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Ready for the Real World?

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Lesson Plan

Real World Readiness Plan

Students will identify and plan key daily routines and self-care tasks through interactive discussion, timeline mapping, hands-on checklists, and personal reflection to build independence and life skills.

Teaching daily routines and self-care empowers students with critical life skills, fostering independence and confidence as they transition beyond school. This lesson builds foundational habits for real-world success.

Audience

9th Grade Special Education Students

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Interactive exploration, hands-on activities, and personal reflection.

Materials

Daily Routine Explorer Slide Deck (Daily Routine Explorer), Printed Morning-to-Evening Timeline Activity (Morning-to-Evening Timeline), Printed Self-Care Checklist Worksheet (Self-Care Checklist), and One New Habit Reflection Worksheet (One New Habit Reflection)

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction and Goal Setting

5 minutes

  • Greet students and introduce the lesson objective: building independence through routines
  • Display title slide on Daily Routine Explorer
  • Ask: "What daily routines do you follow before school? After school?"

Step 2

Explore Daily Routines

10 minutes

  • Advance through key slides on Daily Routine Explorer
  • Pause for group brainstorming: list morning, afternoon, evening tasks on chart paper
  • Encourage students to share personal routines

Step 3

Morning-to-Evening Timeline Activity

15 minutes

  • Distribute Morning-to-Evening Timeline
  • Instruct students to plot their own typical day by writing times and tasks
  • Circulate to support students in sequencing and time estimation

Step 4

Self-Care Checklist Stations

20 minutes

  • Set up four stations: Hygiene, Nutrition, Organization, Relaxation
  • At each station, students complete the relevant section on Self-Care Checklist
  • Rotate groups every 5 minutes; use timers or cues
  • Observe and assist with any task challenges to reinforce skills

Step 5

One New Habit Reflection

5 minutes

  • Distribute One New Habit Reflection
  • Prompt students to write and illustrate one new self-care habit they will try
  • Encourage brief sharing with a partner

Step 6

Conclusion and Assessment

5 minutes

  • Gather students and recap key routines and self-care tasks
  • Collect timelines, checklists, and reflections for review
  • Provide positive feedback; discuss next steps for habit practice
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Slide Deck

Ready for the Real World?

Explore Daily Routines & Self-Care Skills
9th Grade • Special Education • 60 Minutes

Welcome students and introduce the module. Highlight how practicing routines builds independence.

Lesson Objectives

• Identify common routines: morning, afternoon, evening
• Map your own day with a timeline
• Practice key self-care tasks at stations
• Choose one new habit to try

Review the objectives and why routines matter. Point out how today’s activities connect to life beyond school.

Exploring Morning Routines

What we do before school:

• Wake up & get out of bed
• Brush teeth & wash face
• Eat breakfast
• Pack backpack & check schedule

Use images or icons (e.g., sunrise, breakfast) to spark ideas. Invite volunteers to share their morning steps.

Exploring Afternoon Routines

Tasks between school and evening:

• Eat lunch
• Complete homework or chores
• Participate in activities (sports, clubs)
• Take breaks or relax

Show pictures of lunchtime or after-school activities. Encourage students to describe their own afternoon routines.

Exploring Evening Routines

Wind-down activities:

• Eat dinner
• Shower or change clothes
• Pack things for tomorrow
• Read, relax, or prepare for bed

Use sunset or bedtime visuals. Ask students about preparing for the next day.

Brainstorm Your Day

In groups, list all routines you do:

• Morning tasks
• Afternoon tasks
• Evening tasks

Write or draw each on chart paper.

Divide class into small groups. Provide chart paper and markers. Walk around to guide brainstorming.

Next: Timeline Activity

Pick up your
Morning-to-Evening Timeline
and plot your day:

• Write the time for each task
• Draw or label activities
• Ask for help if you’re unsure of times

Transition students to the timeline activity. Remind them to use what they brainstormed.

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Activity

Morning-to-Evening Timeline Worksheet

Instructions:

  1. For each time listed, write or draw what you do in the My Activity column.
  2. In the Drawing column, sketch a quick picture of that activity.
TimeMy ActivityDrawing
6:00 AM








8:00 AM








10:00 AM








12:00 PM








2:00 PM








4:00 PM








6:00 PM








8:00 PM








10:00 PM








If you have routines at other times, add extra rows below and follow the same format.

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Worksheet

Self-Care Checklist Worksheet

Instructions:
Check off each task when you complete it. Then, add your own task in the blank line and check it off when you try it.

Hygiene 🚿

  • Brush teeth

  • Wash face

  • Shower or bathe

  • Comb or brush hair

  • Put on clean clothes

  • My own hygiene task: ________________________


Nutrition 🍎

  • Eat a healthy breakfast

  • Drink water during the day

  • Eat fruits or vegetables

  • Eat a balanced lunch

  • Have a healthy snack

  • My own nutrition task: ________________________


Organization 📚

  • Pack backpack with my school items

  • Make my bed

  • Put away my clothes

  • Check my schedule / plan my day

  • Clean my desk or room

  • My own organization task: ________________________


Relaxation 🧘

  • Take deep breaths

  • Stretch or do a quick exercise

  • Listen to music or a podcast

  • Read, draw, or do something quiet

  • Spend time outside

  • My own relaxation task: ________________________


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Cool Down

One New Habit Reflection

Instructions: Think about one new self-care habit you’d like to start. Complete each section below to plan and commit to your habit.

1. My New Habit

What habit will I try?
__________________________________________


2. Why I Chose This Habit

List two reasons why this habit is important to me:







3. Steps to Make It Happen

Write three steps you will follow each day to do this habit:

  • Step 1: __________________________________________
  • Step 2: __________________________________________
  • Step 3: __________________________________________









4. Drawing: Me Doing My New Habit

Draw yourself doing this habit!













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