Projekt Bilingualer Ethikuntericht€¦ · Web view(2 words) 4. 2 Give two . more methods of capital punishment. You may . not. take any of the methods given in task 1 (neither

Georg-Hipp-Realschule Klaus E. Birkner85276 Pfaffenhofen a. d. Ilm

MODULE III

Society – Capital Punishment

ContentsM1 Picture Page 1

M2 Talking about the pictures

M3 Worksheet 1 Getting Started

M4 Worksheet 2 1 Introduction to Capital Punishment

2 Death Penalty World Map

(3 pages)

M5 Worksheet 3 Questions and Tasks on Worksheet 2:

(2 pages)

M6 Second Written Test

M7 Key to M6

[ Outlook for possible further topics

M8 Worksheet 4 Arguments in favour of Capital

Punishment

M9 Worksheet 5 Arguments against Capital Punishment

M10 Worksheet 6 Religious Views ]

If not otherwise stated, the texts and some pictures are basically taken from www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/ and adapted. The other pictures and the map are taken from wikipedia, if not otherwise stated. All the questions and tasks have been exclusively created by the author.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/

Module III: Society Birkner page 2

M1 Picture Page 1

1

2

4

3 6

5



M2 – Talking about the pictures

Global understanding

What do all those pictures have in common?

What can you see in the pictures?

Fill in the heading on your worksheet: capital punishment = death

penalty = death sentence

Take out a piece of paper and write down the following words (printed in

bold):

Talking about the pictures in detail – introducing special vocabulary

Picture 1: Lethal injection

lethal (= deadly) injection; to be strapped to a gurney (= festgeschnallt

werden auf eine Liege)

Looks like an electric chair electrocution (= electric * execution);

How does this method of execution work?

Picture 2: Guillotine

guillotine, beheading

How does the apparatus work? (lever = Hebel; blade = Schneide)

When was this machine invented? (French Revolution 1789)

Picture 3: Shooting

Group of shooters = firing squad

How does this method of execution somebody work?

When do you think was the picture taken? (early 20th century)

Picture 4: Beheading


beheading, sword

convict / convicted man (Verurteilter)

executioner (Henker)


Lets have a closer look at the picture? What is going on in the scene?

Describe the people. What are their roles in the scene?

How do they feel?

Picture 5: Roman Circus

Roman circus, arena, Roman games

Who is the group of people sitting on the ground? (early Christians)

What did the masses think of the execution (amusement, show, cheering

crowds, like a rock show)?

Picture 6

scene convict and executioner

scaffolding (Gerüst, Schafott)

executioner´s axe; block of wood


What happens in the scene? (granting a last wish)

Note the staring crowd through the scaffolding.

Final Question / Task

Partner Work: Talk about the following questions with your partner: Which of

these methods of executing somebody is

a) the most CRUEL one? a n d

b) the most HUMANE one?

Explain and write your answers and reasons on a piece of paper. (Note taking

will do, you don´t have to write complete sentences).

M3 Worksheet 1: Getting Started


Task 1: Questions to start with (before handing out copies M2 / Worksheet 1)

What does the term Capital Punishment mean? Which methods do you know? Are there methods that are typical for certain countries? Which countries do you know where capital punishment is forbidden? What about Germany / China / Iran / the U.S.? Which ethical questions are there? In which cases do you think is capital punishment justified? Find

arguments FOR capital punishment. ( criminal can commit no more crimes; deterrence; retribution)

Which arguments are there AGAINST death penalty? ( cruel and inhumane; applied unfairly to innocent people; mentally handicapped people are not guilty for their acts; high costs; brutalising society; no deterrence; retribution is wrong; everybody´s right to live (constitution))

Task 2: Basic vocabulary. Assign the English words to the German words.

elektrischer Stuhl

Vergasen (eines Menschen), Töten durch GasGiftspritze

Erhängen, Aufhängen

jemanden steinigen

Enthaupten

Erschießungskommando

Hinrichtung durch elektrischen Strom

Erdrosseln

gassing / execution by lethal gas

strangulationto stone somebody

electrocutionlethal injectionhangingelectric chair

firing squadbeheading

Keep in mind capital punishment = death penalty =

death sentence

Georg-Hipp-Realschule Klaus E. Birkner85276 Pfaffenhofen a. d. Ilm

M4 Worksheet 2: Introduction to Capital Punishment

1 Introduction to capital punishment

Capital punishment is the practice of executing someone as punishment for a

specific crime after a proper* legal trial*.

The question as to whether or not it is morally acceptable for the state to execute people, and if so under what circumstances*, has been debated*

for centuries.The ethical problems involved*

include* the general moral issues of punishment with the added problem of whether it is ever morally right to deprive* a human being of life.

It can only be used by a state, so when non-state organisations speak of having

'executed' a person they have actually committed* a murder.

It is usually only used as a punishment for particularly serious types of murder,

but in some countries treason*, types of fraud*, adultery* and rape* are capital

crimes*.

The phrase 'capital punishment' comes from the Latin word for the head (caput,

capitis). A 'corporal'* punishment, such as flogging*, takes its name from the

Latin word for the body (corpus).

adultery = Ehebruchcapital crime = Kapitalverbrechen, Verbre-

chen, auf das Todesstrafe stehtcircumstances = Umständecommit a murder = Mord begehendebate = to discussdeprive = vorenthalten, berauben, benach-

teiligen

flogging = auspeitschen, prügelnfraud = Betrug, Schwindelinclude = mit einschließeninvolved = … die damit verbunden sindproper = richtig, korrekt, ordentlichrape = Vergewaltigungtreason = Verrattrial = Gerichtsverhandlung, Prozess


Capital punishment is used in many countries around the world. According to

Amnesty* International figures as at December 2009, 58 countries and territories

retain* the death penalty, although many never actually use it.

