Inquiry based learning is a constructivist approach where the overall goal is for students to make meaning. Inquiry for this topic is question based and followed up by using research skills.

Lutheran Education Queensland (via ACARA)

Inquiry skills

• What is Inquiry-Based Learning? - Scott Crombie (Inspiring Science Education Project via YouTube)

Below are some useful steps for how to create the research strategy for your inquiry.

• Determine the key question and/or concepts suggested by the question.
• Identify what sort of information you need.
• Identify where you will find the information you need.
• Identify how you will find and access that information.
• Evaluate the information you find.
• Organise and use the information appropriately.
• Review, communicate and present the information.

The concept of keywords will be extremely relevant for you during this process. Think about the topic of your inquiry and identify any keywords associated with it. Build a list of those keywords and use it to search for content when conducting your research; try different combinations.

Choose one particular focus of discrimination from the following. Racial discrimination looks at racial and ethnic inequality and includes the #BlackLivesMatter campaign. The proposed Religious Discrimination Bill will potentially affect people of faith, Indigenous peoples, women, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ people.

Racial discrimination

Library resources

On the shelves

• Racism
• Race relations

eReserve

• YOUCAT 398-399

AV resources

Fr Ben speaks on discrimination from the Church's point of view.

ClickView

• Racial discrimination

YouTube

• #BlackLivesMatter / Kennedy Cook: TEDxYouth@Dayton - TEDx Talks
• Is Australia Racist? SBS VR - SBS Australia
• Racial/Ethnic Prejudice & Discrimination: Crash Course Sociology #35 - CrashCourse
• Systemic Racism: Australia's great white silence / Jonathan Sri - TEDx Talks

Web resources

• Catholic 101: Church Teaching and the Anti-Racism Movement - The Jesuit Post
• Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and Racism - A Faith that does Justice
• NATSICC Submission to the Referendum Council - The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council
• Race Discrimination - Australian Human Rights Commission
• Racial discrimination in Australia - Creative Spirits

Religious Discrimination Bill

Library resources

Collection highlights

• Australian Public Law - Separation of Church and State (p. 10)

On the shelves

• Religious freedom

AV resources

Fr Ben speaks on discrimination from the Church's point of view.

ClickView

• Religious diversity - Ethics Matters

YouTube

• Religious discrimination bill delayed as PM Scott Morrison announces new draft - ABC News
• Rodney Croome Interview re Bill 1 2020 08 12 - Gaynor Spriggs
• What's the Religious Discrimination Bill all about? - 9 News Australia

Web resources

• Australian bishops: religious discrimination bill has merit, but flaws should be fixed - Catholic News Agency
• Catholic Church calls for overhaul of 'problematic' religious freedom bill - Sydney Morning Herald
• Commission warns on Religious Discrimination Bill overreach - Australian Human Rights Commission
• Government’s religious discrimination bill enshrines the right to harm others in the name of faith - The Conversation
• The religious discrimination bill matters, because religion is worth protecting - ABC Religion and Ethics

What moral questions arise when considering colonising other planets? Do we have a moral imperative to support human life by expanding our civilisation into space or would it be unethical to assume our own importance is greater than that of any other life that may exist?

Library resources

Collection highlights

• The Space barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the quest to colonise the cosmos.
• Elon Musk: the the billionaire CEP of SpaceX and Tesla is shaping our future.

AV resources

Fr Ben speaks on the colonisation of Mars from the Church's point of view.

ClickView

• Mars - Space Colonies
• Mars: Inside SpaceX
• Mars: Our Second Home? - Catalyst

YouTube

• Colonizing Mars – An Ethical Decision? - space and astronomy
• Mars Colony Documentary: 1 Million Residents by 2060: NASA Vs Elon Musk - DTTV - Science Answers
• Should Humanity Colonise Mars? - Roundtable (via Martian Colonist)

Web resources

• Colonizing Mars means contaminating Mars – and never knowing for sure if it had its own native life - The Conversation
• How do strictly religious people perceive the idea of colonising of Mars? - Quora
• The Ethics of Sending Humans to Mars - Scientific American
• So this is life on Mars: Intergalactic travel from a Catholic perspective - mnnews.today
• Will Man Colonize Mars? - Teaching the Word

What are the moral limits to freedom of speech and should there be accompanying responsibilities? Does freedom of speech mean freedom from consequences?

Library resources

eBooks

• The Free speech debate - Issues in Society 420

On the shelves

• Freedom of speech

eReserve

• YOUCAT 286-289

AV resources

Fr Ben speaks about free speech from the Church's point of view.

ClickView

• Freedom of Speech - Behind the News
• Peace, Ideology and Free Speech - abcqanda

YouTube

• Do Australians have a right to freedom of speech? - Law Society of NSW
• Free Speech in Australia (Waleed Aly Q&A) - CastanCentre
• Q&A Bonus Question: Online Hate Speech: 13 August, 2018 - abcqanda

Web resources

• Australia doesn’t protect free speech, but it could - The Conversation
• Freedom of information, opinion and expression - Australian Human Rights Commission
• Freedom of speech may not be protected by Australia’s constitution, high court judge says - The Guardian
• Kevin Donnelly: Free speech is essential - Catholic Weekly
• Pope Francis: freedom of expression has limits - The Guardian
• What do Catholics believe about free speech? - Aleteia

Is it moral to try to improve the genetics of humanity as a whole through selective breeding? Who decides what is "best" for the human race?

