Charting Your Course PlanCharting Your Course Plan Finding Your North Star Lesson Guide 8th Grade • Tier 1 Duration 45 Minutes Approach Interactive Reflections Objective Identify passions and articulate a guiding "North Star" goal. Why This Lesson? This lesson builds self-awareness, motivation, and goal-setting skills by helping students connect their personal interests to meaningful life directions. By framing passions as a "North Star," students gain a tool for navigating choices and staying resilient. Preparation Print/ready digital copies of all worksheets. Queue up Finding Your North Star Slides. Ensure student journals/notebooks are available. Prep a personal "North Star" example to share. Prep Time: 15 minutes Materials Included Finding Your North Star Slides Passion Brainstorm Worksheet Wheel of Interests Activity Sheet Goals Reflection Prompt Journal One-Word Exit Ticket Form Instructional Steps 05 Min Passion Brainstorm Warm-Up Distribute the Passion Brainstorm Worksheet. Students list 3–5 activities or topics they love without overthinking. Tip: Encourage students to think about things they do when no one is telling them what to do. 05 Min Introduce Your North Star Launch the Finding Your North Star Slides. Define a "North Star" as a core passion or guiding life goal. Use the Serena Williams and Greta Thunberg examples to illustrate the concept. Connect a student's brainstormed item to a potential North Star. 15 Min Wheel of Interests Exploration Hand out the Wheel of Interests Activity Sheet. Students transfer their passions into sectors of the wheel. Circulate and ask: "How does this interest make you feel?" or "If you could only keep one slice of this wheel, which would it be?" 10 Min Goals Reflection Journaling Distribute the Goals Reflection Prompt. Students pick one interest from their wheel and draft a SMART goal. Ensure they focus on specific action steps for the next month. 05 Min One-Word Exit Ticket Provide the One-Word Exit Ticket Form. Students write one word that captures their North Star. Collect as they leave. Use these words to create a "Constellation of Goals" display later.
Finding Your North Star SlidesFinding Your North Star A journey to discover your core passion and guiding life goal. Learning Objectives Define what a “North Star” means for your life goals. Explore personal passions and interests. Connect passions to meaningful, actionable goals. What Is a North Star? "A North Star is a guiding passion or core life goal that directs your decisions and motivates you. It acts like a personal compass." Navigation • Purpose • Direction Why Your North Star Matters Provides focus when making choices Keeps you motivated through challenges Aligns your goals to true interests Passion Purpose North Star Serena Williams Tennis Legend Sports Passion Serena turned her love of tennis into a North Star—aiming to be the best, inspire others, and promote equality in sports. Environmental Passion Greta Thunberg’s North Star is protecting the planet. Her passion drives global climate action and inspires youth to speak up. Greta Thunberg Climate Activist Reflect on Your Passions What activities or topics energize you? When do you feel most proud? What topics do you keep returning to? Connect Passions to Goals Turn one key passion into a SMART goal: S Specific M Measurable A Achievable R Relevant T Time-bound “What specific steps can I take this month?” Activity: Wheel of Interests 1 Open your Wheel of Interests sheet. 2 Fill sectors with brainstormed passions. 3 Highlight top 3 interests with colors or symbols. Journal & Exit Ticket Journal Prompt Write a SMART goal for one interest you've identified. Exit Ticket Capture your North Star in a single word. “Your North Star doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be true to you.” Keep Your North Star Shining! Stay Curious • Stay Passionate • Stay Focused
Passion Brainstorm WorksheetPassion Brainstorm Warm-up Activity: Identifying your core interests Name: ____________________________________ Date: _____________________________________ The Mission List 3–5 activities, topics, or hobbies that energize you. Don’t overthink it—write down what makes you feel excited, curious, or proud. Phase 1: Solo Discovery (2 Minutes) Phase 2: Pair Share (2 Minutes) Turn to a partner and share one item from your list. Explain why it’s on your list and how it makes you feel. Listener Task Listen for what "energizes" your partner. Ask: "What's the best part about that?" Speaker Task Be specific. Describe the feeling of doing or learning about this passion. "The stars don't just guide us; they remind us of what's possible."
Wheel of Interests Activity SheetWheel of Interests Charting Your Passion Map Name: _______________________ Date: _______________________ Instructions: Transfer your 3-5 passions from your brainstorm into the wheel sectors. Fill any empty sectors with new interests or topics you're curious about. Use symbols like ★, ✿, or ✔ to mark your Top 3 most important passions. Sector 1 Sector 2 Sector 3 Sector 4 Sector 5 Sector 6 Deep Reflection Which interest energizes you the most right now? Why? If you could explore ONE of these in depth for a whole month, which would it be? Ready to set course? Turn over to create your SMART goal.
Goals Reflection Prompt JournalThe Captain's Log: Goals Reflection "Mapping the journey to my North Star" Officer (Name): ________________________________ Voyage Date: ___________________________________ 01 My Key Interest & Why It Matters Reflect on the passion you selected. Why does this energize you? 02 SMART Goal Statement Start with "I will..." Make it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Set Course 03 The Action Plan List 3 concrete steps you will take over the next month (What, When, and How). 04 Resources & Support Who or what can help you succeed? (Teachers, tools, mentors, family) 05 Anticipating Challenges What hurdles might you face? How will you navigate through them? 06 Connecting to Your North Star How does this goal bring you closer to your long-term vision? Voyage Approved
One-Word Exit Ticket FormOne-Word Exit Ticket What’s Your North Star? Write a **single word** that best captures your North Star—the core passion or guiding goal you identified today. Word Name: ________________ Date: _________ One-Word Exit Ticket What’s Your North Star? Write a **single word** that best captures your North Star—the core passion or guiding goal you identified today. Word Name: ________________ Date: _________ One-Word Exit Ticket What’s Your North Star? Write a **single word** that best captures your North Star—the core passion or guiding goal you identified today. Word Name: ________________ Date: _________ One-Word Exit Ticket What’s Your North Star? Write a **single word** that best captures your North Star—the core passion or guiding goal you identified today. Word Name: ________________ Date: _________
