Lesson 4

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My Values and Place in the World

In this lesson, students begin to define themselves in terms of their personal characteristics, values, and talents. They first take part in an activity in which they consider what truly matters to them. They learn about volunteering as a way to further explore their values while also gaining exposure to new experiences. They complete an assessment designed to help them think more deeply about their values. Then they begin to explore the connection between satisfying careers and qualities such as temperament, likes, and dislikes by reading profiles of people who love what they do.

Advance Preparation

Use Teacher Resource 4.1, Guide: Volunteering, to determine what choices you wish to make available for your students to do their volunteer work, either on or off campus. Make sure to consider whether or not permission slips will be needed for the volunteer activities.

This lesson is expected to take 4 class periods.

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Lesson Framework

Learning Objectives

Each student will:

Academic Standards

21^st Century Skills

This lesson focuses on the following 21^st century skill:

Assessment

–   Basic understanding of personal values, attributes, and talents

–   Grasp of the relationship between one’s values and interests and work

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Instructional Materials

Teacher Resources

–   Teacher Resource 4.1, Guide: Volunteering

–   Teacher Resource 4.2, Assessment Criteria: People Who Love What They Do

–   Teacher Resource 4.3, Key Vocabulary: My Values and Place in the World

–   Teacher Resource 4.4, Bibliography: My Values and Place in the World

Student Resources

–   Student Resource 4.1, Survey: What Matters to Me

–   Student Resource 4.2, Guide: What Matters to Me

–   Student Resource 4.3, Analysis: People Who Love What They Do

–   Student Resource 4.4, Reading: People Who Love What They Do

Equipment and Supplies

–   Whiteboard or blackboard

–   Chart paper

–   Sticky notes (four to six per student)

–   Computer and LCD projector (optional)

–   5x7 index cards, six for each student

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Lesson Steps

CLASS PERIOD 1

INSTRUCTION

–   Have students write their responses to each prompt on a sticky note. Then, instruct students to stick their notes onto the appropriate chart paper.

–   Have students read each other’s posted ideas and jot down in their notebooks any ideas they wish they had thought of and why. Once they are back at their seats, call on students who want to change their posted responses to share why.

–   Next, announce: “You only have one month to live. Would you change any of your answers? If so, go to your sticky note and attach your new wish to it.”

–   Allow students a minute or two to change their responses, if they wish, and return to their seats. Read aloud the new responses for the class. Ask each of these students, why do you think having only one month to live made you change your mind?

–   Explain to students that these questions help them think about what really matters to them personally—or, put another way, what their values are. Encourage some class discussion by choosing a couple of students’ responses and asking the class what they think that person values. If it doesn’t come up spontaneously, note that a person’s beliefs are also part of their personal values. You may wish to further explain:

· Values influence your perspective, or how you look at the world. They affect your attitude, motivations, and whole way of life, including whom you want to associate with every day. Everyone lives by a set of values, and they are one way we define ourselves.

–   Conclude this activity by having students take a minute to write down some notes on what matters to them—from material objects and experiences, as they just focused on, to the people, ideas, and beliefs they hold dear—and then share with a partner.

 

DIFFERENTIATION If you have a large number of English learners, have the prompts translated into the primary language(s) of your students, but ask students to write their responses in English. If you have students with very limited English proficiency, allow them to draw pictures or symbols in response to the prompts instead of having them write in English. For example, students could draw a picture of the Eiffel Tower to symbolize a trip to Paris. During the discussion of “values,” point out that a person’s home culture also affects their values and their decision making. For example, a Muslim person has a religious obligation to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once during her lifetime. So if a student was Muslim and discovered she only had a month to live, she might want to take that time to make her pilgrimage—a trip that non-Muslims are much less likely to choose. Encourage students who have lived in other countries to share other examples.

 

STEP 2, DISCUSSION VOLUNTEERING ASSIGNMENT

25 minutes

INSTRUCTION

–   Explain to students that discovering what matters to them is one important clue to building a satisfying life and finding work that they enjoy. One of the ways we learn what matters to us is through our experiences, which affect each of us differently. For some people, growing up without a lot of money makes them determined to make a lot of money as an adult. For other people, it might inspire them to get a job helping people who don’t have much money. If you grow up in a family with lots of brothers and sisters, it could inspire you to have a big family of your own as an adult, or it might make you decide that you don’t want to have kids at all! Different people might learn different things from the same experience—the point is having the experience in the first place.

