The Purpose of Life · A. The Definition of Purpose of Life • The purpose of life is the reason...

The Purpose of Life Lesson Plan

John Rhee December 11, 2014

DFM 655 Nutrition Education and Communication Gretchen George, Ph.D, RD

San Francisco State University Fall 2014

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE 1

Purpose of Life- Lesson Plan

Introduction

The topic of the lesson to this presentation is The Purpose of Life. The purpose of

life is ever present in every human decision, yet it is hidden away in a deep level of our

intentions and kept from being expressed or challenged. Surprisingly it is not always the

society that is silent in this topic, sometimes it is us, ourselves that are unconscious of

what reasoning lays beneath our intentions. It is not surprising to find ourselves in crisis

when we transition to different phases of life.

In order for us as humans to be conscious of certain ideas or concepts, it is

important that we reflect upon our life. According to Boud (1985, p.3), reflection is “a

generic term for those intellectual and affective activities in which individuals engage to

explore their experiences in order to lead to new understandings and appreciation”. When

reflect upon the current life and discover the purpose that lay under, there will be internal

responses that reform the current purpose to one desirable.

While creating the lesson plan to teach a subject so deep, it was difficult to

formulate a simple lesson plan that would cover the essentialities in discovering the

purpose of life. Considering the characteristic of the topic, I found it rather inappropriate

to approach the class in a traditional way, which would be appropriate for most other

topics. The simple thought of knowing the importance of identifying, and being able to

recognize and evaluate the purpose of life is acquired at a special time in each

individual’s life. Only when I realized, that the limit of the lesson is only to support the

thought process of the class, I was able to create the plan in a concise manner.


Lesson Overview

The target audience of this lesson is young adults and adults. The design of the

lesson suggests thinking tools that will aid in reflecting upon one’s purpose in life. In

order to deliver effective support measures for the class, the theory of learning was based

on the learning needs of adults. Adults are relevancy-oriented, self-directed learners,

brings much experience and knowledge into learning environment, practical, problem

oriented, and intrinsically motivated (Bauer, Liou & Sokolik, 2012, p.278). For adults are

relevancy-oriented, the lesson begins by showing the results of the pre-assessment survey

of the class. In viewing the statistics results of their own answers, the audience will be

able to relate to and engage in the topic. Visual presentations of analogies comparing life

to a journey on a boat will be used to lighten the interest of the practical audience. As

self-directed learners, the audience will be directed to think and answer their own purpose

of life during an activity during the lesson. With simple guidance and examples, the

students will be given the role to direct themselves through the questions in the activity.

Under assumption that adults are problem-oriented learners, the questions will drive the

students to complete the activity handout. The activity includes a sharing interaction with

the students, allowing the experience and knowledge of the students to contribute

perspectives to the class environment. Towards the conclusion, a set of questions will be

presented to intrinsically motivate the audience. The questions will link the topic to the

continuing life of the audience. With an ending quote, the lesson will conclude, implicitly

encouraging the students to think about the purpose of their life in their own time.


Content Outline: Lesson Plan – The Purpose of Life

Duration: 10 minutes

Target group: Young adults/Adults

Overall Goal: To state the importance of knowing one’s purpose in life and suggest

methods to identify and discern the appropriate direction in life.

Major Concepts:

• Importance of knowing the purpose of life.

• Defining the purpose of life.

• How to identify and evaluate the purpose of life.

Introduction: (1 minute)

� Share my personal story regarding the purpose of life

- How I struggled in questioning the purpose of my life in Dietetics.

Objectives and Learning Domains; Generalizations and Learning Experiences

1. The students will acknowledge the importance of knowing the purpose of life.

Domain: Affective- Responding, Valuing

Generalization: Identifying and evaluating the purpose of life is crucial in the direction

of one’s life.

Learning Experiences: (2 minutes)

Provide a PowerPoint presentation covering the following concepts:

A. The topic’s relevance to the students:

(Responding) By presenting the statistics representing how the topic of ‘purpose

of life’ is uncommon in society yet pertinent to many students, lesson will engage the

students into the subject.


- Though hidden in society, it is a topic we often think about.

o Present results to the pre-assessment questions.

• Chart of number of answers to the pre-assessment

survey: How often are you asked a question regarding

the purpose of life?

• Chart showing number of answers to the pre-

assessment survey: How often do you think about the

purpose of your life?

§ In reflection of the above charts, explain how the topic of

‘purpose of life’ is uncommon in society, yet it is relevant and

important to the students.

B. Importance of knowing the purpose of life:

(Valuing) Presentation of visual images that reflect upon the consequence of one

being unaware/aware of the purpose of life will help the students perceive the content of

the lesson as worthwhile.

o Image of a boat- we are told often told to build this boat in preparation

for the journey of life.

o Image of a ship in the sea- although we are on our own to decide on

our destinations, we must set sail on the journey of life.

o Image of a deserted island- sometimes, we arrive at a destination like

this island: empty, deserted, and lifeless.


o Image of a heart-shaped island- when we decide on a purpose and

strive in the right direction, we will arrive at a destination where our

heart is at peace.

