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Prioritize It! My Daily Tasks

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Lesson Plan

Prioritize It! My Daily Tasks

Students will be able to prioritize a list of tasks based on their importance and deadlines.

Learning to prioritize helps students manage their time effectively, complete important tasks, and reduce stress. It's a foundational skill for success in school and daily life.

Audience

3rd Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Through discussion, modeling, and a fun game, students will practice ranking tasks.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, First Things First Slide Deck, Markers or pens, My Priority List Worksheet, and Task Ranking Game cards

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What's Important?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students what 'priority' means to them. Use the First Things First Slide Deck Slide 1.
    - Facilitate a brief discussion on why it's important to do some things before others.
    - Introduce the lesson objective: to learn how to prioritize tasks effectively. Use Slide 2.

Step 2

Importance vs. Urgency

7 minutes

  • Use First Things First Slide Deck Slide 3 to explain the difference between 'want to do' (fun/less urgent) and 'have to do' (important/urgent).
    - Provide examples: 'Do homework' vs. 'Play video games'. Ask students for their own examples.
    - Use Slide 4 to introduce the concept of 'importance' and 'deadline' as key factors in prioritizing.

Step 3

Modeling Prioritization

8 minutes

  • Display a short list of tasks on the whiteboard/projector (e.g., Finish math homework, Read for 20 minutes, Clean room, Help set dinner table). Use First Things First Slide Deck Slide 5.
    - Model your thought process aloud as you rank them from most to least important, explaining why you're ranking them that way (e.g., 'Math homework is due tomorrow, so it's most important. Reading helps me learn, but isn't due immediately.').
    - Hand out the My Priority List Worksheet. Walk through the first task together, demonstrating how to fill it out. Use Slide 6.

Step 4

Student Practice: My Priority List

5 minutes

Step 5

Task Ranking Game

5 minutes

  • Introduce the Task Ranking Game. Explain the rules clearly. Use First Things First Slide Deck Slide 8.
    - Divide students into small groups and have them play the game, ranking their task cards. This reinforces the learning in a fun, interactive way. Use Slide 9.

Step 6

Wrap-up and Share

3 minutes

  • Bring the class back together.
    - Ask a few students to share one task from their My Priority List Worksheet and explain why they ranked it as they did.
    - Emphasize that practicing prioritization helps us be more organized and less stressed. Use First Things First Slide Deck Slide 10.
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Slide Deck

What Does 'Priority' Mean?

What does it mean to put something first?

Why do we sometimes need to do one thing before another?

Greet students and start with an open-ended question to gauge their understanding of 'priority.' Encourage diverse responses.

Our Goal Today: Become Prioritization Pros!

We will learn how to decide what tasks are most important.

We will learn to put things in order.

This will help us get things done and feel less stressed!

Explain the lesson's goal clearly. Emphasize that this skill is useful for both school and home.

Want To Do vs. Have To Do

Want To Do: Fun things! Playing games, watching TV, hanging out with friends.

Have To Do: Important things! Homework, chores, getting ready for school.

Use simple language and relatable examples to differentiate between 'want to do' and 'have to do.' Ask students for examples from their own lives.

How Do We Decide What's First?

We look at two things:

  1. Is it IMPORTANT? (Does it need to be done?)
  2. Is there a DEADLINE? (Does it need to be done soon?)

Introduce the concepts of 'importance' and 'deadline' as key criteria for prioritizing. You can use a thumbs up/down for importance or a clock gesture for deadlines.

Let's Practice: Teacher Models

Here are some tasks:

  • Finish math homework
  • Read for 20 minutes
  • Help clean the classroom
  • Water the class plants

Which should come first? Why?

Display the example tasks. Verbally walk through your thought process for ranking them. This is crucial for modeling the skill.

Your Turn! My Priority List

Now you get to make your own priority list!

Use your My Priority List Worksheet.

Think about:

  • What is most important?
  • What has a deadline?

Explain the worksheet and how students should fill it out. Reiterate that they need to think about importance and deadlines.

Time to Prioritize!

Work on your worksheet.

Don't forget to think about the importance and any deadlines for each task.

Allow students time to work on their worksheets. Circulate and offer individual support, asking probing questions about their choices.

Game Time: Task Ranking Challenge!

Let's play a game to practice prioritizing!

Work with your team to rank task cards from most important to least important.

Be ready to explain your team's choices!

Introduce the game. Clearly state the rules and objectives before dividing into groups. Emphasize teamwork and discussion.

Ready, Set, Rank!

Work together.

Discuss your choices.

Have fun prioritizing!

While students play, observe their interactions and problem-solving strategies. Offer hints or questions if groups get stuck.

Great Work, Prioritization Pros!

What did you learn today about putting things in order?

How will you use prioritization in your daily life?

Remember: Prioritizing helps us get important things done and makes life easier!

Conclude by bringing students back together for a brief sharing session. Reinforce the value of prioritization and positive feelings it brings.

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Worksheet

My Priority List Worksheet

Name: ___________________________

Think about your tasks for school and home. Rank them from 1 (Most Important) to 5 (Least Important).

School Tasks

  1. Task: Finish reading homework
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


  2. Task: Practice spelling words
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


  3. Task: Draw a picture for art class
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


  4. Task: Help a classmate with a tricky problem
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


  5. Task: Play quietly during free time
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


Home Tasks

  1. Task: Clean my room
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


  2. Task: Help set the dinner table
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


  3. Task: Play with my pet
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


  4. Task: Brush my teeth before bed
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


  5. Task: Watch my favorite cartoon
    Important? (Yes/No):
    Deadline? (When?):
    My Rank (1-5):


Challenge Question: Choose one task that you ranked as

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Game

Task Ranking Game

Goal: Work with your team to decide the best order for these tasks! Remember to think about importance and deadlines.

Materials:

  • Set of Task Cards (cut out beforehand)
  • One
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Prioritize It! My Daily Tasks • Lenny Learning