Skip to Main Content

New Year's Resolutions

The act of making resolutions and striving to meet them has many positive benefits. Students will explore their advantages and create a helpful reminder to hang on a doorknob.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Heavy Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Many people make New Year's resolutions. Evidence shows that creating them and striving to keep them has positive benefits. Have students discuss some of the beneficial effects this practice can provide. For example, resolutions keep us intentional about moving forward and achieving results, they can give us a positive view of our future, they can impact others in a meaningful way, and they can inspire us to do better.

  • Step 2

    Ask students to create a list of some goals they'd like to achieve, then have them cut strips of construction paper, decorate them, and write a resolution on each strip. These will be placed in a pocketed doorknob hanger (a pouch) to remind them of their goals.

  • Step 3

    To make the doorknob hanger, have students cut heavy pieces of paper into 2 sections, one a long base and the other a similar but shorter shape for the front of their pouch. To form the hanger part, have them cut a circle out of the top of the base, making sure it is large enough to fit over a doorknob. Ask them to decorate the front of the pouch, leaving room for a label/name. Attach the front to the back with glue, tape, or staples, being sure to leave the top open so paper strips can be pulled in and out. Label the front with either a general New Year's Resolution plaque or a customized label with the student's name and goals statement. Glue this to the pouch front.

  • Step 4

    Have students discuss the resolutions they made and talk about ways they will keep track of their progress.

Standards

SEL: Self-Management: Exhibit self-discipline and self-motivation. Use planning and organizational skills. Show the courage to take initiative. 

SEL: Responsible Decision-Making: Make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations, using critical thinking skills. 

Adaptations

Create a classroom goals bulletin board. Have students contribute notes that state goals they'd like to achieve during the school year. They might include academic goals such as number of books they'd like to read or concepts they'd like to master, or they could include personal goals such as learning to play an instrument, basic coding skills, or joining a new club.

Ask students to collaborate and write resolutions for the planet and how they can be achieved. For example, they might write "We can reduce the amount of waste by recycling appropriate items" or "We can conserve water by remembering to turn the water off while we brush our teeth."