By the end of this lesson, students will:
Think about your day so far. What decisions did you make this morning? Maybe you chose what to have for breakfast, picked out your clothes, or decided how to spend your free time before starting your day. Each of these moments required you to make a choice, even if you didn’t realize it at the time.
Now, let’s think about some bigger decisions in your life. Are you considering joining a new club or team? Maybe you’re deciding how to spend money you’ve saved up, or thinking about which friends to invite to your next birthday celebration.
These kinds of choices probably feel different from deciding what to eat for breakfast, don’t they?
Let’s explore why some decisions feel easier than others.
Together, we’ll make two lists on a piece of paper.
In one column, we’ll write “Quick Decisions” – these are the choices we make almost automatically, like what to wear or what snack to eat.
In the other column, we’ll put “Big Decisions” – the choices that make us stop and think, like whether to try out for a team or how to handle a tricky situation with a friend.
As we sort different decisions into these columns, think about why you’re placing each one where you do. What makes some decisions feel quick and easy, while others need more thought? Understanding this difference is your first step toward becoming a better decision-maker.
By the end of these few minutes, you’ll start to notice just how many decisions you make every day, and you’ll begin to recognize which ones deserve more of your time and attention. This awareness is the foundation for making smarter choices in all areas of your life.
Teaching Note: The goal here is to engage the student in a genuine conversation about their own experience with decision-making. Their individual examples will lead naturally into the next part of the lesson.
Let me share a true story that will help you understand what makes a decision good or bad.
Imagine a beautiful wedding celebration. The couple had spent months planning their perfect day and invested thousands of dollars to make it special. Everything was going wonderfully – they had a beautiful ceremony, delicious food, and all their friends and family were there to celebrate with them.
But here’s what happened: The couple had hired a limousine to drive them around on their special day. The driver told them there would be a late fee of $1 for every minute they stayed at their reception past 6:00 PM. As the afternoon went on, the couple started watching the clock. They began to worry about that extra cost adding up – it could be $60 or more if they stayed until 7:00 PM!
Can you guess what they decided to do? They chose to leave their own wedding reception early, before 6:00 PM. They left while their friends and family were still celebrating, missing out on special dances, conversations, and memories that could have lasted a lifetime.
Now, let’s think about this together. What’s your first reaction to their choice? Take a moment to consider why they might have made this decision.
Here’s something interesting to consider: They had already spent thousands of dollars on their wedding day – the venue, the food, the decorations, the photography, and yes, even the limousine. But in the end, they left early to save $60.
What do you think was more valuable – saving that $60 or spending more precious time with their loved ones on their wedding day? Do you think they stopped to really think about what they were giving up by leaving early?
This story teaches us something really important about making decisions. Sometimes we focus so much on one small part of a situation (like saving money) that we forget to think about the bigger picture (like once-in-a-lifetime memories with family and friends). A good decision comes from taking a step back and thinking about what truly matters most to us.
What would you have done in their situation? What would have mattered most to you?
Teaching Note: Allow time for genuine reflection and discussion. The student’s perspective on this story will reveal their initial understanding of value-based decision-making, setting up the next part of the lesson.
You know what’s interesting about decisions? Sometimes you can make a really good choice and things still don’t work out the way you hoped. And other times, you might make a decision without thinking it through, but get lucky and everything turns out fine. Let’s explore what this means.
Think about what makes a decision “good.” It’s not just about what happens afterward – it’s about how you made that decision in the first place. Did you think it through? Did you use the information you had? Did you consider what was important to you? These are the things that make a decision good, even if things don’t turn out perfectly.
Here’s another example you might relate to.
Imagine you have a big test coming up. You study really hard, review all your notes, and even practice with some sample questions. But on test day, you still get a lower grade than you hoped for. Was studying a bad decision just because you didn’t get the grade you wanted? Of course not! You made a good decision to study because you used the information you had and took thoughtful action.
This brings us to something really important in decision-making: your values. Values are the things that matter most to you – like being a good friend, having fun, learning new things, or staying healthy. When you make decisions, your values help guide you toward choices that feel right for you.
