This document outlines an activity to demonstrate how goal difficulty impacts success. Students throw balls into bins placed at increasing distances. They then discuss how their success changed and how this relates to setting realistic yet challenging goals in school. The document also provides examples of students stating their goals and steps to achieve them, such as getting better grades or improving athletic performance. Students are then guided to identify their own short, medium, and long-term goals and steps to work towards them.

2. Purpose: To take a look at what
it takes to plan for the future
Learning Targets Assessments
1. I can describe what makes 1. Discussion
an effective goal.
2. I can identify some goals 2. Goals sheet
I have for this year.

3. Goals—Do they matter?
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Cheshire Cat: Very well. Third
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ought
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4. Needed
4 tape balls
1 box/ trash can
(clean)/ recycling
bin
1 volunteer

5.  Tosser: Stand about 2 feet away from
garbage can/box
 Throw the 4 tape balls one-at-a-time and see
how many you can get into the can/box.

6.  Teacher, move the bin as far away as possible
from the tosser. (Tosser may need to move
to a corner of the room.)
 Tosser, throw the 4 tape balls again and see
how many get into the bin.

7.  Teacher: please move the bin under a table
or desk.
 Tosser: Again, throw the 4 tape balls and see
how many you can make.

8.  Teacher, please move the bin to a distance of
about 12-15 feet from the tosser.
 Tosser, one more time, throw the 4 tape
balls.

9.  That the tosser had more success at one of
the locations than the other? Why did that
happen?

10. Did you notice that you had more interest level
at different spots? Which was more interesting?
Why?

11.  Does that happen in life or school sometimes
where interest level changes with different
settings? Where? When?
How does this activity relate to goal setting in
school in regards to how challenging or
simple a goal is and how realistic it is to
achieve?

12.  Keeping in mind what we just discovered
about how a goal needs to be realistic,
visible, and yet somewhat challenging, we’re
going to talk about and work with goals that
you have and want to accomplish in high
school in order to be successful at LaFollette
and beyond.
“A goal is not always meant to be
reached, it often serves simply as
something to aim at.”
― Bruce Lee

13. Hi, my name is
Trevon Ampe and
my short term goal
is to get an A on
my progress report
in my Math-Physics
2 class.
What I’m going to
do to accomplish
this goal is to do
homework on time,
actively participate
in class, and study
my book until I
don’t want to read
it anymore.

14. Hi, my name is
Cole and my goal
is to go
undefeated in
volleyball for the
rest of the season,
and I will do that
by going to
practice, working
hard, and staying
out of trouble.

15. Hi, my name is
Taylor. I’m a
senior here, and
one of my goals is
to accomplish a
4.0 this semester.
The way I’m going
to accomplish it is
by going to
Homework Club,
doing my
homework, and
not procrastinating
after school.

16.  Think of one goal you’d like to accomplish
within the next two weeks.
 Think of one goal you’d like to accomplish
within the next 4 weeks.
 Think of one goal you’d like to accomplish by
the end of the semester.
 Then list at least 3 steps (actions) that you
will need to take to achieve these goals.

17.  TWO WEEK GOAL: Get caught up in math.
◦ Talk to my teacher after class
◦ Go to Peer Tutoring at lunch in the LLC
◦ Go to Homework Club in the LMC after school
 FOUR WEEK GOAL: Turn in all homework.
◦ Use a planner so I don’t forget any assignments
◦ Go to Homework Club
◦ Check Infinite campus to make sure everything is in.
 SEMESTER GOAL: Get a 3.0 GPA
◦ Review at home for 15 minutes/night
◦ Study for tests two days ahead so I don’t have to cram
◦ Talk to teachers about my work, make sure I understand
◦ Go in for extra help when I start getting lost so I can catch
up.

18.  Think of one goal you’d like to accomplish
within the next two weeks.
 Think of one goal you’d like to accomplish
within the next 4 weeks.
 Think of one goal you’d like to accomplish by
the end of the semester.
 Then list at least 3 steps (actions) that you
will need to take to achieve these goals.

19.  You should have identified three challenging
but realistic goals.
 It is your decision to work toward these now,
or not.
“It is good to have an end to journey toward;
but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
― Ernest Hemingway
Even if we don’t achieve all of our
goals, work in the right direction will yield
benefits!