Appropriate age group(s):
middle school and high school

Description of technique for teaching kids values:
Kids can play this game with you or with their peers. Print out, cut, and stack these playing cards:

Playing Cards

Shuffle the deck of cards and ask each family member to take a turn choosing a card, then respond to the described situation, and give their reason for responding the way they would. Each family member takes a turn with her or his own response to that card before the next family member chooses the next card. Some questions are about teen-related situations, and others ask teens to put themselves in an adult's shoes. All of the situations inspire interesting family conversation regarding situations where one must make moral or ethical judgments when responding to a typical life situation.

Other comments or suggestions:
My teenagers (boy, 15 and girl, 16) were skeptical when I came home with these cards and said I had a game I wanted to play at dinner. But they were curious and could barely keep themselves from looking at the cards before the game began! Both of them were really eager to give their response to the question at hand, and we all had trouble keeping ourselves from chiming in during one persons response. We really had fun, and I learned a lot about where my kids are with regard to personal ethics!