–   Tell students that one of the experiences that can be particularly valuable is doing volunteer work. Invite suggestions about why volunteer work can be a good way to learn what matters to you.

–   Students may begin to see the connection between volunteering, values, and finding a great career if you relay the following: The San Francisco Chronicle published an article about volunteering on April 17, 2011. Students from UC Berkeley who volunteered as part of their coursework were quoted about what they experienced. At first they were very nervous about it. They’d never volunteered before and they were afraid that they wouldn’t be helpful or good at it.

· One student volunteered as a tutor for elementary students. He wrote, “…never did I anticipate the emotional attachment that I now share with these children. I find myself yearning to become a teacher, which was a career I never thought of before this program…I will never forget them. I have truly changed and matured….”

–   Distribute the student resource on volunteering and review it with students. Explain your expectations about their commitment to volunteering as a part of this course, and discuss the options you have listed on the student resource. Make sure to point out any specific guidelines (scheduling, parental permission, age requirements, etc.). Take time to go over any expectations you have for a post-volunteer report and review the assessment criteria, as appropriate. Answer any questions.

–   Explain that in the next class period students will need to sign up for one specific volunteer opportunity. Encourage them to take time to read over these opportunities outside of class and discuss their potential commitment with their parents or relatives before choosing what to sign up for.

DIFFERENTIATION If you have a large number of English learners, have the student resource translated into the primary language(s) of your students. You may also wish to identify specific opportunities that may be more comfortable for students still learning English—for example, an on-campus volunteer opportunity or a chance to volunteer with people who speak the same primary language.

 

CLASS PERIOD 2

INSTRUCTION

–   Remind students that today is their chance to sign up for volunteering. Review their options and answer questions. Then have students sign up for the opportunity of their choice. (Note: If you have some opportunities with very limited capacity, consider developing another sign-up method to ensure fairness.)

–   Divide the class into groups based on which opportunity they signed up for. Encourage students to discuss one or more of the following in their groups:

· Why did you choose this opportunity?

· What do you think could be the most exciting or interesting thing about this opportunity?

· What, if anything, worries you about this opportunity?

–   Also encourage students to discuss carpooling, public transportation, or other ways to manage the logistical challenges of the volunteering.

–   Remind students of the final deadline for completing the volunteer work and any reporting. If you will be supervising or coordinating any of the volunteer events, be explicit with students about the next steps.

 

STEP 4, QUESTIONNAIRE WHAT MATTERS TO ME

30 minutes

INSTRUCTION

–   Tell students that they will learn more about themselves and what they value as they complete the volunteer experience; however, of course students already know a lot about what matters to them right now, based on the experiences they have already had. But it sometimes can be difficult for people—even adults—to identify all of the specific things that they value.

–   Explain that students are going to complete a questionnaire, also known as a survey, an assessment tool that will help them identify some of the qualities or experiences that matter to them. They may not have tried to do this before, and it is different from identifying people or possessions that they value. Let students know that many of the questions may ask them to picture themselves in the future and how they might like their lives to be as adults.

–   Reassure students that this is not a test and that there are no right or wrong answers. This is a tool to help them start thinking about this topic.

–   Distribute Student Resource 4.1 and review the directions with the class. Answer any questions; then give students time to complete the questionnaire.

 

DIFFERENTIATION If you have many newly arrived students or students with very limited English, consider having the questionnaire (Student Resource 4.1) and the results sheet (Student Resource 4.2) translated into their primary language(s) to help them better understand the questionnaire and their results.

 

CLASS PERIOD 3

INSTRUCTION

–   If students did not complete Student Resource 4.1, Survey: What Matters to Me, in the previous class period, give them a chance to do so now. As students finish their questionnaire, give them a copy of Student Resource 4.2. If possible, project this resource so that you can show students how to use it and answer all questions. In particular, make sure students grasp the new vocabulary. Show them where to copy their results from Student Resource 4.1, and then give them time to read over their results.

–   Ask students to raise their hands if they got a 3 or a 4 for the first category. If not, continue to ask this question until you hit a category where at least one student does have a 3 or a 4. Ask all students to read that section. As they read, tell them to circle any words that are unfamiliar to them.

