Teaching Guide
College Choice in Oregon
Lesson Developer:Merri Sue Clark, SpencerButteMiddle School
Subject Area: AVID
Grade Level: Middle School
Lesson Description: This is a stand-along lesson in an AVID class. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. It is a class that prepares middle and high school students for success in college preparatory classes to ensure enrollment in a four-year college. Part of AVID involves college exploration and my AVID class will be visiting some four-year colleges in the spring. Prior to visiting these sites, I want my AVID students to “explore” these places through this lesson. In this lesson, students will explore four-year college choices in Oregon by analyzing maps and data. They will discover “good matches” for themselves by exploring demographic data and by using GIS skills with maps to get a better sense of the “place” where various colleges are located
Recommended Time to Teach:Approximately 90 minutes
National Standards:
Geography
1) Use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective
2) Describe people, places and events and the connections between them.
Technology
1) Collect and analyze data
2) Understand and use technology system
Social Studies
1) Understand the concepts of people, places and environments
2) Understand the concepts of individuals, groups and institutions
Geospatial Concepts:
Condition: Students will understand the factors that make each college town unique and desirable to certain people.
Comparison: How are the different college towns similar and different? What difference will matter most in a student’s selection of a college?
Pattern: Students will determine patterns that will help them in their college decision. Features such as a large number of rental units and ethnic or age demographics might all influence a decision.
Connection: The proximity to a recreation area might influence a student’s decision
Web-based GIS Tools: Examples of tools students will use include query, measure, zoom
Materials: Access to computers (one per every two students), student handouts, Cornell notes, pencils
Prerequisites:Students will have completed a tutorial in GIS basics and will have had many prior class discussions about college choice, in addition to viewing many colleges’ YouTube promotional videos.
The Lesson
Beginning the Lesson
I will begin the lesson by reminding students that the number one goal of AVID is to prepare them to enroll in a four-year college and be successful there. I will also tell them that choosing which colleges to apply to is an important decision and that getting a feel for a college that will be the right “fit” for them is a critical part of that process. We will brainstorm some different things that would make a city appealing to college students and then I will tell them I’ve chosen a mix of criteria for them to explore, including the general age of the cities’ populations, ethnic food, recreation and available apartments and houses for rent. I will be sure to emphasize in our discussion that there are many other important aspects to choosing a college, but that we will learn a little more about GIS by exploring these particular characteristics. I will tell them that we will be visiting some of the colleges that we will be exploring via GIS and that they will have a better idea of the “place” of those colleges after finding out more about them through this lesson.
Developing the Lesson
Students will work in pairs to explore various aspects of several Oregon towns or cities that have four-year colleges: Klamath Falls, Eugene, Corvallis and Portland. Using a chart, students will record different data about aspects of life there. They will employ various GIS tools to obtain this data.
Concluding the Lesson
I will debrief the lesson by asking students, based on their completed chart, what town appeals to them the most. I will be interested to hear what particular data seemed to be the most important to them. We will, again, discuss other things that should be a part of anyone’s college choice decision, including the size of the school, particular academic or program fit, financial aid, distance from home, etc. I will want to know if any of the data surprised them or intrigued them and in what way. And then, of course, I will want to debrief the GIS process. What went well for them? What was difficult? Could they brainstorm other ways to use maps and data?
Career Connection: Students in AVID classes are very familiar with career planning and investigation. I will have my students do web-based searches for careers that use GIS.
Assessment/Evaluation:
For an assessment, students will do a Cornell Notes summary. Cornell Notes (C Notes) are an important part of the AVID program and students are very familiar with the format. (C-Notes came be taken on a template or a piece of binder paper can be quickly modified to accommodate C Notes. Basically, there is a small left hand column for questions or main ideas, a larger right had column for the notes and a summary area at the bottom of the page.) I have attached an example of the C Notes my students will fill out as an assessment for this assignment.
Lesson Extension
Students will visit the website of the school that is most appealing to them. They will do a search of an academic area that they are interested in, find admission standards and explore financial aid opportunities.
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Cohort II Fall 2010 - GEOSTAC NSF-ATE # 0903330