Think about what matters most to you.
What are some of your values? How do they help you make decisions in your daily life?
Teaching Note: This section introduces the critical concept that process matters more than outcome in decision-making. The examples help students understand this abstract idea through concrete situations they can relate to.
Let’s play a game that will help you discover what matters most to you when making decisions. Sometimes people call these important things “values” – they’re like your personal compass that helps guide your choices.
I’m going to give you 10 tokens (these could be coins, small stones, or even pieces of paper), and a sheet that lists different ways you might want to spend your time or energy:
Here’s what makes this interesting: you get to “vote” with your tokens based on what matters most to you. You could put all your tokens on one thing if that’s super important to you, or you could spread them around if several things matter. There’s no right or wrong way to do this – it’s all about what YOU value.
Think carefully as you place each token.
Ask yourself:
After you’ve placed all your tokens, let’s talk about why you made these choices:
The really cool thing about knowing what matters most to you is that it makes decision-making easier. For example, if you put most of your tokens on “learning new things,” that might help you decide to try that challenging new hobby you’ve been thinking about. Or if “helping others” got a lot of your tokens, you might choose to spend your Saturday helping at a community event instead of playing video games.
Now, let’s write down your top three values based on where you put most of your tokens.
We’ll use these as we learn more about making good decisions.
Teaching Note: This activity works well one-on-one or in very small groups. In a one-on-one setting, the instructor can share their own value distribution to spark deeper discussion. The focus should be on helping the student articulate their reasoning rather than judging their choices.
Let’s take a few quiet moments to think about what you learned today about making decisions. Take out your journal, and let’s capture your thoughts while they’re fresh in your mind.
First, think about one important thing you learned today about what makes a good decision. Maybe it was about taking time to think things through, or about how good decisions don’t always lead to perfect outcomes, or about how your values can help guide your choices.
Write down your thought, starting with:
“Today I learned that a good decision…“
Now, think about how you might use this idea in your own life. What’s one situation coming up where you could use what you learned today? Write about it, starting with:
“I can use this when…“
Take your time writing these thoughts down. They’re going to be helpful reminders as you practice making better decisions in your daily life.
Would you like to share what you wrote? I’d love to hear your thoughts about what stood out to you from today’s session.
Teaching Note: This reflection helps cement the key concepts from the session and bridges to real-world application. For younger students or those who need more structure, you can guide them through their reflection with gentle prompts and examples.
Now that we’ve explored what makes a good decision, let’s pull everything together. Remember the wedding couple who left their reception early to save $60? Their story shows us something really important: sometimes we focus so much on small details that we forget to think about what truly matters to us.
Today you learned that a good decision isn’t just about how things turn out – it’s about taking time to think clearly and consider what’s most important to you. You identified your own values through our token activity, and these values can be your guide when making choices.
Over the next few days, I have an interesting challenge for you. Keep a simple decision journal. Each day, write down:
This will help you practice what we learned today.
For example, you might write:
“Today I decided to help my friend with homework instead of playing video games. What mattered most was being a good friend. I feel good about my choice because we both learned more and had fun working together.“
When we meet next time, we’ll talk about probabilities and how understanding them can help you make even better decisions. Bring your decision journal – I’d love to hear about some of the choices you made!
Progress Check:
The student should now understand:
Verse 1:
Some choices quick and some take time
Some feel big while others small
But every choice deserves its thought
Before we make the call
More than just results at hand
It’s how we think things through
Chorus:
Good decisions come from wisdom
Not just how things end
Taking time to think about
The values that we tend
Sometimes right choices don’t work out
Sometimes wrong ones do
But it’s the way we make them
That helps us see them through
Verse 2:
Like that couple at their wedding
Saving sixty more
Lost the chance for memories
That can’t come back for sure
Take a step back, breathe and ask
What truly matters most
(Chorus)
Bridge:
Values guide us day by day
Show us what to choose
Good decisions take their time
There’s nothing here to lose
(Chorus)
Outro:
Think it through and use your mind
Let your values show
That’s what makes decisions good
As wise choices grow
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