Welcome to the Game of Life! The Game of Life is an interdisciplinary social science class, focusing on college and career awareness,research, and development of a personal life plan. Students in The Game of Life forecast their college attendance, including graduate and professional training, and discover various subsequent career and life paths. The Game of Life is a modified Texas Performance Standards Project and is aligned with seventh grade Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
During the learning phase of the course, roughly the first five months of school, students will research specific job titles and the subsequent academic training required of their chosen appointments. Students will explore colleges offering the majors they will need to gain entry level into the position, including professional and graduate school, and will arrive at a plan for achieving college admission. Students will gain a working knowledge of the resources available for researching colleges, by professional school, as well as earning assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships After developing a path for professional training, students analyze various salaries in their proposed fields (adjusted for inflation), and apply their earning potential to various life scenarios, including geographic region (adjusted for inflation), renting vs. owning, transportation plans, and associated incidentals. Speakers from local colleges and vocations will round out the students' learning.
Students use their learning phase research during the independent, or project, phase to develop a website detailing their plans, estimations, and rationales, as well as a digital portfolio which students may use throughout middle and high school to contain working resumes, biographies, academic achievements, and supporting information. Students will also identify and develop communication with a professional community mentor, such as a local professor, specialist, scientist, doctor, etc, who will assist students in shaping their life plans. Finally, students will develop a public awareness campaign about career fields and colleges for their local school community, which may include posters, class presentations, podcasts, and/or other creative avenues of creative expression. Students will share their projects with the school community during a GT showcase at the end of the academic year!
Some examples of previous projects include:
Exploration of aerospace engineering (Ph.D program) at UT, Austin, propulsions design.
Computational Mathematics at MIT (Ph.D), artificial intelligence programming
Linguistics (Ph.D), University of Paris, applied linguistics
Petroleum Engineering (Ph.D.), University of Texas, Austin, well-head designs
Brain Surgeon (MD), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, memory studies
Class 1
Icebreakers and Introductions
Discussion of class procedures and rules.
Discussion of GT
Class 2
Developing professional vocabulary
Case study: Mrs. Kozlova's academic biography
Research Skill, Google Power Search
Class 3
Dream Jobs inventory
KWL Charts: Mapping vocational realities
Homework: Select from your vocational map your top two vocations. Create a pro and con list for each job. Evaluate your list. Which one comes out on top for you, why? How do you feel about your selection?
Class 4
Defining Your Dream
Research Tool, Occupational Outlook Handbook
Students arrive at a precise definition and job description for their chosen field.
Students present their selection to the class in a formal presentation
Homework: Search news and media sources for articles about your career. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in one to three paragraphs.
Class 5
Picturing your dream.
Students use Occupational Outlook handbook to create a comic illustration of an average day on the job
Students research the history of their job
Homework: Rough draft a 1-3 page research paper, with sources, detailing the history of your chosen job. Be ready to present next class period.
Class 6
Advertising Your Dream
Students develop movie-style advertisements for their job listing information from Dept. of Labor Statistics.
Comparing job types: What skills will we need?
Homework: Search news and media sources for articles about your career. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in one to three paragraphs.
Class 7
Achieving your Dream
Mini Lesson: Relationship of college major with vocation.
Modeling: University of Texas, colleges and schools
Homework: Create a list of ten-twelve schools offering your job's major. Which schools rank at the top of your list? Why?
Class 8
How to choose a college?
Students develop personal rubrics for evaluating school fit
Discussion: Present rubrics and rationales
Students decide upon a college to attend for training in their dream job.
Homework: Interview a family member or adult about their college and major. Why did they attend their school? What would they have done differently? Reflect on the interview in at least three paragraphs.
Class 9
Accessing Your Dream
Mini Lesson: admissions requirements
Workshop: Students develop a checklist for university and college admission requirements.
Class chart: Comparing admission requirements by major
Homework: Search news and media sources for articles about your career. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in one to three paragraphs.
Class 10
Paying for your dream
Analyzing total cost of college attendance (in state, out of state, international, etc.)
Workshop: Students research cost of attendance by university and school (adjust for inflation)
Debate: Should college be free? (Universal Free Education Vs. Capitalist Model)
Homework: Search news and media sources for articles about your career. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in one to three paragraphs.
Class 11
Prizing your Dream
Financial aid, scholarships, fellowships, loans, etc.
Research prizes and financial aid by college and university. What are the requirements?
Current Affair: Student Debt
Professional, social, civic organizations and scholarships: giving back
Homework: Share with parents your plan for paying for college. What advice do they give you? Reflect on the advice and the interview in at least three paragraphs.
Class 12
Enhancing your Dream
Graduate and professional education: will you need it?
Exploring graduate schools
Homework: Decide upon a graduate school to attend. Profile faculty members you would like to work with. Research their scholarly writings and their academic training. Choose one faculty member you would like to apprentice and write a rationale, in at least three paragraphs.
Class 13
Admission to Graduate programs
Analyze/compare graduate school programs/costs
Draft a letter of contact to a graduate professor: announce your enterprise and interest. Petition advice and suggestions.
Homework: research cost of graduate education and financial aid. List three ways you can pay for your graduate education, including at least a paragraph for each explanation.
Class 14
Planning your Dream
What company/enterprise will you work for?
Map: Students research major employers for their major and create a vocational map
Of the possible locations, where will you live?
Introduction to resources for determining cost of living
Homework: Imagine you've obtained your dream job. Now, how will you live? House or apartment? Research cost of living in your proposed geographic location. Based on your salary, what will be your issues and challenges?
Class 15
Workshop: Rounding out cost of living.
Research: Life considerations: transportation, recreation, travel, personal and professional development?
Students discuss and compare issues.
