
the moral conflict (“He is lazy”) and the advanced
student can identify the ‘true north’, or the correct
decision (“He needs to motivate himself”).
Read the text from the Student book. Explain that we all have our own unique moral
compass because we all have different values that are important to us.
Explain that a moral compass is the set of values that we list in our head. In other
words, it is how we behave according to the situation. Explain that finding north on a
compass means finding the right direction for a journey. For example, if one is going
from the UAE to the UK, one should find the north first and then work out which
direction is west.
Finding north on the moral compass means finding the right way to behave.
38
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 5 (10 minutes)
5
Ask students to examine the photograph in their
Student book. Explain that French sculptor Auguste
Rodin brought the notion of internal conflict to light
with his sculpture ‘The Thinker’ in 1880.
Read the text below and, then with your partner, answer the questions that follow.
“What makes my Thinker think is that he thinks not only with his brain, with his knitted brow, his distended nostrils
and compressed lips, but with every muscle of his arms, back, and legs, with his clenched fist and gripping toes.”
Rodin
As we have seen, internal conflict can arise for a variety of reasons and can be anything from a brief moment when
we feel uncomfortable because we cannot make the right decision to something far more serious. A person who
suffers from internal conflict for a long period of time can start to feel some physical consequences like a headache
or stomach ache, and tension in the muscles. Tension can build up inside the body and stop the person from
sleeping and eating normally. The person can feel guilt, anxiety, or confusion. Internal conflict is normal, it is part of
our experience as humans and it happens at all ages.
Unresolved internal conflict can sometimes lead to depression. It can also result in people using medication or
harmful substances, leading to even greater problems. Therefore, it very important to be open with those we
respect and trust and not let internal conflict go on for too long: talk about what is bothering you, share your
concerns and avoid bottling up your feelings.
The original statue was 70cm high. Due to its
popularity, Rodin created another one more than
double the size of the original. It is now at the
entrance of the Rodin Museum in Paris.
Read the Rodin quote to the class.
Explain that Rodin’s statue has inspired many other
artists over the years. Draw students’ attention to
Kobra’s version in their books.
Divide students into pairs. Conduct the activity in the
Student Book.
a.
Do you think this sculpture accurately portrays how someone may look when faced with
internal conflict?
b.
What might be other physical signs of internal conflict in a person?
c.
Now look at the two images below. Compare and contrast the two pieces, noting their
differences and similarities.
Suggested Answers
a. The tension in the muscles and the way he is
sitting with his head down portray a person who
is dealing with internal conflict.
b. Other physical signs of internal conflict could
be fatigue, difficulty sleeping and changes in
weight.
c. Rodin’s work is a statue, while Kobra has created
a mural. The statue is shaped by Rodin’s hands,
whereas the mural is created using paint. Unlike
the bronze statue, the mural is very colourful
and vibrant. They both show the physical
tension of someone with an apparent
internal conflict.
39
The Thinker of Rodin
KEY FACT
Kobra’s version of “The Thinker”
There are now at least 20 castings, in bronze and plaster, of The Thinker around the world, including in Australia
and America. There is also one on Rodin’s grave.
39
Teacher’s Guide
6
Key Skills (Head, Heart, Hands)
Think!
a.
When do we witness internal conflict in our day to day life?
b.
Do you feel it is necessary for us to understand our internal conflicts? Why?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reading
Higher order questioning
Literacy skills
Building vocabulary
Social skills
Analysis
Abstract thinking
Empathise
Sympathise
Public speaking
Confidence building skills
Autonomous learning
Writing
Drawing and artistic skills
Evaluation/Reflection
Daily AfL Strategies: Create a word bank of all
keywords through the unit that students can use when
they are unsure about the meaning of a word. At the
beginning of every class, begin the lesson with five
minutes of recap and questioning.
Unit 5
Lesson 1
40
Activity 6 (5 minutes)
Close the class by giving a short reflection on the lesson, drawing on what they have
learned throughout. Students will now be able to apply the concept of conflict into
everyday life. The issue of morals can also be identified.
These five minutes will be allocated for questions students may have regarding this
topic. Facilitate a discussion around the two questions.
Ask students all to stand up. Go around the room
asking them to define in their own words the words,
phrases and terms in the word bank. When they give
a good, well-explained answer, thank them and praise
their work.
Use a series of graphs to organise students’ thoughts
and recap from previous lessons, using key ideas and
notions.
When written activities are completed, the students
pair/ team-up and swap their written work with one
another. They must correct the work of their peers.
Suggested Answers
a. E very day, we have to make decisions. Making the right choice causes internal
conflict, as we weigh up the pros of cons of each possible decision.
b. Identifying our internal conflicts helps us to deal with them successfully.
40
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
5
Lesson Objectives
Dealing with Conflict
Lesson 2
Recognise the signs of internal conflict.
Learning Outcomes
Managing Internal
Conflicts
Identify ways to deal with internal conflict within
yourself or in others.
•
•
Required Materials
•
•
White board and marker
Vocabulary
Small space for role-play performance
Learning Outcomes
•
•
Demonstrate an understanding of strategies to
deal with internal and external conflict.
Give advice on how to manage internal conflict
and cope with external forces beyond
one’s control .
D emonstrate an understanding of strategies to
deal with internal and external conflict.
1
G ive advice on how to manage internal conflict
and cope with external forces beyond
one’s control.
Body language
Empathy
Peer pressure
Identity
Complete the activities below.
Recognising others’ internal conflict is even more difficult than recognising our own. We never know what
people are going through. Reading body language is not easy, but we can try!
Body language is:
Empathy is:
Activity 1 (5 minutes)
Look at the two images below and imagine what the person is experiencing?
Remind students of the Rodin statue in the
previous lesson. Explain that we know the thinker is
experiencing an internal conflict because of his body
language.
Ask students if they remember what body language
is. Ask them to write a definition in their Student book.
Listen to some suggestions. Then explain that body
language is the way in which we move our bodies
according to our emotions and feelings without us
being aware of it.
Explain that if we are able to read a person’s body
language, we can develop empathy for them. Ask
students to write a definition of empathy in their
Student book. Ask students to share their definitions.
Explain that empathy is the ability to understand
and relate to the feelings and emotions of another
person.
Emphasise that it’s important to be able to read body
language so that we can empathise with others.
Now ask students to look at the images and imagine
what each person is experiencing. Listen and discuss
all suggestions.
41
1
2
KEY FACT
Putting ourselves in other people’s shoes allows us to gain empathetic intelligence, which enhances our social skills.
41
Suggested Answers
Image 1:
The woman might have a headache, or she is hearing high sounds...
Image 2:
The woman is angry, maybe because of the way another person is driving or because
of something that has happened that day.
Teacher’s Guide
2
Body language
The ways in which we move
our bodies according to
our emotions and feelings
without us being aware of it
(subconsciously).
Empathy
The ability to understand
and relate to the feelings and
emotions of another.
Peer pressure
Strong influence from
your friends, colleagues or
classmates to try to force you to
take a particular stand
or action.
Identity
Your sense of who you are and
what you are; what makes you
unique as a person.
Read the text below and then, with your partner, answer the questions.
When we listen to people and read their body language, we can judge whether they are experiencing internal
conflict. Here are two people who are struggling to manage their internal conflict. Try to read their thoughts
and put yourself in their shoes.
Suggested Answers
a. This boy is having a crisis of confidence. It often
happens with teenagers in school. They begin
to feel greater academic pressure and if they
are also facing pressure to perform from home,
this can lead to loss of confidence in their
ability to keep up. He can manage his conflict by
organizing his time better, doing less activities
and more studies. He could also try to improve
his self-confidence and believe in himself more.
On our moral compass, this character can go in
the direction of: being organized, self-confidence,
motivated, responsible.
1. “Oh no, it’s nearly the end of the school year. I am so worried that my grades are not going to be good enough. I
was always so good in school in upper elementary but now it all seems to be getting so much harder. I really need
to get good grades in my SATs. My mom and dad would be so disappointed if I don’t, they really want me to go
to college but I am not sure I’m going to make it. Of course, they think it is so simple because my big sister got
through it so easily and she’s in this great college. They are so proud of her. She is really smart and almost did
not need to study at all. I am studying a lot but perhaps I am not doing enough. Perhaps I should give up football
practice and my guitar lessons. I really don’t know what to do.”
Unit 5
Lesson 2
42
Activity 2 (15 minutes)
Divide students into pairs. Ask students to carefully read each example and imagine
they are in the character’s shoes.
