I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Responsibility

Essential Question:

How can learning to manage your time increase the amount of time for your favorite activities?

Bridge:

Tug of War

Content:

Study Skills: Time Management

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: The student will realize his/her normal expenditure of time in a day.

Activity: There Are 24 Hours in a Day. Begin this activity by asking students to close their eyes and go on a trip through a normal school day. Prompt their imagery by asking them to picture: . . . getting up in the morning; . . . going through their morning routine . . . getting dressed . . . eating breakfast . . . leaving the house . . . traveling to school; . . . arriving at school . . . going through their early morning routine; . . . picturing themselves in their first hour class, second hour class . . . through the day; . . . picturing themselves at lunch; . . . at the end of the day . . . traveling home . . .; . . . going through their normal routine after school until dinner . . .; . . . eating dinner . . . going through their normal evening routine; . . . getting ready for and going to bed. Discuss the guided imagery trip. How many could easily picture a 'normal' day? Did anyone have trouble? Why? Did anything surprise you as you pictured it? Ask students to keep these images in their minds as they go through the following activity. Pass out the '24 Hours in a Day' activity sheet. Explain that each piece of the 'pie' represents one hour in the day. Students are to fill out their expenditure of time during a 'normal' school day on this circle. Explain how to develop a key using color coding. Allow time for students to complete their wheels.

Assessment: A measure of the student's insight into his/her normal time expenditure is seen in his/her completed 24 hour wheel as well as his/her responses in discussion.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: The student will realize his/her normal expenditure of time in a day.

Activity: Discussion. Once the wheels are complete, discuss student findings. . . . How much time do you spend sleeping? After eliciting responses, show students that if they get the normal 8 hours of sleep each night, they are using 1/3 of their 24 hours in a day. . . . How much time do you spend in school? After rounding off the estimated time going to and from school as well as being in school, the average student at Nipher spends 7 hours a day at school are added to the 8 spent sleeping, they represent 15 hours a day which are 'set in stone.' That is, students don't have much choice over how they spend these hours. . . . How much time do you have left? Nine hours remain. All other daily activities fit into these nine hours. . . . What other things do you have to do during a normal day? Think of chores, lessons, sports teams, personal hygiene, etc. Add up these times and subtract them from the nine hours which remained. The result represents the amount of time which the student has to spend in the way he/she likes.

Assessment: Student responses during the discussion provide a measure of his/her understanding of daily time allocations.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: The student will relate his/her actions to a conscious/unconscious decision as to how time is allocated.

Activity: Tug of War. Provide students with a large rope to use in a tug of war. Explain that in this tug of war, the two sides are both found within our own heads. One side represents our desires. (Assign this to one end of the rope.) The other side represents our conscience which is telling us what we should do. (Assign this to the other end of the rope.) In other words, on one side we find the things we want to do and on the other we find the things we don't want to do. Explain to the students that they are to listen to each situation and identify the thing the student wants to do and the thing s/he feels s/he should do. As each description is discussed, one student writes the thing desired on a sheet of paper and another writes the thing which needs to be done and stands on the corresponding side of the rope. They grab the ends of the rope and tug to show the interaction of the two. After all situations are analyzed, ask the students to show how the rope might pull if . . . 1) a teacher called to tell your mom that you aren't finishing your homework. 2) tomorrow is a holiday. 3) you have tickets to a baseball game tonight. 4) grade cards come home in two weeks. 5) your older sister gets in trouble for not doing her work. 6) Christmas is next week. 7) your teachers talked with you today and asked you to do your best. 8) you got in a fight with your best friend. 9) your mom and/or dad is out of town. 10) you got an 'A' on a math test today. 11) you are tired because you didn't get enough sleep last night. 12) you have a lot of work to make up from being out of school sick last week. 13) you get mad at yourself because you forgot to bring home a book. 14) your favorite tv program is on tonight. 15) you want to get good grades. Situation for the Tug of War 1. Teddy really likes to play soccer. He usually plays every day after school. Today he had to go to the dentist after school. Right now it's 8 o'clock. He's had dinner and doesn't have to go to bed until 10 o'clock. He knows he has a big project due tomorrow and he hasn't done much on it, but he really wants to play soccer. What is tugging at Teddy? 2. Maria has a special day in store for her today. After school her grandmother is coming to visit. She is going to take Maria shopping to buy her new clothes for her birthday. After shopping, they will return home where her mother is preparing a special birthday feast. Her family will celebrate her birthday. She'll open presents and blow out candles on a cake. Her special day will be over by 8 which leaves her with plenty of time to do her homework, but she somehow doesn't want to do it. What is tugging at Maria? 3. Jessie has a lot of homework to do. It seems like she has something to do for every teacher. Since she hasn't done any homework for three nights, things have really piled up. If she starts right after she gets home, she might get done by ten o'clock tonight. Jessie just doesn't want to do it. She feels like crying. What is tugging at Jessie? 4. It's Wednesday and that means church day. Nickie knows that she has church class from 7 to 8:30 tonight. Right after school she has a piano lesson and then she has to babysit her little brother so her mother can take her older brother to his baseball practice. She knows she has an hour of homework to do tonight, but her favorite tv program comes on at 9. It lasts until 10 and that's when she has to be in bed. What is tugging at Nickie? 5. Justin hates to work. He's not particular. He doesn't like to do any kind of work--yard work, homework, housework--nothing. He just wants to play. It doesn't matter how much play time he's had, it's never enough--particularly if there's work to be done. What should be tugging at Justin? 6. Kay's team won the championship game today! They are the best volleyball team in their league. Kay was so worked up she couldn't get anything done before the game. She talked to friends on the phone and rode her bike around. After the game, the coach took the team out for pizza. They celebrated until 8:30. It was almost 9 before she got home. The day had taken its toll on her. She was beat. All she wanted to do was to go to bed, but there on her desk was an English assignment she knew she should do. What was tugging at Kay?

