Michael Martinez

Business
A Lesson in Environmental Ethics
Lecture/Direct Instruction Quick Plan
Section I
1. Instructional Method: I would use this method when introducing a new unit or unfamiliar topic. I
would use it because it allows me to provide students with the facts right away. Also, due to
the different phases of the method, it provides students with the opportunity to get plenty of
practice.
2. Topic and Rationale: I would teach environmental business ethics using this method because it
allows students to take the information they are given and apply it through repeated practice. I
could also teach students how to graph supply and demand curves using this method. In an
accounting class, I could use direct instruction to help teach students how to properly debit and
credit accounts.
3. Features and Purposes: One principal purpose of this method is to provide students with
practice through application both in class (guided practice) and out of class (independent
practice). Another purpose is to show students how to properly perform a task by showing them
the correct way as opposed to telling them about it. It is important to demonstrate the proper
way to perform a task so students do not learn bad habits or incorrect ways.
4. Advantages and Disadvantages: One advantage of this method is that it gives students the
opportunity to practice extensively. Another advantage is that it provides students with the
information they need to show that the education standard is being covered. I believe this is
important, because it encourages students to learn the content, so they can then focus on
looking deeper into and thinking more critically about the subject.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage with this method is that with all of the practice that is done, it
is hard to provide immediate feedback. Each individual student will have strengths and
weaknesses. Addressing the strengths and weaknesses of such a large number of students will
be very tedious and time consuming. This is a disadvantage, because students cannot see what
they are doing right or wrong. Another disadvantage is that lecture is sometimes difficult to
make exciting. By this I mean that keeping students engaged during lecture can be challenging.
However, in order for any method to work you have to be able to show relevance to engage
your students.
Section II
1. Learning Objective:
a. Content: SWBAT discuss environmental laws, ethics and policies by participating in a
class discussion and identifying the differences between ethics and morals.
b. Literacy/Numeracy: SWBAT write clearly to appeal to multiple audiences by
creating a code of ethics for their own fictional business.
c. Democracy: SWBAT work collaboratively for a common purpose by creating their
code of ethics for the purpose of promoting environmental awareness.

2. Materials Used:
a. Secondary resources such as newspaper articles citing the impact of climate change
and emissions on business operations.
3. Model of Teaching and Why It Was Chosen:
a. Direct instruction Model
b. I chose this model because for their unit project, students will create their own code
of ethics. In order to do this they must be able to identify differences between
morals and ethics. This requires practice, because the two are often considered to
be one in the same.
4. Key Terms:
a. Morals, ethics, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), code of ethics, green
initiative, climate change
5. Background Knowledge:
a. Students need to have a basic understanding of what is right and what is wrong. It is
a difficult subject to discuss because for some it is intuitive, but for others it is
something that is never discussed.
b. Students will also need to have some basic understanding of climate change and
what it means to be environmentally conscious.
6. Assessment:
a. Students will create a code of ethics for their fictional company and will be graded
using a rubric. Students who meet the success criteria listed on the rubric will prove
their completion of the objectives.