Setting Goals

Lesson 13: Setting Goals

More Practice With I STOP'D

3 Cs
F I care about myself.
I care about others.
I care about my community.
Teacher Notes
Help students to understand and invite them to state clearly:
I have the right to care about myself.
I have the responsibility to make smart choices when I care about myself.

Preparation
Copies
Worksheets: Plan for Success (see page 80)
Materials
magazines, Internet images, personal artwork, photos, etc.

Vocabulary
goal long-term
short-term lifelong

Lesson at a Glance
Introduction
1. Define Goals
Strategies
2. Short-Term, Long-Term, And Lifelong Goals
3. Goal Setting Pantomime
4. Balloon Demonstration and Metaphor
5. Plan for Success
Conclusion
6. Be It, See It

Core Curriculum Objectives and Standards

Objectives
Recognize the importance of setting short-term, long-term, and lifelong goals.
Standards
7060-0103 Develop personal assets that promote resiliency.

Sixth grade page 77

 Introduction 1. Define Goal
Lesson 13: Setting Goals

Discussion • What is a goal?

something desired and worked toward
• What are some examples of goals?
getting an “A” on a test, saving for a CD, practicing the piano, making an athletic team,
being a good friendm graduating from the sixth grade.
• What goals have you achieved?
learning to ride a bike, never missing a day of school, or saving your money for a
special toy.
• How did you feel after you achieved your goal?
• Why are goals important and what can they do for you?
gives a purpose for work, increase effectiveness, better decision making, have more
confidence
Strategies 2. Short-Term, Long-Term, And Lifelong Goals
Discussion • What is an example of a short-term goal?
• What is an example of a long-term goal?
• What is an example of a lifelong goal?
• How are short-term, long-term, and lifelong goals the same? Different?
• How can short-term goals help achieve long-term/lifelong goals?
• What goal could you achieve in the next 24 hours?
• What goal could you achieve within a year?
• What career would you like to pursue in the future?
• What lifelong goals do you have?
• How can using I STOP'D help you to acheive your goals?
You may wish to review the lesson #6, I STOP'D
Game 3. Goal Setting Pantomime
• Divide the class in to small groups of three to five students.
• Each student decides on a short, long-term or lifelong goal.
• The student pantomimes his or her goal to the small group.
• The group tries to guess the goal being pantomimed.
Object Lesson 4. Balloon Demonstration and Metaphor
• Balloons come in different shapes, sizes, and colors, and all have a
special beauty. We all have some of the same goals in life, but how we
achieve them may be different.
• Different goals make interesting people and help people have an
interesting life.
• Have three students blow up a balloon of different sizes, shapes, and colors and leave
the balloon untied.
• Have them hold the untied balloons and stand at the front of the room.
• How are these balloons different?
• How are these balloons the same?
• How are goals like these balloons?
Goals can be short- or long-term, different kinds and sizes, color
our lives in different ways, be bigger or smaller, difficult to start, or
difficult or easy to hold.
Sometimes the hardest part is starting the goal and sometimes
the hardest part is accomplishing the goal.
• Sometimes the hardest parts to blowing up a balloon
are getting it started and tying the knot. Likewise,
sometimes setting a goal is easy and sometimes
working through and accomplishing the goal is the
hard part.
Sixth grade page 78
 • Have the first student tie her or his balloon.

Lesson 13: Setting Goals

• A person with more “pucker power” than you can be a great help in
starting stubborn balloons. We may never get started on a goal until
someone gives us help or a boost.
• If you don’t have a tight grip on your balloon and tie it off, it might flutter
and sputter away from you.
• Likewise, with a goal, you need to keep working on a goal, or it might
just sputter away.
• One way to tie off your goals is to write them down and post them where
they are easily seen and reviewed.
• What other ways could you start and keep your goals?
• Have the second student release his or her balloon.
• If your balloon gets going in the wrong direction, the best thing to do is
let the air out, and start again.
• Don’t be afraid to start over when you realize your goal isn’t exactly what
you expected.
• How can starting over with a goal be a smart choice?
• Give the third student some safety goggles and have him or her blow up a balloon until
it pops.
• Sometimes balloons will keep expanding until they pop.
• Setting unrealistic goals or bragging can backfire.
• How could bragging or setting unrealistic goals be a foolish choice?
• Sometimes there are other obstacles that might deflate a balloon or
cause it to pop.
• What kinds of obstacles might get in the way of goals?
• Having a written goal is like having an inflated balloon. It is fun and
healthy
• You can carry it around with you and you can enjoy it for a very long
time.
• Sometimes making a foolish choice is like letting a bit of air out of the
balloon. You still have the option to blow it up and keep going.
• Sometimes, making a very foolish choice is like popping the balloon. You
lose what you had and it is very hard to get it back.
Worksheet 5. Plan for Success
• Distribute the student worksheet, "Plan for Success: A Short-Term Goal.
Discussion • We will practice writing down a goal and creating a plan of action to
acheive that goal.
• We can use I STOP'D to help us with the goal.
• Think about your goal and ask yourself –
Who are some people who can help me acheive my goal?
If my goal involves others, how can I get a win-win?
What options do I have?
What will I do each day to acheive my goal?
Conclusion 6. See It, Be It
Collage • Collect pictures or images that visually express your
dreams, career goals, aspirations, and visions.
• Tape or stick the pictures on a poster to create a
collage of your dreams and goals.
Display student collages.
Sixth grade page 79
 Plan for Success:
Lesson 13: Setting Goals

A Short-Term Goal
Choose a goal that you can accomplish in one week.
Break the goal down into smaller goals that you can do each day.
Use I STOP'D to come up with options you can do each day to reach your goal.
Evaluate your Plan for Success each day by completing the "What I did" column.

Describe your goal:

PROGRESS CHART

Day What will I do? Who will help me? What I did/How I felt.
1

1. Describe your progress.

2. How do you feel about the progress you made?

3. If you didn't reach your goal, stop and think. What options do you have to create a plan of
action to complete your goal?
Sixth grade page 80