EDUCATING THE YOUNG FOR ETHICAL CITIZENSHIP

Authors

  • Paula K. Fraser University of Washington

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/eph.v18i1.79

Keywords:

education, Holocaust, humanism

Abstract

The exclusive emphasis on academic excellence in our schools today does not necessarily translate into excellence of character or lend our students an ethical disposition. Thus, I include ethics instruction to young people who will one day become the citizens and leaders of tomorrow. Because ethics invokes questions that consider morals, values, and principles, and because it seeks to consider and respect alternate perspectives, I believe that ethics knowledge is essential to maintaining a civilized society. This essay will share some of the philosophy and methods that I have used successfully with middle-level students (grades 5-8) to help them reflect upon what it means to be ethical human beings and good citizens—in addition to supporting their efforts to achieve academic excellence.

Author Biography

  • Paula K. Fraser, University of Washington

    Paula K. Fraser has taught highly capable students in Bellevue, Washington, for twenty-six years. She received a B.A. from the University of Washington in 1980 in philosophy with an emphasis in ethics and political theory along with additional course work in the biological sciences. She received a Masters in Library Science degree from the University of Washington in 1991. She has taught a social studies methods course for teachers at the University of Washington for two years. Fraser places special emphasis on teaching ethical and critical reasoning within democratic citizenship education across subject disciplines; she has made numerous presentations at national and state education conferences and co-authored several articles on this pedagogical approach. Her awards include the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Education in Washington State, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, WA State Council for the Social Studies Teacher of the Year, Northwest Association for Biomedical Research Teacher of the Year Award for Incorporating Ethics in Biology courses, the American Bar Association Law related Elementary Teacher of the Year, and the Japanese-American Citizens League Award for teaching the U.S. Constitution and the Japanese-American Internment during World War II.

References

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Published

2013-10-09

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 1 (2010)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Fraser, P. K. (2013). EDUCATING THE YOUNG FOR ETHICAL CITIZENSHIP. Essays in the Philosophy of Humanism, 18(1), 79-98. https://doi.org/10.1558/eph.v18i1.79