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Kiddie Morality

Friday, April 28, 2006
Tickle Fight

How do we develop our sense of morality? Even toddlers know there is a right and wrong beyond the rules in a classroom. While host Jad Abumrad attends playgroup, Robert Krulwich concludes that children are sociopaths. Dr. Judi Smetana refutes that claim while guiding us through her research on the development of moral and social knowledge. And then, more fighting. We'll witness, through a mother's eyes, a pre-school brawl that results in blood and one boy's burgeoning sense of empathy.

Telling another tale of classroom chaos, producer Amy O'Leary takes us along on a trip to right a wrong. She'll confront her fourth grade teacher and drudge up former classmates to put to rest the legacy of the "Homestead" game. In the process, she'll peel back layers to reveal the dark side of formative experiences that shape an individual's morality.


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