A Lesson Plan from Life Planning Education: A Youth Development Program (Chapter Two)

NOTE:  Life Planning Education (LPE) is currently being revised. The printed/for-sale version includes an older version of this lesson plan. Please make sure you have looked at the PDF of Life Planning Education before purchasing - that is the version that is available to buy.  

Purpose: To identify values learned from one's family.

Materials: One copy for each participant of the handout, How Does Your Family Feel About…; pens/pencils

Time: 40 to 50 minutes

Procedure:

1. Remind participants that values are those qualities, principles, and beliefs that we feel strongly about.
• Clarify that each person’s values are important and meaningful. Different people have different values. It is important to make decisions and live life according to one’s own, personal values.
• The family is one of the most important and powerful sources of messages about values. People learn their family’s values from spoken and unspoken messages received throughout childhood and adolescence. If they have children, they are likely to pass on many of those same values.
2. Distribute the handouts. Ask participants to take 5 to 10 minutes to write down their family’s messages (feelings or statements) on each topic.
3. Divide participants into small groups.  Ask each group to pick two topics to discuss. Each participant will share in the small group their family’s messages about the two topics. After each group has chosen two topics, say that the groups will have another 10 minutes to talk.
4. When time is up, ask each group to report on their two assigned topics.
5. After the reports, open the discussion to anyone that has a comment about any topic.
6. Conclude the activity by using the discussion points below.
   

Optional Homework:

Ask participants to interview a parent or another adult family member about the messages her/his family taught.

Discussion Points:

1. Were you aware of your family’s values on all of these topics? Are there values in your family that are clear even though no one speaks openly about them? Which ones? How do you get the message?
2. What are some of the nonverbal ways your family members communicate their values to you?
3. Do the men and women in your family give you different values messages? On what topics?
4. If you have children later in life, what is one family message that you want to pass to them? Why?
   
5. Is there a family message you will not communicate to a son or daughter? Why?