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🎯 Week 18: New Year Goals

Lesson Overview
Grade Level Grades 1-2
Duration 30 minutes
STREAM Focus M (Math), R (Religion), A (Art)

Week 18: New Year Goals

🎯 Learning Objectives

STEM Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Set specific, achievable goals 2. Break goals into smaller steps 3. Create a visual goal tracker 4. Understand measurement of progress

Faith Integration Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Connect personal growth to growing in faith 2. Identify ways to grow closer to God 3. Understand that God helps us achieve our goals

Week 18: New Year Goals

🙏 Faith-Reason Integration

Catholic Teaching Connection

Growing in Virtue — God wants us to grow and become the best version of ourselves. Setting goals helps us grow in virtue — becoming more kind, more patient, more loving, more like Jesus.

Scripture Connection

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." — Proverbs 16:3

Saint Connection

St. Thérèse of Lisieux — She set small goals to do ordinary things with great love. She called this "the Little Way" — small steps toward becoming a saint.

📚 Materials Needed

  • Goal planning worksheets

  • Trackers/charts (blank)

  • Markers/crayons

  • Stickers for goal tracking

  • "My Goals" booklet template

📝 Lesson Procedure (30 minutes)

Opening Prayer & Introduction (5 min)

New Year Prayer: "Lord, thank You for a new year! Help us set good goals and grow to be more like Jesus. Guide our plans and give us strength to do our best. Amen."

Discuss:

  • "A new year is a fresh start!"

  • "What is a goal?" (Something you want to learn or do)

  • "Why do people set goals?"

Goal Setting (8 min)

Three types of goals:

  1. Learning Goal — Something you want to learn
  2. Learn to read bigger books
  3. Learn to add bigger numbers

  4. Learn something new in STREAM

  5. Kindness Goal — A way to help others

  6. Help at home more
  7. Be a better friend

  8. Share with others

  9. Faith Goal — Growing closer to God

  10. Pray every day
  11. Be more thankful
  12. Learn about a saint

Students choose one goal from each category.

Goal Planning (12 min)

Make goals SMART:

  • **S**pecific — What exactly will you do?

  • **M**easurable — How will you know you did it?

  • **A**chievable — Can you really do this?

  • **R**elevant — Is this important to you?

  • **T**ime-bound — When will you do it?

Student work: 1. Write/draw 3 goals (one of each type) 2. For each goal, write ONE SMALL STEP to start 3. Create a tracker to mark progress

Example:

  • Goal: Pray every day

  • First step: Say morning prayer when I wake up

  • Tracker: Mark a star for each day I pray

Closing Commitment (5 min)

Share goals with a partner.

Prayer commitment: "Let's ask God to help us with our goals."

Students hold their goal sheets.

Faith Connection: "St. Thérèse taught that small steps lead to big changes. Every time you take a small step toward your goal, you're growing! And guess what? God is cheering you on!"

Closing Prayer: "Lord, we offer You our goals for this year. Help us take small steps every day. When it's hard, give us strength. When we forget, remind us. Help us grow to be more like Jesus. Amen."

✅ Assessment

  • Set three goals (learning, kindness, faith)

  • Identified first step for each goal

  • Created a goal tracker

📎 Home Connection

"We set New Year goals today! Ask your child about their three goals — one for learning, one for kindness, and one for faith. Help them with their trackers at home. Small steps lead to big growth!"

Lesson Version: 1.0 | **