Remind them of the importance of empathy and remind them of their moral compass.
Make sure students remember that when we are facing an internal conflict, we find
our true north (the right direction) on our moral compass and follow the values
indicated there. Instruct students to spend five minutes reading and discussing
each scenario before answering the questions. When students have answered the
questions, ask them to share their answers with the class.
b. This young man is suffering from an identity
crisis. He feels out of place. He also feels he
should be doing something different with his
life. Part of the reason he is in this situation is
peer pressure. He can benefit from his time in
this place and also decide to move forward. He
can stop dwelling on his unhappiness and decide
to continue his studies as it is never too late
to follow a dream. On our moral compass, this
character can go in the direction of: positivity,
perseverance, resilience, and progressiveness.
42
Moral Education
c.
Grade 8
Feeling inadequate and unable to keep up with
school work. Fear of failure. Fear of being uncool
or unpopular. Feeling self-conscious.
d. Growing up is hard because we have more
responsibility. We are not little children anymore.
When we are growing up, everything changes,
and change is often frightening because we don’t
always know what is coming next.
Deduce with students the idea of hidden internal
conflict. Ask students to write a definition in their
Student book, and then ask for answers. Explain
that hidden internal conflict is the conflict in which
we struggle with but is not visible to others.
2. “When I first came here, I really liked it. This is where I spent four years in college and had a great time. I
had friends from all over the country and there were students from all these other countries too. My friends
persuaded me I should stay in this town because I was happy here, and I could get a job as a teacher in the local
high school. Now I have been here for a while, but it does not feel right. I wish I had listened to myself and gone
on to post-graduate school in the UK. Most of my friends from college days have left town, and in fact several
went to the UK. I wish I had too. I really don’t feel like I belong here. I don’t know where I belong any more.”
Hidden internal conflict is:
a.
What internal conflict did the first character face? How can you help him manage his
conflict using your moral compass?
b.
What internal conflict did the second character face? How can you help him manage his
conflict using your moral compass?
43
43
c.
What are the main internal conflicts facing teenagers?
d.
“Growing up is so hard for some people.” Do you agree? Why?
Teacher’s Guide
3
Activity 3 (10 minutes)
Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.
Read the introduction to the activity to the class. Ask
students what emotions they feel when something is
not as good as they expected. Write suggestions on
the board. Suggestions might include disappointment,
anger, sadness and fear.
“I thought when I came to here it was going to be this huge change of scenery and that I could be whoever I want to
be. I thought there’d always be a plan, or an event, and that I’d never feel alone, and that I’d be very ‘fabulous’ — for
lack of a better word. But in reality, it has taken me a long time to fit in and make friends. Everyone else has been
here for much longer than me, so they all know each other. Everyone has a best friend except for me. I look at what
they are doing on social media and I see them planning things to do at the weekend but they have never asked me to
join them. I feel too embarrassed to ask them if I can go along too.”
Ask a student to read out the examples on the board
to the class. Ask students if they have any other
suggestions.
Then ask students to spend five minutes reading the
passage carefully and considering the questions.
a.
Think of a time when you felt an internal conflict because things didn’t turn out as planned.
How did you feel?
b.
What feelings do you think the woman in the story is experiencing? Why?
c.
How could you help this woman deal with her internal conflict?
Suggested Answers
a. Situations when the sudent felt an internal
conflict: he didn’t get picked for a school
team (feeling: frustration), plans for an outing
were cancelled at the last minute (feeling:
disappointment) , or he didn’t do as well in exams
as he hoped (feeling: losing self-confidence) .
b. She feels lonely a lot of the time.
She’s disappointed because her life has not
improved after moving.
She’s envious of the people she sees on
social media.
She is embarrassed to ask to join the others.
If you feel comfortable doing so, share your thoughts with the class.
c.
Unit 5
Lesson 2
44
Tell her you sometimes feel lonely too.
Explain that when you post happy photos on
social media, it’s not really the whole story of
your life.
If you feel lonely, try to reach out to someone
because they might be lonely too but are too
ashamed to say so.
Then ask students to share their thoughts with the
class. Point out that students should share only if they
feel comfortable doing so.
44
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 4 (10 minutes)
4
Peer pressure is one of the biggest stress factors
facing teenagers. Discuss different forms of peer
pressure – getting the latest laptop or phone to be
on trend, getting involved in activities you know are
wrong just because it’s cool. Divide students into
pairs and ask them to read the text and discuss the
questions.
Read the story below and answer the questions that follow.
Teenagers face many sorts of internal conflicts coming from different directions. Very often peer pressure at
school or from other friends outside school can lead to stress.
Mona and Sara are friends and want to be part of a group of girls who everyone thinks are the coolest in the school.
They really want to be friends with them because they seem to have so much fun. They always gather just before
and after school and laugh together and make jokes. Every day there seems to be something new: one time they
watched the funniest videos on their phones, another time, one of them was telling the most hilarious joke – it never
stops. They are popular with everyone, even with kids in the other grades in the school. Mona and Sara decide that
Mona, being the least shy, will approach the girls one day during recess and ask if she and Sara can hang out with
the group. “Sure,” they reply, “the more the merrier! In fact we are going to skip the next period to go and get ice
cream at this new place at the mall. Come with us. It will be great!” Mona is excited and wants to go. This invitation,
she thinks, is a great opportunity to join the group right away. She is pushing Sara to go with them but Sara is not so
sure it is a good idea to skip class.
Ask each pair to share their solutions and conclusions.
Suggested Answers
a. Sara and Mona can suggest to the group that
they go to the ice cream place at the mall after
class .They can try to persuade the group that
skipping class will have negative consequences.
Think about the dilemma facing Sara and Mona. Discuss your opinion about this situation with your partner.
5
b. Sara can remind Mona that education is the most
important thing.
Ice cream can wait.
The cool group can wait.
Skipping class is not cool.
She can suggest to Mona to go to the ice cream
place after school.
a.
What are the options for Mona and Sara?
b.
What advice can Sara give to help Mona make the appropriate decision?
With your group, role-play internal conflicts and then find solutions to overcome them.
Use your moral compass!
Internal conflict can happen for many different reasons. If you see someone experiencing internal conflict,
noticing it because of their body language or behaviour, it is important to show empathy and try to help them
find a solution to cope with this. You can always use your moral compass to guide you on taking the
right decision.
In your group, invent a scenario in which one or two people are experiencing conflict. The others must try to
help and come up with solutions. Try to find ways of offering advice or ideas for activities that can help them
feel better.
Activity 5 (15 minutes)
Remind students that when you see someone
experiencing internal conflict, you should comfort and
support them by showing empathy or finding ways
to help them manage that conflict. Remind students
that using their moral compass to guide them is the
best way to solve internal conflict. Tell students that
external forces beyond anyone’s control are difficult
for everyone to accept, including adults.
Divide students into groups.
Ask each group of students to come up with a scenario
in which one or the two of the group are experiencing
internal conflict. One group plays the role of those
undergoing internal conflict, the others must display
empathy and come up with ways in which they can
help resolve or reduce their conflict.
The values and morals they have on their moral
compass will be the best solution for these conflicts.
Allow students 10 minutes for this part of the activity.
Then choose two groups at random. Ask each to
perform their role-play in front of the class.
Ask feedback from the class about the two role- plays.
In particular, examine how internal conflict, empathy
and coping strategies were acted out differently in the
two scenarios.
45
45
Suggested Answers
Be honest.
Be responsible.
Have dignity.
Be compassionate.
Be resilient.
Express yourself.
Don’t bottle up your feelings.
Seek help from your teachers, friends and family.
Try to engage in activities that will take your mind off your conflict, for example sports,
music, watching a film...
Teacher’s Guide
6
Suggested Answers
Read the text below and then answer the question that follows.
Being a good friend of both, the writer could use
his relationship with Rafi and Marwan to help them
reconcile.
Internal conflicts can sometimes be caused by external conflicts.
Rafi and Marwan have been best friends for as long as anyone can remember. Their parents are friends too. They
pretty much grew up together as they have also been in the same school since kindergarten. They are both really
good at soccer and play in the school team. Rafi’s dad organised a group of us to go every Saturday to practise
soccer at this brilliant sports ground. We used to have such a great time. But now I am really upset because Rafi and
Marwan have had a huge fight. They are not friends anymore and don’t even talk to each other. Marwan has found
another place to play soccer and has created a new group to practise on Saturdays at the same time as Rafi’s team.
