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Day 1 – August 29 |
FIRST MEETING OF CLASSES
· GO OVER SYLLABUS (COURSE DESCRIPTION, OBJECTIVES, DAY-BY-DAY PLANS (http://www.neiu.edu/~lnberlin/dayplans.htm)
· ICEBREAKER ACTIVITIES
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Day 2 – August 31 |
TOPIC
SYSTEMS
DIVERSITY
LEARNING STYLES
ACADEMIC SKILLS
A BALANCED LIFE
· WHY ARE YOU HERE?
· HOW DO YOU EXPECT COLLEGE TO BE DIFFERENT FROM HIGH SCHOOL?
· WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF COLLEGE?
· WHAT IS THE “GEN ED” PROGRAM?
· WHAT IS A MAJOR?
· WHAT IS A MINOR?
· WHAT IS THE ECE?
· Etc.
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Day 3 – September 7 |
TOPIC
THINKER’S GUIDE, CHAPTER 1 (PAGES 2-16)
· Working toward Goals
· Making Decisions
ASSIGN: Core Assignment #1: Systems (to be completed out of class; can be assigned as partner activity): DUE SEPTEMBER 14
(http://www.neiu.edu/~lnberlin/CASystems.htm)
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Day 4 – September 12 |
TOPIC
PAGE 5, CHOOSE #1 OR #2
· EXPECTATIONS
· REQUIREMENTS
· DEADLINES
· CONTRACT
CHOOSE A SHORT TERM GOAL AND, USING THE STEPS ON PAGE 10, MAKE A CHART LIKE THE ONE ON PAGE 9.
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Day 5 – September 14 |
TOPIC
COMPLETE REVIEW OF THINKER’S GUIDE, CHAPTER 1 (PAGES 16-30)
· Deciding on a Career
· Discovering “Who” You Are
· Finding the Right Match
READINGS 1, 2, AND 3 ABOUT JENS JENSEN. (Available at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/81columbus/81facts1.htm, http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/81columbus/81facts2.htm,
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/81columbus/81facts3.htm)
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Day 6 – September 19 |
TOPIC
PAGE 18, THINKING TOWARD THE FUTURE: CREATING MY DREAM JOB
“THESE ARE MY FAVORITE THINGS”
· LISTING INTERESTS
· LISTING LIKES
· LISTING ABILITIES AND TALENTS
· POSSIBLE CAREERS
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Day 7 – September 21 |
TOPIC
THINKER’S GUIDE, CHAPTER 2 (PAGES 32-37)
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Day 8 – September 26 |
TOPIC
LIST AND DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE COMMERCIALS. TRY TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
· WHY DO YOU LIKE THE COMMERCIAL?
· WHAT IS IT TRYING TO SELL/GET YOU TO DO?
· HOW DOES IT TRY TO GET YOU TO DO/BUY?
· HAS IT WORKED?
LISTEN TO MULTICULTURALISM OF THE MARKET BY MAX PAGE. (Available at http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/chicago.htm; read "Maxwell Street" [There are 10 web pages]).BE AN ACTIVE LEARNER AND TAKE NOTES. AFTERWARDS, PAIR UP WITH ANOTHER STUDENT AND COMPARE. WHAT DID THEY WRITE DOWN THAT YOU DID NOT? WHAT DID YOU WRITE DOWN THAT THEY DID NOT? FINALLY, COMPARE YOUR NOTES WITH THE OUTLINE FROM YOUR TEACHER.
LOOK AT THE LIST ON PAGE 35. WHICH OF THESE DO YOU FEEL ACTIVELY INFLUENCE YOUR THINKING? RANK THEM ACCORDING TO WHICH ONES INFLUENCE YOU THE MOST, THEN MARK WHETHER YOU THINK EACH IS A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE INFLUENCE.
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Day 9 – September 28 |
LEARNING STYLES/DIVERSITY
IN-CLASS
THINKER’S GUIDE, CHAPTER 2 (PAGES 42-51)
· Carefully Exploring Situations with Questions
· Thinking for Ourselves
· Evaluating Evidence for Your Beliefs
· Viewing Situations from Different Perspectives
READ THE EXCERPT FROM THE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION FOR CHICAGO’S BLACK METROPOLIS HANDOUT (Available at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/53black/53factsr.htm). TAKE DETAILED NOTES AS IF YOU WERE PREPARING FOR A QUIZ. BE CERTAIN TO INCLUDE ALL THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND FACTS. WRITE DOWN THREE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD ASK ON A TEST ABOUT THIS PIECE.
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Day 10 – October 3 |
· DO YOU TRUST EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THE EVENING NEWS? HOW ABOUT ON THE INTERNET?
· HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHAT TO BELIEVE WHEN TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF AN ISSUE ARE PRESENTED?
· HAVE YOU EVER TRUSTED INFORMATION BUT FOUND OUT LATER THAT YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE?
