SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

1. Activity title: Golden Gate

2. Target group

• Pupils in years 1-5 of primary school (adaptable for pre-school).
• Estimated duration: 1 to 2 school hours

3. Form of work

Classroom work, individual work, group activity, discussion

4. Didactic starting points

The activity is based on the understanding that the values we nurture within ourselves open the “door” to good relationships, success, and inner contentment. The emphasis is on connecting past experiences and discovered values, and on their practical application in everyday life.

5. Learning objectives

• to understand that values shape our relationships and community
• Recognise and name the values that the pupils learned through the story
• develop the ability to reflect and connect internal feelings with actions
• to strengthen the sense of responsibility for one's own actions and for the group
• To promote cooperation and support among students

6. Accessories

• tough paper
• flomaster
• Poster/lanyard

7. Course of Activities

The teacher reads the eleventh page and leads a discussion about what was read. 

Interview questions

• What do the Golden Gates represent?
• What values opened the doors?
• How can you also “open the door” in your classroom or life?

8. Art Activity: The Key to Values

Objective Visually express which values students value and wish to foster.

Flow:

• Each pupil draws a large key on firmer paper that opens a golden door (the teacher can prepare the outlines in advance).
• The pupils decorate their keys.
• What they write and/or draw, which value/which values are most important to them and open the golden door.
• The keys can be stuck to a poster on which you've drawn a golden door, or they can be hung on a string and hung/stuck above a door, for example.

9. Physical activity: Values relay race

Objective To envision that the collective implementation of values opens doors.

Flow:

• The teacher prepares five stations, each station representing one of the values.
• Pupils move in groups from station to station, completing tasks related to a given value (e.g. showing mutual support and cooperation to solve a task/overcome a challenge).
• When all groups have completed all tasks, they symbolically cross the “golden gate” together (e.g. through a hoop held by the teacher).
• Option: the activity represents an opportunity for interdisciplinary connection (the stations include tasks related to different subjects and refer to values).

10. Conclusion and reflection

Final thought: »With values at our heart, we shine, grow, and change the world for the better, together.«

Let's talk about what it means to carry values in our hearts and for them to accompany us wherever we go. We'll discuss how our values help us make better decisions, guide us onto the right path, and help us grow from good children into good adults.

Primary School Piran