Lesson Plan
Transition to Independence Plan
Students will learn essential daily living skills—including budgeting, personal care routines, and time planning—through interactive activities and reflection to boost independence.
Developing daily living skills prepares students for independent adulthood, enhancing confidence in managing money, self-care, and schedules—critical for a successful transition.
Audience
9th–10th Grade Special Education Students
Time
60 minutes
Approach
Interactive activities, guided discussion, and personal reflection.
Materials
Prep
Review and Prepare Materials
5 minutes
- Review the Transition to Independence Plan
- Open and familiarize yourself with Life Skills Launch Slides
- Print copies of My Morning Routine Brainstorm, Mock Grocery Shopping, and Reflection: What I Learned
- Prepare calculators and any visual supports needed
- Arrange classroom into small-group stations for activities
Step 1
Morning Routine Brainstorm
10 minutes
- Distribute My Morning Routine Brainstorm to each student
- Ask students to list steps they take every morning for personal care and getting ready for school
- Pair-share: students discuss their routines with a partner
- Invite volunteers to share one step with the class
Step 2
Life Skills Introduction
10 minutes
- Present slides from Life Skills Launch Slides
- Introduce three focus areas: Money Management, Personal Care, and Time Planning
- Use images and simple language; check for understanding with thumbs up/down
- Answer student questions to ensure clarity
Step 3
Mock Grocery Shopping Activity
25 minutes
- Divide class into small groups and hand out Mock Grocery Shopping sheets and calculators
- Assign each group a $30 budget and a sample grocery list
- Instruct groups to select items without exceeding their budget, record costs, and calculate totals
- Circulate to support math calculations, decision-making, and collaborative skills
Step 4
Reflection: What I Learned
15 minutes
- Distribute Reflection: What I Learned
- Ask students to write or draw one thing they learned about each skill area: budgeting, self-care, and planning
- Invite volunteers to share their reflections with the class
- Collect reflections for assessment and to inform next steps
use Lenny to create lessons.
Slide Deck
Life Skills Launch
Welcome! Today we will learn three important life skills:
• Money Management
• Personal Care
• Time Planning
Welcome the students to the lesson and set expectations. “Today we’re going to learn three life skills that help us every day: managing money, taking care of ourselves, and planning our time. Let’s get started!”
Money Management
• Understanding money (bills and coins)
• Creating a budget
• Making choices within a budget
Explain each bullet with simple language. “Money management means understanding coins and bills, making a plan (budget) for spending, and choosing what to buy.” Then prompt: “Who’s paid for something before? Show me a thumbs up!”
Personal Care
• Morning routines
• Hygiene (brushing teeth, showering)
• Healthy habits
“Personal care is how we look after our bodies. It includes our morning routines, hygiene like brushing teeth or showering, and healthy habits.” Ask: “What’s one thing you do every morning to take care of yourself?”
Time Planning
• Using a schedule
• Setting reminders
• Prioritizing tasks
“Time planning helps us use our day well. We can use a schedule, set reminders, and decide which tasks are most important.” Then ask: “Do you use a planner or calendar? Thumbs up/down.”
Your Thoughts
Which skill do you think is most important for your day-to-day life?
Discuss with a partner and be ready to share one idea.
Pair-share prompt: “Talk with a partner: Which of these three skills do you think is most important for your daily life? Then we’ll share out.” Circulate while students discuss.
Let’s Get Started!
Next up: Morning Routine Brainstorm
Please open your worksheet now.
Transition into the first activity. “Great discussions! Now let’s brainstorm your own morning routines. Please take out the My Morning Routine Brainstorm worksheet.”
Warm Up
My Morning Routine Brainstorm
Think about everything you do from the moment you wake up until you leave for school. List each step in your morning routine in order:
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
Reflection
Which step do you find easiest? ___________________________
Which step do you find hardest? ___________________________
Activity
Mock Grocery Shopping
You have a $30 budget to buy groceries for the week. Work in your group to choose items from the list below. Record your choices, costs, and keep a running total. Use a calculator if needed.
Available items:
- Apple (each): $1.00
- Bread (loaf): $2.50
- Milk (gallon): $3.00
- Eggs (dozen): $2.00
- Pasta (box): $1.50
- Cereal (box): $4.00
- Cheese (block): $3.50
- Chicken (per lb): $5.00
- Rice (bag): $2.00
- Yogurt (cup): $1.00
Your shopping list:
- Item: ________________________ Cost: ________ Running Total: ________
- Item: ________________________ Cost: ________ Running Total: ________
- Item: ________________________ Cost: ________ Running Total: ________
- Item: ________________________ Cost: ________ Running Total: ________
- Item: ________________________ Cost: ________ Running Total: ________
- Item: ________________________ Cost: ________ Running Total: ________
Total Spent: ________
Budget Remaining: ________
Reflection
- Did your group stay within the $30 budget? ___________________________
- Which item was most important to include? ___________________________
- If you had extra money, what would you add? ___________________________
Cool Down
Reflection: What I Learned
Take a few minutes to think about today’s lesson. Write or draw your answers in the space provided.
- Money Management
What is one thing you learned about budgeting or using money?
______________________________________________________________________
- Personal Care
What is one self-care habit or routine you want to remember?
______________________________________________________________________
- Time Planning
What is one way you can plan your time better each day?
______________________________________________________________________
- My Goal This Week
Which skill (money, self-care, planning) will you practice this week, and what will you do?
______________________________________________________________________
- Questions or Thoughts
Write any questions you still have or something you really enjoyed about today’s lesson.
______________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your reflections!