Identify the Goal
“Finish my homework tonight” is this type of goal.
What is a short-term goal?
“I want to do better” is weak because it is not this.
What is specific?
“Question About Missing Assignment” is an example of this.
What is a strong subject line?
This means leaving the original website to see what other sources say.
What is lateral reading?
A photo or video can be misleading if it is edited, cropped, or taken out of this.
What is context?
“Graduate from college” is this type of goal.
What is a long-term goal?
“I will complete all missing work by Friday” is stronger because it includes this.
What is a deadline / time-bound detail?
“Dear Mr. Selinger,” is an example of this email part.
What is a greeting?
Wikipedia is useful as this, not usually as your final source.
What is a starting point?
Before sharing a video, you should check who posted it, where it came from, and when it was this.
What is taken / recorded?
“Study for 20 minutes tonight” could help with the long-term goal of earning this by the end of the semester.
What are better grades / an improved grade?
“I will study more” becomes measurable when you add this.
What is a number, amount, or way to track progress?
“I don’t get it” is not a strong email because it does not include enough this.
What are details?
One smart thing to check at the bottom of a Wikipedia page is this.
What are references / sources?
“A study shows students remember more when they review over several days” is this because it supports a claim.
What is evidence?
A long-term goal often needs multiple short-term goals because it requires this.
What are time, planning, and effort?
“I will study for 8 hours every school night” may not be SMART because it may not be this.
What is achievable / realistic?
In an email, the part where you politely ask for help is called this.
What is a clear request / clear question?
If a website makes a big claim but gives no author, evidence, or sources, you should not do this right away.
What is trust it?
A video may be real but still misleading if the caption does not match this.
What is what is actually happening?
“I want to become more organized before high school” is long-term because it cannot usually be completed in this amount of time.
What is one day / one night / a short time?
“I will improve my Life Skills grade by studying my guide for 20 minutes a night, three nights this week” is strong because it is this type of goal.
What is a SMART goal?
A properly structured email ends with “Thank you,” followed by this.
What is your name?
Lateral reading is better than staying on one website because it helps you judge whether the source is this.
What is trustworthy / reliable?
A random opinion online is usually weaker than research, data, or this kind of opinion.
What is expert opinion from a reliable source?