Lesson Plan
Value Quest Framework
Students will identify and articulate their top personal values through interactive storytelling, reflection, and journaling to build self-awareness and empathy.
Recognizing personal values helps students make aligned decisions, boosts self-awareness, and fosters empathy by appreciating their own and others’ guiding principles.
Audience
5th Grade Students
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive storytelling, discussion, and reflective journaling.
Materials
- Journey to Your Core Values Slide Deck, - Value Word Cloud Warm-Up Sheet, - Personal Values Story Circles Cards, - Reflect & Rank Journal Pages, - Chart Paper, - Markers, and - Sticky Notes
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Value Quest Framework overview
- Load up the Journey to Your Core Values Slide Deck
- Print and cut the Value Word Cloud Warm-Up Sheet
- Create and sort the Personal Values Story Circles Cards
- Print enough Reflect & Rank Journal Pages for each student
- Arrange chart paper, markers, and sticky notes around the room
Step 1
Warm-Up: Value Word Cloud
5 minutes
- Distribute the Value Word Cloud Warm-Up Sheet
- Students circle words that resonate as potential personal values
- Invite a few volunteers to share one word they chose and why
Step 2
Introduce the Framework
5 minutes
- Present the Journey to Your Core Values Slide Deck
- Explain each step: explore values, share stories, reflect individually, and rank priorities
- Connect the framework back to everyday choices and relationships
Step 3
Main Activity: Story Circles
15 minutes
- Form groups of 4–5 and give each group a set of Personal Values Story Circles Cards
- Each card has a real-life scenario; students pick one and share a brief story about a value that guided their choice
- Group members listen and identify which value is highlighted, recording it on sticky notes
Step 4
Reflect & Rank Journaling
10 minutes
- Hand out Reflect & Rank Journal Pages
- Students review the values gathered and rank their top five, writing a sentence for each about why it matters to them
- Encourage honest reflection and personal examples
Step 5
Closure: Share & Commitment
10 minutes
- Invite volunteers to share one top-ranked value and its importance
- On chart paper, create a class values gallery with top values and student commitments
- Encourage students to refer back to these values when making decisions throughout the year
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Journey to Your Core Values
Welcome the class and introduce the lesson. Say: “Today we’re going on a journey to discover our core values—what makes each of us tick!”
Today’s Agenda
• Warm-Up: Value Word Cloud
• Explore Values
• Story Circles
• Reflect & Rank
• Share & Commit
Briefly walk through what you’ll do today. Say: “Here’s our roadmap—five fun stops on the way to understanding our values!”
What Are Values?
Values are the beliefs and ideas that guide our choices.
Examples: honesty, kindness, courage, fairness
Define “values” in kid-friendly terms. Say: “Values are the beliefs and ideas that guide our choices every day.”
Why Values Matter
• Help us make good decisions
• Show us who we are inside
• Help us understand and respect others
Explain why values matter. Say: “Values help us decide what’s right, show others who we are, and help us understand friends’ choices.”
Value Quest Framework
- Explore Values
- Story Circles
- Reflect & Rank
- Share & Commit
Introduce the four-step framework. Say: “We’ll follow these four steps to find and live our values!”
Step 1: Explore Values
• Use your Value Word Cloud sheet
• Circle words that resonate with you
• Be ready to share why you chose one word
Describe the warm-up. Say: “Find words in your sheet that feel important. Circle those words—those might be your values!”
Step 2: Story Circles
• In groups of 4–5, pick a scenario card
• Tell a short story about a value guiding your choice
• Peers identify and record the value on sticky notes
Explain group activity. Say: “In your story circles, pick a scenario card, share a story, and spot the value in others’ stories.”
Step 3: Reflect & Rank
• Review values collected from stories
• Rank your top five values
• Write one sentence for each: Why does it matter?
Guide journaling. Say: “Look at all the values on sticky notes. Choose your top five and write why each matters to you.”
Step 4: Share & Commit
• Share one top-ranked value with the class
• Create a class values gallery on chart paper
• Make a personal promise to live by your values
Describe closure. Say: “Volunteers share a top value. We’ll build a class gallery and make a promise to use our values!”
Keep Your Values Alive
• Visit our values gallery often
• Use your values when making decisions
• Encourage friends to follow their values
Encourage ongoing reflection. Say: “Keep looking at our gallery, think of your values when you make choices, and be a values champion!”
Warm Up
Value Word Cloud
Circle the words that feel important to you—those could be your personal values!
HONESTY kindness COURAGE
respect FRIENDSHIP gratitude
FAIRNESS compassion accountability
creativity PERSEVERANCE integrity
empathy TEAMWORK BRAVERY
patience adventure trust
POSITIVITY generosity CONFIDENCE
humility resilience determination
optimism curiosity responsibility
Reflection:
Choose one word you circled and write why it resonates with you:
Activity
Personal Values Story Circles Cards
Use these scenario cards in your Story Circles activity. Each student picks one card, shares a brief real-life story related to the scenario, and names the value that guided their choice. Peers listen and record the identified value on sticky notes.
Cards:
- Scenario: You find a classmate sitting alone at lunch looking upset. What do you do, and which value guides your actions?
- Scenario: On the way to school, you see someone drop their lunch money. How do you respond? Which value is at work?
- Scenario: During a group art project, one teammate isn’t sharing supplies. How do you handle it? What value are you showing?
- Scenario: You accidentally break your friend’s pencil. What do you say or do, and which value matters most here?
- Scenario: You struggled with last night’s homework but resisted copying from a friend. Which value helped you make that choice?
- Scenario: You see someone cheating on a class quiz. What do you do, and which value guides you?
- Scenario: A new student joins your class and seems shy. How do you welcome them, and which value leads your behavior?
- Scenario: Your teacher asks for volunteers to help clean up the classroom. You’re tired but decide to help. Which value are you demonstrating?
- Scenario: You’re playing a game at recess and notice an unfair rule. How do you address it, and what value drives you?
- Scenario: You promised to bring supplies for a school project but forgot. How do you make it right, and which value is important here?
Use these cards to spark authentic sharing, help students name their guiding values, and collect those values on sticky notes for the Reflect & Rank stage.
Journal
Reflect & Rank Journal Pages
In this journal, you’ll choose your top five values from the ones we collected in our Story Circles. For each value, write it on the line, then explain in a sentence why it matters to you.
- Value #1: _______________________________
Why this matters to me: - Value #2: _______________________________
Why this matters to me: - Value #3: _______________________________
Why this matters to me: - Value #4: _______________________________
Why this matters to me: - Value #5: _______________________________
Why this matters to me:
Reflecting on Your Top Values
After ranking your values, think about how these guide your choices every day. Write a few sentences describing any patterns you notice and how you might use these values in the future: