English

Oral Language 6.1, 6.2, 7.1

Organization Is the Key. . .

This activity allows students to assess and develop organizational skills that are crucial to successful leadership.

Steps To Complete the Activity

Students are given a list of 15 tasks that must be completed in one week. Each student should organize the tasks on a weekly calendar. The tasks include

• You must complete applications to join two clubs at school by Thursday afternoon.
• Your mother says that you must clean your room from top to bottom or you can’t go out this weekend.
• You have soccer practice from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday.
• You have a huge test on four chapters of history on Friday, and you haven’t read three of the chapters.
• You have a dance on Saturday night.
• Your mother wants you to visit your grandparents on Sunday afternoon.
• You have 20 math problems to do for Wednesday.
• You have a committee meeting for the Fall Dance on Tuesday before school.
• You have a French test on Thursday.
• You have to baby sit from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
• You have been invited to a friend’s birthday party on Saturday afternoon, and you have to go to the mall to buy a present before the party.
• You have six worksheets to do for your health class.
• You want to go to a special movie before it leaves town on Thursday.
• You have to go to the drama club meeting on Thursday afternoon.
• You have to help your father clean out the garage before Sunday night.

Discussion

After students have finished their calendars, the teacher should lead a discussion about how students chose priorities and how they decided what to do when. A master calendar could be created by the whole class. Students may wish to create an individual weekly calendar to organize their real tasks and assignments.

Instructional Materials and Resources

Teachers should provide students with a blank weekly calendar. For additional

information or ideas, the teacher may consult the following source: Fiscus, Lyn, ed. Leadership Curriculum Guide. Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals, 1995.