My Future Priorities

Overview

In this first lesson of Designing My Future Life, students begin a visual “future self” profile. They sort cards representing values, strengths, interests, needs, and wellness habits, then choose priorities for a realistic future scenario. The lesson builds self-awareness and prepares students to make informed personal, educational, and career decisions.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• I can identify values, strengths, needs, interests, and wellness habits that influence my decisions.
• I can explain three personal priorities for my future.
• I can connect one personal strength to a possible goal.
• I can identify one wellness support that could help me reach a goal.

Success criteria

• I can select and explain three personal priorities.
• I can connect one of my strengths to a possible future goal.
• I can identify one wellness habit, person, or service that supports my well-being.
• I can listen to others and communicate my choices respectfully.

Curriculum links

• Self-awareness and communication through reflection, discussion, and explaining personal choices.
• Personal well-being through identifying needs, wellness habits, and supports.
• Connecting scientific explorations to careers in science by considering how personal strengths and interests may relate to future pathways.
• Contributing to care for self, others, community, and world through individual and collaborative approaches.
• Cooperatively designing projects with local and/or global connections and applications as students begin planning a personal future profile.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook and check-in. Teacher opens the hook and learning-intention slides with the question, “What would make your future life feel successful and healthy?” and models a quick think-aloud using one value and one wellness habit. Students choose or point to an image that represents something important to them and briefly share, write, or indicate their response.

2. 4–8 min · Teach the categories. Teacher uses the category explanation slides to introduce values, strengths, interests, needs, and wellness supports, giving one age-appropriate example of each. Students help classify two or three example cards and show a thumbs-up, gesture, or verbal response when they understand a category.

3. 8–17 min · Card sort. Teacher gives each student a tactile sorting mat and a small mixed set of high-contrast picture-and-word cards; directions are given one step at a time, with a visual timer and frequent check-ins. Students sort cards into the five categories, then choose cards that feel personally meaningful, using the card-sort instruction slide as a visual reminder.

4. 17–23 min · Choose future priorities. Teacher presents a realistic scenario on the future scenario and discussion slides: “You are planning your life after high school. You want work or training, supportive relationships, enough money for needs, and time to stay healthy.” Students complete the future self priority profile by selecting three priorities, connecting one strength to a possible goal, and naming one wellness support. Students may draw, circle, dictate, use speech-to-text, or respond orally while the teacher records their words.

5. 23–27 min · Partner explanation. Teacher pairs students and displays sentence frames on the explanation and partner-share slide. Students explain one choice to a partner: “One priority I chose is ___ because ___”; “A strength I have is ___, which could help me ___”; and “A wellness support I could use is ___.” Partners practise active listening and may ask, “Why is that important to you?”

6. 27–30 min · Plenary and exit check. Teacher revisits the learning intention using the plenary slide and asks each student to share one completed success criterion. Students finish with the traffic-light check-in exit ticket by marking red, yellow, or green and completing one prompt: “One choice I understand is…” or “One choice I need help with is…”

Resources

• My Values, Strengths, and Wellness slide deck
• the future self priority profile
• Teacher-prepared value, strength, interest, need, and wellness cards
• Tactile sorting mats or five labelled table spaces
• Visual timer
• High-contrast card images and labels
• Pencils, coloured pencils, and sticky notes
• Optional headphones, text-to-speech, and audio directions

Assessment

• During the card sort, check whether students can distinguish at least three categories and prompt them to explain or demonstrate their reasoning.
• Review the profile for three selected priorities, one strength-to-goal connection, and one wellness support; accept verbal, drawn, dictated, or written responses.
• Use the exit ticket to identify students needing reteaching or one-to-one support before the next lesson.

Differentiation

• Provide picture-based cards, colour coding, uncluttered high-contrast text, and a tactile sorting mat. Use Arial or OpenDyslexic font, short read-aloud passages, audio instructions, and text-to-speech.
• Chunk directions into one action at a time, model the first sort, use sentence frames, and offer verbal, pointing, drawing, dictation, or speech-to-text responses.
• Seat students where the teacher can provide close supervision and frequent private check-ins. Use a visual timer, clear transition warnings, and specific praise for focused participation.
• For students requiring more support, reduce the number of cards, offer two choices at a time, provide one-to-one prompting, and allow a quiet workspace or short regulation break.

Extension

• Students rank their three priorities in a simple decision matrix, scoring each from 1–3 for importance and health or practical impact.
• Students explain a possible conflict between two values, such as earning more money and having more time for family or rest, and suggest a balanced choice.