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Your Goal, Your Game!

Lesson Plan

Your Goal, Your Game!

Students will be able to define SMART goals, identify steps to achieve them, and understand methods for tracking their progress.

Learning to set and track goals helps students develop self-discipline, responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment. These are essential life skills for academic success and personal growth.

Audience

5th-8th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, guided goal setting, and practical application through a worksheet and reading.

Materials

Smart Goals Slide Deck, Goal Getter's Worksheet, and Tracking Your Triumphs Reading

Prep

Review Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What's Your Everest?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students to think about something they want to achieve, big or small.
    * Introduce the concept of goal setting as a map to reach their

Step 2

The SMART Goal Guide & Reading

10 minutes

  • Use the Smart Goals Slide Deck to briefly introduce SMART goals.
    * Distribute the Tracking Your Triumphs Reading and have students review the SMART goal section individually or in pairs.
    * Lead a brief discussion on why each part of SMART is important, drawing from the reading and examples related to school or personal life.

Step 3

Goal Getter's Workshop

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Goal Getter's Worksheet.
    * Guide students through the worksheet, encouraging them to set one SMART goal.
    * Circulate the room, offering assistance and feedback as students work on their goals and action steps.

Step 4

Tracking Your Triumphs & Wrap-up

5 minutes

  • Briefly discuss different ways to track progress (e.g., calendars, journals, checklists), referring to the Tracking Your Triumphs Reading for more ideas.
    * Ask students to share (voluntarily) one aspect of their goal or tracking plan.
    * Conclude by emphasizing the importance of perseverance and celebrating small wins.
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Slide Deck

Your Goal, Your Game!

What do you want to achieve?

Welcome students and introduce the idea of setting goals. Ask them to silently think of something they want to achieve. Engage them with the slide title.

Goals: What's the Point?

Goals help us:

  • Know where we're going
  • Stay motivated
  • Measure our progress
  • Feel proud of what we accomplish!

Explain that not all goals are created equal. Some are fuzzy, others are clear. We're going to learn how to make our goals super clear with SMART.

The SMART Goal System

SMART is a superpower for your goals!

It helps you make your goals:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time-bound

Introduce the acronym SMART briefly. Explain that each letter stands for a quality that makes a goal powerful, and that students will explore these in detail in the reading.

Dive Deeper: Your Tracking Triumphs!

Ready to master SMART goals and discover awesome tracking tips?

Check out your Tracking Your Triumphs Reading!

Direct students to the 'Tracking Your Triumphs Reading' for a deeper dive into what each letter of SMART means and for more ways to track progress.

Time to Plan: Your SMART Goal!

Now that you know the SMART ingredients, let's create your powerful goal using the worksheet!

After students have reviewed the reading, guide them to apply what they've learned by moving to the worksheet.

Track Your Triumphs!

Once you set a goal, keep an eye on your progress!

  • Check in regularly
  • Adjust if needed
  • Celebrate your small wins!

Every step forward is a triumph!

Summarize the lesson and give a brief overview of tracking progress, reinforcing that even small steps count. Encourage them to use the provided reading for more ideas.

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Worksheet

Goal Getter's Worksheet: Your SMART Plan!

Name: _________________________ Date: _____________


Part 1: Dream Big, Then Get Specific!

Think about something you want to achieve. It could be about school, a hobby, a personal skill, or anything important to you.

My initial idea for a goal:



Part 2: Make it SMART!

Now, let's take your idea and make it a powerful SMART goal. Fill in the blanks below to shape your goal:

S - Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve? Who needs to be involved? Where will it happen? Why is this goal important to you?

My Specific Goal:





M - Measurable: How will you know when you've reached your goal? What will you see, hear, or be able to do? How will you track your progress?

My Measurable Progress:





A - Achievable: Is this goal realistic? Do you have the skills, resources, or support to make it happen? If not, what do you need to get them?

My Achievable Plan:





R - Relevant: Is this goal truly important to you? Does it align with your values or other things you want to accomplish?

