Life Skills — 8th gradeTitle: Introduction to Values, Goals, and DecisionsStandard/Concept: Personal happiness is related to one’s needs, wants, values, goals, and the choices we make based on these things. Objective: Students will describe the relationship between values, decisions, and goals. Time: 15 minutesMaterials: Board and marker, dictionaryLesson Content:Lecture notes: pictures to help show how the vocabulary words are related.Vocabulary:Needs: things you have to have in order to live/survive. (For example: air, food, water, shelter, clothes, safety, love)Wants: things that you would like to have to make your life easier -- things you can live without. (For example: CDs, new clothes, TV set)Values : guidelines on how you live; your beliefs about right and wrong; (For example: freedom, honesty, trust, health, friendship, fun, money, power, love)Goals: Where you want to go – something you want in the future that will make you happy.

Short-term – will happen soon (days or weeks). (For example: To get an A in a class.) Long-term – wlll happen later (months or years). For example: Graduate from high school.)

Reaching short-term goals will help you reach long-term goals.Resources: something used to help you achieve a goal. (For example: money, time,

knowledge, things, people)Decision: a choice you make between 2 or more possibilities

Activities: 1. Lecture/Notes — Where are you going?2. 60-second power write - After the lecture, have students write as much as they can remember from the lecture for 1 minute. This helps reinforce learning.3. Vocabulary – List each word from the board and its definition; memorize them.

Summary: Teens who know how goals, values, and decisions affect each other can begin to make changes that will lead to independence and personal happiness. Application: See Individual project

Life Skills — 8th gradeTitle: Recognizing Personal ValuesStandard/concept: Values help guide your behavior and decide what is most important.Objective: Students will identify their own personal values.Time: 30 minutesMaterials: Copies of values survey, coat of arms, and ranking values. Colored pencils, scissors,Lesson Content: A list of common values from which students can identify ones that they feel represent themselves.

Activities:

1. Values survey- circle your values; underline wants, star (*) needs. (see attached page)2. Create a crossword using 10 values that fit you. Include numbers and definitions.3. Coat of arms - in each square label, draw, and color a picture of something you

value; create a motto. (see attached page)4. Value ranking – cut out values and rank them in order of their importance to you. (Curriculum guide, values and goals, p.?)

Summary: Students feel strongly about what they believe— their values. These values help to guide their behavior and will help them set worthwhile goals.

Application: see individual project

Life Skills— 8th gradeTitle: Goals and Goal-settingStandard/concept: Setting long- and short-term goals now will help them to be achieved later and help the decision-making process. Objective: Students will recognize where they want to go, what they want to become, and will set personal long- and short-term goals for change and improvement.Time: 1 dayMaterials: board and marker, copies of worksheet, envelopesLesson Content:Review the vocabulary: long-term and short-term goals.

Yesterday, you learned about your beliefs— what things are most important to you in how you live your life. Today we’re going to see where it is that you want to go in your life. Long-term goals: think about where you want to be in the future. In 5 years from now, you guys will be 18/19. Ask yourself these questions:

What will you be doing? Where will you be? Who will you be with? Areas to work on:

Physical: health, exercise, sleep, nutrition; help your body feel good.Mental: school/grades, talents/interests; give exampleEmotional: feelings; example: dealing with angerFamily/social: improve relationships in your life; give examples, ie getting

along with parents, friendsDecide on an area you want to work on. Set a goal for 5 years for where you want to be. Short-term goals: Now break your goal up into 3 smaller goals that you can reach now. You can’t eat a whole elephant, but you can eat one bite at a time. Short-term goals help you reach your long-term goal.Consider your resources: What do you need to meet your goal? (time, money, skills, people, knowledge, self-discipline) Do you have enough resources to reach your goal? If not, you will have to change your goal or figure out a way to get resources. There are many ways to reach the same goal.For example:Sometimes your goals will conflict. For example, you decided to spend more time with your family, but you also want to develop good basketball skills with your friends. How do you decide which goal comes first. You have to prioritize, or put the most important goals first. This will help you make choices when you have conflicts. Learning to prioritize your life is a key to taking responsibility and growing up. You will have to choose between your goals and values all your life. Ask these questions if you are confused about your goals:

1. Does this goal satisfy my needs and wants?2. Is it in line with my values?3. Do I have the resources I need?4. Does the goal need to be completed now or later?

Activities:1. Lecture/Notes2. A balanced life worksheet (curriculum guide, personal leadership p. 11)3. Set a long-term goal for one area in your life, and 3 short-term goals to help you reach the long-term goal. 4. Letter to yourself - Where are you going to be and what are you going to be doing in 5 years? Include family, friends, education, home, accomplishments, career, etc., ½-1 page; put it in an envelope and address it to be mailed in 5 years. It may be done in another language. 5. Teacher interview - Work with the teacher to develop a plan for improving your

grade or behavior. Follow your plan.

Summary: Setting long-term goals will help you be happy. Setting short-term goals will help you reach your long-term goals. Application: project

Life Skills— 8th gradeTitle: Making decisionsStandard/concept: Good decisions are made by analyzing the situation for the best choiceObjective: students will practice making good decisionsTime: 1 dayMaterials: board and marker, a star template for tracing, construction paper, copies of worksheets. Lesson Content:

Definition of decision: choice you make between 2 or more possibilities. Decisions are a part of life. You will always make decisions. Some decisions are easy to make; others are difficult. Not making a decision is a decision. Different people have different ways of making decisions. Small impulse decisions probably won’t do any harm. Bigger decisions require a more organized way of choosing and require more thought and analysis. The decision-making process

1. Define the problem. What is it?2. Identify alternatives/choices. What can you do?

Usually more choices than you think. Talk to others and explore options to help you see more choices.