Library resources

eBooks

• Human genetics and ethics - Issues in Society 433

On the shelves

• Eugenics
• Human genetics
• Genetic engineering

AV resources

Fr Ben speaks about eugenics from the Church's point of view.

ClickView

• The Eugenics Crusade
• Clip: Rabbit-Proof Fence - Eugenics and the removal of children

YouTube

• Eugenics and Francis Galton: Crash Course History of Science #23 - CrashCourse
• The Man Behind American Eugenics: The Eugenics Crusade - American Experience
• Eugenics@UCL: In the #GaltonLectureTheatre - UCL
• Eugenics: The Danger Of Undignified Bioethics - EWTN

Web resources

• Catholics and eugenics: a little-known history - National Catholic Reporter
• Why the Church Opposes Eugenics - Catholic Answers
• Human Testing, the Eugenics Movement, and IRBs - Scitable (by Nature Education)
• The Disturbing Resilience of Scientific Racism - Smithsonian Magazine
• Introduction to Eugenics - Genetics Generation

When machines develop the ability to learn and simulate intelligence and independent thought, do we then have a moral obligation to them as sentient beings? Is there a danger to humanity in creating artificial intelligence? What are the morals and ethics behind generative AI in education and work?

Library resources

eBooks

• Artificial intelligence - Issues in Society 450

On the shelves

• Artificial intelligence
• Robotics

AV resources

Fr Ben speaks about A.I. from the Church's point of view.

ClickView

• Artificial intelligence
• Are you Scared Yet, Human? - Four Corners

YouTube

• Artificial intelligence and algorithms: pros and cons - DW Documentary
• How artificial intelligence is changing our society - DW Documentary
• The Catholic Church and Artificial Intelligence - EWTN

Web resources

• The Catholic Church proposes AI regulations that ‘protect people’ - The Verge
• The Pope’s plan to fight back against evil AI - Vox
• Vatican, Catholic colleges weigh in on emerging AI ethics debate - National Catholic Reporter
• Applying artificial intelligence for social good - McKinsey & Company
• AI for social good: unlocking the opportunity for positive impact - Nature
• Artificial Intelligence for a Social World - Issues
• ChatGPT: Old AI problems in a new guise, new problems in disguise - Monash University
• 5 Ethics Issues for ChatGPT and Design - The Fountain Institute
• Ethics in Generative AI - Datacamp
• Managing the Risks of Generative AI - Harvard Business Review

There is a moral duty to children everywhere in regards to maintaining their dignity and safe physical and mental development. What does the Church say about what we can do to help?

Library resources

eBooks

• Child labour - Issues in Society 413

On the shelves

• Child labour
• Child welfare
• Work -- Children

eReserve

• YOUCAT 433-447

AV resources

Fr Ben speaks about child labour from the Church's point of view.

ClickView

• Modern Slavery
• The Evolution of Child Rights
• Stacey Dooley Investigates: Child Labour - Kids With Machetes

YouTube

• Child Labour In India - WorldVisionStir
• A Life of Child Labour: Pharady's Story - World Vision Canada
• Catholic Mission PROP 2013: Do not be afraid... I will rescue you - catholicmissionTV
• Pope Francis laments child labour as 'modern slavery' - euronews

Web resources

• Catholic Church on Child Labour - Child Labour
• Child labour: The Catholic Church - CCC Catholic Studies RC Blog
• Child labour - unicef
• What is child labour - ILO
• Child labor: Facts, FAQs, and how to help end it - World Vision

Is it right to conduct tests on living animals, where those tests are likely to cause them pain, suffering, or lasting harm? Do we have a responsibility to animals to treat them humanely?

Library resources

eBooks

• Animal rights and welfare - Issues in Society 388

On the shelves

• Animal testing
• Animal rights

eReserve

• YOUCAT 57, 437

AV resources

Fr Ben speaks about animal testing from the Church's point of view.

ClickView

• Animal testing
• Animal rights
• Bioethics - Let's Talk About Religion

YouTube

• Animal Testing Pros And Cons - thatswhytv
• Is Animal Testing Justified? (The Big Questions) - TheAikenHead
• What Place is There for Animals in Catholic Life? Bishop John Arnold - Sarx
• Debate #SpeakFY:"Should animal testing be banned?" - Connect Justice
• Catholic Social Teaching and Animal Rights - Berkley Centre

Web resources

• Cruelty toward Animals - Catholic Culture
• Pope Francis’s Unreserved Embrace of Animal Protection - A Humane World
• Facts and Statistics About Animal Testing - PETA
• About Animal Testing - Human Society International
• Why Animals are Used - animalresearch.info