IN-CLASS
THINKER’S GUIDE, CHAPTER 2 (PAGES 51-56)
· Viewing Situations from Different Perspectives
· Supporting Different Perspectives with Reasons and Evidence
ACTIVITY
PAGE 55, A COMMUNITY OF THINKERS: ANALYZING BOTH SIDES OF ISSUES. WORK WITH A PARTNER.
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Day 11 – October 5 |
DIVERSITY
· READ WHOSE AMERICA?: WHITE CITY AND THE SHAPING OF NATIONAL IDENTITY, 1883-1905 (Available at http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/chicago.htm; read “White City” [There are 8 web pages]).
· READ THE MURDER CASTLE OF H. H. HOLMES, AND EXCERPT FROM HAUNTED CHICAGO (Available at http://www.prairieghosts.com/holmes.html).
PAGE 51, A COMMUNITY OF THINKERS: ANALYZING A BELIEF.
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Day 12 – October 10 |
WATCH VIDEO “H. H. HOLMES: AMERICA’S FIRST SERIAL KILLER.”
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Day 13 – October 12 |
· WHAT DID YOU FIND MOST INTERESTING OR IMPORTANT ABOUT WHOSE AMERICA?
· ARE THESE TYPES OF ISSUES STILL RELEVANT TODAY? WHY OR WHY NOT?
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Day 14 – October 17 |
DIVERSITY
ACTIVITY
VIEW FILM: “Raisin in the Sun”
ASSIGN: Core Assignment #2: Diversity (N.B. to be completed after viewing the film “Raising in the Sun” – students can complete in groups of 3-4): DUE NOVEMBER 23. (http://www.neiu.edu/~lnberlin/CADiversity.htm)
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Day 15 – October 19 |
LEARNING STYLES: Learning Styles & Multiple Intelligences
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL LEARNER:
· WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW OR LEARN TO DO, AND HOW CAN I MOTIVATE MYSELF?
· WHERE WILL MY LEARNING TAKE PLACE? WHERE DO I LEARN BEST?
· HOW WILL I ORGANIZE MY LEARNING PREPARATION?
· WHAT LEARNING APPROACHES WILL I USE?
COMPLETE YOUR LEARNING PERSONALITY (CHAPTER 4, PAGES 91-93)
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Day 16 – October 24 |
LEARNING STYLES: Learning Styles & Multiple Intelligences
LEARNING STYLES & MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES (CHAPTER 4)
· Linguistic – Visual – Experiential (Kinesthetic)
· Careful Preparation –Immediate Action
· Systematic – Spontaneous
· Authoritative – Individualistic – Collaborative
· Traditional – Innovative
· Detail-Oriented – Pattern-Seeking
· Learning Over Time – Cramming
· Inductive – Deductive
ASSIGN: Core Assignment #3: Learning Styles: DUE NOVEMBER 7 (http://www.neiu.edu/~lnberlin/CAStyles.htm)
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Day 17 – October 26 |
ACADEMIC SKILLS: Plagiarism
· GETTING TOO MUCH HELP
· CITING SOURCES
· SUMMARIZING
· PARAPHRASING
· DIRECTLY QUOTING
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Day 18 – October 31 |
ACADEMIC SKILLS: Time Management
IN-CLASS
WORK IN TEAMS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THE TEACHER PRESENTS (N.B. from Teacher’s Book, pp. 50-51)
READ THINKER’S GUIDE, CHAPTER 3 (PAGES 64-79)
· Solving Problems
· Accepting the Problem
· Solving the Problem of Not Enough Time
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Day 19 – November 2 |
LEARNING STYLES/ACADEMIC SKILLS: Note-Taking
READ THINKER’S GUIDE, CHAPTER 4 (CONDUCT A SELF-ASSESSMENT, PAGES 105-116)
ACTIVITY #2
HOW DO YOU TAKE NOTES? HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION?
REVIEW NOTETAKING TOOLS, CHAPTER 4 (PAGES 114-115)
HOMEWORK ACTIVITY
ONLINE ACTIVITY: http://www.jcu.edu.au/studying/services/studyskills/notetaking/
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Day 20 – November 7 |
ACADEMIC SKILLS: Taking Tests
· HOW DO YOU TYPICALLY PREPARE FOR TESTS?
· HOW DO YOU DO ON TESTS?
· WHAT KINDS OF TESTS DO YOU PERFORM BETTER ON?
· WHAT CAN YOU DO TO IMPROVE YOUR TEST-TAKING?
GIVE A LECTURE ON THE TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES, CHAPTER 5 (PAGES 141-158); HAVE STUDENTS TAKE NOTES; AT COMPLETION OF LECTURE, GIVE STUDENTS A PREPARED OUTLINE OF THE LECTURE TO COMPARE WITH THEIR NOTES ON THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS.
