Ethics Bowl
WORKSHEET
1. Suggested Use
Critical thinking and communication focus, followed by closed practice B1+-level vocabulary and grammar activities.
2. Suggested Activities
A. Project-based learning
Students work in small groups to create their own mini ethics bowl for the class. Each group chooses a real-life situation where people might have different opinions, for example:
Should students be graded on group work?
Is it ever OK to use AI for homework?
Should animals be kept in zoos?
Groups prepare short arguments explaining what they believe and why, then discuss with another group.
B. Mediation task: Note taking
Students watch the video again and note down any important skills they need to remember in order to take part in the ethics bowl, e.g. confidence, critical thinking, teamwork, to listen to other people, show respect. They then work in pairs to discuss which of these skills they think they have and which they need to improve and how.
C. Pronunciation task: Stress in abstract nouns and adjectives
Write some of the key nouns and adjectives from the video on the board, e.g. confidence, communicate, collaborate, teamwork. Have students work in pairs to identify the stress in each word then create sentences to practise the rhythm and intonation of the words.
3. Vocabulary
Education and skills
confidence
critical thinking
teamwork
argument
challenge
communicate
collaborate
Succeed
debate
Verbs / phrasal verbs
find out
focus on
beat
take part in
bring out (the best)
build off of (each other)
Reporting verbs
describe
explain
judge
discuss
4. Grammar
Passive:
They are judged on how …
Reported speech:
Her parents feel the Ethics Bowl is the kind of …
Inversion:
What has always impressed me is her willingness to …
Contrastive structures:
Ethics Bowl looks like a debate, but it’s very different; They’re not trying to win an argument; instead, they explain what …
TRANSCRIPT
Ethics Bowl
NARRATOR:
What skills do we need for success in life? In North Carolina, students are finding out through the National High School Ethics Bowl, a competition that focuses on confidence, critical thinking, and teamwork. Ethics Bowl looks like a debate, but it's very different. Here students are not trying to win an argument. Instead, each team chooses what they believe about an issue and explains why. They are judged on how well they explore ideas and consider different opinions. This is Lizzie Lyman’s first year taking part. Her parents feel the Ethics Bowl is the kind of challenge that brings out the best in her.
SOUNDBITE - Kevin Lyman:
"What has always impressed me is her willingness to listen to other people and to change her opinion when she feels it's appropriate."
NARRATOR:
In Ethics Bowl, the goal isn’t to beat the other team. It’s learning how to listen, and discuss difficult topics with respect.
SOUNDBITE - Lizzie Lyman:
"The core principle of Ethics Bowl, of listening and building off of each other, is something that's so important and something that we seem to have kind of lost recently."
NARRATOR:
More than 4,000 students from across the country take part in Ethics Bowl events. Lizzie’s team managed to win their region, their state, and even the national quarterfinal. But in the semifinal, their journey came to an end.
SOUNDBITE - Lizzie Lyman:
"And we're all sad that it has to end. But I agree that it's not about beating people. And that's a conversation we've had while we practice nearly every time. It's never about winning.”
NARRATOR:
By taking part, the students have improved their ability to reflect, communicate, and collaborate. They may not have won the final, but they’ve gained skills to succeed in life.