Developing values

These teaching strategies help students to:

• explore their values in safe environment
• explore personal responsibility
• understand social justice
• learn about others' views and values
• respect the rights of others and others' opinions
• collaborate and cooperate.

Around the table

• In small group circle, give each student a page with a topic on it.
• Students take turns to write what they already know about a topic and pass it on to the next student.
• The process is repeated until the paper is returned to their original owner.
• To avoid repetition, students can tick the comments they agree with and/or expand upon the idea.
• Comments may be categorised in order to draw conclusions or present a brief summary presentation to the class.

Emotion cards

• Emotion cards can be made or purchased from Innovative resources (external site)
• Place the cards around the room and ask students to stand near a card that represents how they feel. This can be a great 'checking in' activity at the start of the day or end of a lesson on a sensitive topic.
• The cards can also be used to discuss questions such as:
  • How might someone feel if they fell over and hurt yourself?
  • How might someone feel if their friend fell over and hurt themselves?
  • How might someone feel if their friends said they won't play with them?

Choose a corner

• Prepare four signs, each numbered with a 1, 2, 3 or 4 and place in each corner of the room.
• Give four statements, students choose the one that best represents their opinion by standing in the respective.
• It may help students to become familiar with this strategy by starting with topics that require very little thought.
  • E.g. On the weekend, the thing I like to do most is: watch TV, meet up with my friends, listen to music, read a book.
• Students standing together share their reasons for choosing the statement.
• Invite students to share opinions between corners then move onto a topic or issue that students may not have discussed.
  • E.g. After listening to a scenario about sexual consent, students can decide if the scenario was: consensual; pressured; not consensual; unsure.

Informal debate

• Place students into small groups and assign a topic. 

• Nominate the groups to debate from the affirmative or negative point of view.

   

In their shoes

• Provide a rich, real-life scenario - a character from a book at a certain point in the story, a short film, a news story. (e.g. Mel from Trusted Moments)
• Ask a volunteer to play the character (NB: This person needs to be comfortable having a number of people standing close to them).  A prop such as a wig, hat, scarf, etc can be used to help indicate the character role.
• Place the main character in a chair or standing in a spot in the middle of the room.
• Invite other class members to think of thoughts that may be in the characters head. For example: Does he like me? I don't feel comfortable in this outfit, Will he think I'm easy? Do I want to have sex? I'm scared.
• As each class member provides their suggested thought, have them stand near to the character. The stronger the thought is in the character's head, the closer they stand to the character. (e.g. 'I'm scared' would be quite a strong thought in Mel's head, so they would stand quite close to Mel).
• Once there are at least 8 or 9 'thoughts' standing around the character, have all of the class members speak their 'thoughts' out loud over and over again.
• Ask the character how they are feeling (e.g. overwhelmed, scared unsure, etc).
• Discuss how people always have multiple factors in their minds that impact their emotions, actions and decision making.
• Ask the class members to provide some suggestions of how they would help support the character.

My attitude my actions 

• Use the model 'Attitudes and actions'.
• Students identify possible attitudes and intentions in a given health or safety issue (e.g. arranging a date with someone you meet online or while binge drinking at a party) and record these on the worksheet.
• Pose a scenario that challenges the students' attitudes and intended behaviours to allow them to analyse possible problems and outcomes hypothetically.
• Use the 'one step removed' principle (i.e. what might a 15-year-old do in this situation, rather than what would YOU do) to avoid putting students on the spot.

Oxford style debate

• Select three students to act as ‘speakers'. The three speakers, who are positioned around the room, each read a different statement related to a health or safety issue. Make sure the statements prompt analytical and evaluative thinking, and that the correct statement is not obvious.

  For example: 

  • Someone's attitude may determine whether they chose to use or not use a condom.
  • Knowing the risks associated with unsafe sex may determine whether someone chose to use or not use a condom.
  • The time, place and occasion may determine whether someone chose to use or not use a condom.
• Students decide which statement most accurately reflects their attitude towards the issue and position themselves near the person who read that statement.
• When gathered next to their chosen speaker, they must formulate a group view indicating why they agree with the statement. The speaker records the responses.
• Ask each speaker to state the reason/s why the group agrees with the statement. Other groups at this stage are only to listen.
• After hearing each group's rationale, students may challenge or ask other groups to clarify their statements.
• Give students the opportunity to change their minds and move to another group. If this occurs invite students to share reasons behind the change in their opinion.

Values continuum

• Prepare a set of signs with opposing responses (e.g. safe/unsafe; useful/not useful; agree/disagree) and place these at opposite ends of the room. It may help to draw a chalk line or stick a piece of masking tape on the floor between the two signs to indicate the continuum.
• Explain that there are many places along the continuum that may represent each student's opinion about a given statement.
• Model this by starting with an easy/light statement to practice. E.g. Chocolate is the best flavoured ice-cream.  
• Ask students to move to the point on the continuum that best represents their opinion.
• Have students discuss their reasons for placing themselves in that point on the continuum with others standing nearby.
• Ask for volunteers to share their thoughts with the class.
• Provide students with the option to pass or reconsider their placement after the discussion and move to another position along the continuum.
• Examples of questions to ask students during this strategy are:
  • Why would someone place themselves in that position on the continuum?
  • What experiences would have brought them to that conclusion?
  • Would they feel differently if they had more information about this?
  • Was it easy to choose the position on the continuum? Why or why not?
  • Can someone stand at the opposite end of the continuum and have similar conclusions?
• Example: worth taking the risk / not worth taking the risk.
  • Someone getting their friend to give them a piercing at their house.
  • Cheating in a test.
  • Cheating in the end of year exams.
  • Having sexual intercourse without using contraception.
  • Organising a party while parents are on holiday.
  • Speaking at an assembly.
  • Trying out for a part in a play or sports team.
  • Telling someone you like them.
  • Posting a revealing photo online.
  • Driving without a licence.
  • Driving while intoxicated.

Values voting

• Select a statement and read to the group.
• Students indicate their opinion or the opinion of other groups (e.g. friends, family and community members) by casting a ‘vote'. This may be done by:
  • thumbs up, thumbs down (this can be done anonymously with eyes shut)
  • dot voting - using dot stickers to place vote next to statement
  • moving to one side of the room or the other.
• Discuss the statement as a class. Provide students with the option to pass or reconsider their vote after the discussion.
  • Examples of questions to ask students during this strategy are:
  • Why might someone vote in that way?
  • What experiences would have brought them to that conclusion?
  • Would they feel differently if they had more information about this?
  • Was it easy to vote? Why or why not?
• Example: Thumbs up, thumbs down
  • Is it ok for someone our age to kiss their mum or dad at school?
  • Is it ok to hold hands with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner at school or movies?