Values, beliefs, and attitudes are modeled every minute and second of the day. Teaching is continuous and therefore all methods of instruction are value laden.

Wisdom of experience is passed on from generation to generation. Each culture develops sayings which help people remember positive ways of living. Values are learned through folk sayings. What helpful folk sayings have you learned?

Fables with an important message spelled out at the end of the story were and still are shared with young people. In the social studies the teacher and class can search for fables in which this means of sharing wisdom was or is used. List some of these fables here.

Children's literature contains many examples of positive actions and experiences. Stories are remembered as students listen, reread, remember, and retell. List favorite children's stories which have influenced your actions. Find literature with positive values which matches units which will be taught.

Heroes and role models affect actions. Pictures and stories can be collected about such people. Learners can share what characteristics make these people worthy of admiration.

List one of your own heroes or role models. What positive characteristics does the individual have?

Rules, guidelines, and rubrics direct learners in determining what constitutes quality work. Children who see the need for rules and guidelines and help design them are more apt to want to live accordingly. List types of guidelines you may want to help your students design.

Classroom meetings which are started in the late primary and continued in the intermediate grades allow students to learn democratic processes. Elections, committee work, and group decision making help students clarify situations and select appropriate actions. Class projects, changes in the environment, and suggestions for wise choices and living can be discussed. List things you remember discussing in class meetings or items you believe could be shared in such settings.

Cooperative learning experiences permeate unit studies. While asking and organizing questions, doing research, summarizing and sharing, and evaluating work there will be many opportunities for cooperative group work. Think of a unit topic and possible group tasks related to it.

Taking responsibility for watering plants, caring for pets, cleaning the environment, leading and sharing develop attitudes which will create helpful citizens. Think of a classroom in which you had responsibility for a task or classrooms where you will teach. List the kinds of responsibilities you believe students need to learn to take.

The religious faith or philosophical outlook on life guides people. What principles guide your life? What might children in a class list?

Mature adults tell young people what experience has taught them. Direct statements and suggestions are made by people who care. What valuable guiding principles were given to you as you matured? What principles would you like to pass on to others?

Natural experiences and consequences the learners have will provide the background for stories and advice they will share with others. Situations naturally occur each day; other learning situations can be structured so that children will learn from consequences. (Example: allow children to leave a mess in a work area. Give directions which will require learners to find and use items in the messy area. Let students tell what they have learned through the natural consequences of not cleaning up the mess.) Think of other situations in which children learn through normal experiences.

People in real life often discuss important decisions they must make. Learning how to think through hard future decisions is an important skill. What life experiences have you pondered at length before making an important decision?

Brief episodes which present such situations are sometimes provided in lessons. Teachers and students discuss "best" choices. Sometimes hypothetical questions are drawn at random. At other times learners may define settings and problems they would like to discuss.