Card Sort: Torture - Can its use be morally justified?

The ethics and morality of torture is a controversial subject which is at the heart of American values. It is proscribed by the Geneva convention and it is illegal to submit evidence to a court that has been gained through torture. However, the war on terror has placed many of our service men and women in very difficult circumstances where they have had to make decisions which have been questioned by human rights groups. Should the state ever use torture in order to protect the public safety of its citizens against terrorism?

This outstanding resource has been tried and tested in the classroom over many years and aims to help students understand some of the arguments for and against the use of torture. It can be used as a starter, plenary or main activity to accompany any main stream text book or resource on this topic. The nature of the task means that it appeals to the full range of ability. However, this is a topic which should ideally be delivered by a subject specialists and covered by older students at KS4 or KS5.

The main activity involves getting students to cut out the cards in lesson, organize them into their most persuasive order under the two main headings and then sick them into their books. Once students have fed back their results to a class discussion, they can then have a go at the extended writing activity. Alternatively, they can create a key and then sort through the cards and then stick the sheet into their book or you could cut out the cards and place them into an envelope for them to sort prior to a discussion on the topic. This is a great resource that can be easily adapted to suit your classroom and expectations.

When you purchase this resource, you will be able to download a single page Word Document which contains a learning objective, instructions, two heading cards as well as fourteen statements that can sorted.

The aims of this lesson / activity are:

Theme: Moral Moral philosophy and ethics
Know: What is torture and why is outlawed by the Geneva Convention?
Understand: What are the arguments for and against using torture?
Evaluate: Are there any circumstances in which is acceptable to use torture?

WILF - What am I Looking For?
Identify and describe - What is torture and why was it outlawed by the Geneva Convention?
Explain - the arguments for and against the use of torture?
Analyze - Are there any circumstances in which it is acceptable to use torture?

If you like this resource then why not check out my other resources on this topic in my TES shop. We aim to produce cheap and affordable resources for either the price of a good cup of coffee or a happy meal so that you can spend more quality time with the people who matter.

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Kind Regards

Roy