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INTRODUCTION
Your role is vital in helping students
- Suggestions for presenting each
This study guide is the fourth unit of the
analyze and strengthen the framework of
activity.
RIGHT DECISIONS, RIGHT NOW pro-
personal values by which they currently
- Ideas for extending each activity.
gram. The activities and teaching sugges
: live. While it is neither wise nor feasible to
A list of resources.
tions are designed to improve students' ? ;
.. dictate codes of conduct, It is important to
3. A full-color poster that encourages
decision-making skills by helping them
keep students from adopting a value
students to think about the personal
analyze the beliefs and personal values
system in which anything goes as long as
values underlying the decisions they
which guide the decisions they make. The
friends approve." The goal is to guide them
make.
research on which the materials are
In exploring real-life conflict and helping
4. A teacher response card that allows
makes it clear that students are not only
them to see that a more consistent frame
you to comment on the program. :
willing to talk about moral dilemmas or
of values will enable them to make more
conflicts in a non-threatening environ-
effective and, in the long run, more
satisfying decisions.
IMPLEMENTING
ment, but that such discussions and
THE PROGRAM
related activities help them develop a
deeper understanding of the decision-
INTENDED AUDIENCE
Classroom Environment
making process.
This program has been designed to be
An important element in the success of all
An important first step is to gain a sense of
used with students in grades 6 -9. The
the activities is the classroom environment
how your students currently perceive : .
materials can be incorporated into
you are able to establish. If students feel
some of society's core values, such as
guidance programs or classes such as
they are being judged or evaluated, they
honesty and responsibility. :Research
social studies, health or life skills.
will slip into the "right answer" mode,
ndicates that young people and their
giving responses they think an adult .
parents often have different ideas of what
OBJECTIVES
expects to hear. Your own teaching style is
such value concepts mean. By examining
: This fourth unit of the RIGHT DECISIONS,
the most effective way of assuring the class
ways in which their perceptions differ from . .; RIGHT NOW program is designed to help
that this is not a test situation.
those of their parents, students and their
families can avoid a good deal of misun-
students:
Group Work
work in groups to define certain value
The activities are designed for students to
derstanding. At the same time, this
process of taking stock will help you ;
concepts and, through discussion, see
work on together in groups of 6-8. . You can
recognize where the areas of confusion or
if they can agree on definitions.
have students remain in the same group
determine which values are most
throughout the program or change groups
inconsistency are in the value frameworks
Important to them.
for each activity. Each group will have a
your students have constructed.
discuss key values with their parents
group leader and a recorder. These
This program is designed to provide
or guardians
positions should change each time, with
students with guided experiences in . .
recognize that the decisions they make
the recorder reporting the group's conclu
analyzing the role of personal values in
are guided by their personal frame-
sions to the class. Group leaders need to
decision-making. Students will recognize
works of values.
keep the group focused and working. The
hat underlying all of the complex and
examine the values involved in a
following rules should be established by
difficult decisions they face is a basic
variety of situations that reflect their
the leader prior to any discussion.
conflict of values. Making a decision
real-life concerns
1. Members are allowed to pass if they
involves making a choice - deciding that
understand that people's words and
feel uncomfortable with specific topics.
one personal value is more important than
actions often reveal the values they
2. No put-downs are allowed.
another, at least in that particular situation.
regard as most important.
3. 'Everyone has to take a turn talking.
For early adolescents, these conflicts often
use role-playing scenarios to under-
4. Any answer is an appropriate answer
involve making a choice between what the
stand the thoughts and feelings of
and worth discussing.
person believes to be right and the
both sides in conflict situations
demands of friendship. Because friend-
strengthen their capacity for reasoning
Poster
The poster contains a list of the values that
ship is so powerful and pervasive for this
based on sound values.
are focused on in this program. Use the
age group, we have not treated it as a
understand that they can help each
poster to introduce the program, explaining
separate value. Instead, it should be seen
other in making and sticking to tough
to students that their decisions are guided
as a potent force that can influence or
decisions
by their personal values. Encourage
complicate decision making; in fact, many
students to think about the values they
teens operate according to a dual set of
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
believe are important and to use these
values - one set for friends, another for
1. Four activity masters to reproduce as
values to help them make the right
all other relationships. Lying, for example,
Individual and group worksheets
decisions, right now.
s perceived as wrong, but lying to protect
2. This teacher's guide which contains:
a friend is not.
- Background information.
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Answer the question using only the OCR text from a single document page. Return only the answer, with no explanation. Preserve the answer wording from the OCR text when possible.