Setting Goals and Planning

Overview

This 45-minute lesson is lesson 6 of 7 in the unit "Empowering Personal Growth", designed for Year 7 students (age 11-12). It focuses on teaching students how to set SMART goals and develop a personal action plan, using characters from The Breadwinner as inspiration. This lesson directly addresses the statutory Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education requirements outlined in the National Curriculum for England.

---

National Curriculum Links

• Health and Wellbeing:
  • Key Stage 3: "Learn to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing, including setting personal goals."
  • Understanding that different strategies can be used for goal setting and planning.
• PSHE Association Programme of Study (recommended for KS3):
  • Health and Wellbeing: "How to set SMART goals for self-improvement and personal ambition."
  • Living in the Wider World: "Developing confidence and self-efficacy to manage personal progress."
• Statutory Guidance:
  • DfE statutory guidance on PSHE (2021) emphasises personal goal setting as part of self-development, helping young people manage goals around mental health, learning, and aspirations.

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand what SMART goals are and why they are effective for personal and academic growth.
2. Analyse characters from The Breadwinner to identify examples of determination, goal-setting, and planning.
3. Create at least one SMART goal relevant to their own lives.
4. Develop a clear, actionable personal plan to achieve their goal, using a step-by-step process.

---

Resources Needed

• Copies or extracts of The Breadwinner (key sections that focus on Parvana or other characters’ challenges and goals)
• Whiteboard and markers
• SMART Goals worksheet (with examples and templates)
• Personal Action Plan template (print or digital)
• Sticky notes and pens
• Timer or stopwatch
• Projector or interactive whiteboard (for displaying images and key concepts)

---

Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and engage students.

• Begin with a quick discussion:
  • "What is a goal?"
  • "Have you ever had a goal you wanted to achieve? What was it?"
• On the whiteboard, create a mind map of the students’ responses. Highlight differences between general wishes and structured goals.

---

2. Introduction to SMART Goals (10 minutes)

Objective: Define and explore the SMART acronym as a goal-setting framework.

• Present the SMART framework on the board:
  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time-bound
• Use simple, relatable examples – e.g., "I want to improve my reading," vs. "I will read one book a month for the next three months."
• Ask students to identify which example fits the SMART criteria.
• Hand out the SMART Goals worksheet that includes definitions and examples.

---

3. Character Analysis: Learning from The Breadwinner (10 minutes)

Objective: Use literature to inspire and contextualise goal setting.

• Recap briefly who Parvana (or chosen character) is and the challenges she faces.
• Read aloud or share an extract that shows how Parvana demonstrates goal-setting or planning.
• In pairs, students discuss and list the goals or steps Parvana took to change her circumstances or achieve something important.
• Regroup and share: Teacher writes up examples on the board, pointing out implicit SMART goals.

---

4. Creating Personal SMART Goals (10 minutes)

Objective: Empower students to apply SMART criteria to their own goals.

• Students write down one personal or academic goal they want to achieve, using the SMART worksheet as guidance.
• Encourage specificity: E.g., instead of "get better at maths," try "complete all maths homework this term and improve my test score by 10%."
• Circulate and provide support, prompting students to refine their goal in pairs (peer feedback).

---

5. Developing a Personal Action Plan (7 minutes)

Objective: Plan concrete steps to achieve their SMART goals.

• Hand out the Personal Action Plan template.
• Model the process by completing a sample plan on the board, breaking down a goal into small actionable steps with timelines.
• Students complete their own action plans, listing at least 3 steps with target dates and identifying resources or support needed.
• Encourage realistic time frames considering school and home contexts.

---

6. Plenary and Reflective Sharing (3 minutes)

Objective: Reflect on learning and encourage ongoing goal pursuit.

• Invite 2-3 volunteers to share their SMART goals and one action step.
• Ask: "How might setting and planning your goals help you in the future?"
• Summarise key points: Clear goals + planning = progress and personal growth.

---

Assessment

• Formative assessment through:
  • Observation during pair discussions and individual goal-setting tasks.
  • Review of completed SMART goals worksheets and action plans to ensure understanding of criteria.
• Peer feedback during SMART goal refinement encourages critical thinking.
• Teacher notes on student verbal contributions in plenary will gauge engagement and understanding.

---

Differentiation & Support

• Support: Provide scaffolded worksheets with sentence starters for students needing extra help.
• Extension: Challenge more able students to create a longer-term goal spanning a term or year and identify potential barriers.
• Use of visual aids and concrete examples to suit different learning styles.

---

Cross-Curricular Links

• English: Reading and analysing The Breadwinner supports literacy skills.
• Citizenship: Empowering students with self-efficacy and resilience.
• Maths: Understanding ‘measurable’ in SMART goals links to data and progress monitoring.

---

Reflection for Teachers

• Observe which students find goal-setting intuitive versus those who struggle with specificity or time management concepts.
• Consider follow-up activities in last lesson to review goal progress and adapt plans.
• Reflect on the emotional impact of The Breadwinner and ensure appropriate support if sensitive issues arise.

---

This lesson plan combines literacy, critical thinking, and personal development in an engaging way that meets the statutory PSHE curriculum. It uses a rich literary text to inspire and contextualise learning, helping Year 7 students build a toolkit for empowering their own personal growth.