Some teachers are uncomfortable with teaching ethics, a subject that science teachers often have very little experience with. Ethics as a discipline is full of unfamiliar terms and its own jargon. Other teachers fear classroom discussions getting out of control, degenerating into a battle of opinions, or having parents and administrators confuse teaching "about" values and morals with teaching "particular" values and morals. In addition, something as seemingly subjective as ethics can be perceived as somewhat out of place in a science classroom, where the focus is ostensibly on objectivity: "Why are we studying values in science class?" Students often come to class discussions with preformed opinions on many ethical issues. The challenging task for teachers is to help students learn to identify the facts of a case, recognize the underlying ethical dilemmas, and to understand the different perspectives involved. Most students lack familiarity with ethics as a discipline and consequently are unable to articulate their stance or participate in a reasoned discussion about ethical issues in science. Because bioethical issues offer no single right answers or simple solutions, they foster an understanding of the importance of logic and reason when approaching complex problems. Ethics provides an authentic, motivating context for understanding science and relevance. Three components are key to promoting effective discussions related to ethics and science: content and lesson strategies, a decision-making model, and a familiarity with ethical perspectives. In this article, the author reviews each component and discusses its use in the classroom. (Contains 2 figures.)