Goal Getters: Your Future Starts Now!

Julie Donovan

Tier 2

Lesson Plan

Goal Getters: Your Future Starts Now!

Students will learn to identify SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) and begin formulating personal goals.

Goal setting empowers students to take ownership of their learning and future, fostering motivation and self-efficacy. It helps students break down big dreams into manageable steps, making success feel achievable.

Audience

6th Grade Students

Time

25 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, guided activity, and a fun game to reinforce goal-setting concepts.

Materials

Smart Goals Slide Deck (#smart-goals-slide-deck), Smart Goals Discussion Guide (#smart-goals-discussion-guide), My SMART Goal Worksheet (#my-smart-goal-worksheet), SMART Goal Challenge! (#goal-setting-game), and Goal Setting Game Cards (#goal-setting-game-cards)

Prep

Review Materials and Prepare Room

10 minutes

Review the Goal Getters: Your Future Starts Now! Lesson Plan, Smart Goals Slide Deck, Smart Goals Discussion Guide, My SMART Goal Worksheet, SMART Goal Challenge!, and Goal Setting Game Cards.
Ensure the projector and computer are ready for the slide deck.
Print copies of the My SMART Goal Worksheet for each student.
Cut out the Goal Setting Game Cards and have them ready for the game portion of the lesson.

Step 1

Warm-up: What's a Goal?

3 minutes

Begin by asking students: "What does it mean to set a goal?" Allow for a few quick responses.
Transition to the Smart Goals Slide Deck to introduce the topic.

Step 2

Introduction to SMART Goals

7 minutes

Present the Smart Goals Slide Deck focusing on each letter of the SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
Use the Smart Goals Discussion Guide to prompt student participation and provide examples for each component.
Encourage students to share their initial thoughts on how these components can help them achieve their goals.

Step 3

Individual Goal Setting Activity

8 minutes

Distribute the My SMART Goal Worksheet.
Guide students through the worksheet, encouraging them to think about a personal goal they want to achieve (academic, personal, or a new skill).
Circulate around the room to offer support and answer questions, ensuring students are applying the SMART criteria.
Have a few students share one component of their goal (e.g., their 'S' or 'M').

Step 4

SMART Goal Challenge Game

5 minutes

Introduce the SMART Goal Challenge! using the Goal Setting Game Cards.
Explain the rules: groups will analyze goal scenarios and determine if they are SMART, explaining why or why not.
Play 2-3 rounds, focusing on quick identification and explanation of SMART criteria.

Step 5

Cool-down: One SMART Word

2 minutes

Ask students: "What is one word that you will remember about setting SMART goals?"
Allow students to share their words aloud or write them on an exit ticket.

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Slide Deck

Goal Getters: Your Future Starts Now!

Ready to unlock your potential?

Welcome students and introduce the exciting topic of goal setting! Explain that today, they'll learn how to make their dreams a reality by setting clear goals.

What's a Goal?

It's something you want to achieve or get better at.

It's like a target you aim for!

Ask students to brainstorm what a goal is. Guide them to think about something they want to achieve or improve.

Why Set Goals?

Helps you know where you're going
Keeps you motivated
Makes your dreams achievable
Builds confidence!

Discuss why setting goals is important. Emphasize how it helps them plan, stay motivated, and achieve success.

Introducing SMART Goals

A super tool to help you set awesome goals!

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound

Introduce the SMART acronym as a tool for effective goal setting. Explain that each letter represents a key characteristic of a good goal.

S is for Specific

What exactly do you want to achieve?

Who is involved?
What do I want to accomplish?
Where will it take place?
When will it happen?
Why is this goal important?

Not Specific: "I want to get better grades."
Specific: "I want to improve my science grade from a C to a B by the end of the semester by studying for 30 minutes each night."

Explain 'Specific' using an example. A specific goal answers the 'who, what, where, when, why' questions. Compare 'I want to be good at math' with 'I want to improve my multiplication facts by practicing 10 minutes every day.'

M is for Measurable

How will you track your progress? How will you know when you've reached it?

How much?
How many?
How will I know when it is accomplished?

Not Measurable: "I want to be a better reader."
Measurable: "I will read 3 chapter books this month and write a short summary for each."

