25%
Complete

Chapter Four

Hard Stuff is Hard

Lesson Media
  • Watch video (overview of concepts in this chapter)
  • Reflect (activities and discussions)
Activities
  • Break down concepts and definitions
  • Test your comprehension
  • Apply your knowledge
Inquiry Media
  • Watch video that relates concepts to the real world
  • Reflect and discuss

Part One

Decision-making isn't easy

Read Story Instead

Prefer reading instead? Here's the text version of your lesson.

Questions & Activities

Reflect on your lesson with short activities, or by exploring referenced articles, featured podcasts, term definitions, and more!

Featured Hot Take

How do you solve complex problems and make better decisions? Well, Dr. Kerry Bowman might be able to help. He’s a world-renowned ethicist and quite possibly the most interesting man in the world. Kerry took the time to join us in conversation to discuss the art of decision-making.

We’re featuring this podcast across all five Nature Labs subjects. You might not like every course you take in school, but they are all related. By listening to this podcast, hopefully you’ll better understand why.

Reflection

  • What do you think defines good ethics?
  • Do we do a good enough job of considering ethics when we make decisions? Why or why not?
  • When we talk about ethics, do we realize different regions and different people hold different ethical values? How should we weigh different ethical standards when making decisions?
  • What are the social, cultural, economic and biological ramifications of including ethics in our decision-making processes? What are the ramifications if we don't?
  • What role should ethics play in our career choice?
  • How will you apply lessons learned in this story to this class and your life?

Part Two

THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES WILL HELP YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS YOU NEED TO LEARN IN THIS CLASS. YOUR TEACHER WILL SELECT WHICH ACTIVITIES YOU NEED TO COMPLETE BELOW.

The Art of Decision-Making

Think decisions aren't hard? Try your hand at reaching a consensus agreement between diverse persepctives.

Career Path Decisions

Every career success story began with a decision. Explore the career decisions made by those you admire.

Problem Solving

Good decisions don't start with an idea, but rather begin with a focused question that requires solving. *Recommended

Part Three

HOW DOES THIS CLASS RELATE TO REAL-WORLD ISSUES?

Inquiry Media

Save the economy to save nature?

Canada at a Crossroads

NEW: Inquiry Media Series

This five-part story will be featured across each of the first five chapters of Nature Labs and will ask students to explore the question of how Canada can protect our economy and sovereignty while still addressing the other challenges of our time.

Further Exploration

Latest News

Alberta’s Referendum: What It Means

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced that on October 19th, 2026, the province will hold a referendum with multiple questions, including one about whether...

Happy International Day for Biological Diversity!

Think biodiversity is only about exotic animals in faraway places? Think again! Your backyard might already be hosting its own tiny nature documentary. There...

Alberta & Ottawa

There’s been a lot of discussion about Alberta in the news lately. If you’re looking for context and a deeper understanding of the issues...

Resources From the Curated Library

Meet the Vancouver scientist whose work could help fight forest fires, save old-growth

Bias: none Source: Vancouver Sun File Type: Article Overview: Meet the Vancouver scientist whose work could help fight forest fires, save...

An Experimental Library Grows in Brooklyn

An Experimental Library Grows in Brooklyn Sub-Category: Lessons Source: Bookmarks File Type: Essay Overview: Why libraries can create change Web Link: https://bookmarks.reviews/an-experimental-library-grows-in-brooklyn/?fbclid=IwAR2fyEMTgIjHdYG4BgcLb0dcrWTaGskh-DXV1qsVQj702tUwytfy4fDBubs

Additional Resources

33%
Unit completion

Chapters

Chapter One

The System of Things

Chapter Five

Here’s How

Chapter Nine

Own Your Hypocrisy

Chapter Two

The Context of It All

Chapter Six

Your Turn

Chapter Ten

Keep Going

Chapter Three

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

Chapter Seven

Dig Deeper

Chapter Eleven

One Last Thing

Chapter Four

Hard Stuff is Hard

Chapter Eight

Be Better

Chapter Twelve

The End (of the Beginning)