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Values Auction

Keshminder Singh

Tier 2
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Values Auction Plan

Students will engage in a mock auction to bid on and prioritize core values, practice ethical trade-offs, and reflect on their responsible decision-making processes.

Clarifying personal values and understanding trade-offs builds ethical reasoning and responsible decision-making skills aligned with CASEL standards, preparing students for real-world choices.

Audience

10th Grade Group

Time

35 minutes

Approach

Interactive auction, guided discussion, and reflection.

Materials

  • Bidding on Values Slide Deck, - Value Brainstorm Warm-Up Prompt, - Values Auction Game Handout, - Debrief Bids Discussion Guide, - Value Prioritization Worksheet, and - Reflection Round Prompt

Prep

Lesson Preparation

10 minutes

  • Review the Bidding on Values Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with key terms and auction rules.
  • Print sufficient copies of the Value Brainstorm Warm-Up Prompt, Values Auction Game Handout, Value Prioritization Worksheet, and Reflection Round Prompt.
  • Prepare play money or point tokens for each group.
  • Arrange desks or tables into small groups of 3–4 students each.
  • Queue up any multimedia in your presentation system as needed.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Value Identification

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Value Brainstorm Warm-Up Prompt.
  • Ask students to individually list 5–7 values they consider important (e.g., honesty, security, creativity).
  • Invite a few volunteers to share one value and why it matters to them.

Step 2

Introduction to Auction Rules

5 minutes

  • Project the Bidding on Values Slide Deck.
  • Explain the purpose of the auction: to explore trade-offs by bidding finite resources on values.
  • Review bidding rules, starting budgets, and auction sequence.
  • Clarify that the highest bidder wins each value but spends their points budget.

Step 3

Values Auction Activity

15 minutes

  • Hand out the Values Auction Game Handout and play money to each group.
  • Conduct 6–8 rounds of value auctions; announce one value per round and invite bids.
  • After each round, record the winning bid and remaining budgets on the handout.
  • Encourage strategic discussion among group members on which values to prioritize.

Step 4

Debrief and Prioritization

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Value Prioritization Worksheet.
  • In small groups, students review their winning values and remaining budgets.
  • Use the Debrief Bids Discussion Guide to prompt:
    • Which values did you prioritize and why?
    • What trade-offs surprised you?
    • How do these choices reflect real-life decisions?

Step 5

Reflection Round

5 minutes

  • Provide the Reflection Round Prompt.
  • Ask students to write a brief exit reflection:
    • Which value was most critical to you and why?
    • How will understanding trade-offs influence your future decisions?
  • Collect reflections as students leave.
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Slide Deck

Bidding on Values

Exploring trade-offs and priorities through a mock auction.

Welcome students and set the stage for today’s activity. Explain that we will be using points to bid on core values and explore trade-offs.

Session Objectives

• Engage in a mock auction to bid on core values
• Practice ethical reasoning and strategic trade-offs
• Reflect on how choices reveal priorities

Review each objective with students. Emphasize the connection to responsible decision-making and ethical reasoning (CASEL).

Auction Rules

  1. Each group starts with 100 points.
  2. We will auction 6–8 values, one per round.
  3. Groups place secret bids each round.
  4. Highest bidder wins the value and pays their bid.
  5. No negative budgets—manage your points wisely.

Go through each rule slowly. Invite clarifying questions. Ensure students understand they cannot exceed their budget.

Auction Process

  1. Announce the value up for bid.
  2. Groups discuss and decide their bid.
  3. On cue, all groups reveal bids simultaneously.
  4. Highest bidder wins; record points spent.
  5. Proceed to the next value.

Walk students through the five steps of each auction round. Use this as a reference during gameplay.

Sample Round

Value: Honesty
• Group A bids 20 (wins)
• Group B bids 15
• Group C bids 18
Result: Group A spends 20 and has 80 points left; others keep full budget until they win.

Use this concrete example to show how bids affect remaining budgets. Ask: What would your strategy be next round?