Assessment: Student responses will indicate whether or not s/he understands the time decision that is being made in each situation.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: The student will be able to develop time plans allowing for the completion both of those things he/she wants to do and those things he/she needs to do.

Activity: Critical Thinking Skill: Planning. Introduce the students to the critical thinking skill of planning. Work through the skill lesson fashioned according to the Deductive Thinking Plan which follows. Critical Thinking Skill: Planning Concept: Planning helps make a task more manageable by breaking it into parts which can be completed in segments over a period of time. Objectives: 1. The student will be able to identify the steps included in the planning process. 2. The student will be able to analyze situations for the correct use of the planning process. 3. The student will be able to use the process to make long-term plans for completing a class project. Materials: 'Planning' poster, modeling exercise material: sample project assignment, 'The Perfect Saturday' worksheet, blank planning sheet, blank timeline sheet. Procedure 1. Mental Set Present the students with the following problem to solve in their groups. Explain that they are to imagine that they have been given the opportunity to invite six of their friends over on Saturday to celebrate their birthday. As part of their birthday gift, their parents have pledged to let them plan the perfect Saturday (within reason). However, part of the deal is that they do all the planning. The perfect Saturday will start at 10 a.m. and will go until 10 p.m. Plans have to account for all of this time. Everyone in the group will need to agree with the final choices. One list is to be completed for each group and a group member will be chosen at random to share the group's plans with the class. After allowing a work time, share plans with the class. Post on the board. Ask students what services they will need (transportation), what resources they will need, how everyone will know when and where to meet, etc. Discuss some of the other things which need to be determined and have been omitted in the plans as they are now. 2. Rationale/Objectives Explain to the students that developing and using good plans can help them better accomplish tasks more efficiently. One example of such a long-range task is an insect collection. The purpose of the following skill lesson is to help students learn the steps of the planning process and how to apply them. 3. Input Have students turn to a partner and try to answer the question: What do you think is the first thing you should do when making plans? After several minutes, have groups volunteer their answers. Hand out a 'Perfect Sat.' sheet to each group. Go over the steps to follow in developing good plans: 1) Decide what you want to do. As you identify what you want to do, weigh the various alternatives to determine the one most to your liking. Then explain your choice to a friend as completely as possible, changing it where necessary. By the time you have finished this step, you should have a clear picture of what you hope to accomplish. Turn to your partners. Complete this step for your perfect Saturday plans. 2) Make a list of all materials and resources which you will need to complete your project. In your mind, review what you just decided to do, asking yourself, "What will I need?", every step of the way. Try to imagine all of the little things as well as the big ones. For example, if you are going to prepare breakfast, you will need not only food, but also cooking utensils and small items such as salt and pepper. Write down all of the things you will need. Turn to your partners. Complete this step for your perfect Saturday plans. 3) Next, carefully list all of the steps you will follow in the correct order to complete your task. Be careful to include all of the things which you will need to do. Again, review what you have decided to do, asking yourself what to do next each step of the way. Write the steps in the order which you will follow. Turn to your partners. Complete this step for your perfect Saturday plans. 4) Finally, make a list of all the things which could go wrong. By considering the things which might come in the way of your successfully completing your project, you are developing a better idea of the specific problems which you might encounter. You will also automatically come up with possible solutions. You may want to make some changes in your plans here. You may also choose different alternatives if the one chosen doesn't work as you carry out your plan. *** THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT YOU KNOW YOU WILL HAVE PROBLEMS. IT IS RATHER A PRECAUTIONARY STEP WHICH EVERYONE NEEDS TO WORK THORUGH. Turn to your partners and complete this step for your perfect Saturday plans. 4. Check for Understanding/Modeling Once group plans are complete, one member of each group to be randomly selected to share the group's plans with the next clockwise group. The receiving group should make sure that the plans are complete. All problems should be written down by a recorder and given to the visitor who is taking them back to the group which needs to make changes until the sharing group ok's the plans by signing them. The teacher should monitor group work, checking that the plans are correct and that the groups are working well. Also let the students know that they will be monitored on the skill of having all group members participate and complete their roles. 5. Modeling/Check for Understanding/Guided Practice Return to the topic of long-range school assignments. Explain to the students that these steps can be used in planning to complete schoolwork. Go over several examples of such projects, at least one of which should be an actual assignment made on the team. Ask students in their groups to make plans for completing a real assignment--plans which they think they could follow. Again, students are to complete one plan and will be selected at random to share the plans with the class. Plans are to be posted on the board as they are shared. They should then be compared/contrasted--How are they alike and how are they different? . . . and why? Introduce one final aid in completing long-range assignments--a timeline. Show students how to break the large task into smaller bits which can be done over time. These smaller bits can then be written on a calendar in order to show when they are to be done. Go over an example using a sample timeline on the overhead. Have students turn to their partners and make a timeline to follow. Once complete, students should all sign the final plans and timeline, indicating that they will use them to complete the long-range assignment. Group members will check each week to be sure that all group members are on time with their project parts. Introduce a final activity on time management. Working in groups, students are to design and perform a commercial which gives a public service announcement about the importance of time management. Brainstorm with the class the many people who would benefit from planning their time expenditure and how. Discuss ways to approach the commercial. Once groups have finished, have them present their skit to the class. 6. Closure Ask students to finish the statement: I think that time management . . . Steps to Follow in Planning: 1. Decide what you want to do. 2. Make a list of all materials and resources which you will need. 3. List all the steps which you will follow in the correct order. 4. Make a list of the things which could go wrong. The Perfect Saturday Use the steps in the planning process in order to plan the perfect Saturday for you and a group of six friends to go from 10 o'clock in the morning until 10 o'clock in the evening. Write your plans below. Step 1: Tell what you will do on your perfect Saturday. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Step 2: List the materials and resources you will need. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Step 3: List the steps in order that you will need to follow. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Step 4: List problems you might have. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

