Core Samples

My father-in-law is a geologist, so he often takes core samples from the earth. Core samples are fascinating columns of rock and mineral cut from deep below the earth’s surface with a drill. They are marbled with shades of color that serve as a record of the history and composition of a particular piece of land.

I believe taking “core samples” of our students’ values can be just as enlightening. The following activity is designed to help students think about their core values. These core values can be discussed as students examine history, literature, science and even their own behavior.

1) Ask students to divide a piece of paper into three columns.

2) Label the first column “Community.” Discuss what communities your students belong to:  the class, their school, the neighborhood, and so on. Ask students what characteristics they value in themselves as they interact with their communities. What traits should a member of a community have? Have students list the traits that they believe community members should possess in the first column.

3) Label the second column “Family.” Here, students list traits that a family member should have. Ask: “What role do you play in your family? How do you think people in a family should behave?” Some characteristics from Column One may repeat in Column Two.

4) Label the third column “Friends.” Students should fill in the third column with traits they value in their friends. Ask: “How do you strive to be as a friend? What do you expect from your friends?”

5) Now you can discuss these core values as a class. Compile a master list on the board. The students do not have to come to a consensus about which core values are correct, but it is interesting to see the variety of core values that people hold. Ask: “What traits show up in all three columns? Why? Which traits do many of us value?” The discussion should help them understand that different people value different things.

Continue the discussion by examining how these values affect our actions. Ask: “Do these core values influence the decisions you make? How? Can core values conflict with one another?”

If you help students identify their own core values, you can illuminate students’ own decision-making processes and explain why literary and historical figures made the decisions they did. Why did Martin Luther King, Jr. preach nonviolent resistance? Why did Atticus Finch defend Tom Robinson? The acknowledgment and understanding of core beliefs opens up a deeper level of character and motivation analysis. It also offers an opportunity for students to compare reactions to challenging situations without judgment. Core values cross content areas and extend outside the classroom and into students’ lives.

Kay Honeyman

Highland Park Middle School

Dallas, Texas

Show students how knowing and understanding their core beliefs can be the foundation for leadership with Everyday Leadership ($29.95) www.freespirit.com.