CHEM110 Critical/Ethical Thinking Assignment

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to challenge you to ethically critically think about a topic in ways that you may not typically address an issue. Many questions in everyday life do not really have a right or a wrong answer. Many questions you may be asked in class on an exam or study guide will have a right answer while all other answers are incorrect. This assignment will address an issue that will not have an exact right or wrong answer. You will learn to address a question, think about the problem from different perspectives, decide what you think is the best solution, but then also consider the effects your solution will have on all stakeholders involved. Part of this decision making process will include an ethical component. There are 8 key questions you will need to consider when addressing this. Not all of these questions are relevant to all issues though. The questions are:
Fairness – How can I act equitably and balance legitimate interests?
Outcomes – What achieves the best short and long term outcomes to me and all others?
Responsibilities – What duties and/or obligations apply?
Rights – What rights (e.g. innate, legal, social) apply?
Liberty – How does respect for freedom, personal autonomy, or consent apply?
Authority – What do legitimate authorities (e.g. experts, law, my religion/God) expect of me?
Character – What action best reflects who I am and the person I want to become?
Empathy – What would I do if I cared deeply about those involved?

This type of assignment is very important for a chemistry course, because chemistry is everywhere, and impacts everyone, and thinking about all aspects of a problem is often how scientific issues must be addressed. This assignment will help you see how a solid understanding of science incorporated with ethical considerations is important to making educated decisions.

Grading: The assignment will be graded using the Critical and Ethical Thinking Rubric. The entire assignment will be worth 110 points, so it is a large part of your grade for the course. The report is with 70 points, the notes page is worth 30 points and the introduction is worth 10 points.

Expectations: You will explain the dilemma, look at the dilemma from various stakeholders’ perspective, collect information, develop an ethical understanding of the issue from a personal perspective and the stakeholder’s perspective, and draw conclusions about the facts you have collected. The final project must site at least valid 3 references. The project will be submitted through Blackboard.
• All components of the Notes page will be completed. Include the following sections on the notes page:
1. Explain the dilemma
2. State the two possible viewpoints and the shades of gray between (a viewpoint that may be somewhere between the two viewpoints)
3. Complete the tug line so it will have the facts collected from the research plotted on the line positioned to show how the facts support each viewpoint. There should be multiple facts supporting each viewpoint.
4. Explain which of the “8 Key Questions” are relevant to the dilemma.
5. The context box will include a statement reflecting your viewpoint and what contexts influenced you the most.
6. The fact boxes will be completed with data and statistics and unknown questions for each viewpoint.
7. The stakeholder boxes will include who the stakeholders are, what their ethical principles are, and how they are impacted by the dilemma.

• The final project will need to be in report format that includes an introduction, a body and a conclusion. This report will include the answers to all of the following questions. A minimum of three references is required.
Answer the following questions in a report format to justify your opinion on the issue:
1. Explain the dilemma and explain why it is a dilemma that needs to be analyzed. Include why people differ in their perspectives on the dilemma.
2. Describe the different viewpoints within the dilemma. Explain why each creates questions that must be answered.
3. What is your viewpoint on the issue? Consider shades of gray option.
4. How do different contexts (such as cultural, social, scientific, economic, political, etc) influence your viewpoint? Discuss at least 3 different contexts that influence your viewpoint and explain their context.
5. What factual information supports your viewpoint? Explain. Include facts and statistics, not just quotes.
6. How do stakeholders support your viewpoint. Discuss at least three different stakeholders.
7. Describe at least one viewpoint that differs from yours. Explain the facts and ethical principles that support opposing viewpoints. Discuss this opposing viewpoint without bias!
8. Discuss the facts that support the opposing viewpoint. Include facts and statistics.
9. What stakeholders support the opposing viewpoint? Include at least three stakeholders and how they are affected by the dilemma.
10. If your view was followed, what are the implications and consequences for appropriate stakeholders and all of society? This discussion must include both the good and the bad implications on other stakeholders. Remember no viewpoint in the dilemma will have all good consequences for all stakeholders!

Turn in:
1. Completed Notes Page 30 points
2. Answers to questions in report format 70 points

Assignment:
Address the following issue: Should the level of pesticide residues in our food be regulated?