Explain 'Measurable.' How will you know when you've reached your goal? Provide an example like 'I will read 3 books this month' instead of 'I will read more.'

A is for Achievable

Is your goal realistic and possible to achieve?

Is it something you can actually do?
Do you have the skills or can you learn them?
Is it challenging but not impossible?

Not Achievable: "I will learn to speak fluent French in one week."
Achievable: "I will learn 10 new French words each week for the next month."

Explain 'Achievable.' Is the goal realistic given your resources and time? Emphasize that it should be challenging but possible. Compare 'I will fly to the moon' with 'I will build a model rocket.'

R is for Relevant

Is this goal important to you? Does it matter in your life?

Does it align with your interests?
Is it worthwhile?
Does it fit with your other goals?

Not Relevant: "I will learn to juggle chainsaws" (unless you have a very specific career path!)
Relevant: "I will practice my basketball dribbling for 20 minutes daily to improve for the team tryouts."

Explain 'Relevant.' Why is this goal important to you? Does it align with your values or other objectives? 'I want to learn to play the guitar because I love music' vs. 'I want to learn the violin because my friend does.'

T is for Time-bound

When do you want to achieve this goal? Set a deadline!

What is the target date?
When do I want to accomplish this?

Not Time-bound: "I will clean my room."
Time-bound: "I will clean my room by Saturday afternoon so I can play video games."

Explain 'Time-bound.' Every goal needs a deadline. This creates urgency and helps with planning. Compare 'I want to finish my project' with 'I want to finish my project by Friday.'

You're a SMART Goal Setter!

Remember to make your goals:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound

Now, let's set some goals!

Summarize SMART goals and transition to the activity.

Discussion

Smart Goals Discussion Guide

Warm-up Question (Before introducing SMART)

What does it mean to set a goal? Why do people set goals?

Discussion Prompts for Each SMART Component (During Slide Deck)

Specific

When we say a goal is "specific," what does that mean? Can someone give an example of a goal that is not specific, and then make it specific?

Measurable

How do you know if you're making progress toward a goal? What does it mean for a goal to be "measurable"? How can we add a way to measure success to a goal?

Achievable

Why is it important that a goal is "achievable" or realistic? What might happen if a goal is too difficult or impossible?

Relevant

Why should a goal be "relevant" to you? What happens if you set a goal that isn't important to you?

Time-bound

Why is having a deadline, or making a goal "time-bound," helpful? What's the difference between saying "I'll finish my project" and "I'll finish my project by Friday"?

Wrap-up Questions (After discussing all SMART components)

Can you think of a goal you have, and how you could make it SMART?
What's the hardest part about setting a goal?

Worksheet

My SMART Goal Worksheet

Name: ____________________________ Date: _________________

Think about a goal you want to achieve. It could be about school, a hobby, a personal skill, or anything important to you! Write it down here:

Now, let's make it a SMART goal!

S - Specific

What exactly do you want to achieve? Describe it in detail. (Who, what, where, when, why?)

M - Measurable

How will you know when you have reached your goal? How will you track your progress? (How much? How many?)

A - Achievable

Is this goal realistic and possible for you to achieve? Do you have the resources or skills, or can you get them?

R - Relevant

Why is this goal important to you? Does it align with your interests or what you want to do?

T - Time-bound

When do you want to achieve this goal? Set a clear deadline.

My Complete SMART Goal: (Write your goal again, but this time using all the SMART details you just planned!)

Game

SMART Goal Challenge!

Instructions:

Divide the class into small groups (2-3 students).
Provide each group with a set of Goal Setting Game Cards (or read them aloud).
For each card, students will discuss and decide if the goal is SMART or not.
If it's NOT SMART, they must identify which SMART component(s) (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) are missing or unclear and suggest how to make it SMART.
If it IS SMART, they should briefly explain why it meets all the criteria.
The first group to correctly identify and explain the SMARTness (or lack thereof) of the goal earns a point.

Game Play:

The teacher will present one goal scenario at a time.
Groups will have 30-60 seconds to discuss.
Teacher calls on a group to share their answer. If correct, they get a point.
Continue with the next card.
The group with the most points at the end wins!

Activity

Goal Setting Game Cards

Cut out these cards and use them for the SMART Goal Challenge! activity.