Ethics and the Rodeo

Ethics is my favorite concept of Kaplan's Depth and Complexity to use with young kiddos! Their sense of right and wrong is still developing and sometimes they believe both which leads us to discussions about gray areas.

We have been reading books about the rodeo this week. My question to them was is it right that we use the animals-wrestling calves to the ground, kids riding sheep, bucking broncos-for our entertainment. This is one of those questions where they are torn. They love animals and don't like the thought of them getting hurt, but they also love going to the rodeo and watching the events. It was an interesting discussion. ( I wrote the sentences that the students dictated for many of them-we just ran out of time. Usually they sound out their words).

We read about the origins of the tradition and it lead back to the cowboys/cowgirls of the past.