Log College Middle School

Organizational Skills Lesson

ASCA Domain: Academic
ASCA Competencies Addressed:
A:A1.5 Students will identify attitudes and behaviors leading to successful learning
A:A2.1 Students will apply time-management and task-management skills
A:A3.4 Students will demonstrate dependability, productivity and initiative
A:B1.5 Students will organize and apply academic information from a variety of sources
A:C1.1 Students will demonstrate the ability to balance school, studies, extracurricular
activities, leisure time and family time

GRADE LEVEL: 6
OBJECTIVES:

Students will understand how organizational skills have a direct impact on school
success
Students will be able to identify the barriers that prevent them from being organized
Students will learn how to organize their backpacks, folders and notebooks
Students will learn how to use a daily planner (paper or phone) in order to keep track
of assignments

MATERIALS:

Flip Chart
2 Backpacks for Organizational Game (one organized, one messy)
Example of organized folder, notebook
Extra folders to provide to students
Example of daily planner
Handouts "Organize Your Life" and "How to Use Your Daily Planner"

LESSONS:
Why are we here? What is so important about being organized?
Write on board:

All the time

Most of the time
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
A LARGE CAPITAL E
Work=distance*force

Introduce yourself and review "guidelines"

one person speaks at a time

do not interrupt each other
raise your hand to speak
be respectful

Have students say name and how they would rate themselves on organization. Do they feel
like they are organized all the time, sometimes, never? Make hash marks on the board for
each answer. (Serves as an informal survey).
We are here to discuss the importance of developing good organizational skills and how
improving these skills will help us be successful in school. Developing good organizational
skills and study habits now, will help you in high school, college and/or your job. Doing well
now, matters later.

Backpack Organizational Game

Provide two backpacks at one end of the room. Select two volunteers. Each student needs
to find a paper marked with an "X" on it. Unknown to the students, one backpack will be
neat and orderly and the other will be messy and disorganized. If all goes as planned, the
student who has the neat backpack will find the X paper first. This will demonstrate the how
much easier it is to find papers in an organized folder/backpack.

What does your organization look like?

What do your backpacks/folders look like? Do you have a system?
How do you find papers?
Homework? Do you complete your homework but then can't find it? Or forget to turn it in?
What does your locker look like?

What is preventing you from organizing?

Do you not know how to organize?
Do you think it takes too much time to organize?
Do you not have the necessary supplies?
Let's take a look at your backpack and notebooks. If time allows, provide students with
folders and they can begin to organize at least some of their papers or go through their
backpacks to clean them out!

If your backpack and locker are a mess, you will not be able to keep track of

assignments or work well.

It is important to keep all materials and assignments for one subject TOGETHER! It
is also helpful to have each subject color-coded. The blue folder and notebook is

math, red is science, etc.

Put papers in correct folders. Clean out backpack once a week to make sure you

discard any unnecessary papers to reduce clutter.

You can also use 3 ring binders, you can organize your binder by subject and use
dividers between each subject.

I am currently in school just like you. I have a binder and folders for each school I am
working at (show them your folders). Do you think it is easier to find things when it your
work is organized like this?

Using Daily Planners/Assignment Books

How do you track your homework and tests? Do you use an agenda/assignment book?
Use a daily planner! Review How to Use Your Daily Planner worksheet. Planners are great
tools to keep track of assignments, test dates, and extracurricular activities. Things to write
down in your planner and then cross off as you complete them (that's the best feeling!):

Did I write down my homework assignment?

What materials do I need to complete the assignment?
Is there a test/quiz coming up? Do I have the date written down? Do I have the

dates when I need to study for the test written in my agenda book?
There is no homework in the subject tonight.

It is always helpful to be able to SEE how much you have going on. (Show your own daily
planner). And it is the BEST feeling to cross off your assignments once you have completed
them.
Review the Get Your Life Organized sheet. Planning and getting organized will actually give
you more free time in the end and reduce stress! These are good practices to start now
because high school will require a lot more organization!

THIS ALL COMES DOWN TO EFFORT. YOU HAVE TO PUT IN THE EFFORT. No
one can do this for you. In middle school, you may have extra helpteachers signing your agenda books, Mrs. Boger checking to see if you have
written down your assignments. In high school, that is not going to happen
as much, if at all. You have to be responsible for yourself!
WORK=FORCE * EFFORT

This is a physics rule. If you haven't put in the effort, no work is going to be
accomplished!
Informal survey: Did you find this lesson helpful?
Yes
Somewhat
No

HOW TO USE YOUR DAILY PLANNER

1. Write down subject name (Math, English, Science, Social Studies, etc.)

2. Write down the assignment for that subject with specific details, such as page
numbers, questions to answer, etc.
3. Write down any supplies you will need to complete the assignment. These
include textbook, notes, worksheets, etc.
4. Write NO HOMEWORK if there is no homework for that subject
5. Write down due dates next to assignments. If you have several days to complete
that assignment, go ahead and write it down for every day up to the due date.
6. Check or cross off assignments as you complete them.
7. Keep your daily planner neat. Do not destroy it and always keep it with you.