To-Do: Top Priority! Script

Introduction & Hook (5 minutes)

(Teacher): "Good morning, everyone! How many of you sometimes feel like you have a million things to do? You know, homework, chores, practicing an instrument, sports... and it all just piles up? It can feel a bit overwhelming, right? Like you're buried under a mountain of tasks!"

Pause for student responses or nods.

(Teacher): "Well, today we're going to learn a superpower that will help you climb that mountain and feel much more in control of your daily tasks and assignments. It's called prioritizing! Look at our first slide, Slide 1: To-Do: Top Priority!. We're going to become 'To-Do: Top Priority!' masters!"

What is Prioritizing? (5 minutes)

(Teacher): "So, what do you think prioritizing means? If you have three things to do, and you can only do one right now, how do you pick which one?"

Allow students to share ideas. Guide them towards the idea of importance or urgency.

(Teacher): "Exactly! Prioritizing, as you can see on Slide 2: What Does Prioritizing Mean?, is all about deciding which tasks are the most important and should be done first. It helps you tackle your work in the best order, so you don't miss deadlines and you get the really important stuff done."

Urgent vs. Important (8 minutes)

(Teacher): "Now, when we prioritize, it helps to think about two big ideas: Urgent and Important. Let's look at Slide 3: Urgent vs. Important."

(Teacher): "Urgent means it needs your attention RIGHT NOW! Think of a fire alarm going off – that's urgent! An assignment due tomorrow morning is urgent. What are some other urgent things in your life?"

Allow students to provide examples. (e.g., getting ready for school when the bus is coming, finishing a quick chore mom asked for.)

(Teacher): "Good examples! Now, Important means it helps you reach your goals. Studying for a big test next week is important because it helps you get good grades. Eating healthy food is important for your body. What are some important things, even if they aren't urgent?"

Allow students to provide examples. (e.g., practicing piano for a recital in a month, reading a book for fun, planning a project.)

(Teacher): "Sometimes things are both urgent and important, like a major project due tomorrow. And sometimes things are neither, like watching a funny cat video when you have lots of homework. Understanding the difference is key!"

The Priority Power Grid (7 minutes)

(Teacher): "To help us decide, we can use something like a 'Priority Power Grid.' Let's look at Slide 4: The Priority Power Grid."

(Teacher): "We can put our tasks into different categories:

• Do First!: These are tasks that are both URGENT and IMPORTANT. They need to be done ASAP!
• Plan It!: These tasks are IMPORTANT but NOT URGENT. You need to schedule time for them before they become urgent.
• Later!: These are tasks that are NOT IMPORTANT and NOT URGENT. You can do them if you have extra time, or maybe not at all.

Let's try an example together. Imagine you have a science project outline due tomorrow, and you haven't started. Is it urgent? Yes! Is it important? Yes, for your grade! So, where does it go?"

Guide students to say "Do First!"

(Teacher): "Exactly! 'Do First!' What about reading a library book that's due in two weeks? Is it urgent? No. Is it important? Yes, because you want to finish it and avoid a late fee. So, that's a 'Plan It!' task. You'd schedule time to read it. What about tidying your desk, but it's not messy and no one is coming over?"

Guide students to say "Later!"

(Teacher): "Great! It might be nice to do, but it's not urgent or important right now. We can tackle those 'Later!' if we have extra time."

Worksheet Activity: My Priority List (7 minutes)

(Teacher): "Now it's your turn to be a prioritizing pro! I'm going to hand out this Worksheet: My Priority List. On it, I want you to list 3-5 of your own current assignments or tasks – things you actually need to do for school or at home. Then, using our Priority Power Grid, I want you to decide if each task is 'Do First!', 'Plan It!', or 'Later!'. I'll be walking around to help if you have questions."

Distribute worksheets. Circulate and provide individual guidance and support. Refer to the Answer Key: My Priority List for common examples.

Share & Reflect (5 minutes)

(Teacher): "Alright, let's bring it back together. Who would like to share one task from their list and explain how they prioritized it? No need to share if you don't want to, but it helps us all learn!"

Call on a few volunteers. Ask follow-up questions: "Why did you put that in 'Do First!'?" or "What makes that a 'Plan It!' task?" Use the Answer Key: My Priority List as a reference for discussion points.

(Teacher): "Excellent job, everyone! Look at Slide 5: Why Prioritize?. We talked about how learning to prioritize helps you feel less stressed, get important things done, and even improve your grades! By taking a few minutes to think about what needs to be done when, you become a planning pro, and you conquer that mountain of tasks one step at a time."

(Teacher): "Remember, a little planning goes a long way. Use this strategy whenever you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list, and you'll find things much easier to manage. Great work today!"

My Priority List

Name: ________________________

Date: _________________________

Instructions:

Think about your school assignments, homework, and other important tasks you need to do soon. List 3-5 of these tasks in the table below. Then, for each task, decide if it is Urgent, Important, both, or neither. Use our "Priority Power Grid" to decide if it's a "Do First!", "Plan It!", or "Later!" task.

Reflection Question:

How does organizing your tasks this way make you feel? Do you think this will help you get things done?

My Priority List Answer Key

This answer key provides example responses for the Worksheet: My Priority List. Student answers will vary based on their individual tasks and understanding. Encourage students to explain their reasoning.

Example Tasks and Prioritization:

Reflection Question (Example Response):

How does organizing your tasks this way make you feel? Do you think this will help you get things done?

Organizing my tasks this way makes me feel much calmer and less overwhelmed. Before, everything felt urgent, but now I can see what I really need to focus on first. I think this will definitely help me get things done because I have a clearer plan and know what to start with. It will also help me use my time better and not forget important assignments.