Goals (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Understand the definition of ethics and their importance for building democratic values.

• Students should be able to explain the relationship between ethics and democracy and understand that ethics are the foundation for building a democratic society.

2. Identify and discuss the main democratic values and their practical applications.

• Students should be able to list and describe democratic values such as equality, freedom, justice, respect, and solidarity, and understand how such values manifest themselves in different contexts.

3. Analyze practical situations from the perspectives of ethics and democratic values.

• Students should be able to apply what they've learned about ethics and democratic values to analyze and discuss real situations, understanding how those concepts apply in the real world.

Secondary goals:

• Develop critical and argumentation-based thinking skills, by encouraging students to express their opinions in a respectful and supported manner.
• Stimulate reflection on the importance of ethics and democratic values to life in society.

Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)

1. Review of previous content:

• The teacher should begin the class by reviewing the previously studied concepts of ethics and democracy. Such review can be done through a brief discussion with the students, questioning them on what they remember about those concepts and how they apply them to their daily lives. (3 - 5 minutes)

2. Problem Situation:

• The teacher can introduce two problem situations to introduce the topic. The first one can involve a moral dilemma, like "If you found a big amount of money on the street, what would you do?" The second situation can involve a social conflict, for example, "How do you think that society should handle the distribution of unearned income?" The aim of those situations is to make students think about the complex nature of ethical questions and how democratic values can be applied for solving them. (5 - 7 minutes)

3. Contextualization of the topic:

• The teacher should contextualize the importance of the topic and explain how ethics and democratic values are essential for living together in society. Current examples can be given, of situations in which ethics and democratic values are put at stake, like discussions on human rights, social justice, corruption, among others. (2 - 3 minutes)

4. Introduction to the topic:

• Finally, the teacher should introduce the topic of the lecture so as to arouse the students' interest. For example, one could tell the story of a philosopher that contributed to the development of ethical and democratic thinking, like Socrates or John Locke. Another strategy could be to present curiosities about ethics and democratic values like, for example, the fact that different cultures and societies have different views of what is ethical and democratic values. (3 - 5 minutes)

Development (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Theory - What are Ethics and Democratic Values? (8 - 10 minutes)

• Ethics: The teacher should start by explaining that ethics is a philosophical field of study of human behavior and the moral rules that govern human behavior. It tries to answer questions such as "What is right and what is wrong?" and "How should we act?" It should be emphasized that ethics are not a set of strict rules, but a process of reflecting and making decisions that takes into account the well-being of all involved parties.
• Democratic Values: The teacher should then introduce the democratic values and explain that they are principles that sustain democracy and are essential for communal living. He/she must mention some examples of democratic values, like equality, freedom, justice, respect, and solidarity and explain briefly the meaning of each one of them.

2. Theory - Ethics and Democratic Values in Practice (5 - 7 minutes)

• Applications in Practice: The teacher should then explain how ethics and democratic values can be applied to everyday life. It should be highlighted that ethics are not something abstract, but rather something that guides our actions and everyday decisions. It is also important to highlight that democratic values are not just ideals to be pursued, but rather principles that should be concretely applied to all aspects of social and political life.

3. Practical Activity - Analysis of Situations (7 - 8 minutes)

• The teacher should present to the students a number of everyday situations that involve ethical issues and democratic values. For example, a situation in which a student witnesses a peer cheating on a test, a situation involving a politician making a promise that cannot be kept, or a situation in which a person is being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.
• Students should be separated into groups, and each group must choose one of the situations to analyze. They should discuss it among themselves and try to determine the ethical and democratic values involved in it. They should also try to think of possible solutions that take into account ethics and democratic values.
• Once the discussion is over, each group should present their conclusions to the class. The teacher should encourage all students to take part and promote respectful and constructive debate.

4. Theory - Philosophers and Democratic Ethics (5 - 7 minutes)

• The teacher must introduce some philosophers that contributed to forming ethical and democratic thought. For instance, he could talk about Socrates and his idea that virtue is knowledge and John Locke and his defense of individual liberties and social contracts.
• He/she should highlight that, although those philosophers lived during different times and in different societies, they shared the idea that ethics and democracy are inseparable and that democratic values should apply to everybody equally.

Closure (8 - 10 minutes)

1. Group Discussion (3 - 4 minutes):

• The teacher should gather up all the students and promote a group discussion on the solutions suggested by each group during the situation analysis activity.
• The teacher should highlight the different perspectives presented by the students and encourage them to argue for or against the suggested solutions, while always taking into account ethics and democratic values.
• The aim of the discussion is for students to put into practice their argumentation and critical thinking skills and also to realize that different situations might need different ethical and democratic approaches.

2. Connection between Theory and Practice (2 - 3 minutes):

• Following the discussion, the teacher should go back to the theoretical concepts discussed during the lecture and explain how they apply to the situations that were analyzed.
• For example, the teacher can explain how the cheating situation involves questions of honesty, respect, and justice and how different ethical and democratic approaches can lead to different solutions to the problem.
• The aim of this phase is to enforce the students' understanding on the connection between theory and practice and to show that ethics and democratic values are useful tools for the analysis and solving of real-world issues.

3. Closing Reflection (3 - 4 minutes):

• Finally, the teacher should ask the students to think for a minute about what they learned during the lecture.
• The teacher can use questions like: "What was the most important concept you learned today?", "What questions remain unanswered?", and "How can you apply what you learned in class today to your life?"
• Students should be encouraged to answer freely and honestly, and the teacher should be open to listen and answer the students' questions and comments.
• The aim of this phase is to allow students to solidify their learning, to identify any knowledge gaps, and to reflect on the importance of ethics and democratic values in their lives.

Conclusion (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Main Content Outline (1 - 2 minutes):

• The teacher should start the conclusion by going over the main points covered during the lecture. It is important to review the definition of ethics, the importance of democratic values, and the way in which those values are applicable in practice. It is also relevant to mention how the philosophers influenced democratic ethics.
• The teacher can use a visual diagram or a chart to outline this content, which will help students understand and retain information more easily.

2. Connection between Theory, Practice, and Applications (1 - 2 minutes):

• The teacher should highlight how the lecture connected theory, practice, and the applications of concepts of ethics and democratic values.
• He/she must remember the situation analysis activity, which allowed students to apply the theoretical concepts to practical situations.
• The teacher can also reinforce the importance of understanding the theoretical concepts for analyzing and solving ethical issues and those related to democratic values in the real world.

3. Supplemental materials (1 - 2 minutes):

• The teacher should suggest extra materials for the students who wish to deepen their knowledge on ethics and democratic values.
• The materials can comprise books, articles, documentaries, websites for organizations that support ethics and democracy, among others.
• The teacher can also suggest some questions for students to reflect on the materials, such as, for example, "How do the concepts of ethics and democratic values apply to different cultures and societies?" or "What are the current challenges for ethics and democracy?"

4. Relevance of the topic (1 - 2 minutes):

• Lastly, the teacher should underscore the relevance of the lecture for the students' everyday life.
• He/she must explain that ethics and democratic values are not abstract concepts, but rather practical tools that students can apply to make ethical decisions, to treat others with respect and fairness, and to contribute to building a more ethical and democratic society.
• The teacher can also mention some daily life situations in which ethics and democratic values are important, for instance, in conflict situations, during the decision-making process, and the participation in democratic processes.
• The aim of this phase is to reinforce the relevance of the lecture and to motivate students to continue learning about ethics and democratic values.