He has asked me to leave Rafi and join his team instead. I really like both of them. If I go with Rafi, Marwan will hate
me, and if I stay with Marwan, Rafi will hate me. I love playing soccer but I really don’t know what to do. I feel like I
have lost two friends in one go.
After trying more than once, if the two friends won’t
reconcile, then the writer might want to stay where
he is and not move to the other team. Another answer
could be that the writer would take sides with the
friend that he is closest to.
Key Skills (Head, Heart, Hands)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Where to play?
a.
Empathetic intelligence
Thinking skills
Literacy
Body language
Reading
Analysis of photos and colour
Social skills
Empathy
Sympathy
Writing
How can the writer deal with this internal conflict?
Unit 5
Lesson 2
46
Activity 6 (5 minutes)
Ask students to read the text. Have a discussion about the story and how such a
conflict between friends can often have repercussions for their other friends.
Differentiated Learning
For Beginners
Ask students to explain what the internal conflict is that the writer is experiencing. (He
doesn’t know what to do, to stay with Rafi or go with Marwan?)
For Advanced Students
Ask students what we call the cause of this conflict. (It is an external conflict between
his two friends that caused the writer’s internal conflict.)
46
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
5
Lesson Objectives
Dealing with Conflict
Lesson 3
This lesson introduces students to external conflicts
that arise between individuals and groups at home
and at school. Students explore the causes of such
conflicts in the context of realistic and real events,
including texts, roles, scenarios, etc.
External Conflicts
Learning Outcomes
•
•
•
Required Materials
•
•
•
Sheet of A4 paper
Vocabulary
Whiteboard and marker
Optional: individual whiteboards and markers
for students
1
Learning Outcomes
•
•
•
Demonstrate an understanding of strategies to
deal with internal and external conflict.
Articulate the importance of showing
tolerance for people affected by external
conflict (e.g. refugees).
Understand why external conflicts take place
and the importance of conflict-resolution
strategies and diplomacy including being open
and tolerant.
Demonstrate an understanding of strategies to
deal with internal and external conflict.
External
Resolution
Bullying
Domestic
Read the description and answer the question that follows.
External conflict can be defined as arguments, fights or disagreements with another person or group of
people.
a.
Articulate the importance of showing tolerance
for people affected by external conflict (eg
refugees).
What examples of external conflicts between people can you think of?
Understand why external conflicts take place and
the importance of conflict-resolution strategies
and diplomacy, including being open and
tolerant.
Conflict
47
Activity 1 (5 minutes)
Remind students that in the last lesson they explored internal conflict. Check that
students remember that internal conflict occurs inside a person.
Explain that today you’re moving on to external conflict. Read the definition in the
Student book. Emphasise that while internal conflict happens inside a person, external
conflict happens between people. Check that students grasp the difference.
Ask students to give examples of external conflicts. Prompt them to look at the photo
for a clue. Write the suggestions on the board.
Suggested Answers
a. Conflicts with siblings, parents, friends or neighbours.
Point out that external conflicts can also take place at school. This will be the
focus of the next activity.
47
Teacher’s Guide
2
Complete the activity below.
External
Something that is on the
outside.
Resolution
A solution to a problem,
or an agreement to end a
conflict.
Bullying
Aggressive, unpleasant or
intimidating behaviour that
aims to make a person feel
frightened.
Domestic
Involving the home or the
family.
External conflict can occur between classmates at school.
Conflict at school
Think of a time when you had a conflict with one of your classmates:
• What caused the conflict?
• How did it make you feel?
• How did you solve the conflict?
Write your answers on a sheet of paper.
Unit 5
Lesson 3
48
Activity 2 (5 minutes)
Remind students that external conflicts can occur between classmates at school.
Give each student a blank sheet of paper.
Ask students to think about a time they had a conflict with a classmate. Ask them to
study the questions in their Student book, and then write their thoughts on the sheet
of paper.
Point out that this is an individual activity. Students will not be asked to share their
thoughts, as this may make some students feel uncomfortable. Instead, students keep
their sheets of paper.
48
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 3 (15 minutes)
3
Read the introductory paragraph. Emphasise that
bullying is a particularly upsetting form of external
conflict for people.
Read the scenarios below and then answer the questions that follow.
Conflict in school is natural during the process of growing up. It can often be caused by disagreements, envy, bias,
jealousy,etc.When peers cannot solve such conflicts, they become frustrated and might turn to bullying.
Conflict in school is natural during the process of growing up. It can often be caused by disagreements, envy, bias,
jealousy,etc.When peers cannot solve such conflicts, they become frustrated and might turn to bullying.
Explain that students are going to examine two
examples of bullying and share their thoughts.
Scenario 1
On her way to school, Emily often bullies two younger students
named Noor and Alan. She chases them, pulls their hair, and always
takes their recess treats. One day when she gets to school, Emily
pushes Alan because he and Noor do not have any treats to give her.
She tells them that she will hurt them if they don’t bring her treats
tomorrow. Some other students are nearby and see this.
Ask a student to read the first scenario. Facilitate a
five-minute discussion around the questions.
Scenario 1
Suggested Answers
a. Emily feels powerful and in control when she
bullies the younger students. Maybe she was
bullied when she was younger. Maybe she
has no friends of her own age and she feels
unhappy because of this.
a.
How do you think Emily is feeling? Why do you think
she is doing such things?
b.
How are Noor and Alan feeling in this situation?
c.
How do you think the other students in the class are feeling?
Emily and Alan
Scenario 2
Some Grade 8 boys play football together at recess. One day Hani, a
boy who is taller than the other boys, tells the other boys lies about
one of their teammates, Firas. He claims Firas said they were no
good at football. He calls Firas stupid. For the next few recesses,
when Firas tries to play football, Hani and two other boys tell him to
go away. They will not let him play. After recess, Hani and the two
other boys follow Firas. They push him and yell at him. They say that
if he tells on them, he will never be able to play football again, and
they will beat him up. Now, no one will work or play with Firas. He
does not want to go out for recess anymore.
b. Noor and Alan feel afraid and powerless.
c. The other children feel sorry for the younger
children. They are annoyed with Emily for
treating them badly. However, they are
probably afraid of her too and relieved that
she is bullying Noor and Alan and not them.
Then ask another student to read the second
scenario. Again, facilitate a five-minute discussion
around the questions.
a.
Why do you think Hani doesn’t want Firas to play?
b.
What do you think Firas can do in this situation?
c.
How do you think Firas feels?
Firas
List five steps we could take to help stop bullying in schools.
1.
Scenario 2
Suggested Answers
a. Firas is probably a better football player
than Hani, and makes him feel jealous.
2.
3.
4.
5.
b. Firas should tell an adult about what is
happening to him.
49
c. Firas probably feels very unhappy and lonely.
Emphasise that schools do not tolerate bullying in
any form. Point out that all students have a role to
play in preventing bullying.
Ask students what steps they could take to prevent
bullying in their school. Ask students to share their
suggestions with the class. Write the suggestions on
the board.
Suggested Answers
Give support to students who are being bullied.
Get all the students to sign a pledge not to become
a bully.
Report bullying behaviour that you witness to your
teacher.
If you are being bullied, tell your parents or
guardian.
49
If your friend is a bully, tell them that you don’t want to be friends with them anymore.
Aim to summarise the suggestions into five steps that all students agree to take to
prevent bullying in the school. Examples of five steps the students might suggest:
1.
Watch out for each other and see if anyone is being bullied.
2. Speak to the teacher immediately.
3. If someone is being bullied find out who the bully is.
4. Tell the bully you don’t want to be friends with them.
5. Tell the bully that picking on people who are weaker than them does not make
them strong or clever.
Perhaps ask students to vote on the list of suggestions to select the top five. Write the
five agreed steps on a sheet of paper (or print them) and display it in the classroom as
a reminder of the students’ commitment to prevent bullying.
Once students have completed the activity, explain that conflict can also occur
at home.
Teacher’s Guide
4
Activity 4 (15 minutes)
Read the text below and then answer the questions.
Read the introductory paragraph from the Student
book. Check that students understand the word
“domestic”. Ask for suggestions, and then explain that
domestic means “within the home”.
Struggles happen at home all the time, from what to have for dinner, to what to watch on TV, to who never does
their chores! This happens in almost all domestic settings.
Examine each scenario and discuss the questions with your partner.
Divide students into pairs. Explain that they are going
to examine three scenarios, and answer the questions
on each scenario . They should spend no more than
three minutes on each scenario.
Scenario 1
You are eating dinner at a fancy restaurant with your
parents and their friends. You are messing around
and accidentally drop a noodle onto a lady’s lap.
