The purpose of this exercise is to focus on goal setting and values. It will help students identify what is important to them and why. We tend to focus and put our attention into things that are important to us, the students will identify the importance of planning and identifying goals. As others are often competing for the same things that we want to have, and we do not want to end up with what is "left over."

Personal Goals

Values

Goal Attainment

Planning and Preparation

1.  Students will utilize the activity to identify what is important to them, and how much are they willing to invest in those achievements.

2.  Students will plan out a means to achieve what values are important to them. 

3.  Students will describe how others are often in competition to get the things that we strive for and how set goals for achieve those things.

4.  Students will identify that without goals, we may get items that are left over and not necessarily things that we want or desire.

50 Minutes

The Life Auction List

Slips of paper that can represent $1500 in increments of $100 for each student.

Three sheets of paper hanging on the wall with "You bought a lottery ticket and won a million dollars," or "You dropped out of high school and took a job at below minimum wage with no chance of advancement," or You graduated from high school, went to college and took a job that pays a reasonable sallary, but you dislike what you do."

W:	This lesson teaches students how to prioritize values and goals.  The lesson also teaches the importance of setting goals and striving to achieve them, instead of passively making career choices.
H:	Students participate in a "life auction" where they have $1,500 to bid on items and lifestyle choices that are important to them.
E:	The students have been looking at budgeting activities and identifying salary needs for potential life style choices that they might make.  The next step will to begin to take interest inventories and see what kinds of careers interest them, and if those careers fit their lifestyle choices.
R:	Students will be given a list of the auction items and will be asked to write down how much they would bid for each item, and then keep track of who purchased each item in the auction and how mch they paid for the item.
E:	Observation of students as they participate in activities can be used to assess understanding.  Also discussion of the purpose of the activitiy, values and goal setting should take place at the end of the activity, giving the students the opportunity to discuss what was important to them, and what happens if one does not set goals and waits to take what is "left over."
T:	Students may struggle with writing names of peers or adding money, and can be paired with a peer or ask a techer for help if needed.  The teacher can ask the winning bidder to spell their name for peers so that the name can be recorded.
O:	Students will participate in the activity in large group format.

1.  Students will be given an auction list and fifteen slips of paper that will represent $100 each for a total of $1,500.

2.  Students will be asked to go through the list, filling in the "proposed bid" column.  If an auction item is important to the student, they should put a higher amount in that box, and if it is not as important to put a lower amount.  The highest amount should be $1,500, but they can put that amount in several boxes as desired.

3.  The teacher will then inform the students that if they have $500 dollars at the end of the auction, they can have the opportunity to buy one of the boxes taped on the board.  Each box will have a scenario written behind it.  Scenarios include: "You bought a lottery ticket and won a million dollars," or "You dropped out of high school and took a job at below minimum wage with no chance of advancement," or You graduated from high school, went to college and took a job that pays a reasonable sallary, but you dislike what you do."

4.  The teacher will go through the auction allowing students to bid on items they select.  If there is a tie, the teacher an allow the two bidders to pick a number to break the tie.  One student should be a winner of each item.  Once the item is bought, the teacher should collect the money amount bid for each item, and announce to the class who was the winner of that time.  

5.  At the end of the auction, the teacher can then sell the boxes mentioned above.  Each student can only buy one box if they have $500 left over.  The teacher will instruct the students buying boxes to write the number of the box tehy are purchasing next to their name.  The teacher will then read the scenarios on the back of the boxes.  

6.  The teacher will then discuss with the students important subjects, such as how did they pick which items to bid on, how did they feel about the boxes that were left over, and why is it important to plan what it is that is improtant to achieve and to set goals, and why might we not want the items that are left over.

7. The teacher should collect the auction lists from the students, as well as the money.

During the discussion the teacher should use the vocabulary words during the discussion.  The teacher can prompt the students to identify their own goals, and what kind of planning is needed to achieve those goals.

The teacher can also discuss values, how students form the values that they have, and how goals related to those values can be achieved.

Life Auction.pdf

Careers Values Goal Setting Planning

Michael Simmons James W. Parker Middle School General McLane School District This activity was borrowed from the book Activities that Teach by Tom Jackson Jackson, Tom. Activities that Teach. Active Learning Center. Cedar City, UT. pp. 64-69 www.activelearning.org

September 21, 2012