Teaching sequence

10 minutes

Explore: Time and goals

40 minutes

Discover: Making vision boards

15 minutes

Thrive: Personal attributes

Explore: Time and goals

Step 1

Explain that students will play a team-building game to keep a balloon in the air. Let students know they will play 2 rounds of the game and that new rules will be introduced in round 2.

Provide the following instructions to play Round 1 of the game:

Keep the balloon from touching the ground.
Aim for as many touches as possible.

End this round after a few minutes of play. Debrief Round 1:

How did it feel playing this round?
Was it effective?
Did you have fun? Why/why not?

Introduce the new rules for Round 2.

Students must remain seated.
The balloon cannot touch the floor, ceiling or any furniture.
The same person cannot touch the balloon twice in a row.
Set a goal of 20 touches.

The goalpost can be moved to a higher number if you have time.

When finished playing, debrief the game.

The following questions can prompt discussion:

What was the goal of this game?
Was the goal reached?
After being given time to strategise, did this assist in reaching the goal?

Provide the following to assist their thinking:

When we set goals, it is essential to have a clear outcome in mind, or else, just like in our first round of the balloon game, our input and energy into tasks can feel pointless and will eventually lack enthusiasm and engagement.

Step 2

Read the following scenario to students:

Imagine that each morning you wake up, $86,400 has been deposited into your bank account. This money is yours, and you can do whatever you want with it. However, any money you don’t spend by the end of the day disappears. The next morning there will be another $86,400 in your account, but the same thing happens - if you don’t spend it all that day, anything left vanishes. How would you spend the money to make the most of it?

Ask students to discuss their answers with a partner before sharing in a group discussion.

Step 3

Explain to students that, unlike the imaginative task they just did, they are all given 86,400 seconds a day to spend however they like (or at least a large chunk of that time). Allow them a moment to consider this fact, then ask them to reflect on why they might care more about how they’d spend this amount if it were money. Remind them time is the only thing we spend that we don’t get back.

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

It’s important to reflect on how we use (or don’t use) time effectively to help us reach our goals and visions.
It is essential to strategise and have a plan; goals can seem overwhelming or unachievable without a plan.

Discover: Making vision boards

Step 1

Provide each student with a copy of the worksheet, Wheel of Life. Ask them to consider what’s most important to them and write each factor/category into the segments. If students are unsure, encourage them to use the examples below.

Examples:

Mental health
Physical health
Relationships (friends)
Relationships (family)
Education
Hobbies & passions
Adventure & travel
Spirituality

Once each segment is labelled, encourage students to fill the segment with goals or things they want to accomplish.

Examples:

Physical health - Drink more water, run 5km without stopping, always stretch before and after exercise
Hobbies & passions - Learn how to play the guitar, read ten books a year, learn to juggle

Step 2

Announce that students will create a vision board to help them visualise big and small life goals. Explain how creating a visual representation can assist with motivation and act as a visual reminder to pursue goals actively.

Display the Vision Board example to help students understand the task and gain inspiration. Students may wish to complete their vision board digitally.

Step 3

Students can use the factors they identified on their Wheel of Life to help them plan and create their vision boards. They should consider any steps or short-term goals they may need to achieve in order to reach bigger, long-term goals. These should also be included on their vision boards.

Provide each student with a piece of A3 card along with other materials they may need to assemble their vision board. For example, a pile of old magazines, scissors and glue. Students may also wish to print out relevant images to include.

Step 4

Once students have completed their vision boards, they can share these in small groups. These could be displayed on a classroom wall, or students could take them home to place in a prominent position, such as above their desks.

Teacher note: Students who are creating their boards digitally may choose to use websites such as Canva or Google Slides.

Thrive: Personal attributes

Step 1

Pose the question, “When it comes to reaching your goals, is the journey or the destination more important?” Ask students to share their answers with a partner before facilitating a class discussion.

Use the following questions to help prompt discussion:

At what point do you develop new skills and knowledge?
At what point do you learn the most about yourself?
At what point do you acknowledge your efforts?

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

We tend to celebrate and fixate on the destination (the achievement of a goal) more than the journey (the process of obtaining the goal). However, the failed attempts, the perseverance and the learnings that occur along the way help us grow as humans. While it’s important to celebrate the outcomes, we shouldn’t ignore the skills and attributes we develop along the journey.

Step 2

Explain that students will now focus on identifying personal attributes they could call upon or develop to help them achieve their goals. For example, they can use their organisation skills to improve their study regime, or they could develop reflective skills to enhance their relationships.

Step 3

Provide each student with the Attributes Worksheet. Encourage them to use the list to identify personal attributes that would assist them in achieving each goal on their vision board. Once they’ve made their selection, have them add the words to their vision board by sticking them on (or adding them digitally). They should aim to include at least one attribute per goal.

Step 4

To wrap up, ask students to pair up and discuss the attributes they attached to their goals. Encourage them to highlight the attributes they think they already have and those they want to work on. They may wish to ask their partner for feedback or advice on how to develop the attributes they want to possess.

Skills: Visualising Goals

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

Success criteria:

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Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

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Related Professional Learning

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