Chapter 3 - Case Study
Case Study: Ecosystem Study
The Case
As part of a biology project in which students are studying the ecosystem of a Sandy Creek the teacher wishes to collect tadpoles and put them in a classroom aquarium so that students can observe them before they metamorphose. The teacher then plans to use some of the frogs for the dissection unit that follows.
The Problem
You are a member of a school-wide review board and you are at a meeting convened by the chair of the committee to review this proposal, as well as some others. Is the proposal permissible, in your view? What permission do you think is required? What are the ethical issues in the proposal? What other concerns do you and the committee have about the teacher’s proposal?
Case Study: Misbehavior in the Lab
The Case
Mrs. Jones, a first year teacher is conducting one of the first laboratory exercises of the year. . One of her students, John, throws rubbing alcohol into a burning Bunsen burner. Brad, the student working next to John, gets burned on his hand.
The Problem
How do you handle this situation? How could this incident have been prevented? What safety violations do you think might be part of this case?
Case Study: The Smith's Come to School
The Case
Doreen Smith is a student in Jeff Murdock's first period Biology I course. Doreen has visited Mr. Murdock quite often for detention after school. Doreen has since the first week of school been breaking the rules for the eight weeks. Mr. Murdock has decided it's time for a parent-teacher conference. The meeting has been set for before school (since it is more convenient for the Smiths). On the day of the conference, the Smith's arrive, and as soon as they come into Mr. Murdock's class, they accuse Mr. Murdock of picking on their daughter, and treating her differently than the other students in the class.
The Problem
How do you proceed from here? What do you say to the Smiths? How can you resolve this dilemma?