Brainstorming Activities: What are your most important values and where do they come from?

Values Brainstorm Worksheet

Look at the List of Values. From these, circle just five (5) which you think are the most important to you. Now put them in the order of importance, number 1 being the most important to you.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Think about the sources of these values. From where/whom did you learn these values? You can write each value in more than one box.

Values	Sources
	parents/family members
	teachers
	media
	religion:
	Other:
	Other:

Sometimes our values come from our cultures. How can these values be seen in your culture? Give specific examples.(e.g. gregariousness- people like to be together even with people they don’t know)

1.    2.    3.    4.

 

 In the box below, select one source and one value and explain the connection between them.

Value:                                                 Source:

 

MODEL Values Brainstorm Worksheet          Name:  Carrie Simpson 

Look at the List of Values. From these, circle just five (5) which you think are the most important to you. Now put them in the order of importance, number 1 being the most important to you.

1. adventure

2. creativity

3. mindfulness

4. authenticity

5. relationships

Think about the sources of these values. From where/whom did you learn these values? You can write each value in more than one box.

Values	Sources
creativity, authenticity, relationships	parents/family members
Creativity	Teachers
authenticity, relationships	Media
mindfulness, relationships	Religion: Christianity
Adventure	Other: my own experiences
	Other:

Sometimes our values come from our cultures. How can these values be seen in your culture? Give specific examples (e.g. gregariousness- people like to be together even with people they don’t know).

Adventure – Many people in the U.S. go hiking, biking, sailing. There are many stores in Seattle that sell outdoor gear. Creativity – In elementary school, American children take music, art, dance classes. There are many theatres and art galleries in Seattle. Mindfulness- I’m not sure?? Authenticity – America is an individualistic society. We are taught to be unique and to be ourselves. Relationships – We have some holidays that celebrate relationships: Thanksgiving, Valentines’ Day.

 

In the box below select one source and one value and explain the connection between the two.

	Value:             creativity                                 Source:         parents My dad was a watercolor painter, and so is my mom. When I was little, my dad took me to his painting classes, and my mom did a lot of crafts with me. As a family, we also went to many theatre shows and classical music concerts.

 

Further Exploration: Family/Culture as a Source of Values

Now that you have examined your own values, you are going to survey members of your family to learn which five values are most important to them. Try to interview them separately so they are not influenced in their choices. Ask them to rank their choices.

1 generation above you                                     2 generations above you

Mother/aunt	Father/uncle	Grandfather/ grand uncle	Grandmother/ grand aunt
1.	1.	1.	1.
2.	2.	2.	2.
3.	3.	3.	3.
4.	4.	4.	4.
5.	5.	5.	5.

v Go back and look at the values you selected, then at those your parents’ generation selected and finally those selected by your grandparents’ generation. Create a chart/diagram/map about the similarities and differences. Try to infer some conclusions based on age and gender, too!