–   Ask students to call out which words they circled and write them on the board. Conduct a class discussion in which students look for the definition of the word from contextual clues or from actual definitions provided in the text. Ask students to provide their own examples of what they think the word means. Write short definitions with examples next to each term. Use Teacher Resource 4.3, Key Vocabulary: My Values and Place in the World, for succinct definitions.

–   Tell students to read the other categories that they scored a 3 or a 4 in, and circle any unfamiliar words. It is very important that they understand the terminology that describes what they value. Next, tell students to write each unfamiliar word on an index card.

–   Put students in groups of three or four. Have them help each other to come up with what each word means, and write that definition on the other side of the index card. Circulate around the room, offering assistance and checking to make sure students have come up with correct definitions. If they can think of examples, they should write those down as well.

–   Have each group share the terms and definitions they wrote down on their index cards. Tell the rest of the class to see if they chose the same term, and if they came up with the same definition. If not, what did they think the word meant? Use this process to ensure that everyone has correct definitions chosen for each term.

–   In their groups, tell students to quiz each other. Sometimes they should ask each other the term, and sometimes they should say the definition so that the group has to come up with the term instead.

 

STEP 6, SURVEY RESULTS WHAT MATTERS TO ME

15 minutes

INSTRUCTION

–   When about 15 minutes remain in class, return to a discussion of the actual results. Invite volunteers to share their thoughts on the results of the questionnaire. Were they surprised by anything? Were these questions easy, or did they have to think a lot before answering them? How did the results match up with how they view themselves?

–   Emphasize to students that this is a “snapshot” in time. Their results might be very different next week, next month, or next year. This questionnaire is just a way for them to start thinking about what matters to them, which is going to become more and more important as this course continues and as they begin to explore potential career options.

–   You may choose to assess the questionnaires and results on a credit/no credit basis, to make sure that everyone understood how to fill out the questionnaire and evaluate the results.

–   Tell students that they will need to use this information later in the course. Make arrangements to store the paper surveys in your classroom, or have digital copies of the survey results stored in students’ digital portfolios.

 

ENHANCED PORTFOLIO OPTION Have students create a visual demonstration (chart, graph, collage, etc.) of their survey results and store that in the digital portfolio in addition to (or in place of) the paper survey results.

 

CLASS PERIOD 4

INSTRUCTION

–   Explain to students that discovering what matters to them is one important clue to building a satisfying life and finding work that they enjoy. But becoming aware of their own personalities and talents is also key to this pursuit. To understand why, they will read about people who have made an excellent match between their personal characteristics, talents, and values and their careers.

–   Distribute Student Resources 4.3 and 4.4. Explain that Student Resource 4.3 includes profiles of various people doing unusual jobs, but jobs that are perfectly suited to their skills, talents, and values.

–   Review Student Resource 4.3 with the class. Explain that students will choose three profiles to read from Student Resource 4.4 and then answer the questions. As a class, work through the practice profile (the video game reviewer) and the practice questions. Guide students to recognize where the answers can be found in the reading. Emphasize that the first question is directly answered in the reading, while the second and third questions will require them to think about what they’ve read and the values they’ve learned about and make a judgment based on that information.

–   Go over the assessment criteria as a class and answer any questions. Then give students time to begin reading and answering the questions on their three profiles. Make it clear that the practice profile does not count as one of their three choices.

–   When about 15 minutes are left in class, ask for a show of hands for each profile to see which ones students chose. Tell students to pair with someone who worked on one of the same profiles as they did and compare notes. If their partner’s work gives them new ideas, they may revise their own assignments. Follow this procedure with a couple more of the profiles, as time allows.

–   When the assignment is complete, collect the worksheets and assess using Teacher Resource 4.2, Assessment Criteria: People Who Love What They Do.

–   At the end of class, ask students if they were intrigued or interested in any of these unusual careers that they read about. Observe that there are a lot of jobs in the world that they may not have thought of but that could be a good match for them. They will continue to learn about various careers, and what it takes to succeed in them, throughout this course.

