Cognitive Function and Learning Explained

Module Five

Planning

Goal: Students will be able to create effective weekly, daily, and assignment plans utilizing concepts such as prioritization, chunking, and time blocking. They will also understand that effective planning starts with prioritizing and how to discern a protocol for determining priority.

Essential Questions:

  1. What elements of a task determine its priority?
  2. How do you determine what takes priority?
  3. What systems or techniques can be used to keep track of tasks once priority has been established?
  4. What obstacles can prevent effective planning?

Assessment Evidence:

  • Performance Tasks:
    • Pre and post-assessment surveys to measure students’ understanding of effective planning skills.
    • Case studies or scenarios where students apply planning and prioritization concepts.
    • Student reflections/journals.
  • Other Evidence:
    • Observations and discussions during class activities.

Resources and Materials:

  • Module Five Slideshow and Module Five PDF
  • Brainstorming and writing tools (whiteboard, paper, pencils, notebooks, etc.)
  • Optional: Planners, digital tools, or planning printouts.

Part One: Introduction to Effective Planning

Objective: Students will understand the importance of effective planning and how prioritization, chunking, and time blocking contribute to successful planning.

  1. Have students take the “Planning Self-Assessment” in the Module Five Slideshow/PDF.
  2. Engage students in a discussion on the challenges of managing time and tasks effectively.
  3. Introduce the concepts of prioritization, chunking, and time blocking using the Module Five Slideshow/PDF. 
  4. Have students practice prioritizing tasks and creating a simple daily plan using these concepts.
  5. Discuss how students utilized the concepts in their plan for the day.
  6. Resume regular classroom procedures.
  7. Recommended: At the end of the school day, have students reflect on their daily plans. Things to reflect on include whether or not they followed through on their plans, obstacles that got in the way, and ways they might adjust their plan if they made it again.

Part Two: Elements of Task Priority

Objective: Students will identify and understand the elements that determine task priority.

  1. Present a scenario from the “Planning Case Studies” in the Module Five PDF.
  2. Introduce the Eisenhower Matrix, including elements such as deadlines, importance, urgency, and impact on goals that determine task priority, using the Module Five Slideshow and PDF.
  3. Have students analyze tasks and determine priorities based on the identified elements in the “Planning Case Studies.” 
  4. Facilitate a discussion in which students explain their prioritization decisions.
  5. Resume regular classroom procedures.

Part Three: Techniques for Determining Priority

Objective: Students will learn and apply techniques for determining task priority.

  1. Use the Module Five Slideshow/PDF to present real-life examples where different techniques for determining priority are used.
  2. Reinforce the Eisenhower Matrix and introduce the ABCDE method and value-based prioritization. Explain each technique and how it can be applied to different types of tasks.
  3. Have students practice using these techniques to prioritize tasks from their own lives or school work for the day or week. 
  4. Discuss their rationale for their prioritization choices and how they would affect their daily or weekly plan. 
  5. Resume regular classroom procedures.

Part Four: Tracking Systems and Tools

Objective: Students will explore and use various systems and tools for tracking tasks once priority has been established.

  1. Facilitate a discussion focused on the challenges of staying organized and tracking tasks effectively.
  2. Introduce digital tools (e.g., task management apps, calendars) and physical tools (e.g., planners, sticky notes) for task tracking. Examples are provided in the Module Five Slideshow.
  3. Explain the features and benefits of different task-tracking systems and tools.
  4. Have students choose and use a task-tracking system or tool to manage their prioritized tasks. An alternative option is to give students time to explore or create planning systems that suit their needs.
  5. Once students have chosen their desired system or tool and taken time to implement it, resume regular classroom procedures.

Part Five: Overcoming Obstacles to Effective Planning

Objective: Students will identify common obstacles to effective planning and develop strategies to overcome them. They will also identify how planning connects to metacognition, cognitive flexibility, and perseverance. 

  1. Present scenarios from the “Planning Scenarios” activity where planning obstacles (e.g., procrastination, unexpected events) arise.
  2. Discuss common obstacles to effective planning and their impact on task management.
  3. Introduce strategies such as time management techniques, setting realistic goals, and managing distractions using the Module Five Slideshow and PDF.
  4. Discuss how cognitive flexibility, metacognition, and perseverance play a role when planning and encountering planning obstacles.
  5. Have students create a plan for overcoming a specific planning obstacle they face. 
  6. Resume regular classroom procedures. 
  7. Students can reflect on their plan and if their strategies were effective at the end of class/school time.
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