11 & 12 I
Life Hacks
Destination: College STUDENT HANDBOOK, PAGE 34
Objectives: Students will learn how perseverance can help achieve goals, identify how to prepare for college applications, and learn about post-high-school-graduation options; students will also practice determining the author’s purpose. 1 Warm-up: Start a discussion with students about their goals after high school. • Tell students that even if they’re not yet in high school, it’s not too early to be thinking about their goals after high school. What might they want to do? • Why is perseverance important for achieving goals? 2 Read: “Destination: College“ First read: Read the article aloud; you may also wish to ask volunteers to read aloud. At the end of the article, ask students to describe the gist of the article. (The article tells about a high school senior named Diontae who demonstrates perseverance and hard work by becoming the first person in his family to go to college.) Second read: Ask students to read with partners or independently. (You can always read aloud if that works best with your students.) Instruct students: As you read, think about the author’s purpose for writing this article—and how the content of the article reflects that purpose. When students have completed the article, ask for their thoughts. (The author’s purpose seems to be to inspire readers. The content includes descriptions of challenges Diontae faced, such as how no one in his family had gone to college, how he had to work two jobs, how he had to stay up late to work on college applications. These details could help inspire readers face their own challenges.) (Author’s purpose/point of view) 3 After Reading: Use these questions to check students’ understanding. You may wish to ask them to go back to the article to highlight where they found the answers. 1. Why did Diontae decide he wanted to go to college? (He overheard his friend’s mom talking about college, and he realized college could change his future.) 2. How did Diontae demonstrate perseverance while he was in high school? (Diontae woke up early on the weekends so he could work two back-to-back shifts to make extra money for his family. He also stayed up late working on college applications.) 3. What are some ways that teens can stand out to college admissions officers that go beyond their grades? (They can volunteer to show leadership strengths or submit a unique application, such as a video or website.)
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