Assessment: The student's completion of the plans for a "Perfect Saturday' provide a measure of his/her mastery of the concepts both of the planning process and of time management.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: The student will be able to use the planning process to make plans for spending time on a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule.

Activity: Plan Your Time. Introduce weekly time schedules. Share examples with the students and show them how to fill them out. Together go through the steps in the planning process as the schedule is completed. Step 1: Describe what you are going to do. Develop a time plan to schedule daily plans for a week in order to fit in both those things I need to do and those things I want to do. Step 2: List the materials you will need. I will need a weekly schedule form and pencil. I will also need to know of all the obligations I have for the week, i.e., all scheduled lessons, chores, social engagements, etc. Step 3: List the steps in order that you will follow. 1) Ask my mother to help me identify the obligations I have for the week. 2) Gather a schedule form, a pencil, and an eraser. 3) Enter my obligations onto my schedule first. 4) Fill in with the things I most definitely want to do. 5) Identify the remaining time as flexible time--left for free time, but available for other things if needed. Step 4: Make a list of the things which might go wrong--and possible solutions for the problems. 1) I might have a lot of homework one night. Solution: use some of my flexible time. 2) I might have to babysit my little brother. Solution: adjust my flex time. 3) I might have to go to the dentist. Solution: skip ball practice. 4) I might have family company one evening. Solution: do my homework right after school. Once plans are complete, help students to fill in a weekly schedule. Once weekly plans are made, introduce the subject of long-range planning. Brainstorm and list the types of projects which are completed over a week or more. Discuss the special problems which they may present. Show students how to use the planning process to help with long-range plans. Model the use of the process in a present assignment. Ask students to complete project plans and a monthly schedule for breaking down the identified tasks.

Assessment: The plans completed provide the basis for evaluation of student mastery of this quadrant's objective.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: The student will act as a specialist to solve sample time management problems.

Activity: Timely Advice. Return to the students mentioned in the tug of war activity. Working in teams, students are to select one problem, discuss possible solutions, list solutions on a chart showing how to alter a daily schedule to allow for needed changes, and to share them with the class.

Assessment: The student will show his/her understanding of time management through solutions made for given problems.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: The student will identify a common time allocation problem and will create a public service commercial giving possible solutions for the problem.

Activity: Public Service Announcement. Working in groups, students are to identify a common time management problem shared by students in their age group. The group is then to present the problem and possible solutions in a public service commercial which is given to the class.

Assessment: An evaluation of student mastery of the objective follows the completion of the commercial.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: The student will identify a common time allocation problem and will give possible solutions for the problem in a public service commercial.

Activity: Public Service Announcement. Groups are to practice their skills and prepare all props needed. They then present their commercials to the class. The skits are videotaped to be shared with parents at Open House.

Assessment: The identification of a time management problem and the possible solutions given provide a measure of student mastery of the objective.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: