RECOGNIZING VALUES
OBJECTIVE:
Given decision situations, students will state what the decider is giving up in making a certain decision.
CONCEPT:
Getting something you want often means giving up something you have. Decisions are a commitment of personal resources-time, energy, money, relationships, goals, and self. Deciding is acting on our values. Our decision strategy includes an attempt to achieve, avoid or preserve either resources or values.
PROCEDURE:
Discuss the following decision situations in terms of what values are being demonstrated.
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1. Mr. High must decide if he will cheat on his income tax return. (money vs. honesty)
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2. A group of boys has dared Jeff to steal something from the local store. He must decide if he wants to take up the dare or not.(social acceptance vs. honesty)
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3. Jenny must decide if she will go along with her friends and do something she knows her parents will not approve. (peer approval vs. parent approval)
FOLLOW-UP: BOOK ANALYSIS:
Have students choose a character from a book they have read recently. Have them describe a decision the character made that was different from what they would have decided in the same situation. Identify the character’s values and how they differ from the student’s.
