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Mission Possible

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Maura Macbride

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Crafting Your Life Mission

Students will be able to define what a mission statement is and its importance, identify their core values and interests, and craft a personal mission statement that reflects their aspirations and how they want to contribute to the world.

Understanding personal mission and values helps students develop a strong sense of self, make intentional choices, and set meaningful goals. This lesson empowers them to articulate their individual vision, fostering a sense of direction and purpose at a young age.

Audience

4th Grade Students

Time

50 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, guided brainstorming, and creative writing.

Materials

Smartboard or projector, My Personal Mission Statement Slide Deck, Whiteboard or chart paper, Markers, Mission Statement Mad Libs Activity, My Mission Draft Builder Worksheet, and Pencils/pens

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

  • Review the Crafting Your Life Mission Lesson Plan and all supporting materials, especially the My Personal Mission Statement Slide Deck, Mission Statement Mad Libs Activity, and My Mission Draft Builder Worksheet.
    - Ensure projector/smartboard is set up.
    - Gather markers and chart paper.
    - Print enough copies of the Mission Statement Mad Libs Activity and My Mission Draft Builder Worksheet for all students.

Step 1

Introduction: What's Your Mission?

10 minutes

  • Begin by displaying the title slide of the My Personal Mission Statement Slide Deck.
  • Ask students: "What do you think of when you hear the word 'mission'?" (e.g., secret mission, space mission). Allow a few students to share.
  • Explain that people and even companies have missions. Show examples from the slide deck.
  • Introduce the idea of a 'personal mission' – a statement about what you want to do and why it matters. Use My Personal Mission Statement Slide Deck slides 1-3.

Step 2

Values and Interests Brainstorm

15 minutes

  • Lead a discussion using My Personal Mission Statement Slide Deck slides 4-6 on what's important to us (our values) and what we love to do (our interests).
  • Write student ideas on chart paper under headings like "Things I Care About" and "Things I Love to Do."
  • Guide students to think about: "What makes you, YOU? What are you good at? What makes you happy? How do you like to help others?"

Step 3

Mission Statement Mad Libs Activity

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Mission Statement Mad Libs Activity.
  • Explain that this activity will help them start thinking about the different parts of a mission statement in a fun way.
  • Have students complete the Mad Libs individually or in small pairs. Circulate to assist and encourage creative thinking.

Step 4

Drafting Your Mission Statement

10 minutes

  • Introduce the My Mission Draft Builder Worksheet.
  • Explain that this worksheet will help them organize their ideas from the brainstorming and Mad Libs into a first draft of their personal mission statement.
  • Guide them through each section of the worksheet, emphasizing that it's okay if their first draft isn't perfect.
  • Encourage them to think about: "What do I want to achieve? Who do I want to help? How will I make a difference?"
  • Provide an example on the board (e.g., "My mission is to be a kind friend, learn new things every day, and help protect animals.")

Step 5

Share & Reflect (Optional)

5 minutes

  • If time permits, invite students to share a part of their mission statement draft or a value they identified.
  • Conclude by reiterating that their mission statement is a guide for their actions and dreams, and it can evolve as they grow. Use My Personal Mission Statement Slide Deck slide 7 for conclusion.
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Slide Deck

Mission Possible: What's Your Mission?

What do you think of when you hear the word 'mission'?

Think: secret mission, space mission, an important job to do...

Today, we're going on a mission to discover something amazing about YOU!

Greet students and introduce the concept of a 'mission' by asking them to think about what the word means to them. Use their initial ideas to bridge to the idea of a personal mission. This slide sets the stage and gets them thinking.

Missions All Around Us!

Companies have missions! Like:

  • NASA: To explore space and discover.
  • Disney: To entertain and inspire.
  • Your School: To help you learn and grow!

These missions guide what they do every day.

Explain that not just people, but also companies and organizations have missions. Give simple, age-appropriate examples to illustrate this. This helps them see the concept in a broader context.

Your Personal Mission

A personal mission statement is like a compass for your life.

It tells you:

  • What you want to do.
  • Who you want to be.
  • How you want to help the world.

It's about your special purpose!

Introduce the core idea of a 'personal mission statement.' Emphasize that it's about their unique purpose and how they want to make a difference. Keep the language simple and encouraging.

What's Important to YOU?

To build your mission, let's think about what matters most.

Values are things you believe are important.

  • Are you kind? Brave? Creative? Honest?
  • Do you care about helping others? Being a good friend? Learning new things?

What words describe the best YOU?

Facilitate a discussion about values. Ask questions like: "What things are really important to you?" or "What kind of person do you want to be?" Write their ideas on a chart or board. This slide encourages self-reflection on core beliefs.

What Do You Love to Do?

Now, let's think about what makes you happy and what you're good at!

Interests are things you enjoy doing.
Strengths are things you do well.

  • Do you love drawing? Playing sports? Reading? Telling jokes? Building things?
  • Are you good at listening? Solving problems? Making people laugh?

How can your unique talents help you make a difference?

Shift the focus to interests and strengths. Ask: "What do you love to do? What are you really good at?" Connect these to how they might contribute to their mission. This helps them see their unique talents as part of their purpose.

Putting It Together!

A personal mission statement often includes:

  • Who you are (your values/strengths)
  • What you want to do
  • Why it matters (how you'll help)

Think about these sentence starters:

  • "My mission is to be a ______ person, who ______ and helps ______."
  • "I want to use my talent for ______ to ______ and make ______ a better place."

Provide simple sentence starters to help students begin thinking about how they can combine their values and interests into a mission. Reassure them that it's a draft and doesn't have to be perfect.

Your Mission Continues!

Your personal mission statement is a powerful guide for your life!

  • It helps you make choices.
  • It reminds you of what's important.
  • It can change and grow with you!

What's one thing you want to remember about your mission?

Conclude the lesson by reinforcing the idea that their mission statement is a living guide. Encourage them to keep thinking about it and to review it as they grow. Emphasize that it's a powerful tool for their future.

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Activity

Mission Statement Mad Libs

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the type of word requested. Don't peek ahead! After you've filled in all the blanks, read your hilarious (and maybe inspiring!) mission statement.

My Awesome Mission Statement

My mission is to be a(n) (Adjective)


person, always ready to (Verb)


new ideas.

I want to use my special talent for (Noun - a skill or hobby)


to (Verb)


and make the world a more (Adjective)


place for (Plural Noun - a group of people or things)


.

I will always try to be (Adjective)


and (Adjective)


, so I can (Verb)


(Adverb)


and help everyone (Verb)


with a (Adjective)


heart.

Let's read your mission statement!

(Share with a friend or the class if you'd like!)

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Worksheet

My Mission Draft Builder

Instructions: Use your ideas from our discussion and the Mad Libs to start building your own personal mission statement. It's okay if it's not perfect – this is just a first draft!

Part 1: What makes YOU, YOU?

Think about your values (what's important to you) and your strengths (what you're good at).

  1. Three words that describe the kind of person I want to be:










  2. Things I love to do and am good at (my talents/hobbies):










Part 2: How do you want to help?

Think about who you want to help and how you want to make a difference in the world.

  1. Who do I want to help or make happy? (e.g., my family, my friends, animals, people who need kindness, my community)






  2. How do I want to help them or make a difference? (e.g., by being kind, by sharing my knowledge, by being brave, by creating art)






Part 3: Putting it all together!

Now, use your answers from Part 1 and Part 2 to write your first personal mission statement. Remember, it's like a special sentence that guides your life!

My Personal Mission Statement Draft:

(Try to combine your ideas into one or two sentences. For example: "My mission is to be a kind and creative friend who uses art to make others smile.")

















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