Your parents are horrified and yell at you in front
of everyone.
•
•
At the end of the activity, ask three pairs to share
their thoughts. Each pair should talk about a different
scenario.
How would you feel?
What should you do?
Suggested Answers
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
•
You arrive home after a stressful day and remember
that you were supposed to collect your sister from
school on your way home, but you forgot. Your
parents are very angry with you and they ‘ground’ you
for a week. As a result, you miss a concert you were
planning to go to.
•
•
•
How would you feel?
What should you do?
Scenario 3
•
How would you feel?
What should you do?
Unit 5
Lesson 3
You should apologise to the lady and to your
parents. And you should promise them all that
you’ll be more careful with your food.
Scenario 2
You didn’t study very hard for your maths exam
even though your parents told you that they would
be disappointed with you if you failed. You do fail
and they are very upset when they get the news. As
punishment, they say you’re not allowed to play with
your friends for the next week.
•
•
You would feel embarrassed because your
parents are criticising you in front of other
people. You would also feel upset because they
are angry with you.
•
50
You would feel worried about your sister
because you forgot to collect her. And you’d
feel disappointed because you’d annoyed your
parents. Also, you’d feel sad because you were
grounded.
You should first apologise to your sister. Then
you should promise your parents you won’t make
a similar mistake again. And you should accept
your punishment without complaining. You could
use the time you’re grounded to help out with
the household chores.
Scenario 3
•
•
You would feel sad because you had disappointed
your parents. You’d also probably feel sad
about failing the test. And you might feel angry
because you can’t play with your friends.
You should first apologise to your parents for
failing the test, especially when you knew how
important the test was to them. Then you should
examine your test results in detail to see what
areas you need to improve in. And you should use
your time to study harder.
50
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 5 (15 minutes)
Explain that in times of conflict, whether internal or
external, we need support from others.
5
Read the article and then answer the questions that follow.
Divide class into pairs. Explain to the students that a
parachute is a device made from cloth which fills with
air and enables a person attached to it to descend
slowly when dropped from an aircraft and land safely.
The person who folds the parachute after each use
must check it for faults and ensure that it will work the
next time it is used. It’s a position of great trust.
Ask students to read the article and answer the
questions.
Charles Plumb was a US navy pilot in Vietnam. His plane was destroyed after 75 war missions and Plumb parachuted
into enemy hands. He was captured and spent six years in a Vietnamese prison. He survived and now speaks about
the lessons he learned from that experience.
After students have shared their thoughts, explain
that we all need people to pack our parachutes for us,
ie people who we can trust and who will look out for
our best interests.
One day, when Plumb was sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew
jet fighters in Vietnam… You were shot down!” “How did you know that?” asked Plumb. “I packed your parachute,”
the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it worked!” “It sure did,”
Plumb replied. “If it hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Suggested Answers
That night, Plumb couldn’t sleep thinking about the man. He says, “I kept wondering what he had looked like in a
navy uniform…. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said ‘Good morning, how are you?’ or
anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.”
a. ‘Pack your parachute’ in this context means
literally that the person who packed the
parachute was the most important person in
Plumb’s life because his survival depended
on him.
Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent weaving and folding each chute, holding in his hands the fate
of someone he didn’t know.
“Who’s packing your parachute?” Everyone has someone who gives them what they need to make it through the
day. Plumb needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down in Vietnam he needed his physical
parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these
supports before reaching safety.
b. Plumb probably could not sleep because he felt
bad that he had not recognised the importance
of the man’s role .
c. The sailor was probably very proud to have
played such an important part in saving Plumb’s
life when his plane was shot down.
d. Plumb probably felt scared sometimes during
the war but he would have had to hide that
from others. He was probably worried about his
family at home and what would happen to them
if he did not survive.
51
51
a.
What do you think ‘pack your parachute’ means in the context of this story?
b.
Why do you think Plumb couldn’t sleep after meeting the sailor?
c.
How do you think the sailor felt after meeting Plumb?
d.
What internal conflicts do you think Plumb experienced while taking part in the external
conflict in Vietnam?
Teacher’s Guide
6
Key Skills (Head, Heart, Hands)
Who Packs YOUR parachute?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sometimes, in our daily lives, we miss what is really important. We sometimes fail to say hello, please, or
thank you, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.
As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognise the people who pack your parachutes.
Higher order questioning
Reading and literacy
Problem solving
Organisation skills
Empathy and sympathetic skills
Conflict resolution
Honesty
Confrontation
Writing
Evaluation/Reflection
Play a film in class of a conflict scenario and ask the
students to comment on the conflict and suggest a
resolution for it.
Who supports you?
Another way students could be assessed is writing
their own scenarios and questions to go along with
them and swapping with their classmates.
After this lesson there should be very little conflict in
the class because the students are aware of it. Keep a
close eye on the behaviour of the students for a true
evaluation of how effective this lesson has been.
Differentiated Learning
Unit 5
Lesson 3
52
Activity 6 (5 minutes)
Remind students that the sailor packed Plumb’s parachute and saved his life.
Ask students to consider who packs their parachutes. Who helps them to cope with
their internal and external conflicts?
Suggested Answers
Parents, teachers, friends, people who serve them food, bus drivers, etc.
Read the text in the Student book. Ask students to make a special effort over the next
week to thank those who pack their parachutes.
Differentiation can be implemented where there is
more than one scenario. Weaker students may not
have the competency to complete more than one
in the time allocated, so they can do one. When
more advanced students are finished with their first
scenario response, they can move swiftly on to the
next one.
Each piece of text is accompanied by a photo or
colourful illustration for more visual learners to gain
an insight. This provides a better, more comprehensive
understanding.
The optional use of small individual whiteboards
allows kinaesthetic learners to gain practical
learning skills.
52
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
5
Dealing with Conflict
Lesson Objectives
Lesson 4
In this lesson students explore ways of dealing
positively with conflicts and acquire the basic skills for
that. This lesson also explores the impact of external
conflicts on the lives of individuals.
Managing External
Conflicts
Learning Outcomes
•
•
Learning Outcomes
•
•
U nderstand why external conflicts take place and
the importance of conflict-resolution strategies
and diplomacy, including being open and tolerant.
Understand why external conflicts take place,
and the importance of conflict-resolution
strategies and diplomacy, including being
open and tolerant.
Give advice on how to manage internal
conflict and cope with external forces beyond
one’s control.
Vocabulary
Support
G ive advice on how to manage internal
conflict and cope with external forces beyond
one’s control.
1
Impact
Examine the photo below and then answer the questions that follow.
How do you react to conflict?
a.
How do you think this conflict will end?
53
Activity 1 (5 minutes)
Remind students that conflicts can take many forms: internal, domestic, and
international.
Ask students to examine the photo.
Facilitate a discussion on the question.
Suggested Answers
These are most likely two colleagues in an office, or a teacher and a student in a
university.
Answers to the way their conflict will end may vary. For example, the two people may
have a disagreement and never be able to resolve it or they will find a way to end this
conflict.
53
Teacher’s Guide
2
Read about the conflict some farmers are facing and answer the questions below.
The agricultural sector in Lebanon is facing several problems. Perhaps the deterioration of agricultural land
tops them, knowing that it results from climate change, which contributes to soil’s destruction and the spread
of diseases. However, the most important problem that threatens this sector’s fate, was and is still represented
in selling the produce; it worsened with the ongoing war in the area that diminished export, in addition to the
criteria adopted by many markets (regarding the selection of products), which prevented the possibility of selling
Lebanese products, and especially apples. Unfortunately, these problems are met by the Lebanese government’s
lack of support for the production sector, in terms of fertilizers’ rationalization and provision, for example. What
contributed to the aggravation of the crisis, is bombarding the markets with imported and smuggled products,
which led farmers to fight for their rights, that have been neglected since the seventies of the last century. A young
journalist came up with an initiative to help sell the apples. “Lebanese Apples Day” aimed at selling apples from the
Lebanese farmer directly to the consumer, ie, without intermediaries. This has been a beautiful event, especially
that several locations were set in coordination with the Internal Security forces (ISF), the Governorates of Mount
Lebanon and Beirut. Apples were being sold at prices ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 Lebanese Liras which was a good
price then.
a.
b.
c.
Support
Give encouragement or
assistance.
Impact
The effect somebody or
something has on another.
Categorize this kind of conflict and give reasons for your answer.
Give a name to the resolution for this conflict.
Imagine yourself passing by this kind of conflict on a personal level. What actions would
you take?