3. Compare possible outcomes. What are the consequences of each choice?List the pros and cons of each choice in a T-graph to help you visually see. All decisions will have good and bad consequences. Do the results match your goals?

4. Make the decision. What are you going to do?Follow your priorities. Pick the choice that is best for you. Just do it, and accept the consequences.

5. Evaluate the results. Was it a good choice for you?What did you learn? What will you do next time. Were the outcomes what you expected? Comparing can help you see your strengths and weaknesses, and help you make better decisions in the future.

Activities:1. Lecture: Steps for making a good decision. 2. Outline a personal decision using the 5 steps.3. Star Art – cut out a star shape, and number 1-5; Use each point of the star to describe a decision you have made using each step for making a good decision.4. Worksheet: Thinking about your decisions.

This worksheet can be found with the Today’s Teen text:Glencoe DivisionMacMillan/McGraw Hill3008 W. Willow Knoll’s DrivePeoria, Il, 61614-1083

Summary: Making good decisions based on your goals,and values, will help you to reach your goals. Application: Project

Life Skills— 8th gradeTitle: Taking Responsibility for Your DecisionsStandard/concept: As people take responsibility for their decisions (whether positive or negative), they will increase in maturity and have more options.Objective: Students will relate why it is important to take responsibility for their choices. Time: 1-2 daysMaterials: video, index cards, copies of a decision scenario, copies of disclosure statement, copies of worksheetLesson Content: Part of growing up is learning to be responsible for yourself and what you do. Showing that you can be responsible shows that you can make good decisions. Sometimes, you will make bad decisions. We all do. You show responsibility for your choice by trying to fix the decision and make the wrong right. This shows that you can keep making good decisions. Be in charge and in control of your own life. Don’t blame your choices on others or let others make your decisions. This shows irresponsibility and immaturity. For example, if you don’t follow the decision-making process, you might choose to default or just go with what happens. You may not be happy with that choice. You might copy others, whether that choice is right for you or not. You might decide on an impulse, not knowing if the choice is right or not. However, you choose or choose not to choose, YOU are the one who must live with the consequences. For small decisions, like buying a treat, it may not matter. But for big decisions, making a poor choice can change or impact your life in ways that you don’t like. (For example: whom you date, marry, where you go to school, etc.) You have to live with your decisions. Choosing to take responsibility for your decisions means that you learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them. You can continue to make choices. If you don’t take responsibility for your decisions, that means someone else has to and your freedom and independence can be restricted ie, getting grounded, going to jail, etc.

Activities: 1. Video: Big Choices, Big Changes: You and Your Values. (415) 564-9500

Elkind and Sweet Communications, Inc.3315 Sacramento St.San Francisco, CA 94118

2. In basket/Out basket - group activity. Find or write up a scenario about a decision that needs to be made, preferably one that has several alternatives and is similar to what students would have to choose. For example: dating, drugs, school, or parents. Have students read the scenario, and write on an index card what they would do. Students

fold the card and put into a basket. Teacher reads the cards and divides students into groups based on similar choices. Each group discusses why they made that choice and makes a T-graph showing the pros and cons of the choice. One student from each group discusses the graph in front of the class, trying to convince them why their choice is the best one. Follow up by explaining that everyone is different and that one choice may work well for one person and his/her goals, and values, and not for another. Help students see that they make choices for themselves. Following their friends or family may not always be the right choices. Students need to learn how to make their own choices.3. Write 2 paragraphs, on how your choice now can affect the rest of your life.4. Sign the disclosure statement for following the rules. (Shows a decision and commitment to be responsible.)5. Decisions and You worksheet. 6. Interview your parents. What decisions did they have to make when they were your age? What were the consequences of those decisions. What would they change or keep the same? Have the parents sign the paper that they discussed. They can write up questions.Summary: Taking responsibility for yourself and your choices will create greater opportunities to grow and be independent to make bigger choices.Application: project

Life Skills— 8th gradeTitle: Independence ProjectStandard/concept: Needs, wants, values, goals, and decisions are interrelated, and must be used together to be effective.Objective: With the knowledge they have been given and learned, students can test their own skills of independence. Time: 2-3 daysMaterials: Worksheets, copies of price sheet, all types of ads, coupons, scissors, glue, copies of evaluationLesson Content: Students will identify their needs, wants, and goals in a project and make decisions. The teacher will evaluate decisions and give students one more chance to be responsible and raise their grades. Students will evaluate how well they did and what they can do to be more responsible in the future

Activities:Students are going to Las Vegas to see a concert. They have been given a certain amount of money, and must spend all or less than that amount. They don’t have enough money to do everything and must make choices. Students choose items given to them on a sheet with the prices. They must also cut out food and other things they want to buy. After the teacher evaluates, the students can change their choices and will evaluate themselves.Summary: Students receive feedback on their needs, wants, and goals, decisions, and use of resources. Students see that they can make good and bad decisions. By seeing where they made bad decisions, they can better prepare themselves to make better decisions in the future. Application: Students will have lots of decisions to make in the future for their happiness. By knowing what they value and how to set goals, they will be more prepared to make better decisions for their happiness.