Provide a metaview, lifting students into a wider view of the concept. Use another medium (not reading or writing) to connect students' personal knowing to the concept (i.e. visual arts, music, movement, metaphor, etc.) Involve learners in reflective production that blends the emotional and the cognitive.

Tug of War

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.