Apple farmer
Unit 5
Lesson 4
54
Activity 2 (10 minutes)
Ask students to read the text. After discussing what problems and conflicts the
farmers face, divide students into pairs. Ask them to complete the activity. Ask each
pair to share their replies.
Suggested Answers
a. This is an economical conflict because it affects the personal economy of the
farmers and also it affects the economy of the country.
b. It is a positive collective support. The initiative to help those farmers came up
from one of the citizens and it was supported by all the people.
c.
If I pass by an economical conflict I will
1. Economize my expenses. Stop buying unnecessary things and accessories.
2. Lead a low profile life until things get better.
3. Try to find something to do using my skills in order to raise money.
4. Work harder.
54
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 3 (15 minutes)
3
Ask students to read the story of the woman who
experienced Hurricane Katrina.
Read the text below and then answer the questions that follow.
Have a discussion about natural disasters. Then ask
the students to answer the questions in the
Student book.
Students research on volcanoes, hurricanes,
earthquakes, tsunamis. And share them in class.
Suggested Answers
a. She took all the precautions that she could by
moving out of her home and going to a safer
place. Then at the end of her story, the writer
says that she is moving from this area where
hurricanes are very common.
Wreckage after Katrina
I’ve lived on the Mississippi coast for 30 years. I’ve been through four or five hurricanes and countless tropical
storms. Before Hurricane Katrina came through in August 2005, I thought, ‘If my house gets washed away, I’ll just
stay at my mother’s house or my brother’s house’ – never thinking all our homes would be destroyed.
On Friday night (26 August 2005), some of us boarded up our houses. Others in town were saying that they didn’t
want to ‘overreact’ to the hurricane forecasts. But I was running around like crazy, yelling, ‘This is a [category] four!’
Saturday, I evacuated to my friend’s house with my 81-year-old mother, my 28-year-old niece and my sister-in-law.
We packed clothes, food and water. On Sunday, the news showed the eye of the hurricane heading toward our exact
location. At 1am, wind started pummelling the house. I woke everyone up and we listened to the radio. We learned
that all three of the emergency operation centres were washed away. That’s when I knew we were in big trouble.
Then we lost the radio. Looking outside, we watched in horror as the house behind us turned into what looked like
a living, breathing monster. The roof would lift, the house would expand, and then the roof would fall. Finally, the
house exploded.
The next day, we drove out to see what had happened. The wind was still strong enough to buffet my little car. We
drove through the centre of town, where downed power lines were strewn about. When we turned toward my street,
all I saw was a big lake where there once had been houses, trees and roads. So we tried to enter from the other
end, but there were too many fallen trees. I arrived at the empty slab of my mother’s house first. It had been wiped
clean – but miraculously, in the mud, I found her wedding band, as well as my dad’s paratrooper bracelet from WWII.
Those two items are all my mother has left.
My house was completely gone. I knelt down on my slab and said out loud, ‘I am so grateful that the people I love
have lived.’ And I cried. I had 20 good years in that house, and I feel fortunate. My street looks like a picture of
Chernobyl after the nuclear blast. It’s all brown, clothes are hanging from trees and debris is everywhere. Brown,
nasty water is seeping out of the ground. But after much digging in the mud, I decided I had to stop and start
rebuilding my life. I no longer want to live in Mississippi. I no longer want to go to sleep at night in a graveyard. I will
leave here and make a new life somewhere else.
55
55
a.
How could the writer manage this nature vs man conflict?
b.
Do some research on natural disasters in the world.
Teacher’s Guide
4
Activity 4 (15 minutes)
Read the text below and answer the following questions.
Explain to the class that conflicts can arise from
changes that happen as a result of progress
or development.
Ask them to read the text, then divide the class into
two groups, one in favour of the new road and one
opposed to it.
Now ask the students to discuss the questions
and a different spokesperson from each group
suggests answers.
Suggested Answers
a. The group that supports the plan should state
what the benefits will be from this project. The
group against will point out the disadvantages.
b. A compromise might be suggested – where the
road goes ahead but the route is changed to
avoid as much of the forest as possible.
A few years ago in Ireland, road planners wanted to make one of the major roads in the country more efficient
and safer. The change would reduce the time taken to travel from the capital city to the south of the country. A
motorway was planned to replace the existing national road, which passed through many small towns and villages.
It would also cut through an area of natural beauty – a large forest.
There were mixed opinions about the plans. People who had businesses in the towns were worried about losing
customers. People who liked to walk in the forest were worried about the impact on its wildlife. Parents who lived
in the towns affected claimed that their children would be safer without the current heavy traffic. People who didn’t
live in the area, but had to travel through it daily, were mostly in favour of the new road because it would reduce
their travel times.
a.
b.
Differentiated Learning
For Beginners
Allow the students in each group to list the
advantages or disadvantages of the project. They can
write them on a piece of paper as the basis of the
group role-play.
Role-play each group of people. Explain your point of view.
What do you think the planners could do to help resolve the conflict caused by the plans?
Unit 5
Lesson 4
56
For Advanced Students
They will analyse the points listed by the beginners
and have a summary and conclusion of the final
decision of the group.
56
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 5 (10 minutes)
5
Read the text with the students. Explain that the war
in some countries in the world is creating an external
conflict affecting individuals, especially children. Ask
students to read the questions and have a discussion
around the answers.
There are many victims in war, and often these victims are the most vulnerable people in society. And it’s not just
adults who suffer. Children can get caught in the crossfire (sometimes literally) too, suffering terrible injuries or
losing family members. They are often exposed to hardship that they are not prepared for. Even if the children are
lucky enough to avoid injury, the danger and lack of security that come with war can have a serious impact on their
health and their mental well-being. Because of the dangers, children are often unable to meet or socialise with their
friends, and when they do, they are constantly worried about the risks.
Read the Key Fact and discuss with students the
reason for having such a day. Make sure they
understand that this day is special for children around
the world, to help find their worries and the threats
they go through allowing authorities to manage those
issues.
In response to the suffering of children in war-torn regions around the world, UNICEF established World Children’s
Day. It takes place on 20th of November, the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child signed in 1989.
On that day, children are given a platform to share their experiences and voice their hopes for the future. Many
organisations in the media, politics, business, entertainment and sports sectors get involved to allow children a
chance to express their thoughts and feelings. The fun activities (such as hosting their own radio or TV segments)
have a serious point, though. It is a chance for children to interact with each other and with society at large to help
people better understand their fears and their hopes.
a.
b.
Suggested Answers
a. The impact of the external conflict on children is
a challenge on security, safety, poverty, hygiene,
health, and education. It is affecting children
physically and psychologically.
b.
What impact does the external conflict have on the lives of children?
How would commemorating Children’s Day help them manage this conflict?
KEY FACT
World Children’s Day is on November 20, it marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child.
Children’s Day allows them to speak up and
say share their concerns with authorities that
help them. They express their worries and
organizations like UNICEF can help by finding
solutions to their issues.
57
57
Read about the impact of war on children and then answer the questions that follow.
Teacher’s Guide
6
Answer the questions below.
Key Skills (Head, Heart, Hands)
Consider an external conflict that affected you.
a.
b.
c.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
How did it make you feel? Did it cause an internal conflict?
How did it affect those around you? Do you think it caused them internal conflicts? How did
you react?
In your opinion, how could the conflict have been resolved?
Reflective thinking
Conflict resolution strategies
Reading
Application of prior content knowledge
Social skills
Public speaking
Visual recognition
Hypothetical resolution
Empathy
Non-judgmental thinking
Social skills
Public speaking
Confidence
Building skills
Writing
IT skills in DLO
Differentiated Learning
Unit 5
Lesson 4
58
This lesson is differentiated by the use of language
and photographs that accompany text to provide the
learner with visual context.
Evaluation/Reflection
Activity 6 (5 minutes)
Activity 6 can be used for reflection and AfL.
Explain to students that external conflicts can also lead to internal conflicts. People
have to use their moral compass to think about how they react to external conflicts.
Ask students to spend five minutes reflecting on the questions in the Student book.
Ask students to share their thoughts, if they feel comfortable doing so.
58
Moral Education
Grade 8
Unit
5
Lesson Objectives
Dealing with Conflict
Lesson 5
The lesson deals with ways of resolving conflicts.
Resolving Conflicts
•
Required Materials
•
Learning Outcomes
Sheets of A4 paper
Give advice on how to manage internal conflict
and cope with external forces beyond
one’s control.
Learning Outcomes
•
Give advice on how to manage internal conflict
and cope with external forces beyond
one’s control.
