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lenny

Goals with Gravity

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jtoomey

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Purposeful Path Guide

Students will draft a SMART career goal aligned with their personal values, map key milestones, and connect their goals to community impact.

Developing clear, values-driven goals empowers students to navigate post-secondary choices, fosters accountability, and cultivates purposeful, community-focused career planning.

Audience

12th Grade

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Guided brainstorm, SMART framework mini-lesson, template work, and peer review.

Materials

Purposeful Path Guide, Gravity Goal Graphics, Dream Dump Brainstorm, Milestone Mapping Gallery Walk, and SMART Goal Template

Prep

Prepare Materials and Classroom

10 minutes

  • Print one SMART Goal Template per student.
  • Load the Gravity Goal Graphics slide deck.
  • Place sticky notes and markers at each desk or station.
  • Arrange tables/walls for the Milestone Mapping Gallery Walk.
  • Review the Purposeful Path Guide to refresh the lesson flow.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Dream Dump

5 minutes

  • Introduce the rapid brainstorm using the Dream Dump Brainstorm.
  • Ask students to write down at least three dream careers and the impact they’d like to have on sticky notes.
  • Students place notes on the front board or wall under “Dream Jobs” and “Impact Tags.”

Step 2

Teach SMART Framework

10 minutes

  • Present the SMART criteria using the Gravity Goal Graphics.
  • Define each element (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) with examples.
  • Highlight how values and community impact tie into relevance and specificity.
  • Field quick questions to ensure understanding.

Step 3

Individual Drafting

12 minutes

  • Distribute the SMART Goal Template.
  • Students draft one career goal that meets SMART criteria and note 3–5 milestones.
  • Encourage linking each milestone to personal values and community impact ideas from the warm-up.
  • Teacher circulates, offering targeted feedback and clarification.

Step 4

Gallery Walk Feedback

8 minutes

  • Have students post their completed templates around the room.
  • In groups, students rotate to each station, using sticky notes to leave feedback on clarity, relevance, and milestone feasibility.
  • Refer to the Milestone Mapping Gallery Walk guidelines.
  • Encourage constructive comments: what’s strong? What could be more specific?

Step 5

Revise & Commit

10 minutes

  • Students return to their seats and review peer feedback.
  • Revise their SMART goal and milestone plan accordingly.
  • Write the final version on the template and sign it as a commitment.
  • Optionally, invite volunteers to share their finalized goal with the class for accountability.
lenny

Slide Deck

Goals with Gravity: Planning a Purposeful Path

SMART Career Goals & Milestones
Grade 12 • 45 minutes • Connect values to impact

Welcome everyone! Today we’re launching into ‘Goals with Gravity,’ where you’ll craft a SMART career goal and map milestones that connect your personal values to community impact. Use this slide deck to guide your journey.

Warm-Up: Dream Dump

• Grab sticky notes & a marker
• Write 3 dream careers
• Note the impact you want to have
• Post under “Dream Jobs” & “Impact Tags”

Resource: Dream Dump Brainstorm

Introduce the rapid-brainstorm warm-up. Distribute sticky notes and markers. Give students 5 minutes to jot down:

– Three dream careers
– The kind of impact they hope to make

Then have them post under “Dream Jobs” and “Impact Tags.”

The SMART Framework

S – Specific: What exactly?
M – Measurable: How will you know?
A – Achievable: Is it realistic?
R – Relevant: Does it align with your values & impact?
T – Time-bound: What’s the deadline?

Visuals: Icons or simple graphics for each element.

Define each SMART element with real-world examples. Emphasize how ‘Relevant’ ties back to values and community impact. Invite quick clarifying questions.

Example SMART Goal

“By June 2025, I will complete a certified environmental science course with a 90% average, then lead a monthly community clean-up to reduce local river pollution by 20%.”

• Specific: Environmental science course + community clean-ups
• Measurable: 90% average + 20% pollution reduction
• Achievable & Time-bound: Target date set
• Relevant: Aligns with passion for the environment & community

Walk through this sample SMART goal. Highlight the measurable metrics and link back to values/impact.

Mapping Your Milestones

  1. Research & enroll in course by Sept ‘24
  2. Complete weekly readings & assignments
  3. Schedule volunteer site visits with local groups
  4. Organize first clean-up event by Feb ‘25
  5. Track pollution levels monthly

Use SMART Goal Template to record.

