Grade Levels: 9-10

Subjects:  Language Arts, Speech, Broadcast Journalism

Learner Outcomes:

• The students will become more familiar with searching the Internet.
• The students will begin to understand the need to search for colleges and scholarship/loan information at the beginning of high school.
• The students will practice their listening and speaking skills.
• The students will use their writing skills to develop more concrete thoughts about themselves and their future.
• The students will become familiar with SAT and ACT testing sites and dates.
• The students will become familiar with the test scores and GPA's required to enter college.

Materials: paper, pen/pencil, Internet ready computers.

Technology Tools/Courseware: Microsoft Word 97 using Windows 95 or later for an IBM (compatible) or Word 98 and Windows 95 or later for a Macintosh.

Teacher Notes: The students should know how to use search engines on the Internet.  If they do not  know how to do this, a lesson on search engines may be necessary.  You need to have Microsoft Word 97 using Windows 95 or later for an IBM (compatible) or Word 98 and Windows 95 or later for a Macintosh.  Don't forget to have your students close the web page windows in your browser after you are finished with them.  If they keep too many open, their computers will slow down and possibly quit.

Procedures:

• The students will complete a writing assignment remembering their past.  What do they remember about when they were four or five that they wanted to be "when they grew up"?  The students will be asked to share their thoughts/writings.  The teacher is encouraged to participate in this writing exercise and share his/her response, too.
• The students will discuss and examine several worksheets to give them ideas about the most popular states where students attend college, those colleges which have the most applicants, and the colleges which have the most in and out-of-state students.

The teacher will explain the purpose of an interest inventory which the students will take.  The students must understand that they need to be honest and not embarrassed about any of the choices they will make.  The students will write a one page response to explain their thoughts about their own results of the interest inventory.  Next, the students will discuss the results of their inventories in small groups first and then as a class.  Were the students surprised at the findings?  Does this confirm what they have always felt?

• The students will research at least one in-state college such as West Liberty State College, West Virginia University, Marshall University, Glenville State College, and others.  The students will also search the Internet  for an out-of-state college in which they may  be interested.  The students should begin using a search engine such as Yahoo, Excite, Dogpile, Altavista, Hotbot, Infoseek, Lycos, or Webcrawler. There is a web site for students who want to find a particular college.  It is the home page of Quantum Business Solutions, Inc. and is intended to simplify the application process.  When students enter the "lobby" of this site, they may select college applications.  The students need to find the following information from their search:

• type of setting of the college/university
• the number of computers on campus
• the faculty/student ratio
• the most popular majors
• number of full-time undergraduate teachers
• number of libraries
• number of books in the libraries
• number of active campus organizations
• number of fraternities and sororities
• type of campus security
• applications requirements
• type of admission process
• application information (name of contact person, address, phone number, fax number)
• number of undergraduates and graduate students
• number of different countries represented
• percent of African Americans
• percent of women and percent of men
• percent of Native Americans
• percent of Hispanics
• percent of Asian Americans
• percent of International students
• number of alumni
• famous alumni
• number of applicants last year
• number/percentage  of students accepted last year
• percent of students who returned after their freshman year
• percent of students who returned after their sophomore year
• tuition and fees for in-state and out-of-state
• cost of room and board
• average percent of financial aid met

• The students will write a letter to get more information from the out-of-state college they chose to research.  This letter must be typed on a computer.  Each student may customize his or her letter to retain information about specific interests--example:  sports, scholarships, course offerings.  Each student needs to have at least two peers edit his or her letter before turning it in to the teacher.  The students should share the information they are requesting with the class.

• Have students, whether they are potential college athletes or not, see if they  are eligible by checking with the NCAA.  Report these findings to the entire class.
• The students should find information about entrance examinations to learn locations and dates for SAT and ACT testing sites.  The students can register online if they desire.
• The students should check for scholarships and loans on the following sites:
• www.scholarstuff.com
• www.fastweb.com
• www.nasfaa.org

Modifications: Lessons will be modified according to the individual student's IEP.

Enrichment Activities: The students are encouraged to take a FREE practice SAT or GRE online at the Kaplan web site.
 
 

Evaluation:

• Active participation in class and group discussions.
• Completion of all research assignments.
• Completion of all written assignments.

West Virginia Instructional Goals and Objectives

• Language Arts-
• Listening and Speaking:  9.4, 9.5, 9.10, 10.4, 10.7, 10.810.4, 10.7, 10.8
• Reading Comprehension:  9.19, 9.24, 9.29, 10.19, 10.21, 10.23, 10.24, 10.27, 10.32
• Reading Vocabulary:  9.34, 9.36, 10.34, 10.35
• Writing Skills:  9.44, 9.4.7, 9.48, 9.49, 9.52, 10.39, 10.40, 10.44, 10.46, 10.48, 10.49, 10.50, 10.51, 10.52
• Language:  9.59, 9.60, 9.61, 9.62, 9.63, 9.64, 10.59, 10.60, 10.63, 10.64, 10.65, 10.66, 10.67
• Study Skills:  9.74, 9.75, 9.76, 9.84, 9.86, 10.71, 10.76, 10.77, 10.78, 10.89
• Computer Technology:  9.90, 9.91, 9.92, 9.94, 9.98, 9.99, 10.81, 10.82, 10.83, 10.85, 10.86, 10.87, 10.88
• Speech- 9.15, 9.16, 9.17, 10.15, 10.18

National Standards

Created by:

Sandra Bennett
Caroline Ihlenfeld
Diana Ihlenfeld

Wheeling Park High School
1976 ParkView Road
Wheeling, WV  26003

Link to:
 

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