Good organization is an essential component of being able to manage time effectively, so it's important to cover the ways in which fifth grade students can get themselves organized. Have an open discussion that allows the students to contribute ways in which they already practice organization at school and at home; this will help students to bounce ideas off one another for effective methods. Then, have the students write down ways they could be better organized, whether it's keeping a tidier room or doing a better job of writing down assignments in a homework notebook. Help each student plan strategies for success in these problem areas.
Introduce students to a variety of time management tools used to stay on top of assignments, important dates and other time-sensitive aspects of life. Make this lesson more entertaining by giving students items like calendars that can be personalized using craft materials, or have the students create a weekly schedule with special software or online sources to refine their computer and Internet skills. Have the students include important activities they participate in each week, like sports, music lessons or family bonding time. They should also include due dates for assignments, along with important social events like birthdays.
Invite guest speakers from the community to discuss the ways that time management is essential to balancing a successful career and home life. These guest speakers could be students' parents, or could simply be a good example of someone who is able to efficiently manage a variety of tasks both in the office and in personal life. Try to incorporate a variety of different careers into your guest speaker series to get your fifth grade class thinking about future career possibilities.
Balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities and still managing to have a social life can be overwhelming for anyone, let alone a fifth grade student. Discuss times during which students felt stressed or overwhelmed by a certain task or commitment, and then find out how the students dealt with that situation. Emphasize that although independent time management is an important skill, students should always ask for help when they need it. Talk about how to know when it's time to ask for help, and discuss the importance of not committing to too many activities in the first place.