2. The students will define of the ‘purpose of life’.

Domain: Cognitive- Comprehension

Generalization: The purpose of life is the deepest driving force in human life that

provides basic reason for all human behaviors and thoughts.

Learning Experiences: 30 seconds

Provide a PowerPoint presentation covering the following concept.

A. The Definition of Purpose of Life

• The purpose of life is the reason why and how we as humans exert behaviors.

• The Golden Circle: Why, How, What

• Everyone has their own definition of purpose in life

• In this lesson, the term ‘purpose of life’ is defined as the basic driving purpose of

a human’s life at the deepest level of all reasons.

3. The students will identify and evaluate their purpose in life.

Domain: Cognitive- Analysis; Psychomotor- Perception

Generalization: It is essential to identify and evaluate the purpose in life.

Learning Experiences: 5 minutes

(Perception) Students will write their thoughts in handwriting.

(Analysis) The activity will require deep reasoning and clarifying in answering

the questions.

Provide an activity handout for each student and guide the class in the handout.


� Inform the class that this activity does not have to be finished in this lesson, as it

may take time of deep thinking in the student’s own time. Ease any pressure or

discomfort that may exist in the students by telling them not to feel obligated to answer

the questions.

� Have the class answer the first question: What is the purpose of your life?

Interaction

� After the first question, ask the class to share the answer.

-If no one shares, share your own answer.

� Guide the class in the second question:

a. What is your current major life goal/objective?

b. Why is the above answer important to you?

c. (Repeat question b)

� Elaborate and give examples of sample answers to the second question

- Example of a major life goal/objective: B.S. in Dietetics, becoming a

Registered Dietitian

- Example of why the life goal is important: Setting a career.

- Example of why the above answer is important: Financial stability.

� Guide the class in the third question: Describe your feeling when you consider

the final answer to question 2, using words to describe or by using the scale below.

- Explain the numbers of the scale: 1 being anxious, 4 being neutral, 7

being peaceful.

- Guide the class to answer why they have chosen the above number, if

they have used the scale.


Concluding questions & quote (1 minute)

� Present the ending questions to the class.

-How will you feel…

The next morning after graduation?

When you reached your life goal?

The day you walk out from retirement?

� Present the following quote in the last PowerPoint slide.

“The way out is through” –Sarah Josef

Teaching Aids and Materials:

� PowerPoint Projector and screen

� Activity handout

Summary: In today’s lesson we emphasized the importance of knowing one’s purpose in

life. We defined the term purpose of life, used the tool to identify and evaluate the

purpose of life. I hope this is a good tool for you to use in your own time.

Evaluation Questions: (30 seconds)

Ask the students the following set of questions:

How many of you had a different answer to the first question to the second?

How many feel like this is a helpful tool in thinking about the purpose of life?

How many could not answer the first question, but were able to answer the

second?

Evaluation Strategies

Prior to the lesson, a pre-assessment survey was sent by email to the students. In

the pre-assessment, questions were asked to assess the needs of the target audience. To


the question, “Do you have a clear purpose of your life?” 60% of the class answered

‘yes’, 10% answered ‘no’, and 30% answered that they do not know the definition of ‘the

purpose of life’.

In purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of the lesson, hand-raise questions were

asked after the lesson. Pictures of the class were taken each time they were asked

questions. When the class was asked, “How many had a different answer to the first

question to the second question?” About 30% of the class raised their hand. The purpose

of the first question was to measure how effective the lesson was in helping the students

discover the deeper purpose in their life. Considering that 60% of the class said they

knew the purpose of life prior to the lesson, it shows that half of the 60% were able to

define their purpose of life at a deeper level. A majority of the class (over 50%) raised

their hand when they were asked, “How many think the lesson is a helpful tool in

thinking about the purpose of life?” This question was to measure whether the class

perceived the lesson as a useful tool or not, reflecting upon how much the lesson was

valued. For the last question, “how many could not answer the first question but were

able to answer the second question?” about 10% of the class raised their hand. The last

question was purposed to measure how the lesson helped those who had not yet been able

to articulate their purpose in life, into being able to define and identify the purpose in life.

A third of the 30% who initially answered in the pre-assessment that, they could not

define the purpose of life, were able to define and identify the purpose of life.

The results of evaluation were somewhat inaccurate, as it was hard to time the

picture to when everyone’s hands were raised for each question. In future lessons, the


evaluation would be more accurate if the class were asked to keep their hands raised after

each question, so the pictures would better represent the results of the evaluation method.

