Packing Your Own Bags: A Life Course for Seniors Who Want To Go Somewhere

Where Will You Go? Integrated Course Curriculum Guide PLAN PACK PERFORM

Creating a Path For Seniors Packing your own bags is a 16 week course for seniors that will lead them through the planning and execution of their own adventure. By reading literature, viewing art, and studying language and theater from cultures around the globe, students will learn practical life skills that will help to clarify their life goals. They will discover what they are most passionate about, learn how to make choices, be responsible, and achieve self-awareness. Throughout the course students will map out their greatest goals and the path they will take to get there. Packing your own bags is a 16 week course for seniors that will lead them through the planning and execution of their own adventure. By reading literature, viewing art, and studying language and theater from cultures around the globe, students will learn practical life skills that will help to clarify their life goals. They will discover what they are most passionate about, learn how to make choices, be responsible, and achieve self-awareness. Throughout the course students will map out their greatest goals and the path they will take to get there.

Plan, Pack, Perform All of our seniors are going somewhere. All of our seniors are going somewhere. We want them to have the tools to be able to make deliberate choices about where to go in their life We want them to have the tools to be able to make deliberate choices about where to go in their life We want them to bring the appropriate skills to their life endeavors We want them to bring the appropriate skills to their life endeavors We want them to be successful and happy on their path We want them to be successful and happy on their path

Week by Week Lesson Outline Week 1- Intro: Ready, Set, Go! Week 1- Intro: Ready, Set, Go! Weeks 2 – 5 - Where will you go? Introduction to differing cultures via literature, art, language and drama. Weeks 2 – 5 - Where will you go? Introduction to differing cultures via literature, art, language and drama. Weeks 6 – 8 - What will you bring? Weeks 6 – 8 - What will you bring? Weeks 9 – 10 - What will you do when you get there? Weeks 9 – 10 - What will you do when you get there? Weeks 11 – 13 - What if you change your mind? Weeks 11 – 13 - What if you change your mind? Weeks 14 – 15 - Putting it all together. Prepare for portfolio exhibition. Weeks 14 – 15 - Putting it all together. Prepare for portfolio exhibition. Week 16 – Senior exhibitions. Week 16 – Senior exhibitions.

Desired Outcomes At the end of the 16 week course, students will possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that will enable them to metaphorically and literally pack their own bags for any adventure they choose. They will learn how to avoid culture shock by examining the arts from cultures all over the world. They will learn how to mentor others and be of service to their own local community through service learning. Each student will present a final exhibition that expresses every aspect of their new knowledge, skills, and dispositions, and how they have personally interpreted the course material. At the end of the 16 week course, students will possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that will enable them to metaphorically and literally pack their own bags for any adventure they choose. They will learn how to avoid culture shock by examining the arts from cultures all over the world. They will learn how to mentor others and be of service to their own local community through service learning. Each student will present a final exhibition that expresses every aspect of their new knowledge, skills, and dispositions, and how they have personally interpreted the course material.

Service Learning Throughout the course, the seniors will mentor a group of middle school students from the Sedona area by teaching them mini-lessons aligned with the course themes (plan, pack, perform). Throughout the course, the seniors will mentor a group of middle school students from the Sedona area by teaching them mini-lessons aligned with the course themes (plan, pack, perform). The cultural diversity of the Sedona area will be emphasized. The mentorship should serve to cultivate a sense of community between participants. The cultural diversity of the Sedona area will be emphasized. The mentorship should serve to cultivate a sense of community between participants. The mentorship program will allow the students to interact with the community, and to build relationships with others as they develop life skills. The mentorship program will allow the students to interact with the community, and to build relationships with others as they develop life skills. The seniors will reflect upon how this experience has deepened their awareness of community in a meaningful way. The seniors will reflect upon how this experience has deepened their awareness of community in a meaningful way.

Future Trends Packing Your Own Bags will prepare students for life after high school by giving them a personal map to follow into their own future. Through the service learning project they will learn how to build community. They will learn how to write a resume, audition, interview, problem solve, and express their own views and opinions. Throughout the course of Packing Your Own Bags, students will maintain both a portfolio containing artifacts, and a digital archive of this portfolio. They will write about future problems that might appear in their path, and come up with solutions for those times they may be forced to change direction. Packing Your Own Bags will prepare students for life after high school by giving them a personal map to follow into their own future. Through the service learning project they will learn how to build community. They will learn how to write a resume, audition, interview, problem solve, and express their own views and opinions. Throughout the course of Packing Your Own Bags, students will maintain both a portfolio containing artifacts, and a digital archive of this portfolio. They will write about future problems that might appear in their path, and come up with solutions for those times they may be forced to change direction.

Senior Project During the last week of the course, students will exhibit a personally designed project that synthesizes all of the work they have created during the course. This exhibition will be on display in the lobby area of SRRH for one week, and will coincide with a collaborative project done by the seniors and the middle school students they mentored at the middle school. Every senior will also contribute to a group web page which will summarize their exhibition project and provide a link to their own digital portfolio. During the last week of the course, students will exhibit a personally designed project that synthesizes all of the work they have created during the course. This exhibition will be on display in the lobby area of SRRH for one week, and will coincide with a collaborative project done by the seniors and the middle school students they mentored at the middle school. Every senior will also contribute to a group web page which will summarize their exhibition project and provide a link to their own digital portfolio.

Conclusions Seniors who have participated in the course Packing Your Own Bags should be ready for their journey, and know what they will be bringing with them. They will be well equipped to deal with any obstacle that appears on their path, and be confident that no matter what happens, they are completely capable of getting to their destination by themselves. They will have guiding values, life skills, and the street smarts they need for navigating the highways and oceans of life. Seniors who have participated in the course Packing Your Own Bags should be ready for their journey, and know what they will be bringing with them. They will be well equipped to deal with any obstacle that appears on their path, and be confident that no matter what happens, they are completely capable of getting to their destination by themselves. They will have guiding values, life skills, and the street smarts they need for navigating the highways and oceans of life.