Second Semester:
Independent Work Phase: Class Flips for Duration of Year and Students Work on Individual Projects.
Show Case: May, 17th, 2016 - Students present their projects.
During the learning phase of the course, roughly the first five months of school, students will research specific job titles and the subsequent academic training required of their chosen appointments. Students will explore colleges offering the majors they will need to gain entry level into the position, including professional and graduate school, and will arrive at a plan for achieving college admission. Students will gain a working knowledge of the resources available for researching colleges, by professional school, as well as earning assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships After developing a path for professional training, students analyze various salaries in their proposed fields (adjusted for inflation), and apply their earning potential to various life scenarios, including geographic region (adjusted for inflation), renting vs. owning, transportation plans, and associated incidentals. Speakers from local colleges and vocations will round out the students' learning.
Students use their learning phase research during the independent, or project, phase to develop a website detailing their plans, estimations, and rationales, as well as a digital portfolio which students may use throughout middle and high school to contain working resumes, biographies, academic achievements, and supporting information. Students will also identify and develop communication with a professional community mentor, such as a local professor, specialist, scientist, doctor, etc, who will assist students in shaping their life plans. Finally, students will develop a public awareness campaign about career fields and colleges for their local school community, which may include posters, class presentations, podcasts, and/or other creative avenues of creative expression. Students will share their projects with the school community during a GT showcase at the end of the academic year!
Some examples of previous projects include:
Exploration of aerospace engineering (Ph.D program) at UT, Austin, propulsions design.
Computational Mathematics at MIT (Ph.D), artificial intelligence programming
Linguistics (Ph.D), University of Paris, applied linguistics
Petroleum Engineering (Ph.D.), University of Texas, Austin, well-head designs
Brain Surgeon (MD), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, memory studies
Class 1
Icebreakers and Introductions
Discussion of class procedures and rules.
Discussion of GT
Class 2
Developing professional vocabulary
Case study: Mrs. Kozlova's academic biography
Research Skill, Google Power Search
Class 3
Dream Jobs inventory
KWL Charts: Mapping vocational realities
Homework: Select from your vocational map your top two vocations. Create a pro and con list for each job. Evaluate your list. Which one comes out on top for you, why? How do you feel about your selection?
Class 4
Defining Your Dream
Research Tool, Occupational Outlook Handbook
Students arrive at a precise definition and job description for their chosen field.
Students present their selection to the class in a formal presentation
Homework: Search news and media sources for articles about your career. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in one to three paragraphs.
Class 5
Picturing your dream.
Students use Occupational Outlook handbook to create a comic illustration of an average day on the job
Students research the history of their job
Homework: Rough draft a 1-3 page research paper, with sources, detailing the history of your chosen job. Be ready to present next class period.
Class 6
Advertising Your Dream
Students develop movie-style advertisements for their job listing information from Dept. of Labor Statistics.
Comparing job types: What skills will we need?
Homework: Search news and media sources for articles about your career. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in one to three paragraphs.
Class 7
Achieving your Dream
Mini Lesson: Relationship of college major with vocation.
Modeling: University of Texas, colleges and schools
Homework: Create a list of ten-twelve schools offering your job's major. Which schools rank at the top of your list? Why?
Class 8
How to choose a college?
Students develop personal rubrics for evaluating school fit
Discussion: Present rubrics and rationales
Students decide upon a college to attend for training in their dream job.
Homework: Interview a family member or adult about their college and major. Why did they attend their school? What would they have done differently? Reflect on the interview in at least three paragraphs.
Class 9
Accessing Your Dream
Mini Lesson: admissions requirements
Workshop: Students develop a checklist for university and college admission requirements.
Class chart: Comparing admission requirements by major
Homework: Search news and media sources for articles about your career. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in one to three paragraphs.
Class 10
Paying for your dream
Analyzing total cost of college attendance (in state, out of state, international, etc.)
Workshop: Students research cost of attendance by university and school (adjust for inflation)
Debate: Should college be free? (Universal Free Education Vs. Capitalist Model)
Homework: Search news and media sources for articles about your career. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in one to three paragraphs.
Class 11
Prizing your Dream
Financial aid, scholarships, fellowships, loans, etc.
Research prizes and financial aid by college and university. What are the requirements?
Current Affair: Student Debt
Professional, social, civic organizations and scholarships: giving back
Homework: Share with parents your plan for paying for college. What advice do they give you? Reflect on the advice and the interview in at least three paragraphs.
Class 12
Enhancing your Dream
Graduate and professional education: will you need it?
Exploring graduate schools
Homework: Decide upon a graduate school to attend. Profile faculty members you would like to work with. Research their scholarly writings and their academic training. Choose one faculty member you would like to apprentice and write a rationale, in at least three paragraphs.
Class 13
Admission to Graduate programs
Analyze/compare graduate school programs/costs
Draft a letter of contact to a graduate professor: announce your enterprise and interest. Petition advice and suggestions.
Homework: research cost of graduate education and financial aid. List three ways you can pay for your graduate education, including at least a paragraph for each explanation.
Class 14
Planning your Dream
What company/enterprise will you work for?
Map: Students research major employers for their major and create a vocational map
Of the possible locations, where will you live?
Introduction to resources for determining cost of living
Homework: Imagine you've obtained your dream job. Now, how will you live? House or apartment? Research cost of living in your proposed geographic location. Based on your salary, what will be your issues and challenges?
Class 15
Workshop: Rounding out cost of living.
Research: Life considerations: transportation, recreation, travel, personal and professional development?
Students discuss and compare issues.
Second Semester:
Independent Work Phase: Class Flips for Duration of Year and Students Work on Individual Projects.
Show Case: May, 17th, 2016 - Students present their projects.