Planning Pie

"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral."  —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Flight to Arras

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." — attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Planning Pie is a visual framework that supports students in developing higher-order planning skills. Designed by Iliana Gutierrez (cc) 2016.

Planning Pie: The Satisfaction of Success

When students experience success, it might not be clear to them how or why they were successful. Students' awareness of their own agency in ensuring successful outcomes can help students be more intentional in choosing which strategies are worth replicating in future occasions. By teaching students habits such as planning, we can equip students with strategies that increase the possibility of successful outcomes. Their achievements can provide them with the confidence to be more independent and to take on greater challenges. 

Overview: Students will carry out the steps of successful planning by:

1) Identifying a goal

2) Identifying and sequencing a relevant course of action

3) Monitoring progress along the way.

The activity is geared towards elementary students but could certainly be adapted to suit upper grades.

1. Make it meaningful. Provide a way for students to relate.

Planning Pie can first be introduced as though one were planning to bake a pie. At this stage, you will only need to present the first anchor chart ("Pie" not "Goal"). I find that a bit of humor and personal anecdote go a long way with students. I like to set it up as though I were a hopeless baker until I "discovered" a better way to do things. My introduction might go something like this: 

Did you know that I was not always the best of bakers? I have made a few pretty messes in the kitchen trying to bake something delicious. I would get this craving for apple pie and I would just walk into the kitchen, find a recipe, and start cutting up butter to mix with the flour for the crust...and I'd measure out some salt sooo carefully...and I'd measure out the cinnamon sooo carefully...and then bam! I'd find out I didn't have any sugar. So I'd have to run next door and borrow some sugar and I'd come back to the kitchen and find the dough all gooey. Then when it was time to start cutting the apples, I'd find out that I didn't have enough! I'd just add what I had and mix everything in...Let's just say it was more like a "one apple" apple pie. 

The disorganization and steady flow of fiascos not only make the need for an "intervention" more evident, but the set-up is something the students can relate to one way or another in their own lives.

2. Make it stick. Let students feel the thrill of successful planning.

After the introduction, give students an opportunity to share their reflections on the scenario. Most likely students will highlight both what didn't go so well and what could have been done better. Once students have shared a few of their observations, turn to the anchor chart. You might introduce it like this:

Well, there I was, eating my sad little one apple pie and I started thinking that I didn't have to do things that way. I realized that with the right kind of preparation, I might actually start making some pretty good pies! So the next time I had a craving for pie, I asked myself, "What kind of pie do I want to make?" Once I'd decided on a pie, I'd make sure I had all the ingredients.  I'd pull them out one by one and set them on the counter to make sure I had everything I would need before I started. I'd even pull out the bowls and spoons! Then I made sure I followed the steps in the right order. (You'd never think you'd be the one to leave out the sugar until it's too late...) Finally, throughout the whole thing, I'd double check to make sure that things were on track. If I did this often enough, I could correct any mistakes pretty easily. Soon enough, my pies starting turning out a lot better.

Follow each of the quadrants while having a discussion about why each quadrant is important for the goal of baking a pie. Although students may not list all of the necessary steps to bake an actual pie, the teacher can build off student responses (ex: “Does it make sense to add the sugar AFTER the pie has been baked?").  For a special treat, a teacher can have pies ready to celebrate the success of their plan!

3. Make it successful. Practice planning towards an easy goal together.

Later that week, announce that students will create a new Planning Pie, but this time, the goal will apply to an upcoming procedure or activity (i.e., preparing for morning routine, or preparing a multi-step writing assignment). When first introducing the "Goal" side of Planning Pie, identify an easy-to-grasp goal so students can complete the full cycle within a relatively short time frame (depending on the age range) and reflect on the process. By relating the process to that of preparing to bake a pie, students can draw connections in the reasoning behind why planning can be helpful.

Teachers of younger elementary students (K-2) can use the routine to identify single goal behaviors.  A useful goal may relate to a behavior or routine that students will repeat frequently in the classroom, such as arriving to school or preparing for centers.  This way, students can apply the use of the routine towards real-time behavior. 

Teachers of upper elementary students (3-5) can use the routine to identify multi-step goals that can be adapted to novel situations.  For example, teachers and students can work together to generate a plan for mathematical problem solving or writing a research essay.  Students can adapt a mathematical problem-solving strategy to novel situations by relying on a series of broad steps such as, “Identify the question; Identify the operation(s) needed; Justify your answer.”  Writing an essay may be broken down as a large goal with a series of sub-goals, each with their own necessary steps: “Identify a topic; Gather information; Prepare an Outline; Write a Draft; Revise; Write Final Draft.”

4. Make it last. Include time for students to create their own Planning Pies.

As students grow more familiar with Planning Pie as a framework for working towards particular goals, provide students with opportunities to practice on their own.  Teachers can provide a specific goal and students can work in partners to complete the pie chart.  Eventually, Planning Pie may be done independently and towards more complex/long-term activities.

Teachers may want to keep a poster as a visual reminder of how to fill out Planning Pie.  In the early stages, it might be helpful to provide a template for students to write out the different elements of each quadrant (folding a paper into quadrants words just as well). Depending on the grade level, teachers can ask students to prepare a Planning Pie for working in centers, working on a group project, or working on a multi-step project such as a science/history project.

Additional Resources

This strategy was developed by Iliana Gutierrez while working with Dr. Stephanie Jones at the EASEL Lab and has been used in the lab's SEL-based work with schools. The Ecological Approaches to Social Emotional Learning (EASEL) Laboratory, led by Dr. Stephanie Jones of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, explores the effects of high-quality social-emotional interventions on the development and achievement of children, youth, teachers, parents, and communities. For more information on the lab's research, please visit their website, EASEL Lab.

*Frontispiece

Planning Pie Anchor Charts, created and designed by Iliana Gutierrez (cc) 2016