Global Ethics

Below you will find curriculum templates, student work samples and rubrics for each expedition outlined in the Educational Leadership article: Awakening Global Consciousness. The templates are meant to serve as an outline to guide your own personal journey in the development of each expedition. Each template lays an important foundation, the details are left for you to fill in. Please join the Global Ethics group on this website to share your own personal success stories with others who are also teaching this course. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

We provide on-site support and training for schools interested in developing a green curriculum. Please send us an e-mail for more information: ethicalexpeditions@gmail.com

Expedition I Learning Goal: Students will understand that the human species has made important choices throughout history that have had a global impact.
The first expedition of Global Ethics lays the foundation for the course. Books, movies, discussions, blogs, podcasts, field trips, and TedTalks help students understand the events in human history that have led to our current global situation. Two such events are the agricultural and industrial revolutions. We explore how the agricultural revolution allowed humans to grow food to support cities and larger populations while the industrial revolution increased our domination over nature and allowed for more rapid population of the earth by exploiting the use of coal and oil.

Expedition I Template: Expedition 1 Template.pdf
Final Assessment Rubric: Expedition I Summative Assessment Rubric.pdf
Student Samples:
Summative Assessment Sample Video I
Summative Assessment Sample Video II
Sample Student Blog Entry I
Sample Student Blog Entry II

Expedition II Learning Goal: Students will debate what ethical responsibility we have for the other creatures on this planet.
The second expedition challenges students to reflect on the ethical and moral responsibilities humans may or may not have as the dominant species on the planet. The main reading used during this expedition is When Elephants Weep by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson (Delacorte, 1995), which explores the emotional lives of animals. Students consider the implications the information in this book has on everyday choices they make regarding foods to eat, products to buy, transportation to use, and electricity we waste. The emphasis is on how seemingly innocent choices can directly affect other species.

Expedition II Template: Expedition II Template.pdf
When Elephants Weep Presentation Rubric: When Elephants Weep Rubric.pdf
Student Samples:
Summative Assessment Student Sample Paper I: Summative Assessment - Student I.pdf
Summative Assessment Student Sample Paper II: Summative Assessment - Student II.pdf

Expedition III Learning Goal: Students will discuss what role corporations have played in the past and what responsibilities they should have in the future.
The second year begins with the third expedition, a study of economics and corporations. Students take a historical journey from the rise of the corporation to its current global influence. Students ask what ethical responsibilities corporations have to society and whether their structures should be changed. Students discuss democratic ideals and the role of the government, as well as capitalism and economics. Current events, such as the fall of Enron or the recent downturn in the world economy, bring relevance to this expedition.

Expedition III Template: Expedition III Template.pdf
Student Samples:
Sample Student Blog Entry I
Sample Student Blog Entry II
Sample Student Blog Entry III

Expedition IV Learning Goal:Assessment of Expedition project(s) that exhibit performance of student understanding of Expedition learning goal.
The last expedition of Global Ethics puts knowledge into action. Students spend the semester investigating such individuals as Jane Goodall, Muhammad Yunus, Wangari Maathai, and Paul Hawkens, as well as lesser-known individuals from around the world. The focus of this last expedition is on building hope and encouraging action. During this expedition, students spend a large portion of time on their senior project.

Expedition IV Template: Expedition IV Template.pdf
Senior Project Guidelines: Senior Project Guidelines.pdf
Research Paper Rubric: Research Paper Rubric.pdf
Lived Experience Rubric: Lived Experience Rubric.pdf
Exhibition Rubric: Exhibition Rubric.pdf