-         Students will gain an understanding of the broad range of resources available for career planning

-         Use technology to research a college/university

Learning objectives:

This senior Junior high school class will

-         perform a successful search of the Internet generating a publication about the college of their choice

-         perform a successful search in the OPAC to generate and locate at least two print resources containing information about how to choose a college and the history of HBCUs

-         create and present a print advertisement about  their college

Motivational Goals

-         To generate interest in the research process

-         To establish the importance of information skills, and to provide relevance to the students’ personal experience.

Howard University Marching Bison CD

Radio

Laptop

Projector

Screen

PCs for students (or laptops)

Introduction

1. As students enter LMC music played by the Howard University marching band is playing.
2. Librarian presents brief ‘informercial’ on Howard University and the history of HBCUs to model this assignment.  Include relevant information such as location of school, tuition and fees, major fields of study, what you intend to study, housing options and career options.
3. Ask the students what field they would like to enter when they grow up?  How would you be best prepared for that type of career.  Have they ever heard of a HBCU?  Explain the history of these colleges and universities being created after slavery ended to educate African-Americans as segregation was born.
4. Your objective is to create a presentation that informs and entices your peers to learn about the university you choose.  This assignment will help you to explore colleges that you might want to apply to.  In your presentations you may use props or costumes.
5. Students are broken up into groups of two or three and are asked to brainstorm ways in which to find HBCUs, their history and information pertaining to each school.  Volunteers from each group list their resources.  Point out the resources they already know to build confidence in their research ability.  One studnt will record and report ehir group discussion.
6. Present other possible resources in the library as well as in the guidance office that will assist with their research.  Review OPAC searching and the criteria for choosing relevant and accurate Web sites. 
7. Stress the importance of how the ad and presentation are brief and should be packed with RELEVANT information.  Students should be instructed to focus on major fields of study, location, housing, tuition and fees and even compare these costs to other non-HBCUs with similar characteristics.
8. Allow students sufficient time to research the school of their choice and create their advertisements.  As they perform their research, circulate around the room and talk to students about their school choices and the research process.  This will help reduce their anxiety about the assignment.
9. After the assignments have been completed, brainstorm with students to determine classroom rules for the presentations.  The goal is to continue to foster a safe learning environment where all students will feel comfortable sharing their presentations.
10. Host a ‘College Fair’ and have the students present their advertisements to the class.  Those students who put extra effort into the assignment or those who use creative thinking skills will receive extra recognition.  Have students in the class evaluate the strong points of each students’ presentation.  They should list at least three things that they liked about each person’s presentation.