Explain how to break the goal into 3–5 milestones. Encourage students to reference their dream dump notes for values/impact inspiration.

Gallery Walk Feedback

• Post your completed templates around the room
• In small groups, rotate every 2 minutes
• Leave sticky-note feedback on:
– Clarity of goal
– Alignment to values & impact
– Milestone feasibility

Refer to Milestone Mapping Gallery Walk for guidelines.

Describe the gallery-walk process and set expectations for constructive feedback. Remind students to focus on clarity, relevance, and feasibility.

Revise & Commit

• Return to your seat & review peer notes
• Revise your SMART goal & milestone plan
• Write final version on template & sign
• (Optional) Share your goal with the class

Finish strong—your future awaits!

Guide students to review feedback, make final revisions, then commit by signing. Optionally, invite volunteers to share aloud for accountability.

lenny

Warm Up

Warm-Up: Dream Dump Brainstorm

Time: 5 minutes

Materials: Sticky notes, markers

Description:
A rapid-fire brainstorm where students capture three dream careers and the community impacts they wish to make. This fuels personal relevance and sets the stage for creating SMART goals.

Instructions:

  1. Distribute sticky notes and markers to each student.
  2. Ask students to write down three dream careers—one per sticky note.
  3. On separate sticky notes, write the type of impact they hope to make through those careers (e.g., “reduce waste,” “educate youth,” “innovate healthcare”).
  4. Post all “Dream Jobs” notes on one section of the board/wall and “Impact Tags” on another.
  5. Take 1–2 minutes to scan the wall as a class, noting common themes and surprising ideas.

Use this brainstorm to inspire the relevance and values discussion in the SMART framework mini‐lesson.

lenny
lenny

Activity

Milestone Mapping Gallery Walk

Time: 8 minutes

Materials: Completed SMART Goal Template postings, sticky notes, markers

Description:
Students will circulate around the room to review peers’ SMART goals and milestone plans, providing targeted feedback on clarity, alignment, and feasibility. This peer‐review process reinforces goal criteria and inspires improvement.

Instructions:

  1. Station Setup:
    • Have each student post their filled-in template on a desk or wall space, numbering or labeling each station.
    • Provide sticky notes and markers at each station.
  2. Form Feedback Groups:
    • Split students into groups of 3–4.
    • Assign each group a starting station number.
  3. Rotation Process:
    • Set a timer for 2 minutes per station.
    • At each station, group members silently read the posted goal and milestones, then write feedback on sticky notes according to the criteria below.
    • When the timer rings, groups rotate clockwise to the next station until all stations have been visited.
  4. Feedback Criteria:
    • Clarity: Is the goal specific, measurable, and easy to understand?
    • Alignment: Do the milestones clearly tie back to the student’s personal values and desired community impact?
    • Feasibility: Are the milestones realistic, logically sequenced, and time-bound?
  5. Debrief & Reflection:
    • Students return to their original station, collect all sticky notes, and briefly scan comments.
    • In 1–2 minutes, invite volunteers to share one strength and one area for refinement they discovered.

Use this feedback to inform the “Revise & Commit” phase, ensuring each goal is purposeful and grounded in personal values.

lenny
lenny

Worksheet

SMART Goal Template

Use this template to craft a SMART career goal and outline milestones that connect to your personal values and community impact.

1. Career Goal Statement
Write your goal clearly and concisely:




2. SMART Criteria

Specific: What exactly do you want to accomplish?




Measurable: How will you know when you’ve succeeded?




Achievable: What steps or resources will help you reach this goal?




Relevant: How does this goal reflect your personal values and desired community impact?




Time-bound: What is your deadline?


3. Milestone Mapping
Identify 3–5 key milestones with deadlines and explain how each links to your values/impact.

Milestone 1: ___________________________ Deadline: ____________
Values & Impact Connection:


Milestone 2: ___________________________ Deadline: ____________
Values & Impact Connection:


Milestone 3: ___________________________ Deadline: ____________
Values & Impact Connection:


Milestone 4: ___________________________ Deadline: ____________
Values & Impact Connection:


Milestone 5: ___________________________ Deadline: ____________
Values & Impact Connection:


4. Commitment
By signing below, I commit to pursuing this SMART goal and completing its milestones to create meaningful impact in my community.

Signature: ____________________________ Date: ____________


lenny
lenny