Vocabulary
International
War
Global
Migration
Refugee
1
Look at the image below and answer the question.
Knots are like conflicts!
Can we untie knots?
59
Activity 1 (5 minutes)
Start the lesson by reminding students of internal and external conflicts. Ask them if
one should resolve conflict and why. Encourage students to talk about how life gets
difficult when one is facing conflict and how much happier one can be when they
manage and resolve conflict.
Ask students to look at the image, ask them what is similar between a knot and
a conflict.
59
Teacher’s Guide
2
Read the text and then complete the activity that follows.
International
Involving two or more
nations or countries.
We encounter conflict almost daily with our family, friends, at school or at work. The important thing is to identify
this conflict, manage it, and resolve it before it escalates to a high level. Managing conflict is extremely beneficial to
live a happy life.
As a mediator, one can manage conflict through phases. Phases can be as simple as the following five steps:
War
A conflict that leads to armed
military confrontation.
Step 1: Identify the source of the conflict. You need to give both parties the chance to share their side of the story. It
will give you a better understanding of the situation. The more information you have about the cause of the conflict,
the more easily you can help to resolve it.
Global
Involving more than one
place or country.
Step 2: Look beyond the incident. The source of the conflict might be a minor problem that occurred months before,
but the level of stress has grown to the point where the two parties have begun attacking each other personally
instead of addressing the real problem.
Migration
The movement of people
from one area to another.
Refugee
A person seeking refuge,
shelter or protection from
natural disaster or conflict.
Step 3: Request solutions. After getting each party’s viewpoint on the conflict, the next step is to get each to identify
how the situation could be changed. As mediator, you have to be an active listener, aware of every verbal nuance, as
well as a good reader of body language.
Step 4: Identify solutions both sides can support. Listen for the most acceptable course of action. Point out the
merits of various ideas, not only from each other’s perspective, but in terms of benefits for.
Step 5: Agreement. The mediator needs to get the two parties to shake hands and agree to one of the alternatives
identified in Step 4. Some mediators go as far as to write up a contract in which actions and time frames are
specified.
Activity 2 (15 minutes)
This mediation process works between groups as well as individuals.
a.
Read the text with the students. Discuss how conflict
can arise daily and with different people and places.
Ask students for examples of conflicts. Answers will
vary from conflict at home between siblings, children
and parents, at school between friends, at work
between colleagues, and even between countries.
Fill in the table below with the questions that you could ask at each step.
1. Identify
the source
Listen to the story
of each parties
2. Look
beyond
Look beyond the
triggering incident
to see the real cause
3. Request
Solutions
Ask each party to
propose a solution
4. Identify
supportive
solutions
Find the solution that
both support
5. Agreement
Have an agreement
Ask students to look at the info graphic. Read the
first two columns with the class then divide them into
pairs. Let each pair answer the question then share
the answers with the class.
Suggested Answers
1. What happened? How did this incident begin?
Unit 5
Lesson 5
60
2. What do you think happened here? When do you
think the problem between you first arose?
3. How can you make things better between you?
4. Do you agree to this solution?
5. What action plans will you both put in place to
prevent conflicts from arising in the future? What
will you do if problems arise in the future?
60
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 3 (15 minutes)
3
Tell students that the five steps to resolve a conflict
are essential, but there is always a certain behaviour
or strategy in doing so. Ask them to read the text and
then have a discussion on each strategy. Explain that
one might change strategies according to the conflict
itself. You might want to give examples that happened
in class.
Read the text below and then answer the questions that follow.
The five steps for resolving conflict have five different strategies. Which one is used depends on the situation.
Collaborating
Avoiding
Ask students to answer the questions in their books.
Suggested Answers
Students might have various replies because
strategies are personal. The importance is that they
do find a strategy to deal with conflicts. However, you
might want to encourage them to use the following
according to each question:
•
•
•
•
•
Accommodating
Compromising
Strategies for
resolving
conflict
Competing
Accommodating
Accommodating and tolerance
Essentially entails giving the opposing side what it wants. The use of accommodation often occurs when one of the
parties wishes to keep the peace or perceives the issue as minor.
Collaborating
Avoiding
Compromising
Competing
Seeks to put off conflict indefinitely. By delaying or ignoring the conflict, the avoider hopes the problem resolves
itself without a confrontation. Those who actively avoid conflict frequently have low esteem or hold a position of
low power.
Avoiding
Collaborating
Works by integrating ideas set out by multiple people. The object is to find a creative solution acceptable to
everyone. Collaboration, though useful, calls for a significant time commitment not appropriate to all conflicts.
Compromising
Typically calls for both sides of a conflict to give up elements of their position in order to establish an acceptable,
if not agreeable, solution. This strategy prevails most often in conflicts where the parties hold approximately
equivalent power.
Competing
Operates as a zero-sum game, in which one side wins and other loses. The competitive strategy works best in a
limited number of conflicts, such as emergency situations.
61
61
Teacher’s Guide
How would you react to the following conflicts:
4
a.
Discrimination
b.
New rules that you do not like at school
c.
Somebody close to you being irresponsible
d.
Fire
e.
Finishing a project on time
Assertive or cooperative? Read the text and complete the activity that follows.
The five strategies of dealing with conflict have two dimensions: assertive and cooperative. Assertiveness is how
much the individual is satisfying his own concerns. Cooperativeness is how much the individual is satisfying
others’ concerns.
With your partner fill in the table below according to what you have learned.
Assertive
Cooperative
Accommodating
Avoiding
Collaborating
Activity 4 (10 minutes)
Compromising
Explain to students the meaning of assertiveness and
cooperative. Tell them that being assertive is being
sure of what one wants, being bold and confident.
Being cooperative is more about being collaborative,
helpful and indulgent. Remind them of the five
strategies of resolving conflict. Tell them that each of
the five strategies shows a certain attitude.
Competing
Unit 5
Lesson 5
62
Divide students into pairs and ask them to fill in
the table.
Suggested Answers
Assertive
Cooperative
Accommodating
No
Yes
Avoiding
No
No
Collaborating
Yes
Yes
Compromising
Medium
Yes
Yes
No
Competing
62
Moral Education
Grade 8
Activity 5 (10 minutes)
5
Divide students into pairs. Ask them to study each
situation, think of what has to be done and state which
strategy will be used.
Read the situations below, then decide how will you resolve the conflict showing which
method will be used.
1. A fire erupted at home and one of the family members is burnt.
2. Your friend is in pain and he cannot go to the movies with you to watch the latest film.
Differentiated Learning
For Beginners
They will find how to resolve the conflict.
3. The man has a headache but he has to run to catch the train or else he will have to wait till the next day for the
next train.
For Advanced Students
They will categorize the strategy.
4. The English teacher assigned for us an important research session on the same day that the History teacher
planned a visit to the museum.
Suggested Answers
1. A decision should be made immediately and a
quick action is important. Go to the
hospital. (Competing)
5. Everyone wanted to eat pizza except Malek. He ended up eating one happily.
6
2. The issue is of moderate importance to you and
not worth being firm. Your friend’s case is more
important. (Compromising)
With your group, role-play the following using the 5 phases and the 5 strategies of
resolving conflict.
Use the following steps in your activity:
3. One issue is trivial (the headache) and the other
is more pressing. (Avoidance of the headache).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
4. Combine both, have the research about
museums. (Collaborating)
Read the conflict
Find out who are the people involved in the conflict
How will you manage it?
List the 5 phases of resolving conflicts
Add the needed questions for the 5 phases
List the 5 strategies of resolving conflicts
Write down how will you resolve this conflict using each of the strategies.
5. He wanted to’ keep the peace’. (Accommodating)
Activity 6 (35 minutes)
Take five minutes to recap with the students about
resolving conflict. Remind them that there are two
aspects to managing and resolving conflict: the five
phases and the five strategies. Divide the students
into groups of four or five, read the choice of conflicts
that are in the Student book, then let each group
choose one story. Groups may have the same story.
Differentiated Learning
Ask them to plan their activity according to the steps
written in their book and then start filling the tables.
When they are done, have each group role-play their
story in front of the class.
For Beginners
Beginner students may find it easier to come up with the questions for each stage
of the conflict. Encourage them to think about the specifics of the conflict and what
questions could help tease out the dynamics of the conflict.
63
Beginner students could also suggest solutions for the conflicts, without
categorising them.
For Advanced Students
Advanced students could focus on finding solutions to the conflicts and
categorising them.
