Provide "acknowledged body of knowledge" related to the concept. Emphasize the most significant aspects of the concept in an organized, organic manner. Present information sequentially so students see continuity. Draw attention to important, discrete details; don't swamp students with myriad facts.

Critical Thinking Skill: Planning

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.