Core Values List

Honesty
Responsibility
Creativity
Security
Friendship
Fairness
Respect
Compassion
Innovation
Trust

Point out that students can choose from these or suggest additional values during warm-up.

Ready to Bid?

Let’s begin the Values Auction!
Round 1: How much will you bid?

Transition to handing out materials and starting Round 1. Encourage strategic discussion in groups.

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Warm Up

Value Brainstorm Warm-Up

Think about what matters most to you personally and in your community. List at least 5–7 core values (for example: honesty, security, creativity, fairness, respect).

  1. ____________________________

  2. ____________________________

  3. ____________________________

  4. ____________________________

  5. ____________________________

  6. ____________________________

  7. ____________________________



Be prepared to share one of your values and explain why it matters to you.

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Activity

Values Auction Game Handout

Instructions for Group Play:

  • Each group starts with 100 points.
  • We will auction 6–8 values, one per round.
  • In each round:
    1. Teacher announces the value up for bid.
    2. Discuss with your group and decide your secret bid (must not exceed your remaining budget).
    3. Write your bid in the table below.
    4. On cue, reveal bids simultaneously.
    5. Highest bidder wins the value and pays their bid (subtract from your budget).
    6. Record the winning bid and winning group, then update your remaining budget.

Keep track of each round in the table below:

RoundValueYour BidWinning BidWinning GroupYour Remaining Budget
1_______________________________________________________________________________
2_______________________________________________________________________________
3_______________________________________________________________________________
4_______________________________________________________________________________
5_______________________________________________________________________________
6_______________________________________________________________________________
7_______________________________________________________________________________
8_______________________________________________________________________________
 
 

Group Strategy & Reflection Notes

  • What was your overall bidding strategy?






  • Which values did you prioritize most and why?






  • Describe any surprises or trade-offs your group encountered:






Use these notes to guide your discussion during the debrief phase.

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Discussion

Debrief: Reflecting on Your Bids

Instructions: In your groups, use your Value Prioritization Worksheet to discuss the following questions. Record key insights to share with the class.

  1. Value Prioritization
    • Which values did your group win? List them in the order you acquired them.


    • Why did you choose to spend points on these values? How do they reflect what matters most to your group?


  2. Trade-Offs and Surprises
    • Which values did you struggle to bid on? Why?


    • Were there any rounds where you changed your mind at the last minute? What triggered that shift?


  3. Strategy Reflection
    • Describe your group’s bidding strategy. Did it evolve as the auction progressed?





    • If you knew what you know now, what would you do differently in future rounds?





  4. Real-World Connections
    • Describe a real-life scenario (like budgeting money or time management) that mirrors the trade-offs you experienced.


    • How can understanding your personal and group priorities help you make responsible decisions outside of class?


Teacher Follow-Up Prompts:

  • Which value generated the most debate? Why?
  • How do our individual values align or conflict when making group decisions?
  • Can you share a personal example of a time when you faced a similar trade-off?
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Worksheet

Value Prioritization Sheet

Name: ____________________________
Group Members: ____________________
Date: ____________________________

  1. List the values your group won, in the order you acquired them:
  2. ____________________________

  3. ____________________________

  4. ____________________________

  5. ____________________________

  6. ____________________________

  7. For each of your top three values, explain why it was prioritized.

• Value #1: ____________________________
Why? ________________________________





• Value #2: ____________________________
Why? ________________________________





• Value #3: ____________________________
Why? ________________________________







  1. Trade-Offs and Surprises

• Which value did your group most want but fail to win?





• What surprised you about the bidding process?







  1. Real-Life Connections

Describe a real-life decision (e.g., budgeting money, managing time, choosing activities) where you had to prioritize values similarly.









  1. Reflection: Looking Ahead

How will understanding your group’s value priorities and trade-offs influence your future choices?











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Cool Down

Reflection Round

Take a moment to reflect on your experience in today’s Values Auction. Write your responses below.

  1. Which value was most critical to you and why?






  1. How will understanding trade-offs and priorities influence your future decisions?






  1. What is one insight you’ll carry forward from today’s activity?






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