REVIEW THE INFORMATION ON TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES, CHAPTER 5 (PAGES 141-158)
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Day 21 – November 9 |
ACADEMIC SKILLS: Managing Stress
· HOW DO YOUR FRIENDS MANAGE STRESS?
· IS HIGH SCHOOL STRESS DIFFERENT FROM COLLEGE STRESS?
· WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WORK, SCHOOL, AND PERSONAL STRESS?
· CAN YOU THINK OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS?
· PEOPLE DEAL WITH STRESS IN VARIOUS WAYS. WHICH WAYS ARE “HEALTHY” AND WHICH ARE “UNHEALTHY”?
WORK ON THE COMMUNITY OF THINKERS, CHAPTER 5 (PAGES 160-165) IN GROUPS; IDENTIFY SOME PROBLEM SITUATIONS YOU MAY BE DEALING WITH AND REVIEW THE ALTERNATIVES FOR COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS: WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? WHICH ARE YOU WILLING TO TRY?
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Day 22 – November 14 |
ACADEMIC SKILLS: Managing Stress
READ LEARNING NOT TO WORRY, CHAPTER 5 (PAGES 165-169)
ASSIGN: Core Assignment #4: Academic Skills (N.B. This is a strategic planning assignment for college): DUE NOVEMBER 23 (http://www.neiu.edu/~lnberlin/CAAcademic.htm)
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Day 23 – November 16 |
A BALANCED LIFE: Fostering Relationships
· WHO ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS TO YOU AT THIS MOMENT?
· WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAKE THOSE SUCCESSFUL?
· HOW DO YOU CHOOSE TO FORM A NEW, MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP?
· WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DESTROY A RELATIONSHIP AND HOW DO YOU AVOID THOSE?
· WHAT KINDS OF RELATIONSHIPS WOULD YOU LIKE TO FOSTER IN UNIVERSITY?
· HOW CAN YOU GET MORE INVOLVED IN CAMPUS LIFE AND ACTIVITIES?
WITH A PARTNER, GO TO THE UNIVERSITY WEBSITE AND FIND INFORMATION ON THE VARIOUS STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS AVAILABLE (http://www.neiu.edu/StRes.htm). MAKE A LIST OF 2-3 CLUBS THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO JOIN. LOCATE 1-2 OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE SAME CLUBS.
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Day 24 – November 21 |
A BALANCED LIFE: Psychological Well-Being
· DO YOU KNOW PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION?
· WHAT METHOD OF COPING WITH DEPRESSION SEEMS LIKE THE BEST ONE?
· DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE TO TALK WITH ABOUT YOUR CONCERNS?
· CAN YOU LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED FROM DEPRESSION?
· ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE COUNSELING OPTIONS AVAILABLE HERE AT SCHOOL?
HOW WOULD YOU HELP A FRIEND WHO WAS CONSIDERING SUICIDE?
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Day 25 – November 23 |
A BALANCED LIFE: Psychological Well-Being
READ THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT LIFE ISSUES, CHAPTER 6 (PAGES 196-204); WITH QUESTION & ANSWER FORMAT; TRY TO PREDICT ANSWERS BEFORE READING THEM.
ASSIGN: Core Assignment #5: Balanced Life: DUE DECEMBER 12 (http://www.neiu.edu/~lnberlin/CABalance.htm)
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Day 26 – November 28 |
A BALANCED LIFE: Living Creatively
· WHAT IS A CREATIVE ACTIVITY THAT YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO ENGAGE IN?
· ARE YOU EVER SCARED TO TRY NEW THINGS?
· WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A BALANCED LIFE WHEN YOU THINK OF LIVING CREATIVELY?
· IS TIME MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT FOR BEING CREATIVE AND LIVING A BALANCED LIFE?
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Day 27 – November 30 |
· DESCRIBE A CREATIVE AREA IN YOUR LIFE AND ANALYZE IT (CHAPTER 10, PAGE 317)
READ ABOUT INHIBITORS OF CREATIVITY (CHAPTER 10, PAGES 318-321)
COMPLETE DEVELOPING BELIEFS TO GUIDE YOUR LIFE (CHAPTER 10, PAGES 324-326)
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Day 28 – December 5 |
CATCH-UP or ADDITIONAL TOPICS
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
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Day 29 – December 7 |
CATCH-UP or ADDITIONAL TOPICS
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
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Day 30 – December 12 |
LAST DAY OF CLASSES
MY “A HA” MOMENT
IN CLASS EVALUATIONS (FYE)
NOTES:
The reading (10 pages) on Multiculturalism (“Maxwell Street”) for September 26 can be reached directly at http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/maxwellstreet/section00.htm, http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/maxwellstreet/section01.htm,... through http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/maxwellstreet/section10.htm
The reading (8 pages) on “White City” for October 5 can be reached directly at http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/whitecity/section00.htm, http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/whitecity/section01.htm,... through http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/whitecity/section08.htm