Many who have commented on the state of criminal justice education have emphasized the need for a consideration of ethics in criminal justice curricula. The "unfinished story" approach attempts to force the student to resolve some of the dilemmas that may be inherent in some elements of police work while also working on their writing skills. The major objective in the use of this approach is to get students to realize that there are a number of ethical "gray areas" in police work where the discretion of the individual police officer must be exercised. Also, the experience of confronting an ethical dilemma could have the effect of changing students' attitudes by making them more open to life's ambiguities. Drawbacks include the amount of time a student needs to finish assignments and the problem of grading criteria. (Author abstract modified)