Target Grades: Grades 7 to 9 Time Required: 50 to 60 minutes Overview: Our lives are made up of a series of events.

Some events are very predictable and others are not so predictable. If we look back on our lives, we will recognize that some decisions were required and made around a particular event. Similarly, if we look to the future, we will see that some events that are predictable will require decisions. If we know that some events will occur, we can prepare for them and increase our ability to assist with the decision-making that may be required. Students will have the opportunity to identify decisions that they have made in the past and possible decisions that they will have to make in the future. Purpose: To understand that most major events in one's life require decision-making. Lesson Outcomes: Students will be able to: identify decision points along their lifeline identify which decisions relate to their career path predict where decision points may occur in the future identify steps to be taken to make these decisions Materials: Lifeline Worksheet HTML version Overhead transparency of the Lifeline Worksheet Access to Choices Explorer Lesson Activities: 1. As the facilitator, have the Lifeline Worksheet on an overhead transparency. Introduce the activity by discussing a sample lifeline that you have created or some use aspects of your own lifeline. Identify the more significant events that occurred. Identify what decisions needed to be made and how the decisions affected the event. 2. Have the students discuss the decisions that were made using the sample lifeline. 3. For example, use your decision point where you decided to go to on to further education (such as university). Discuss: What type of decision had to be made? What factors affected your decision (for example: whether to go to university or college, what program to take, what courses to take within the program, how much it would cost...whether you can afford to go)? 4. Record the student comments. Have them understand that one "big" decision has many small decisions.

5. Hand out the worksheet and have them complete the Birth to Present chart to create their own lifeline. Have them focus on events they would be willing to share (do not have them list all their life events and decision points). 6. Have them pick one event and list the decisions that they had to make during that event. 7. Once students have completed this activity, they can complete the Present to Future chart on the worksheet. In this activity, students look ahead to their future. Have them look 10 years ahead and predict some events where decisions will need to be made. 8. Have them identify ways they can prepare for these decisions. Have them describe the event, identify the decision and list all the components of the decision. 9. In pairs, have them discuss their event and the decisions that have to be made. Have them add other ideas to their partners' "decisions list." 10. In a whole group, have them share their ideas on: Why is it important to think ahead? What happens if you just wait for life to "happen"? If you know there are decisions that have to be made, is it easier to prepare for the decision? What event in the future can the students start to prepare for? Can you ever completely prepare for the future? Reflection Activities: 1. Have students reflect on how they made decisions as a child and how they make decisions today. Have them reflect on how they plan on making decisions in the future. What the similarities and what are the differences? 2. Have them compare the way you made your decisions in the first sample exercise to the way they made their decisions. 3. Are there people at school and in the community that have helped you with your decisions? 4. How do your parents help you with your decisions?

FutureVisions

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creating sustainable results in growth and performance

This exercise helps you create an overview of your life to date, to provide insights into the impact of significant events and how you have coped. Find a large piece paper, and on it draw a line which represents your life so far, indicating the significant experiences and transitions, the people and events that were/are significant in making your life what it is today. Start with your birth and work up to the present point in time. When you have finished this line, find a different colored pen and draw a second line, which corresponds to the first, but which indicates the emotional highs and lows you have experienced. Take 15 minutes to do this. Having completed both parts of the task, meditate on your lifeline and focus on the following questions. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Where have you made significant decisions about your work or personal life? Where have you just drifted? What patterns or trends are there in your lifeline? Did you consider other people in your lifeline? How have these people affected you? How do you feel about your past life experiences and the you who lived them?

Again, what has doing this exercise told you, or reminded you, about yourself? What has made you the person you are, and what of your past and present life do you want to take into the future? When I do this exercise I am reminded of people who have been instrumental in helping me change and develop. For instance, important relationships with teachers at school, and college, who were encouraging and supportive; the challenge of working abroad; taking a leap of faith into a new job or relationship; friends and family members who have been loyal during the hard times; the pain of loss, through death, or separation; and the joy of new sights, sounds and experiences. All of these have had a profound effect on my life and in shaping who I now am. This knowledge helps to remind me of what I value and want to take forward, and what it may now be time to let go of.

In order to help you to further identify what you value and ant to take into the future, work quickly through the following questionnaire, and see what strikes you as important. 1. What is important in your life? Rate these items on a scale of 13 (1 being high and 3 being low). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * a loving relationship being attractive a satisfying marriage/partnership long holidays being creative having an impact on the world opportunity to make your own decisions a beautiful home good health travel friends a good sex life lots of books world peace being treated fairly confidence influence and power in your community spirituality religion someone who needs you

* * * * 2. * * * * * * * * * *

someone to take care of order a closeknit family other What is important at work? (13) to work alone regular hours and guaranteed pay totally unstructured work-day self-employment good supervision having a variety of tasks working in a small organization little responsibility and risks short travelling time other

3. Choose 3 things from the list below that gives you the most satisfaction in your work. * * * * * * * to be excited by what youre doing to help others solve problems to contribute to society with worthwhile work to be recognized as an authority to motivate yourself to work things out to work within a structure

* * * * * * *

to find new to have a choice of time to make a lot of money to work in a team to work outside to be respected for your work other

Personal aims and goals - Ask yourself the following questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What dont you want from your life? What should you want according to the significant people in your life? What have you always wanted to do some day? What would you do if you could do anything you wanted for a year? How much money would you like to be earning in a year?

How are your personal aims different from your present reality? Have I really gone for what I want Are my goals based on pure fantasy? Are they achievable? Are they life-enhancing? Do they hurt anybody? Are they legal? Are they good for all concerned? Can I see myself as already having them? Am I willing to undertake any difficulties associated? Can I handle the rewards associated with achieving them? Am I willing to take any responsibilities associated? Having gained some new insights, find a second sheet of paper and sketch out what you would like the rest of your lifeline to look like. Pinpoint the year of your death, and then fill in the years between. If I were doing my lifeline I would like to consolidate my career over the next five years; to have moved away from training into consultancy, research and writing, be more settled in my life and working parttime.

From forty-five to fifty, I intend to be working and living abroad for large parts of the year. I will have gone on a world tour before I am fifty. At that age, I shall live in the country, in semi-retirement, writing novels and enjoying a full and satisfying emotional and social life. So, how about you, what do you want? Give it a go! Spend as long as you like reaching decisions that make sense for you and the life you would like to be leading. When you are working through the lifeline consider the following if it helps to give it some structure; ignore it if it restricts your creativity. Feel free to use lots of different colored pens and symbols. * * * * * * * * * * significant changes in family relationships when work patterns change when you retire where you would ideally like to live when the children will be leaving home what significant relations begin and end what you accomplish what your life will have meant to others what you want included as essential how you want to be spending your last years of life

Having achieved a sense of the shape of your future life, stop for a while, and think about what you have discovered. You may choose to change aspects of your lifeline when you have had time to reflect, but at this point you deserve a break; creating your lifeline can be quite taxing emotionally. Whatever happens, though, dont forget to keep checking out what youve written. I have kept all the lifelines I have completed over the years, and my projections and predictions into the future have usually come true. Make sure that your life projections represent what you really want.