Premier Leadership · Personal Growth · Career Success

Prioritizing Tasks in Life

This FFA lesson plan, “Prioritizing Tasks in Life,” teaches students to identify and prioritize the most important aspects of their lives and distinguish urgent from important tasks. Using the “Rock, Pebbles, and Sand Story” video along with a “Life in a Jar” worksheet and an “Eisenhower Matrix” worksheet, students learn to sort their priorities and create a schedule to complete tasks.

At a glance

Learning objectives
  • Prioritize what aspects of their lives is most important to them.
  • Differentiate which tasks are the most urgent and important in their lives.
  • Create a schedule to complete the tasks in their lives.
Time required
50 minutes
Materials
  • Access to the video “Rock, Pebbles, and Sand Story” – https://youtu.be/v5ZvL4as2y0
  • A copy of the “Life in a Jar” worksheet for each student
  • A copy of the “Eisenhower Matrix” worksheet for each student
  • Optional – A jar, rocks, pebbles, and sand to do an in class demonstration
Resources
FFA.org
Suggested Use
Incorporate any of these activities into the class curriculum before and during the following: 1. Collaborative or group projects. 2. Organizing activities or priorities.

Downloads & Links

Aligned Standards

AFNR Career Ready Practices

  • CRP.01Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee.
  • CRP.04Communicate clearly, effectively, and with reason. Career-ready individuals communicate thoughts, ideas and action plans with clarity, whether using written, verbal and/or visual methods.
  • CRP.06Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
  • CRP.08Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Career-ready individuals readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to solve the problem.
  • CRP.09Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management.
  • CRP.12Work productively in teams while using cultural/global competence.

Common Core – Speaking and Listening

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

FFA Precept

FFA Precepts

Next Generation Science

  • HS-ETS1-3Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

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