1. It’s Your Life

2. Highlights of 1997

3.  Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule from Britain.

4. Princess Diana killed in car crash. Princess Diana killed in car crash.

5. Heaven’s Gate Cult Commits Mass Suicide in California

6. DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE HITS 7,000 for the first time in history.

7.  Tony Blair becomes the Prime Minister of Britain.

8. Mother Teresa Dies in Calcutta

9. Microsoft Becomes World’s Most Valuable Company  Value: $261 Billion

10. Mike Tyson Bites Evander Holyfield’s Ear Off

11. Tobacco Companies Settle with States to cover Tobacco related Health Care Costs

12. Tiger Woods Becomes the Youngest Player to Win the Masters at Age 21

13. Steve Jobs returns to Apple and makes it one of the largest companies in the world.

14. Carlos the Jackal is caught and sentenced to life in prison by French authorities.

15. Avian Flu  Hong Kong kills all chickens within its territory (1.25 million birds) to get rid of bird flu that affected humans in 1997.

16. First Harry Potter Book Released

17.  Two most popular movies, Titanic and Men in Black

18.  Top Musicians: Garth Brooks, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, Mariah Carey, Smashing Pumpkns, Madonna.

19.  Top TVS Shows

20. What big news stories have occurred so far this year?

21. Brazilian Night Club Fire

22. Boston Marathon Bombing

23. Aaron Hernandez – Killer Off-Season

24. Resignation Of Pope Benedict XVI

25. PRISM

26. Syrian Civil War

27. Ryan Braun

28. Obama-Care

29. Trayvon Martin / George Zimmerman

30. Compare the Following: All the statistics that follow are averages or medians for the year 1997 and 2012 to give you an idea how the value of things have changed in the past 16 years.

31. Household Income 1997Median$37,0042012Median$50,502

32. Minimum Wage 1997$5.152012$7.25

33. Life Expectancy 1997 Men ~ 72.2 Years Women ~ 79.0 Years2012 Men ~ 76 Years Women ~ 81 Years

34. Cost of a Home 1997Median$124,1002012Median$211,000

35. Cost of a New Car 1997Average$16,9002012Average$30,500

36. Gasoline per Gallon 1997 National Average $1.222012 $3.61

37. Movie Ticket 1997 National Average $4.592012 $8.38

38. Cost of College  These numbers include the cost of tuition, books, fees, housing, personal living expenses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

39. Cost of College 1997UW-Madison$11,0002012UW-Madison$24,221

40. How is life different today for a high school student in 2013 than for a high school student in 1997?

41. Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? What? What type of degree or education is required for you to be that?

42. What are your options after High School?

43. How do you pay for college?

44. Identify Life Milestones  One theme that I find from year to year is the frustration students have with what they perceive as their lack of control over their lives and the direction they are headed. They don’t believe they have as many choices I believe they do.