Ethical Decision-Making Toolkit

Ethical Decision-Making Toolkit – Complete Lesson for Senior Phase (S4–S6)

This resource provides a ready-to-use lesson designed to help senior secondary pupils develop ethical thinking skills through realistic scenarios, discussion, and reflection.

It supports pupils to explore fairness, responsibility, pressure, and difficult choices in school, work, and everyday life, and is suitable for a range of curricular areas.

Suitable for

Senior Phase (S4–S6)

PSE / Health & Wellbeing

RMPS / Ethics

Employability / Work-related learning

Tutor time or wider achievement

What’s included

A complete 50–60 minute lesson plan

Clear learning intentions and success criteria

Step-by-step lesson structure

A simple ethical decision-making framework

Five realistic ethical dilemmas relevant to school, work experience, and everyday life

Individual reflection prompts

Small-group and whole-class discussion questions

Differentiation and assessment suggestions

Key learning focus

Pupils will:

recognise when situations involve ethical issues

understand that ethical dilemmas often involve competing values

practise explaining and justifying decisions clearly

develop confidence discussing sensitive or complex issues respectfully

The emphasis is on reasoned judgement, not finding “right” or “wrong” answers.

Why teachers find this useful

Minimal preparation required

Encourages thoughtful discussion and pupil voice

Adaptable for different abilities and class contexts

Supports skills development linked to citizenship, employability, and personal development

Format

PDF
Printable or suitable for digital display

This resource is an independent educational product produced by McLean HR Resources and is not affiliated with any school, local authority, or awarding body.