Need to Know Activities Guide

Session 10

 

For every activity, the focus of discussions should be on how students will apply that information or those skills to their experience in college.

 

Note to facilitators: In each session, the timing of the activities is less than the 2 ½ hours of the session. This allows for time for transitions between activities, a short break, and time to just talk to students about your experiences, along with their questions and expectations. You may find that some activities take more or less time depending on the group, so be aware of timing and make adjustments as needed. Early sessions have more activities. If you don’t think you will have enough time, use discretion and choose the ones that best meet the needs of your group. Make sure to read over ALL session guides before starting the workshop to get an overview and to plan for the best approach. Then re-read each session guide before you meet with students. Make sure to have needed materials. You might be able to carry some activities over to later sessions if you run out of time.

 

01.               Answering Questions

 

Timing: 20 minutes

 

Description: Students can form groups of 3 to 5 members. Give them 10 minutes to go through the questions they got from their conversation with parents. Have them answer the questions based on what they learned in the workshop. Each group should then choose two of the questions from the pool of all student questions to write out answers to and share with the whole group. Have students spend about 10 minutes to present their questions and answers.

 

Objectives:

·       To make sure students and parents have questions about college answered

·       To have students prioritize questions and work together to compose answers

 

Materials: writing utensils, parent questions from Session 1, activity 09

 

 

Notes: If students have any unanswered questions at this point, have them write them down on a notecard. You can either discuss them at the end of the workshop or send out an email with answers and links to the appropriate resources.

 

 

02.               Reward Yourself

 

Timing: 10 minutes

Description: Have students work individually for 5 minutes to write a list of things that they can give themselves as rewards for working hard. They should not cost money. Talk about intrinsic v. extrinsic rewards. Have students share a few of their ideas because they might help other students come up with more of their own.

Objectives:

·       To have students focus on the positive aspects of working hard

·       To consider the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards

Materials: writing utensils

Notes: Students should think about the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards they will get from education.

 

03.               Presenting 101

 

Timing: 20 minutes

 

Description: First show the Steve Jobs video (listed first below) and discuss what he did that made his speech so effective. Then watch the video about bad speeches (second link below) and have students talk about bad speeches or presentations they have seen. Come up with a list on the board of things people do that make speeches boring, difficult to follow, or irrelevant. Have students develop a list of ways these can be avoided.

 

Objectives:

·       To prepare students to make presentations, which are frequently assigned in college classes

·       To have students develop clear lists of good and bad attributes of speeches or presentations

·       To have students consider how to avoid bad attributes of presentations

 

 

Materials: writing utensils, laptop and projector, board and marker

YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NYleDiQUzY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OgllqGUT0Y

              

Notes: Many college classes involve making presentations, often in groups, so presenting skills are as vital as teamwork skills.

 

 

04.               Presentations

 

Timing: 60 minutes

 

Description: Have students form about 4 groups. Either assign or have students select a section from Sessions 1-9 to present to the class. Students can use the Presentation Outline Template (optional) or work directly on Google Slides or PowerPoint—or another platform—to create a presentation of 3-5 minutes on their section. Presenting should take about 20 minutes (4 groups x 5 minutes), so the rest of the time can be used for creating and rehearsing (about 10 minutes).

 

Objectives:

·       To provide a review of sections of the workshop

·       To have students put into practice the teamwork and presentation skills discussed in the workshop

·       To provide practice creating effective presentations

·       To provide practice making presentations

·       To help students practice selecting and organizing important information

 

Materials: writing utensils, copies of Presentation Outline Template (optional), laptops and projector

 

Notes: Try to encourage students to have fun with this!

 

 

05.               5-Minute University

 

Timing: 15 minutes

 

Description: This activity is optional. It’s funny, but it also brings up questions about education, so gauge whether it is appropriate for your group. Show the video and then discuss what students can do to avoid investing so much time in their educations and then forgetting so much. You can write ideas on the board. He starts with saying all education is “just memorization.” Students need to see that it is so much more.

 

Objectives:

·       To help students formulate their ideas about why education is important

·       To laugh

·       To consider what benefits a college education offers

 

 

Materials: writing utensils, laptop and projector, YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO8x8eoU3L4

Optional: board and markers

 

 

Notes: Effective study skills, putting knowledge into practice, networks and interpersonal relationships, skill at finding answers and solutions, focusing on learning processes and critical thinking skills

 

 

06.               Start Your Network

 

Timing: 10 minutes

 

Description: This is a chance for students to get contact information from others in the workshop who might serve as a support system during college. No student should give out information if he or she is uncomfortable. Facilitators should only give information if they plan to respond. Otherwise, skip this or have students exchange info privately.

 

Objectives:

·       To give students time to interact

·       To demonstrate how easy it is to build a support system

·       To show students that facilitators are willing to be available to them in the future

 

Materials: writing utensils

 

Notes: Some students will already have people to contact if they need help, but for students who don’t, other friendly students or facilitators might be vital. Only do the activity if it is clear that everyone is willing to be part of others’ support system. You can put parameters on what is allowed and expected. Individual students and facilitators should not meet in private.

 

 

07.               Wrap Up: Gist and List

 

Timing: 5 minutes

 

Description: Students should be able to summarize what they learned in the session under the “Gist” column. Then they can pick out specific points that are important and list them under the “List” column.

 

Objectives:

·       To help students digest and think about material

·       To serve as a memory aid

 

Materials: writing utensils

 

Notes: This is an opportunity for students to process the information they learned and put it in their own words. This will facilitate learning and let students control their use of information. If you run out of time, this can be assigned as homework—it should only take a few minutes and will serve as a reminder for students of what they learned before moving to the next session.