Intentional thinking is a skill that most of us do not even realize we use on a daily basis. Teachers put up a bulletin board, however they probably had to prep an activity, collect a colorful border, and design a catchy title---using forward thinking to create an exciting showcase for the parents and students.
As teachers, we have to teach our students these skills to help them set appropriate goals. We have to teach them how to set their goal and the tool or strategies they will need to reach those goals.
As a primary teacher, my co-teacher and I are constantly reflecting on activities and ideas that we do, to decide what worked well and what lessons we should change or build upon. We ask our students daily questions of what, why, and how to allow them to make purposeful decisions and brainstorm forward thinking. 
Our latest theme was outer space and our goal was to have each student learn what space is and recognize certain elements that are associated with outer space, like: astronauts, planets, rockets, and stars. We put together the “My Planet” take home project.
We wanted the student to use their intentional thinking by wondering:
What kind of planet am I going to make? What kind of people will live on my planet?
How am I going to design my planet? How am I going to incorporate materials?
Why am I creating a planet that has these items? Why am I creating a planet only for (pets, superheroes, people, planets, etc.)
Lesson Materials:
- One small styro-foam ball, one for each student in your class
- Printable My Planet poem, included in our Dollar Deals on TpT
Lesson Directions: (These are also included in the packet)
- Send home the styro-foam ball, a copy of the My Planet poem, and directions with each student. Be sure to write in your due date on the direction sheet.
- Once, each student has turned in their planet, prepare for large group discussion.
Note: The My Planet poem provided in our packet includes forward thinking questions like “What is the name of your planet?” and “Who can live on your planet?”
We had a ton of students who were VERY creative in their planet building and My Planet creative writing piece.
Large Group Discussion: We set up our large group time as a show-and-tell activity. Each student stood up in front of the class and shared their planet. They talked about how they created their planet, information about their planet like: what is the planet’s name, who lives there, what things can you do on the planet, etc. We had wonderful class involvement and interaction which lead to some higher level thinking questions.
For example: One student decided he was going to create a planet specifically for super heroes to live on. They would fight crime and save the people on the other planets. In return, another student asked, “Well how do the superheroes get from planet Earth to their home?” Then, the topic of rockets and spaceships came up which lead to a discussion about space travel.
For an extension activity, we designed our own rockets and flew them outside on the school playground. 
So, how are YOU introducing forward thinking and intentional learning into your daily activities? We would love to hear how you used this packet in your classroom!
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