Authored by: Betsy Fitzgerald, Erskine Academy
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Conflict
of Interest - Part I
Authored
by: Betsy Fitzgerald, Erskine Academy
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
The MLR performance indicators listed below are for illustrative purposes. Depending on the focus of the lessons as developed by individual teachers, these indicators may or may not be addressed. Conversely this is not a definitive listing of all of the performance indicators which could be addressed in this lesson.
MLR - Secondary Grades: Social Studies: (Civics A - 1, 2); Language Arts: (Reading A - 1, 2, 11), (Information D - 1, 3, 5, 6), (Writing/Speaking E - 4), (Stylistic/ Rhetorical G - 5, 10, 11), (Research H - 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11)
1. Students will find definitions and instances of "conflict of interest."
2. After establishing a workable definition, students will be able to identify such dilemmas in articles provided.
3. Appropriate court cases will be read, reviewed and discussed in the group so that students will have a working knowledge of the material.
4. A debate or role play format can be used to give students the opportunity to put their knowledge into action.
1. Students will be able to define "conflict of interest;"
2. Students will be able to read a situation and identify conflict of interest if it exists and give reasons for their opinions;
3. Students will be able to participate in a debate and take either side of the issue.
Ethics from MMA's Legal Department's Legal Packet
Title 30-A M.R.S.A. Sections 2604-2606; [Use the arrows to move through sections.]
State Law and Ethics, Maine Townsman, July 1990
Incompatible Offices, Maine Townsman, "Legal Notes," August, 1987
Ethics: More Than Just A Set of Rules, Maine Townsman, July 1990
Lesieur v. Inhabitants of Rumford Case law which establishes: "That standard is 'whether the town official by reason of his interest, is placed in a situation of temptation to serve his own personal pecuniary interest to the prejudice of the interests of those for whom the law authorized and required him to act.'" from State Law and Ethics linked above.
Supreme Judicial Court of Maine. Questions Propounded by the Governor on Jan. 16, 1975 (re. conflict of interest)
Samples Ethics Policy from the City of Bangor, Maine and
Ethics Ordinance from the City of Auburn, MainePossible conflict of interest situations to be used as the foundation for either role play or debate:
Each student will be able to define conflict of interest in his own words and give an example or analogy.
During a role play or debate, the student will be an active participant, or an articulate evaluator.