Designing Great Learning Opportunities for 4-H Youth

STEP 1: Write Your Activity Plan

• Use Parts of the 4-H Activity Plan (7 pages, 77 KB ) to write your plan. This handout refers you to the resources and links listed below.

Resources and Links to Use When Writing Your Activity Plan

• Tips for Writing a 4-H Activity Plan (2 pages, 37 KB)
• Examples of Activity Plans These are examples of Activity Plans that other 4-H educators have authored.
• Wisconsin Activity Plan Template (text) (1 page, 23 KB) This form presents an outline to use when writing the first draft of your activity plan.
• Activity Plan Template for Science, Technology, and Math Activities (3 pages, 62 KB) This form presents an outline to use when writing the first draft of an activity plan that is focused on science, technology or math activities. Maria Habib and Deb Ivey adapted this template from one created by Kathi Vos.
• Activity Plan Template for Engineering Activities (2 pages, 30 KB) This form presents an outline to use when writing the first draft of an activity plan that is focused on engineering activities. Maria Habib and Deb Ivey adapted this template from one created by Kathi Vos.
• Wisconsin Activity Plan Template (formatted) (2 pages, 72 KB) This form is formatted in column s. Your final version of the activity plan can be put into this format prior to jury review.
• Wisconsin 4-H Projects Page This page shows information on Wisconsin 4-H projects including activiity plans that have been previously reviewed.
• Targeting Life Skills Model The TLS Model provides a format that you might use to write specific learning objectives for life skill development that are measurable, to complete an instructional plan that creates experiences based on experiential learning theory to achieve life skill development and to identify observable/measurable indicators of change using these indicators to effectively evaluate program impact/goal.
• List of Life Skill Definitions and Components (9 pages, 50 KB) Use this list to further define the life skill being highlighted in your activity.
• Wisconsin Academic Standards can be used to identify the WIsconsin Academic Standards that are part of learning activities.
• National Academic Standards can be used to identify National Academic Standards that are part of learning activities.
• Developmentally Appropriate Life Tasks (14 pages, 55 KB) Provides information on the developmental stages for each life skill in the Targeting Life Skills Model.
• Experiential Processing Questions (4 pages, 39 KB) Refer to this list for questions to ask in the “Talk It Over” section of an activity.

STEP 2: Review Your Activity Plan

• Use Criteria for Reviewing Activity Plans (2 pages, 85 KB) to review your activity plan. These are the criteria that the jury will use to review your activity plan.
• Experiential Learning Methodology Criteria (2 pages, 27 KB) This section explains criteria 1-3 on the Criteria Review Sheet.
• Learner Centered Criteria (2 pages, 29 KB) This section explains criteria 4-8 on the Criteria Review Sheet.
• Subject Matter Criteria (1 page, 26 KB) This section explains criteria 9-11 on the Criteria Review Sheet.

STEP 3: Submit Your Activity Plan for Peer Review

• When your plan is ready for review, authors will submit activity plans to the Learning Resources Committee Co-Chairs, Annette Haas, annette.haas@ces.uwex.edu, and Deb Ivey, debra.ivey@ces.uwex.edu.  They will recruit a jury of at least three peers.   Members of the 4-H Learning Resources Committee will serve as Jury Chairs and Primary Reviewers.
• Scoring Procedures for Reviewing Activity Plans (1 page, 31 KB) Read this to review and understand the process used to review activity plans that are submitted.
• A time frame for review will be established when your activity plan is submitted. It is anticipated that a review will be completed within 6 weeks of your submission.

Materials for Activity Plan Reviewers

• Criteria for Reviewing Activity Plans (2 pages, 85 KB) This is the score sheet for reviewers to use when reviewing documents.
• Scoring Procedures for Reviewing Activity Plans (1 page, 31 KB) Read this to review and understand the responsibilities of jury members.