Time Capsule: New Year Students Activity

Image resource: tuaw.com - time-machine-logo

Time Capsule: To end past year and To begin a new year

Another classroom activity that I had with my kids for welcoming a new year is called time capsule.

Setting Up the mind set.

Time is a very precious thing that we have. Have we ever realized that ONE year equals 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8760 hours, 525600 minutes and 31536000 seconds… it means it is a very long time to be wasted… what can we do with that number?...

Supposed we only use one per third of it in other words 8 hours a day times 365 days equals 2920 hours…  for studying or doing something serious, what number of things can you do?... A Million GREAT THIN I supposed! In contrary, what if we just waste that time away for doing series of unintended activity?... what a unfortunate ha?

 

So I prefer doing this simple activity to wasting away our precious time… one thing to be considered, will the time come back for the second time in our life? 

Time capsule is basically a simple controlling device to keep track our activities toward our goals.. this demands a constant check and recheck in order to maintain our mindset toward our goals that have been set up before.

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What you need?

Things that you need are one or two piece of paper, an envelope or container. It depends on students’ creativity. The container could be in a form of bottle like what pirates usually does, a box, can, etc. 

How we do it?

First, Make the students get interested in.

To begin with, you need to tell the student clearly what you ask them to do. You should explain in detail. Start by asking their opinion of how it is fun to find a letter saved and kept within a bottle, or how it is funny when you read your hopes and dreams you wrote years previously on a piece of paper.    

After you get the students’ interest, you better lead them to think what they should write. It is better than just asking the students to do as what you want. If they couldn’t get the ideas of what they should write, stimulate them by uttering what you wish for. E.g what was your goal in previous year?... a goal in educational field, hobby and interest, holidays, program and so on. 

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Drawing a blank table which has some columns will be very helpful to make the class know what you would do. There should be at least three columns. Each column should be filled in with their goals; things need to be done, checking in periodical time and note for any counter actions.  

Now, ask them to review which goal have already reached and done? Which goal have not done?... will you have the same goal next year? Or will you switch your goal?.... this maybe take five to ten minutes time. 

After that, ask the students to list what their goals for the next years, do not make any boundaries for their goals. Just make sure that the students have the “right” goals. Students should write their goals on the column of GOAL.. try to give a space between one goal and another goals if there are more than one goal. 

When finish listing the goals, tell them that a goal, a wish or even a dream without action sounds useless. So lead them to elicit every action need to be done in order to reach each goal. They can write more than one action to reach each goal. They should write in the second column. 

When finish mentioning the actions for each goals, explain the students to insert the controlling time for checking whether they have done or have not done as the actions they write. It can be checked every month, three monthly or even twice a year. Why?... so the students at least are alerted with their personal goals.

Let check it out

Tell the children to set up a periodical time for checking their goals and action. They could check at least one in a semester. monthly checking would be the best idea. Ask them to put a tick in every action or goal they have reach and keep it blank when they have not fulfilled their goals and done the action.

When checking, I supposed they should do it by themselves just to keep their privacy. Make sure the teacher check according the schedule given. Avoid as well read their goals infront of other. It is a matter of privacy. 

image resource: blippitt.com Message-in-a-Bottle

Creativity

To be more interested, you can ask the children the way they keep the note or student’s time capsule. Some would like to save it within their diary, some prefer to save it in an envelope or they may put it in a bottle!!! The teacher should save all the time capsule in the class and on a periodical time, student and teacher may review the progress altogether.

image resouces : ccsfourthgradeblog.blogspot.com

The other form beside the table format, they can also use the narrative format. This form may appear as a personal and creative writing letter..  

What do the students learn? What skill do we implant indirectly to our kids?

When they are doing this activity, one major skill is hopefully implanted and set up in their mind which is the ability to plan something or a planning skill which involves time management skill. Students also learn how to reach their goals by setting up a series of action need to be conducted. Those skills are necessarily needed if they want to become a young and modern professional.

They also learn simple pattern of P-D-C-A or a simple pattern of working habits. PDCA itself stands for PLAN DO CHECK and ACTION…  

So that is the activity I used to have with my kid to flashback and foresight upcoming year…

Have a GREAT YEAR to come!!!