In 2008, there was a growing reluctance* among those countries that do retain*

the death penalty to use it in practice. In 2008, only 25 out of 59 countries that

retain* the death penalty carried out executions.

Amnesty International, March 2009

China executes the most people per year overall, with an estimated* figure* of

1,718 in 2008. Amnesty International also states that in 2008 Iran executed at

least 346 people, the USA 111, Saudi Arabia 102 and Pakistan 36.

Details of which countries are abolitionist* and which are retentionist* can be

found on the Amnesty website.

In China, at least 1,718 people were executed and at least 7,003 people were

known to have been sentenced* to death in 2008. These figures represent

minimum estimates* - real figures are undoubtedly* higher. However, the

continued refusal* by the Chinese authorities to release* public information on

the use of the death penalty means that in China the death penalty remains

shrouded* in secrecy.


abolitionist = Länder, die die Todesstrafe abschaffen wollen (to abolish = abschaffen)

amnesty = Begnadigung, Straferlassestimated = geschätztestimates = Schätzungenfigure = Zahl, Zifferrefusal = Weigerung, Ablehnung reluctance = Widerwille, Abneigung

retain = beibehaltenretentionist = Länder, die die Todesstrafe

beibehalten wollen (vgl. to retain)sentenced to death = zum Tod verurteiltshrouded in secrecy = in Geheimniskrä-

merei gehülltto release = veröffentlichen, freigeben undoubtedly = zweifellos, zweifelsohne


There is now steadily* increasing* support for abolishing capital punishment.On 18 December 2008, the United Nations adopted resolution* 63/168, which is a reaffirmation* of its call for a moratorium* on the use of the death penalty (62/149) passed in December the previous* year. The resolution* calls for states to freeze executions with a view to eventual* abolition.The World Coalition* against the Death Penalty was created in Rome in 2002, and 10 October 2006 was World Day against the Death Penalty.

__________________________

2 Death Penalty World Map

Colour scheme: Blue: Abolished for all crimes (94 countries) Green: Abolished for crimes not committed in exceptional circumstances

(such as crimes committed in time of war) (10 countries) Orange: Abolished in practice, i.e. capital punishment retained, though not

used for at least 10 years (35 countries) Red: Legal form of punishment for certain offences, i.e. death penalty

reatined (58 countries)

Use of death penalty around the world (as of June 2009)

adopt a resolution = einen Beschluss an-nehmen

coalition = hier: Bündniseventual = schließlich, endlichincreasing = steigend, zunehmend

moratorium = Stillhalteabkommen: .

a temporary stopping of an activity, especially by official agreement: example: to declare a moratorium on commercial whaling

previous = letztes, vorherigesreaffirmation = Bestätigungresolution = Beschluss, Resolution


steadily = stetig, beständig


M5 Worksheet 3: Questions and Tasks on Worksheet 2

Understanding the text. Questions

1 Which crimes are punished by death in some countries? Name five and give a short definition of what the words mean. The translations at the bottom of the pages may help you to get the meaning right.

name of crime definition

2 What is the difference between capital punishment and corporal punishment?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

3 There are two quotations (= Zitate) taken from a report by Amnesty International. Explain what they mean in simple, everyday English.

Quotation 1: __________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Quotation 2: __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

4 Give the special term for countries that want to keep capital punishment.

_____________________________


5 Complete the sentence: ______________ is the country with the most

executions, _______________ with the least ones. In Germany there ______

_________________________________ .

6 On 18 December 2008, the United Nations adopted resolution 63/168. What does this resolution want to achieve (= erreichen)?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

7 Look at the Death Penalty World Map and the information given in the section “colour scheme”. Which conclusions can we draw from these facts? (= Welche Schlüsse können wir ziehen?)

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Further task

8 What does Amnesty International do, which aims do they have? Check the web, e.g. www.amnesty.org and www.en.wikipedia.org and write down a few important facts.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.amnesty.org/


_______________________________________________________________


M6 Second Written Test in Ethics (English)

1 Fill in the following table:

German English German English

…………………. firing squad Enthauptung ………………….

…………………. strangulation Giftspritze …………………. (2 words)

42 Give two more methods of capital punishment. You may not take any of the

methods given in task 1 (neither the German nor the English word).

________________________________________________________________2

3 Name two countries where capital punishment is a legal form of punishment for certain crimes.

________________________________________________________________2

4 Give two synonyms for the expressen capital punishment.

1 ______________________________ 2 __________________________2

5 Explain what the following quotation means in easy, everyday English:In 2008, there was a growing reluctance among those countries that do retain the death penalty to use it in practice. In 2008, only 25 out of 59 countries that retain the death penalty carried out executions.


________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________2

6 What´s your personal opinion on capital punishment? Give a reason.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________2


M7 KEY: Second Test in Ethics (English)

Task 1

Erschießungskommando beheading

Erdrosseln lethal injection

Task 2 two out of the following

gassing / execution by lethal gas

to stone somebody

electrocution / electric chair

hanging

beheading

Task 3 two out of the following

China, United States of America, Iran

Task 4

death penalty, death sentence

Task 5

Even in countries that still have capital punishment, it is only carried out in

about less than 50 per cent of cases.

Task 6

individual solutions;

A reason has to be given.

14-14 12-11 10-9 8-7 6-5 4-0

1 2 3 4 5 6

Documents

Projekt Bilingualer Ethikuntericht€¦ · Web view(2 words) 4. 2 Give two . more methods of capital punishment. You may . not. take any of the methods given in task 1 (neither