lenny

New Year, New Me: Growing Our Goals

user image

Lesson Plan

New Year, New Me: Growing Our Goals

Students will reflect on past experiences, set achievable new year goals, and identify actionable steps to foster a growth mindset and build self-efficacy.

Setting goals helps students understand the power of planning and perseverance. This lesson teaches them practical strategies for achieving their aspirations, fostering a positive outlook and a belief in their own capabilities.

Audience

3rd Grade Students

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussions, creative planning, and self-reflection activities.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Markers or pens, Growing Our Goals Slide Deck, My Goal Garden Worksheet, Steps to Success Activity Cards, My Year Ahead Project Guide, Art supplies (crayons, colored pencils, safety scissors, glue sticks), and Construction paper

Prep

Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Looking Back, Looking Forward (10 minutes)

10 minutes

  • Begin with a quick class discussion. Ask students: "What was one fun thing you did last year?" and "What's something new you'd like to try this year?"
  • Introduce the concept of setting goals for the new year using the Growing Our Goals Slide Deck (Slide 1-2).

Step 2

What is a Goal? (10 minutes)

10 minutes

  • Use the Growing Our Goals Slide Deck (Slides 3-5) to explain what a goal is and why it's helpful to set them.
  • Discuss the difference between big dreams and achievable goals. Provide simple examples relevant to 3rd graders (e.g.,

Step 3

My Goal Garden Worksheet (15 minutes)

15 minutes

  • Distribute the My Goal Garden Worksheet.
  • Guide students through the worksheet, helping them brainstorm one or two personal goals for the new year. Encourage them to think about different areas like learning, friendship, or personal growth.
  • Emphasize making goals

Step 4

Steps to Success Activity (15 minutes)

15 minutes

  • Divide students into small groups.
  • Provide each group with a set of Steps to Success Activity Cards.
  • Instruct groups to discuss their individual goals (or a shared classroom goal) and arrange the cards to show the small steps needed to achieve it.
  • Facilitate discussions, prompting groups to think about potential obstacles and how they might overcome them. Circulate and provide support as needed.

Step 5

Project Introduction: My Year Ahead (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Introduce the My Year Ahead Project Guide.
  • Explain that over the next few days, they will be creating a visual representation of their goal and the steps to achieve it.
  • Briefly go over the expectations and rubrics (if applicable).

Step 6

Cool Down: One Small Step (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Ask each student to share one small step they can take today or tomorrow towards their chosen goal.
  • Collect the My Goal Garden Worksheet for review.
lenny
0 educators
use Lenny to create lessons.

No credit card needed

Slide Deck

New Year, New Me: Growing Our Goals!

Let's plant some seeds for a great year ahead!

Welcome students and introduce the topic of the New Year. Ask them what they are excited about for the new year. Introduce the idea of 'growing' our goals, like a plant, from a small seed to a beautiful flower.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

  • What was one fun thing you did last year?
  • What's something new you'd like to try this year?

Prompt students with the warm-up questions: "What was one fun thing you did last year?" and "What's something new you'd like to try this year?" Encourage a few students to share their responses.

What is a Goal?

A goal is like a target you aim for! It's something you want to do, learn, or become.

Explain what a goal is in simple terms. Emphasize that a goal is something you want to achieve or improve upon. Give examples like learning to ride a bike, reading a certain number of books, or being a kinder friend.

Why Do We Set Goals?

  • Helps us learn and grow!
  • Gives us something exciting to work towards!
  • Makes us feel proud when we achieve them!

Discuss why setting goals is beneficial. Connect it to personal growth and accomplishment. "How does it feel when you learn something new or get better at something? Setting goals helps us get that feeling!"

Big Dreams, Small Steps

Sometimes our dreams are HUGE!

To reach them, we need to take small, achievable steps.

Think of it like climbing a ladder, one step at a time!

Introduce the idea of making goals 'small steps.' Use the analogy of climbing a ladder, where each rung is a small step. Avoid overwhelming students with overly complex goal-setting frameworks; focus on breaking down bigger wishes into manageable actions. For example, 'I want to be a better reader' is a big wish, but 'I will read one chapter every night' is a small step.

Your Goal: What can YOU do?

Your goal should be something YOU can do.

Think about actions you can take!

Explain that their goals should be something they can do. Emphasize positive actions. "Instead of 'I won't yell,' try 'I will use a calm voice.'"

Keep Growing!

Goals aren't always easy, and that's okay!

Keep trying, keep learning, and keep growing! 🌱

Remind students that goals take time and effort, and it's okay if things don't go perfectly. The important thing is to keep trying and adjust as needed. Connect this to the 'growth mindset' concept.

lenny

Worksheet

My Goal Garden: Planting Seeds for a Great Year!

Name:

It's a brand new year! What do you want to learn, do, or become? Let's plant some goal seeds for your very own Goal Garden!

My Big Dream (What's something big you hope for?)







My New Year Goal Seed

Choose ONE goal you want to work on this year. Make it something you can really DO!

My Goal Is:







What will my Goal Garden look like when my goal grows?

Imagine you've achieved your goal! What does it look like? How does it feel? Draw a picture or write about it below.













Watering My Goal: Small Steps to Help it Grow!

What are 3 small things you can do to work towards your goal? Think of these as watering your goal to help it grow big and strong!

  1. First Small Step:



  2. Second Small Step:



  3. Third Small Step:



lenny
lenny

Activity

Steps to Success Activity Cards

Instructions for Teacher: Print this page and cut out the cards. Students will work in small groups to arrange these cards in a logical order to show the steps needed to achieve a goal. You may want to print multiple copies depending on how many groups you have.

Card 1: Choose Your Goal

What is one clear, positive goal you want to achieve?

Card 2: Think of Big Steps

What are the main things you need to do to reach your goal?

Card 3: Break into Small Steps

For each big step, what are tiny, easy things you can do to get started?

Card 4: Gather Your Tools

What materials, help from others, or information do you need?

Card 5: Start Doing!

Take your first small step! When will you do it?

Card 6: Check Your Progress

How will you know if you are making progress? What will you look for?

Card 7: Learn and Adjust

If something isn't working, what can you change or try differently?

Card 8: Celebrate!

When you reach your goal (or even a big step!), how will you celebrate your hard work?

lenny
lenny

Project Guide

My Year Ahead: Growing My Goals Project

Project Goal:

To create a visual representation of your New Year goal and the small steps you will take to achieve it. Think of it as a map or a garden plan for your success!

What You Need to Do:

  1. Choose Your Best Goal: Look at your My Goal Garden Worksheet. Pick the goal you are most excited about.

  2. Plan Your Project: Decide how you want to show your goal and steps. Here are some ideas:

    • Goal Garden Poster: Draw a big garden where your goal is the main flower, and the steps are smaller plants or watering cans.
    • Ladder to Success: Draw a ladder where each rung is a small step leading up to your goal at the top.
    • Goal Path: Draw a path with footprints or stepping stones, each representing a step, leading to your goal.
    • Goal Storybook: Create a short book with a page for each step you will take.

  3. Create Your Visual:

    • Use construction paper, crayons, colored pencils, markers, safety scissors, and glue.
    • Make sure your project clearly shows:
      • Your Goal: What exactly do you want to achieve?
      • Small Steps: At least 3-5 clear, small actions you will take.
      • Why it Matters: How will you feel when you achieve it? (You can draw or write this!)

  4. Add Details: Make it colorful and creative! You can add pictures, words, or both.

Example Ideas:

  • If your goal is to read more books, you might draw a stack of books with steps like
lenny
lenny
New Year, New Me: Growing Our Goals • Lenny Learning