Lesson Plan

Procrastination Puzzle Game Plan

Students will collaboratively identify common procrastination scenarios and practice strategies for task initiation within a low-stakes, interactive game setting.

This lesson is important because it provides students with practical skills to overcome procrastination, leading to improved organization, reduced stress, and greater academic success.

Audience

3rd-5th Grade Small Group

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive game-based learning.

Materials

Game Rules & Scenarios, - The 'Start Strong' Board Game, and - Scenario Solutions & Discussion Points

Prep

Review Materials & Prepare Game

15 minutes

Review the Lesson Plan, Game Rules & Scenarios, The 'Start Strong' Board Game, and Scenario Solutions & Discussion Points to familiarize yourself with the content.
Print and cut out the game board and scenario cards from The 'Start Strong' Board Game. Consider laminating for durability. Gather any necessary game pieces (e.g., small tokens, dice or spinners).

Step 1

Introduction & Warm-Up

5 minutes

Greet students and introduce the concept of "procrastination" in a relatable way. Ask students if they ever put off doing something, and what that feels like. Use the first slide of Game Rules & Scenarios to kick off the discussion and define procrastination.

Step 2

Explain the Game

10 minutes

Present the Game Rules & Scenarios slides to students. Explain how to play The 'Start Strong' Board Game. Emphasize that the goal is collaborative problem-solving, not competition. Clarify that for each scenario, students will work together to discuss and decide on the best strategy for 'starting strong'.

Step 3

Play the Game

10 minutes

Facilitate students playing The 'Start Strong' Board Game in their small groups. Circulate among groups to provide support, ask probing questions, and encourage rich discussion. Remind them to refer to the scenario cards and discuss potential solutions.

Step 4

Debrief & Discussion

5 minutes

Bring the group back together. Use the Scenario Solutions & Discussion Points to review the key takeaways and effective strategies for task initiation. Discuss some of the scenarios from the game and compare student solutions with the provided discussion points. Encourage students to share their learned strategies and how they might apply them in real life.

Slide Deck

The Procrastination Puzzle: Can You Solve It?

Let's explore how to 'Start Strong'!

Welcome students to the session. Introduce the idea that sometimes we put things off. Ask them for quick examples of things they might procrastinate on (without judgment).

What is Procrastination?

It's when you put off doing something you should be doing, even though you know it needs to get done.

Like waiting until the last minute to start your homework!

Define procrastination in simple, kid-friendly terms. Use examples relevant to their lives (homework, chores, practicing an instrument, etc.).

Why Do We Procrastinate?

It feels too big or overwhelming?
It's hard or confusing?
We don't really want to do it?
We don't know where to begin?

Brainstorm with students why they might procrastinate. Guide them to common reasons like tasks being too big, too hard, not wanting to do it, or not knowing where to start. Affirm that these feelings are normal.

Introducing: The 'Start Strong' Board Game!

Today, we're going to play a game to help us become 'Task Initiation Superheroes'!

This game will help us practice different ways to get started, even when a task feels tough.

Introduce the game as a way to practice solving these 'procrastination puzzles'. Explain that it's a safe space to try out new strategies.

How to Play

Work together! This is a team effort.
Draw a Scenario Card.
Discuss with your group: Why might someone procrastinate on this?
Brainstorm strategies to 'Start Strong' and overcome procrastination.
Move your game piece along the board by successfully solving scenarios!

Go over the basic rules without getting bogged down in every detail. Emphasize teamwork and discussion. The full rules are in the 'The 'Start Strong' Board Game' material.

Example Scenario

Your classroom has a big cleanup day planned. It looks like a huge mess, and you feel overwhelmed by where to even begin!

What's one small step you could take to 'Start Strong' on cleaning up?

Present an example scenario and lead a brief group discussion to model how they should approach the game.

Time to Play!

Now that we know the rules, let's get ready to play The 'Start Strong' Board Game!

Remember to talk through your ideas and help each other.

Transition to the game-playing portion. Hand out the physical game materials.

Our 'Start Strong' Strategies

Break it Down: Make big tasks into tiny steps.
Ask for Help: Don't be afraid to get support.
Set a Timer: Work for a short burst.
Just Start!: The hardest part is often just beginning.
Reward Yourself: Celebrate progress!

This slide is for after the game, during the debrief. Review some common strategies and connect them to the scenarios they just solved. Refer to the 'Scenario Solutions & Discussion Points' material.

Game

The 'Start Strong' Board Game: Procrastination Puzzle Edition

Game Overview

This game is designed to help students collaboratively identify and practice strategies for overcoming procrastination and initiating tasks. Students will draw scenario cards and discuss how to "Start Strong" on the task presented.

Materials Needed

Game Board: A simple board with a "Start" space, a "Finish" space, and about 10-15 spaces in between (can be drawn on a large piece of paper or whiteboard).
Game Pieces: One game piece per group (e.g., small eraser, paper clip, button).
Scenario Cards: (Examples provided below) Print and cut out these cards.
Dice or Spinner: To determine how many spaces to move.

Setup

Place the game board in the center of the group.
Each group chooses one game piece and places it on the "Start" space.
Shuffle the Scenario Cards and place them face down in a pile near the board.

How to Play

Player 1 draws a Scenario Card and reads it aloud to the group.
Group Discussion (3-5 minutes): As a team, students discuss the scenario.
- Why might someone procrastinate on this task?
- What are some ways we could "Start Strong" on this? (Think small steps, asking for help, setting a timer, etc.)
- What is the BEST first step or strategy?
Once the group agrees on a "Start Strong" strategy, they explain their solution to the teacher.
If the teacher approves the strategy (or if the group is satisfied with their collaborative solution after discussion), the group rolls the dice (or uses the spinner) and moves their game piece forward that many spaces.
If a group struggles, the teacher can guide their discussion using prompts from Scenario Solutions & Discussion Points.
The next player draws a new card, and the game continues.
The first team to reach the "Finish" space wins, but the real win is learning new strategies!

Example Scenario Cards (Print & Cut)

Scenario Card 1: The Messy Room Mountain

Your room is super messy, with clothes on the floor and toys everywhere. You feel overwhelmed just looking at it and keep playing instead of cleaning.

What's one tiny step you could take to "Start Strong" on cleaning your room?

Scenario Card 2: The Homework Hurricane

You have a big math worksheet with 20 problems due tomorrow, and you think math is really hard. You'd rather watch TV or play video games.

What's one "Start Strong" strategy to begin your math homework?

Scenario Card 3: The Project Peril

Your science teacher assigned a project where you have to research an animal and make a poster. You have no idea which animal to choose or how to start researching.

What's the very first thing you could do to "Start Strong" on your science project?

Scenario Card 4: The Reading Realm

You have a chapter book to read for English class, and it looks really long. You keep picking up your phone instead of opening the book.

How can you "Start Strong" to get through your reading assignment?

Scenario Card 5: The Chore Challenge

It's your turn to do the dishes, but there's a huge pile in the sink, and you really don't want to.

What's a small, manageable first step to "Start Strong" on the dishes?

Answer Key

Scenario Solutions & Discussion Points

This answer key provides suggested strategies and discussion points for the scenarios presented in The 'Start Strong' Board Game. Use these to guide student conversations, affirm good ideas, and introduce new strategies.