Module 6: Life Balance

Time Frame
This module will take approximately 10 hours to complete. The number of lessons will vary according to the time available for each lesson.

Foundational Objectives and Learning Objectives

Level A - Extend Knowledge Base

Foundational Objectives
Students will understand that one of their basic lifestyle choices is the degree to which they balance their personal life, family life, community life and work life.

Students will acknowledge that people balance the expectations of self, others and work in different ways, depending on their personal standards and goals.

Learning Objectives
Students will acquire and evaluate information in order to:

• assess the current level of balance in their personal life, family life, community life and part-time work (if applicable)
• describe the effect of work on lifestyles, and vice versa
• describe the effect of work on families, and vice versa
• describe the effect of family on lifestyle, and vice versa
• explore the influence of culture and gender on life balance
• explore healthy behaviour patterns in balancing personal life, family life, community life and work life
• recognize unhealthy patterns of life balance and their potential outcomes (e.g., burn out, depression, stress).

Level B - Make an Informed Decision

Foundational Objective
Students will begin to develop skills to make ongoing life balance decisions that will reflect personal goals, lifestyle goals and career goals.

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:

• state a life balance challenge
• list strategies (alternatives) to meet their life balance challenge
• select the best strategy (alternative) based upon appropriate criteria
• compile a life balance goal statement.

Level C - Carry Out Action Plan

Foundational Objective
Students will begin to develop the ability to design and carry out action plans to achieve balance in their personal life, family life, community life and work life.

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:

• design and carry out action plans to improve the degree of balance in their personal life, family life, community life and part-time work (if applicable).

The selection of the following C.E.L.s for emphasis in this module does not preclude the development of other C.E.L.s in the suggested activities and strategies.

Foundational Objective (C)
Students will use the vocabulary and forms of expressions which characterize change and balance throughout life.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

• use the procedure of journal writing to record and track their efforts toward achieving balance in their personal life, family life, community life, and part time work (if applicable).

Foundational Objective (CCT)
Students will develop their abilities to become "strong sense" critical and creative thinkers.

Learning Objective
Students will be able to:

• explore the implications or consequences of actions.

Foundational Objective (CCT)
Students will develop an understanding of how knowledge is created, evaluated, refined and changed over a lifetime.

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:

• make careful observations in carrying out their action plan and will discuss their observations with others
• focus their attention on their knowledge and gaps in their knowledge related to life balance (What do I know? What don't I know?).

Foundational Objective (CCT)
Students will develop both intuitive, imaginative thought and the ability to evaluate ideas, processes and experiences relevant to their planning for life balance.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

• understand that real life problems often have more than one solution
• examine knowledge in terms of what they already know and what they want to know
• render a judgment and support that judgment by referring to clearly defined criteria.

Foundational Objective (IL)
Students will develop a positive disposition toward lifelong learning.

Learning Objective
Students will:

• make choices in learning which reflect their needs and interests
• move from choosing among teacher-directed activities toward self-directed activities that require more student planning and responsibility.

Foundational Objective (IL)
Students will develop the ability to meet their own learning needs.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

• plan self-directed projects and develop criteria for evaluation (with guidance of teachers as required)
• construct clear, achievable goals and plan to meet them.

Foundational Objective (PSVS)
Students will develop a better understanding of the personal, moral, social, and cultural aspects of transitions encountered throughout life.

Learning Objective
Students will be able to:

• recognize how internalized values can be exemplified in human lives.