63
Teacher’s Guide
The 5 phases
The questions
The 5 strategies
The behaviour
The conflicts:
Story 1
Abdul and his brothers are arguing about the family holiday. Abdul wants to travel around the UAE and experience
different aspects of Emirati culture. Farid wants travel further afield, maybe to Egypt. He wants to see different
types of Arab culture. But Imran wants to get a flavour of Western culture. He wants the family to visit London. They
have been arguing for hours and can’t seem to reach agreement.
Story 2
Ghulam and Latif are two classmates who always competed on being first in class. Yesterday, as they They were
running down steps in the local park. Ghulam lost his balance and fell against Latif, knocking him over. Latif fell
hard on the ground. Various items fell out of his pockets and bounced on the concrete. One of these was Latif’s new
smartphone. The screen was badly cracked and the case was now loose. Latif yelled at Ghulam and told him that he
had to buy him a new phone. Ghulam refused, saying the fall was just an accident.
Story 3
A school wants to invest in its facilities. It has decided to ask the students for their input. However, serious
disagreement has broken out among the students. Some feel that the library needs to be expanded. Others would
prefer to see the computer system updated. And others feel that the gym facilities have been neglected and need to
be repaired or replaced. The school managers are now unsure how to invest their funds.
Unit 5
Lesson 5
64
Suggested Answers
The 5 phases
The questions.Story 1
The questions. Story 2
The questions. Story 3
1.
Identify the source
Where does each person want to go?
Why are you fighting?
2.
Look beyond
Why does each person want to go
somewhere different?
What kind of relationship did they have? Was their competing
Why is this facility important?
to be the first in class a minor source of this fight?
3.
Request solutions
If you could plan the holiday, what would you do?
Who should pay for the new phone?
4.
Identify supportive solutions
Which solution appeals to each of you?
Agreement
Do you agree with this travel plan? Will you discuss
again next year for your next holiday?
What are the different ways the phone could be
paid for?
5.
The 5 strategies
The behaviour. Story 1
Do you agree to the plan for the phone?
The behaviour. Story 2
What do you think the funds should be spent on?
How could the funds be distributed among
the facilities?
Which of these funding plans is most effective?
Do you agree with this funding plan?
The behaviour. Story 3
1.
Accommodating
Two brothers agree to let the other brother decide. Ghulam agrees to buy a new phone.
The students decide to invest in the gym.
2.
Avoiding
3.
Collaborating
4.
Compromising
The students ask the school managers to decide
how to use the funds.
The students and managers work together to
decide how to invest the funds.
The students decide to split the funds among the
gym, the library and the computers.
5.
Competing
Latif asks his parents to buy a new phone and then
The brothers hope their parents will decide.
decide who’ll pay for it.
The brothers work together to come up with a
Ghulam and Latif agree to shop for a new phone
holiday plan for this year and the next two years.
and agree a way to pay for it.
The brothers agree that they can’t go to all three places, Latif agrees to contribute to the cost of the
and see if they can find somewhere they all agree on.
new phone.
The eldest brother announces that he is the one
Ghulam is stronger than Latif, so Latif agrees to pay
who gets to decide.
for the phone.
The students who want the money invested in gym
facilities demand that this happens as they are in the
majority.
64
Moral Education
Grade 8
Moral Education in Action
‘We become just by doing just acts, temperate by
doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts’
(Aristotle).
Unit 6
Moral Education in Action
‘We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by
doing brave acts’ (Aristotle).
Introduction to Moral Education in Action
Rationale for Moral Education in Action
Now that you have completed the Grade 8 units in the Moral Education programme, what happens next? In this unit
you will engage in an action project collectively with your class, in order to further enhance your emerging skills in
this area. At the heart of the Moral Education programme is the acknowledgement that the values that we hold as
humans shape our actions. This action project can be considered the meeting point of where theory and practice
come together.
This section outlines some ideas and guidelines for
how to engage students in action projects, in order to
further develop their skills and expertise learnt in the
Moral Education programme. This allows the students
to put the theory into practice.
Young people are not ‘Citizens in Waiting’ (Professor Audrey Osler). You will be given the opportunity to critically
examine your own understanding of citizenship and reflect on a range of complex, but crucial, moral issues in the
classroom for the first time. After engaging with the units so far in the moral education programme, it is hoped that
you will feel empowered, not to mention compelled, to take action for a better community. In this sense, learning
from the lessons that you have encountered is linked to responsible action.
Young people are not ‘Citizens in Waiting’ (Professor
Audrey Osler). This new programme allows students
to examine their own understandings of citizenship
and consider a range of complex but important moral
issues in the classroom for the first time.
The action in the project might range from individual charitable endeavours and making more ethical consumer
choices, to more collective forms of direct actions, such as raising awareness or campaigns. This action project gives
you both the support and space to begin to try and influence decision making at a variety of different levels. The
‘call to action’ inherent in this project is an essential component of the Moral Education programme in order to give
you a chance to enact the values you have learnt about so far in real-world contexts.
Before deciding on the action project that you would like to embark on it is important that you take some time
to step back and plan for the project.
After studying in depth the values behind the
Moral Education programme, students should feel
empowered, even compelled, to take action for a
better community. In this sense, learning from the
lessons is linked to responsible action.
The action in the project may range from individual
charitable actions and making more ethical consumer
choices, to direct actions such as raising awareness
or campaigns by groups or the whole class. This
project gives them both the support and space to try
to influence decision making at a variety of different
levels. The idea of a ‘call to action’ is an important part
of the Moral Education programme. It shows young
people how to put the theories and values they have
learnt into practice in the real world.
Planning
It is important to consider the starting point from
which you launch any individual or group action.
Get the class to think about the type of school
environment they have before doing any further
planning. Is collective action a familiar concept or
would this be a relatively new idea for the school? You
could examine recent actions or charitable activities
that the school has taken part in recently. You could
look at existing school policies and identify any areas
that need attention. What moral issues does your
school feel passionate about? Allowing sufficient
time for preparation is an essential part of the action
project, as it’s important to be able to measure its
impact in the future. As part of the planning process,
ensure that you have consulted with relevant people
as much as possible.
65
Reflect about
your school
School policies
School
environment
Is collective
action
something new
in your school
65
Recent actions
at school
Teacher’s Guide
Perhaps there is a parent or a member of staff who
could give you guidance on your chosen topic? Ensure
as well that all students get the chance to express
their opinions on how to approach the project.
Here are some helpful questions to guide planning:
Reflect with all
the students in
the class
Reflect about
your project
Decide on the
kind of direct
action
Decide on the
topic
Who will our target audience be?
•
Have we ensured that minority voices will be
heard during the planning and
development processes?
•
•
What change
can you enact on
community level?
Base your project
on what you have
studied this year
•
•
•
•
•
•
Think outside
of merely
the school
environment
•
Grade 8
Unit 6
What do we mean by action?
What does participation look like to us?
What would we like to achieve in our action?
Who can you link with in terms of partnerships?
Are there other schools in our vicinity that we can
reach out to for collaboration?
Can we anticipate any challenges along the way?
What tools or resources or materials might
we need?
What is a realistic timeframe?
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66
Moral Education
Grade 8
Ideas for Moral Education in Action
The Action
Once you have decided on your project, together with your classmates you should
brainstorm the following questions
Below are some suggestions of relevant actions and
activities. While these are provided as guidelines, it is
very important that the action project is student-led
and that all students’ voices are heard in the planning
and decision making process. Students can choose
and adapt ideas that are relevant in the context of
their class and their interests.
What is the specific aim of the project?
How are you going to get it on the agenda of the
relevant decision makers?
How can you encourage the rest of your school to get
on board?
How are you going to encourage the public to make a
change for the better?
Differentiated Ideas for Moral Education
in Action
What kind of follow-up plans will help to really
maximise change?
Voluntary work: Volunteering can play an important
role in building a cohesive community, because
volunteers learn to consider things from different
perspectives and gain new experiences and insights.
Grade 8 students could have a volunteering focus to
the work in their action project this year and embed
structures in their school to help people less fortunate
than themselves. Slots on the timetable that are
usually reserved for Moral Education lessons could
be set aside for going beyond the school walls and
volunteering time in the local community. Is there a
civic or communal organisation that needs support?
You could work in tandem with the student council to
arrange for sessions where you can reach out persons
in needs and offer them useful services. Do a needs
analysis of your community and see where your
efforts would be best targeted.
Guest speaker: Moral education is all about listening
to the experiences and perspectives of others. Is there
an inspirational speaker in your local area whom you
can invite in to address your class? Perhaps they are
someone who has shown great personal strength
to overcome adversity in their life? Or maybe they
have dedicated their time to advocate for the rights
of others? It might also be interesting to invite local
politicians or public servants in to talk about their
vision of community and society and how best young
people can get involved in decision-making processes.
