Cooperation - Young Adults - Values Education for Children and Young Adults

Cooperation - Living Values Activities for Young Adults

Excerpts from LVE's Living Values Activities for Young Adults

Young adults can think about the following or do these activities alone or in cooperation with their friends or parents.

Core Activity: A Skit

Discuss the concept of true cooperation ? cooperation given with affection, a sincere attitude and good wishes. Make up your own rule of true cooperation. Consider the Reflection Point: Where there is love, there is cooperation. Discuss how you can tell if there is insincere cooperation. Ask groups of students to develop a skit about insincere cooperation versus true cooperation. It can be a humorous play.

Core Activity: An Imaginary Venture

Plan a cooperative venue. Pretend that you are all ten years older and part of the same community. Some of you have children, some are employed and some are full-time homemakers. Each young adult can choose what role she or he wishes to play. Each is to write down six things with which they would like cooperation. For example, they may want help in caring for a parent, help with child-care, advice for a business venture, learning a craft or someone to walk with everyday. Then each person is to write down six things that he or she thinks is needed by the community in which they all live. Each person or small group is to look at the personal and community needs/desires/concerns and form a plan. Can some of the individual needs/desires be met through a cooperative community plan? Each individual within the group is to decide what he or she can do to contribute cooperatively to this imaginary venture.

Core Activity: Cooperation At Home

Ask students to think about how they can lend more cooperation at home. To sisters or brothers? Parents or caregivers? Grandparents? Discuss different kinds of cooperation such as through silent good wishes; words; physical help; small, kind deeds; or patience.

Ask the students to write down their responses to the following questions:

Which values are most important in cooperating with yourself?
How do you give cooperation to yourself?
Which values are most important in cooperating with your family?
How do you cooperate with your family now?
Is there any other way you would like to cooperate with your family?

Writing Activity: Write a short essay or poem on the cooperation you receive and give at home. If you have had a negative experience, write an essay about the cooperation you think should be in every home or the cooperation you will give to their children.

Core Activity: Boundaries

Reflect on the following Reflection Points.

By staying aware of my values, I can give cooperation.
Courage, consideration, caring and sharing provide a foundation for cooperation.

Introductory Comment: ?Sometimes as individuals we may choose not to cooperate with someone.?

Ask:

When would it be unethical or immoral to cooperate with someone?

Ask the group to begin to observe what makes cooperation easy and what lessens the feeling of cooperation.

Is there any other reason you might not want to give cooperation?
What about personal boundaries? What if you are ill and cannot do it or really must do something else right then?
What criteria can you use to determine if you are willing to cooperate?

Say: ?Several possible criteria are:

What is the purpose of the task?
Does that fit my values?
Can I make the time?

Excerpts from Living Values Activities for Children and
Cooperation Ideas at Home for Parents of

Focusing on the Value of Cooperation