Population and Appropriateness & Conclusion

The results of the lesson were satisfying. Over half of the class showed a positive

response in that the lesson is a useful tool in the thought process of identifying and

evaluating their purpose in life. Considering that the purpose of life touches the

philosophies of individuals, there existed initial concerns whether the lesson will be

acceptable to the audience. However it was surprising to see how many accepted the

lesson to be helpful. Another success of the lesson is that it was helpful to the minority of

the class who did not have a clear purpose of life, or could not define the purpose of life.

Formulating the lesson plan was challenging, due to the weight of the task to

deliver the dense material to the class in an acceptable manner. It was important for me

to reiterate the purpose of my own life, and track how I mapped the thoughts to identify

and evaluate my own purpose. After days and weeks of processing my thoughts and

reassessing my attitude regarding this topic, I was able to see the perspective of this topic

in the audience’s point of view, which guided me in completing the lesson plan. The

lesson was created based on the audience-based approach, identifying the characteristics

of the target audience and plan the lesson according to.

The whole teaching experience was a rewarding experience, from of the

brainstorming for the lesson to evaluating the teaching presentation. Formulating the

lesson plan required an inner search of my own purpose for an acceptable deliverance of

the message. I feel the topic I chose was appropriate for the class, myself included, as the

conclusion of the Dietetics Program is near.


Self Evaluation of Oral Presentation

The topic of my presentation was ‘The Purpose of Life’. In the presentation, one

thing I did well was the transition between ideas. There were smooth transitions while

transitioning to next idea or concept. If I were to change one thing about my presentation,

I would make it more concise. In explaining ideas and concepts, it would be much more

clear to use simple, concise statements instead of elaborating the ideas that seems

redundant. During the lesson, I feel the audience was provided new, if not complimentary

knowledge to their base knowledge about the purpose of life.

There was sufficient eye contact throughout the whole presentations. The times I

looked down showed that I was in deep thought, trying to articulate what I had in mind.

How I stood in one place throughout the presentation was appropriate for the topic, as

students were expected to inquire in deep thoughts. The hand gestures were

complimentary, as I feel it helped in visualizing the thought process.

Prior to the presentation I had chances to practice a several times. It was very

helpful as I practiced in front of different audiences of varying size of groups. Through

practicing in front of different groups, I was able to receive multiple feedback and

constructive comments that I was able to utilize in the presentation.

I was satisfied with the results of the teaching presentation. The objectives were

implemented in the lesson as I intended. Although I see room for betterment in delivering

the message, the overall flow of the lesson was well presented according to the

objectives.


References

Bauer, K. D., Liou, D., Sokolik, C .A. (2012) Nutrition Counseling and Education Skill Development, Second Edition. Belmont: Wadsworth.

Boud, D., Keogh, R. and Walker, D. (1985). Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.


Appendix A: PowerPoint Slides

12/11/14

1

Sure we can just live on...


12/11/14

2

! ‘The Purpose of life’, what does it mean?

!

Activity: Identifying the Purpose of Life What is your standard?


12/11/14

3

Questions to think about... How will you feel….

The next morning after graduation

When you reached your life goal

The day you walk out from retirement

“The way out is through” –Sarah Josef-


Appendix B: Activity Handout

John Rhee 12/09/2014

This handout may be used with or without permission for educational purposes.

The$Purpose$of$Life:$Activity$

$

1. What$is$the$purpose$of$your$life?$

$

2. What$is$your$current$major$life$goal/objective?$(e.g.:$B.S$in$Dietetics,$RD)$$

$

a. Why$is$the$above$answer$important$to$you?$(e.g.:$setting$a$career)$

$

b. Why$is$the$above$answer$to$(a)$important$to$you?$(e.g.:$financial$stability)$

$

c. Why$is$the$above$answer$to$(b)$important$to$you?$(e.g.:$fulfillment$of$basic$

physical$needs)$

$

d. ….(d)…(e)….(f)?$

$$

3. Describe$your$feeling$when$you$consider$the$final$answer$to$question$2,$using$words$to$describe$or$by$using$the$scale$below.$

$Description$of$your$feeling:$_________________________________________________________________$$$

$1,$Anxious$ 2$ 3$ 4,$Neutral$ 5$ 6$ 7,$Peaceful$$ $ $ $ $ $ $

$$ Why$did$you$choose$the$above$number?$$


Appendix C: Smog Readability The handout is appropriate for average grade level of about 6. The Purpose of Life: Activity. What is the purpose of your life? What is your current

major life goal/objective? (e.g.: B.S in Dietetics, RD) Why is the above answer

important to you? (e.g.: setting a career) Why is the above answer to (a) important

to you? (e.g.: financial stability) Why is the above answer to (b) important to you?

(e.g.: fulfillment of basic physical needs) Describe your feeling when you the final

answer to question 2, using words to describe or consider by using the scale below.

Description of your feeling: Anxious, Neutral, Peaceful. Why did you choose the

above number?

Readability Indices Number of sentences 8 Number of words 101 Number of poly-syllable words 11 SMOG index: 11

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