You could stay in touch with your guest speaker after
their visit to the school, and send them links to your
newsletters or updates about any other events you
might organise.
67
Ideas for Action Project
1.
Voluntary work:
Volunteering can play an important role in building a cohesive community, because volunteers learn to consider
things from different perspectives and gain new experiences and insights. With your class you could bring
a volunteering focus to the work in your action project and embed structures in your school to help people
less fortunate than yourselves. Perhaps you could spend Moral Education class time outside the school walls
volunteering in the local community. Along with your class you should consider the following:
• Is there is civic or communal organisation that needs support?
• Is there any volunteering organisation near to your school?
• Perhaps you could work with the student council to arrange for sessions where you can reach out persons
in needs and offer them useful services. Do a needs analysis of your community and see where your efforts
would be best targeted.
2. Guest speaker:
Moral education is all about listening to the experiences and perspectives of others. Together with your class
you should nominate speakers in your community that you feel would be inspirational. Come up with a list of
speakers and invite them in to address your class. Some ideas for guest speakers might be:
• Think of people in your community who have overcome adversity in their life.
• Think of people who have dedicated their time to advocate for the rights of others.
• Are there members of the national federation council that you can invite to the school who can talk about
their vision of community and society and how best young people can get involved in decision-making
processes.
67
As a follow up, invite the guest speaker to other events you might organise or send them links to your
newsletters or updates about other events.
Reflection
It is very important that time is given to critically reflect on how the action project is
going. Choose a mid-way check in point to ask yourself some questions about the
planning and implementation of the project. Who chose the focus? Are the needs of
the target group being met? Whose voice is not being heard? Is there anyone else we
should be including? What advice do we have for future grades undertaking
similar work?
Teacher’s Guide
Parental Showcase
The students are to create a showcase event at
the end of the project to present to their parents.
However, it might also be appropriate to organise an
event in the middle of the project work in case there
are ways that parents can support the class in meeting
the project outcomes. Parents will be familiar with
the aims of the programme from working through the
Parents Addendum.
Showcase Event for Your Parents
Now that you have undertaken the project work, you will want to update your parents about your progress!
Along with the rest of your class you will plan a showcase event. Below are some ideas for organising a
showcase event for them:
1.
Design:
• With your class and teacher, choose the space and venue for your showcase. (your classroom or the
school hall).
• Plan how you will design the space.
• You could represent the flags of all the countries of people in your class.
• You could design a ‘name wall’ where everyone writes their name.
Guide the students in planning their showcase event:
2. Display:
• Ensure that everything that you have learned from the action project is visually represented.
• Include posters or other graphical representations of the work that you have done.
• Set up a self-running slideshow of photos that were taken during your action project.
3.
Design: Will they hold it in their classroom or the
school hall? If the students want to reach the wider
community, consider booking a room in a local library
or community centre. Before suggesting this to the
students, check with the school authorities that this is
feasible and agree on a date.
Engagement:
• Prepare questionnaires.
• Prepare quizzes for parents to attempt.
• Conversation starter sentences to start dialogues.
4. Think:
• Define the best ways through which you can communicate the new knowledge you have acquired and the
skills you have developed as a result of this project.
Grade 8
Unit 6
Once the space has been chosen, use the whiteboard
to brainstorm ideas for its design. Draw a plan of the
space and get the students to agree on how different
elements of the project can be accommodated. Ensure
that they consider such criteria as the flow of traffic
through the space. This is important if the students
want to present the project with a timeline of its
progression from planning to completion.
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Display: Throughout the action project, ensure that
posters and other graphical representations are
labelled and retained for use in the showcase event.
Store image files together and help the students to set
up a slideshow to run in the background, representing
significant parts of the project process. Completed
portfolios can be displayed on tables around the room,
so that parents can spend time looking at them. Get
the students to create information labels for each
exhibit.
Engagement: Encourage the students to come up
with a range of participatory activities for the audience
to engage in during the event, such as questionnaires
or quizzes. Help them to create a list of conversation
starter sentences about each stage of the project,
so that they are well prepared to discuss it with
confidence as the parents view their work.
Think: Ask the students to consider the Think
question. People, and that includes parents, all learn
in different ways. Therefore, it’s important to present
the knowledge and skills developed during the action
project through text, images and speech.
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Moral Education
Grade 8
Other Dissemination ideas
•
•
•
•
•
Other Ideas for Sharing Your Action Project
Newsletters are a good medium to reach parents
and the community at large, as is a school blog.
The article could be a group work or an optional
exercise for interested students.
You may decide that you would like to share what you have learned through the action project in alternative
ways to the showcase event for parents. Below are some other suggestions:
•
•
•
•
•
If the students choose to create a visual
representation of their learning, get them to
agree what information should be displayed
and how.
Arrange an ‘exchange of learning’ partnership
event with another school that has also
undertaken a moral education action project. The
event could take the form of a school trip or a
virtual meeting using technology such as Skype.
Encourage the students to create as a group a
reflective journal or learning log to show the
knowledge and skills they learnt through doing
the project.
Social media can be a powerful and interactive
tool for raising awareness and engaging with
multiple perspectives. Consider setting up a
class Twitter account to share details of some of
the students’ project work through original and
creative tweets. Create hashtags to profile the
students’ work or record a podcast of students
interviewing each other about the project.
All use of social media must be agreed with
school authorities and you must retain full
control of accounts.
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Share the main learning from your project in a school blog or newsletter.
Summarise the main points of your project in a poster or infographic.
Take part in a partnership event with a local school that has also completed a moral education action project.
Contribute to a reflective journal or learning log.
Use social media to share details of some of your project work, for example a class Twitter account or podcasts.
Teacher’s Guide
QUOTE
‘The process of construction and development requires the efforts not only of the government but also of all the
citizens of the UAE.’
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan (may God have mercy on his soul)
Grade 8
Unit 6
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Glossary
Bill: A form or draft of a proposed statute presented to a legislature, but not yet
enacted or passed and made law.
Body Language: The ways in which we move our bodies according to our emotions
and feelings without us being aware of it (subconsciously).
Bullying: Aggressive, unpleasant or intimidating behaviour that aims to make a
person feel frightened.
Citizens : Members of a nation or a state or emirate who are legally allowed to live in
the state and participate in its society and politics.
Conflict: A disagreement caused by two or more opposing viewpoints.
Conscience: A person’s moral sense of right and wrong.
Constitution: The laws and principles that govern a state.
Consultative: Able to advise and suggest, but not implement policy.
Discrimination: Treating people differently (especially unfairly) because of their race,
gender, age, etc.
Domestic: Involving the home or the family.
Empathy: The ability to understand and relate to the feelings and emotions of
another.
External: Something that is on the outside.
Federation: A collection of states or emirates that are governed by the one ruler,
such as a monarch or a president.
Global: Relating to the whole world.
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Good governance: Effective government for the good of the state and its people.
Government: A group of people who have the authority to govern a state or country.
They have the power to create laws, apply them and monitor their execution.
Identity: Your sense of who you are and what you are; what makes you unique as
a person.
Impact: The effect somebody or something has on another.
Internal conflict: A conflict within a person, caused by competing feelings, desires
or thoughts.
International: Involving two or more nations or countries.
Law: A rule created by government to protect citizens or punish wrongdoers.
Migration: The movement of people from one area to another.
Monarch: The leader (for example, a king or emperor) of a state or kingdom or
emirate, who is usually not elected but assumes power as a member of the
ruling family.
Moral Compass: An internalized set of values and objectives that guide a person with
regard to ethical behaviour and decision making.
Morality: Knowing the difference between right, or good behaviour and wrong, or bad
behaviour.
Morals: Values and principles that guide your actions so that you do good and do not
harm others.
Parliament: A group of people (usually elected) who are responsible for deciding the
policies and laws of a country.
Peer pressure: Strong influence from your friends, colleagues or classmates to try to
force you to take a particular stand or action.
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Refugee: A person seeking refuge, shelter or protection from natural disaster
or conflict.
Resolution: A solution to a problem, or an agreement to end a conflict.
Social Cohesion: The force, energy or desire that unites a society to that all members
work for the good of that society.
Social Equity: All people in a society or group are treated fairly.
State: A defined territory shared by a community and ruled by a single government; a
country.
Support: Give encouragement or assistance.
War: A conflict that leads to armed military confrontation.
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