 

DIFFERENTIATION If you have a large number of English learners, utilize the “Stop and Summarize” strategy. Put students into groups based on which profiles they are reading. Make sure that each group has at least one student who is a strong English language speaker. Ask students to read the first paragraph silently, and then work together to write a one-sentence summary of that paragraph. While students are doing this, circulate through the classroom to make sure students understand what to do. Ask students to repeat this process with the rest of the reading. Once students have finished, review their summaries before they complete the worksheet. This approach will take additional class time, but ensures that students fully comprehend the passage. If you have many newly arrived students or students with very limited English, consider having the worksheet translated into their primary language(s) to help them better understand the information they are looking for.

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Extensions

Enrichment

–   Encourage students to read all of the profiles from Student Resource 4.4, Reading: People Who Love What They Do, and answer the questions for all the profiles. Consider offering extra credit for each set of completed profile response questions.

–   Most adolescents struggle with self-worth in some way. Instruct students to compare their “social mirrors” to their “true mirrors,” by comparing answers to the questions: “What adjectives do I think others would use to describe me?” and “How would I describe the real me, my best self?” Address the so-called “cracks” in the social mirror by having students discuss any insecurity they may have about the way others perceive them. Are they motivated by media messages (e.g., celebrity and model images they think they should live up to) or by constant comparisons to friends and classmates? What steps might students take to remember and focus on their own assets, strengths, and talents when the “social mirror” seems to be more important than the “true mirror”?

–   Have students interview parents, guardians, or other adults to identify their values and to see what events, people, and experiences helped to shape these values when they were growing up. How have their beliefs changed since they were their children’s age?

–   Use HELP WANTED: Youth Employment and Education Resource Directory as a classroom resource to help students make plans for additional education or employment. You may wish to have students work in groups to read and report back on specific sections of the directory, such as “Things You Should Know Before Getting a Job,” “Tips for Success in Finding a Training Program/Job,” or “What Jobs Can Youth Do?” As an alternative, have students repeat the research process they used in the “Ways to Make a Difference” assignment to find an employment or training opportunity they might wish to pursue.

–   Have students view and discuss video profiles of “ordinary people who do extraordinary things.” Two suggested sources are ABC News’ “Persons of the Year” ( http://abcnews.go.com/WN/PersonOfWeek/story?id=6403273&page=1 ) and MSNBC’s “Making a Difference” ( http://www.nbc.msn.com/id/10397946 ).

Cross-Curricular Integration

–   History: How are our values influenced by the culture or time in which we live? Have students investigate and create a visual timeline of the social values associated with the last several decades (e.g., 60s/70s: civil rights activism; 80s: materialism; 90s: advent of environmentalism).

–   English/Language Arts: Have students research famous people—actors, athletes, or musicians— who are also known for doing charitable work. Options include Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, U2’s Bono, Mariah Carey; current and former NFL players Drew Brees, Warrick Dunn, Kurt Warner, and Jason Taylor; NBA players LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Yao Ming. Have students read biographies of the people and descriptions of their charitable activities. Discuss the following with students: why do you think these people choose to do something like this, instead of just focusing on their careers? How do you think these people choose the causes they support? Do you think differently about these people because they “give back”? Point out that when these people are written about or talked about by the media, they get attention for both what they can do (acting, singing, playing a sport) and what they choose to do (fund sports programs for kids, help build houses in New Orleans, raise money for AIDS research, fight against world hunger, etc.). Ask students to imagine themselves as successful adults in the future and someone is talking about or writing about them. This is an opportunity to flesh out a “what if” best-case scenario for themselves. What will people say about what they can do (their skills and talents, their career, etc.), and what they choose to do (their volunteer or charitable activities)? What will they have accomplished? How will they have influenced others? What words or phrases will people use to describe their contributions, personality, and talents? In short, what kind of impact would they like to make on the world?

–   English/Language Arts: Provide students with information about a Community Service Award, whether it is a local award in your community or a nationwide award, such as CNN Heroes ( http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/ ). Have students read over the guidelines for the award and examples of people who have won/been nominated in the past. Then ask students to write a nomination for someone who they believe deserves the award or to write a letter to someone who has won/been nominated, stating what they find admirable about that person’s charitable work.

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Based on the Plan Ahead educational materials made available by Gap Inc. at www.whatsyourplana.com and developed in partnership with the Pearson Foundation. Such materials are copyright © 2010–2013 Gap Inc. and all rights are reserved. The Plan Ahead educational materials are provided “AS IS”; Gap Inc. and the Pearson Foundation are not responsible for any modifications made to such materials.

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