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What Is A Value? - Two page sample lesson plan
Our decisions often reflect our values. While students
may not be familiar with the term "values,"
they nevertheless operate on some value system. The
main idea behind this section is to allow students to
realize that they do have values and to identify what
some of these values are:
1.
Begin the class by stating: "There are some things
in life that are very important. I believe that education
is very important. What are some things that you believe
are very important?" List all the ideas that the
students suggest.
They may suggest such things as "having a nice
house" to "owning a new car." These may
be tied in later with a work, education, or wealth value.
Students often tend to be oriented to concrete concepts,
and they may not suggest more abstract ideas such as
"beauty" as something of real value.
If you feel that they do not offer many choices, you
could list additional values from the list below:
achievement
|
appearance
|
creativity
|
courtesy
|
cleanliness
|
family
|
friendship
|
justice
|
liberty
|
knowledge
|
love
|
patriotism
|
power
|
religion
|
respect
|
skill
|
wealth
|
wisdom
|
2.
After students have verbalized as many "important
things" as they can think of, explain that many
of these "things" can be called "values."
Hand out and read the beginning sentences of "What
Is a Value?"
3.
From the list of values on the chalkboard and on their
handout, ask the students to consider which four are
the most important to them. Let them explain which four
they have chosen and why.
4.
In the United States, two values are seen as very important.
Which are they?
(Liberty and Justice). What do these two words mean?
For the purposes of Peacemaker curriculum, "Liberty"
says that a person is free to do whatever he decides,
within the bounds which a unit of society (home, school,
city, county, state, nation) has established. These
boundaries are called "Justice", which sets
limits for personal liberty on the basis of truth, fairness,
right, and benefit to all concerned.
5.
Draw a large rectangle on the chalkboard. Ask the students
to imagine this is football field. "Liberty"
allows a person to run around anywhere he or she wants
on that field. "Justice" is the two sidelines
and the two endlines. These four boundary lines could
be called:
- Illegal
(any act against the law or violating the rules),
- Verbal
abuse (insults, cursing, slander).
- Hurting
self (recklessness, drug abuse, attempted suicide),
and
- Hurting
others (assault, extortion, murder).
Persons
who step on these lines are "out-of-bounds."
They make themselves subject
to a penalty designed to fit the seriousness of the
infraction.
- Sample
page 2 -
WHAT
IS A VALUE?
Very often our behavior, what we say and do, is influenced
by our "values." What is a value? We may say:
the ideas that we believe are important,
the things that we rate highly
are our values.
Some
values are:
helping
others
|
having
fun
|
being
honest
|
good
health
|
love
of family
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beauty
|
education
|
liberty
|
justice
|
money
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Add
some more values of your own here:
_________________ _________________
_________________ _________________
Which of these values are more important to you? (List
four.)
1. _______________ 3. _______________
2. _______________ 4. _______________
Values play an important part in our lives. They help
us decide what we expect of ourselves and of others.
Our values help us to make decisions.
Note:
This teaching plan and activity is taken from Unit
One
of the Grades 4-8 Volume of The Peacemaker Curriculum.
This first unit deals with values and how "values"
affect actions.
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