Name:

Course:
Lesson #, Lesson Title or Topic Addressed:
Date: Day of Week, Date, Time

Instructional Context
What do I know about my students that will inform this lesson?
My students are most productive when I am constantly engaging them in different ways. I have found
that transitioning between multiple types of activities: group work, independent work, small group
discussions and large group discussions. I have found my students work best individually and like to
share their responses to their classmates in small group discussions.

How does this lesson connect with and build on the previous lesson(s)?
This lesson is apart of a longer unit based on Child Development in a Developmental Psychology class.
Previously, the class has learned how children have developed cognitively through the analysis of
Piaget, this lesson now focuses on the moral development of children into adolescence, which is our
next unit. Kohlberg’s Theory of Morality final stage is developed during adolescence. Therefore, this
lesson both provides a framework for the earlier stages in early childhood, as well as previewing
another topic in adolescence.
How do you expect to build on this lesson in subsequent lessons?
This lesson will be used in the larger scope of the entire course. As we begin this course in early
childhood, the later aspects in moral development, which occur during adolescence and into
adulthood, will be constantly used as background knowledge when teaching about adolescence and
issues like identity, how they should treat others in society and how to act during moral dilemmas that
occur during their lifetimes. More specifically, my students will be faced with moral dilemmas when we
host discussions on the decisions that delinquent adolescents make and how Kohlberg’s theory can be
applied to there decision making, for example.

Standards Addressed
Common Core State Standards/Local Standards
o INQ 9–12.12 Present adaptations of arguments and explanations that feature evocative ideas and perspectives on issues and topics
to reach a range of audiences and venues outside the classroom using print and oral technologies (e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates,
speeches, reports, and maps) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital documentary).

Psych 1.3. Use the concepts, language, and major theories of the discipline to account for psychological
phenomena.
(a) Describe behavior and mental processes empirically, including operational definitions
(b) Identify antecedents and consequences of behavior and mental processes
(c) Interpret behavior and mental processes at an appropriate level of complexity
(d) Use theories to explain and predict behavior and mental processes
(e) Integrate theoretical perspectives to produce comprehensive and multi-faceted explanations

Learning Objectives
Objective
o SWBAT analyze the Theory of Moral Development and apply it to their own
popular culture source

o O SWBAT describe the meaning of the vocabulary terms for Kohlberg such
as the pre-conventional level, conventional level, and post-conventional
level.

o
o
o
Academic Language Demands (Language functions, vocabulary, discourse, syntax) & Supports
o O Language Functions: SWBAT be given the opportunity to analyze the
moral development characteristics of themselves when confronted with the
Heinz Dilemma, as well as through the movie Mean Girls, which is being
used as a model for the analysis of their own popular culture reference.

() Vocabulary: Students will be constantly given opportunities to use the

vocabulary mentioned in the learning objectives (pre-conventional level,
conventional level, and post-conventional level). It is introduced to them
very explicitly through PowerPoint presentation. They are given the Heinz
Dilemma, and the Walking Dead scenarios to practice engaging with these
vocabulary words.

Assessments (formative and/or summative)

o The creation and submission of an independent project based on applying Kohlberg’s theory of
morality to a popular culture source of time.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks (Procedures & Timelines)
Time Instr Purpose
ucti
ona
l
Stra
80 minutes Independent Project Students will have the entire block to perform this research assignment and will
complete it at home if they cannot finish it during the block.
This is intended to the summation of the entire lesson on Kohlberg. Students are
asked to choose their own pop culture source, analyze three characters within their
source and determine which stage of Kohlberg’s theory of morality they are acted in.
They are prompted to create a powerpoint presentation for submission of their
findings.

In the last 15 minutes of the block I open the floor to my students to workshop and
see their partner’s project. This will help them critique their partners’ work as well
as see if their own project is up to par.

This activity addresses:

INQ 9–12.12 Present adaptations of arguments and explanations that feature evocative ideas
and perspectives on issues and topics to reach a range of audiences and venues outside the
classroom using print and oral technologies (e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates, speeches,
reports, and maps) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital
documentary).

Psych 1.3. Use the concepts, language, and major theories of the discipline to account for
psychological
phenomena.
(a) Describe behavior and mental processes empirically, including operational definitions
(b) Identify antecedents and consequences of behavior and mental processes
(c) Interpret behavior and mental processes at an appropriate level of complexity
(d) Use theories to explain and predict behavior and mental processes
(e) Integrate theoretical perspectives to produce comprehensive and multi-faceted
explanations
Student Supports & Modifications
 I modeled this project for the entire class using videos from the Dark Knight and my own
powerpoint presentation that served as both a model for students as well as a way to engage
them into performing the project. The clips aligned with my analysis as well as helped students
who still needed additional support in understanding the theory.
Research/Theories Applied (identify theories/or research that supports the approach you used)
 The beginning of the lesson features a lot of group work in day 1. I am using models of my own
project and student cooperation as suggested by Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory


Handouts & PowerPoints

 Kohlberg and the Dark Knight project model
 Project prompt and hand out
Materials needed in class
 Powerpoint
Reflection
o What worked and for whom? Why?
o This project worked for every student in the class except for 2. Students really enjoyed working
on this project because they were able to individualize it for themselves. They felt that since
they had free reign to do whatever popular culture source they wished, they felt they had
more access to apply Kohlberg’s theory as opposed to me selecting the source for them.
o What didn’t work and for whom? Why?
o This project did not work for two students. One of the students’ struggles with using
powerpoint so there was a technological barrier. After working closely with this student he was
able to get a better handle of the assignment. The other student was unable to complete the
assignment in the time frame and the reason behind this was because she struggled with the
theory in general and therefore had a hard time applying it to popular culture.
o What are instructional next steps based on the data from this plan?
o After seeing the success that this project brought to students, I plan on using more individualized
assignments where students can apply whatever we are studying to an aspect of something they
enjoy in their life.