Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes

Explore: Understanding values

20+ minutes

Discover: Symbols

20 minutes

Thrive: Living your values

Explore: Understanding values

Teacher note: Print and trim the Values cards on A3 paper before the lesson.

Step 1

Give each student a Values worksheet and ask them to write a list of the things they love. If they are unsure how to start, provide these prompts:

What are your favourite school subjects?
What motivates you?
How do you like to spend your time?

Step 2

Provide a definition for values:

Values are the principles that we assign value to; they tell us what is important and worthwhile and can help guide us and give us purpose. They can serve as an internal guidance system we can rely on to provide direction in life.

Explain that knowing what brings us joy can provide clues to what we value in life. Give the following examples:

If you love science, you might value curiosity or imagination.
If you love basketball, you might value teamwork or leadership.

Step 3

Distribute the Values cards at random (5 per student) and ask students to rank them from most to least important. Explain that everyone will receive a different set of values and that it’s okay if they only resonate with some of them, as the activity is about helping them recognise what’s important to them. Next, whip around the room and have each student share what they identified as most important. This will allow everyone to hear some of the other values within the card set.

Step 4

Explain that students will now have an opportunity to swap their cards to try and create a set of values that are more aligned with what they view as important. Give them 5-10 minutes to walk around the room and negotiate trades - play some music and encourage them to have fun with this. Once time is up, have students rank the new set of cards and explain that it’s okay if they still don’t resonate with all 5 values.

Step 5

Project the Values list on the board to reveal the full set of cards. Ask students to identify any values they wish they had traded and to select their ultimate top 5. Have them discuss their list with a partner and record them on their worksheet.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

How did you decide which values were most important to you?
How have these values guided your decisions in the past?
Why is it important to know your values? What can happen if you don’t live by your values?

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

Every person’s values are unique; even if they may value the same thing, what it means to them may be different. It is okay to have different values to your friends or family, as that is what makes you unique and is part of who you are. Your values can give you a sense of direction and purpose, so when you are living out of alignment with what is important to you, it can have negative impacts on your sense of self.

Discover: Symbols

Step 1

For this activity, students will need to have settled on their top 5 values and know why they are important to them, as they’ll be creating a symbol for each. They can hand draw these or complete them digitally.

Step 2

Encourage students to brainstorm and conduct online research to influence the elements of their designs. Give them 20+ minutes to complete this task.

Step 3

This step is optional.

When they have finished designing all 5 symbols, they can create a crest, emblem or wallet-sized card to serve as a visual reminder. This can be laminated and carried around or displayed somewhere within the school.

Teacher note: These emblems/crests could be printed on items for students, such as stickers, mugs or tote bags for them to keep as a reminder of their top values.

Thrive: Living your values

Step 1

Explain to students it’s important we uphold our values through our actions and that this part of the lesson aims to help us reflect on how we do that in our daily lives. Invite students to pair up and identify how they regularly model their values through their actions.

Example:

Value: Communication. Action: Sharing my thoughts and feelings openly and respectfully.
Value: Honesty. Action: Telling the truth even if it’s not easy to do.
Value: Education, Action: Listening in class and completing my homework.

Step 2

Next, invite students to present their values to the class and facilitate a class discussion once everyone has had an opportunity to present.

The presentations should include:

their 5 values and symbols
their top value and how they model it through their actions
the way this value provides them with a sense of purpose.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

Why is it important to understand our values?
What can happen when we don’t live in alignment with our values?
Can our values change? If so, when and why?

Provide the following explanation to help their thinking:

Our values are important to who we are and should be celebrated. People who don’t live by their values are more likely to experience negative feelings such as low self-esteem or uncertainty. It is important to regularly check in with yourself and check you are making choices and taking actions that match up with your values.

Purpose: Identifying Values

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Summary

Lesson guides and printables

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