Why this Goal is Relevant to Me:





T - Time-bound: When do you want to achieve this goal? Set a clear deadline!

My Deadline:



Part 3: My Ultimate SMART Goal!

Write your complete SMART goal here, combining all the pieces you just worked on:





Part 4: Action Steps - How Will You Get There?

Break your goal into smaller, manageable steps. What are the first few things you need to do?

  1. _____________________________________________________________________________________


  2. _____________________________________________________________________________________


  3. _____________________________________________________________________________________


  4. _____________________________________________________________________________________



Part 5: Overcoming Obstacles

What are some things that might make it hard to reach your goal? How can you plan to overcome them?

Possible Obstacle:


How I'll Overcome It:






Part 6: Tracking Your Progress

How will you keep track of your journey towards your goal? (e.g., calendar, journal, checklist, telling a friend)

My Tracking Method:


Good luck, Goal Getter! You've got this!

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Reading

Tracking Your Triumphs: Staying on Course to Your Goals!

Setting a goal is like deciding on a destination for a trip. But how do you make sure you get there? You need a map and a way to check your progress! Tracking your progress is super important for reaching your goals. It helps you stay motivated, see how far you've come, and make changes if you get a little off track.

Why Track Your Progress?

  1. Stay Motivated: When you see yourself making progress, even small steps, it gives you a boost of energy and makes you want to keep going!
  2. Identify Challenges: If you're not moving forward as quickly as you hoped, tracking can help you see where you're getting stuck. Then you can figure out a new strategy.
  3. Celebrate Small Wins: Reaching a big goal can take time. Tracking lets you celebrate all the mini-milestones along the way, making the journey more enjoyable.
  4. Stay Accountable: When you write down your progress, you're holding yourself responsible for your actions. It's like making a promise to yourself!

What's a SMART Goal Anyway?

SMART is a superpower for your goals! It's a way to make your goals clear, achievable, and super effective. Each letter helps you make your goals:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time-bound

Let's break down what each of these means:

S is for Specific

Your goal should be clear and precise. Think about the who, what, where, when, and why of your goal.

  • Vague: "I want to get better at math."
  • Specific: "I want to improve my grade in Algebra to a B by the end of the semester by studying 30 minutes each night."

M is for Measurable

How will you know when you've reached your goal? What numbers or indicators will you use? If you can't measure it, how do you know you're making progress?

  • Not Measurable: "I want to read more."
  • Measurable: "I want to read one chapter of a non-fiction book every day after school."

A is for Achievable

Is your goal realistic and possible to achieve? It should be challenging enough to excite you, but not so hard that it feels impossible. Think about what resources or skills you might need.

  • Not Achievable (for most): "I want to fly to the moon by myself next week."
  • Achievable: "I want to save $50 for a new video game by doing extra chores for 5 weeks."

R is for Relevant

Is this goal truly important to you? Does it align with your values or other things you want to accomplish? A relevant goal is one that genuinely matters to you.

  • Not Relevant (if you don't care): "I will learn to play the tuba even though I hate music."
  • Relevant: "I will practice my guitar for 20 minutes daily to prepare for the school talent show because I love performing."

T is for Time-bound

When do you want to achieve this goal? Every goal needs a deadline or a target date. This helps create a sense of urgency and helps you plan your steps.

  • No Deadline: "I want to finish my science project."
  • Time-bound: "I will complete my science project by Friday, October 27th."

Awesome Ways to Track Your Progress

There are many creative ways to track your goals. Pick one that works best for you!

  • Goal Journal: Get a notebook and dedicate it to your goal. Each day or week, write down what you did, how it felt, and any challenges you faced. You can also draw pictures or add stickers to make it fun!

  • Calendar Check-off: For daily or weekly habits (like practicing an instrument or reading), get a calendar. Each day you complete your goal activity, put a big

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Your Goal, Your Game! • Lenny Learning