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The High School Content Area

Overview

The High School encourages youth to explore current schooling issues and to plan for postsecondary education. This content area is comprised of two units:

Click here for a complete Map of The High School.

Purpose

The High School helps youth understand how school affects their lives and their futures. It helps youth explore their current experiences, needs, and goals, as well as their goals for further education after they graduate from high school. Youth can learn about the graduation requirements in their school, consider why they are taking certain classes, and explore what options they have for meeting graduation requirements. Exploring the postsecondary environment through The High School can help youth understand what awaits them and help them more thoroughly plan for life after high school.

Youth with disabilities have additional material to engage with in The High School. This includes material to help them understand tests and accommodations, assessment accommodations, the process of participating in one’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), specific graduation options related to having a disability, and more.

Youth Outcomes

By reading and completing online activities in The High School, youth will achieve the following outcomes:

  • Understand the impact their current high school classes and activities may have on future options and directions.
  • Learn more about current class options and how to meet graduation standards.
  • Learn about testing accommodations and modifications.
  • Understand the importance of planning for life after high school.
  • Explore and understand options for postsecondary education and training.
  • Understand and become active participants in their IEP (for youth with disabilities).
  • Develop goals in the above areas in their Life Map.

See also:

Activities to Assign

In addition to the reading material available in each unit, there are numerous activities you may choose to assign youth. These include questions to consider for discussion or reflection, online and hands-on activities to complete, and other Web sites to explore.

1. Lead a Discussion

When working with youth in this content area, you may want to facilitate a group discussion about the topics explored in each unit. Below we’ve provided sample discussion questions to help youth explore each unit’s topic in more depth. These questions can also be used as writing assignments for youth to reflect on a topic, either confidentially in their Private Journal, or to be shared with you as their Youthhood Guide in their Class Notebook. (Note: You have the option to view and comment on their work in the Class Notebook. See Viewing & Commenting on Entries for more information.)

Discussion Questions for Going to School Unit

  • What are your plans for life after high school?
  • How will you make those plans happen?
  • Do you know what your options you have for graduating from high school?
  • Which graduation option will you work toward and why?
  • What are the school requirements that you must complete in order to do what you want to do after you complete high school?

Discussion Questions for Learning More Unit

  • For you, what is the most difficult part of planning for more education after high school?
  • When you think about going on to college or some other type of school after you graduate, what are you most excited about?
  • What worries you about graduating from high school?
  • What is one thing that you really need help with in planning for more education after high school? Who can help you with this?

2. Assign a "Youthhood Poll"

The Youthhood homepage has a new poll question every few weeks. Youth must be logged in to vote on a poll. See About the Youthhood Poll for more information.

3. Assign "My Youthhood" Activities

Here at The Youthhood we’ve designed numerous online activities to help youth build a strong foundation of knowledge and to apply the material on the Web site to their own life. These include the Private Journal, Activities Folder, Life Map, and Class Notebook and are part of the "My Youthhood" menu youth see when they log in. See Online Activities for more information.

Click here to Preview Online Activities in The High School.  

4. Assign Other Web Sites to Explore

There are some terrific Web sites available for youth to learn more about the topics covered in The Youthhood. You may wish to assign youth the task of exploring some of these Web sites.

Click here to Preview Web Sites Linked in The High School.

5. Assign Hands-On Activities

In addition to the existing materials on the site, you might create additional real-world, hands-on activities so that youth can see the concepts in action. The following are examples of hands-on activities you might assign youth in The High School:

  • Set up site visits to local colleges and/or universities, technical colleges, and trade schools.
  • Help youth set up informational interviews with students currently attending a postsecondary college or training program.
  • Assist youth with disabilities to practice asking for accommodations, preparing for, and leading their IEP meeting.
  • Help youth set up appointments to visit the disability student services office at select postsecondary institutions.
  • Help youth become familiar with IDEA 2004 and what it requires (see IDEA 2004 Resources on the NCSET Web site).

Developing a Lesson Plan

For more information on how you might incorporate the interactive features with the content pages and your own supplemental activities to optimize learning for youth. See Developing a Lesson Plan.

Web Resources

Here are additional online resources for you as the Youthhood Guide to learn more about the topics presented within each unit of The High School. Titles with "(PDF)" are links to PDF documents, and require Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) to download.

Going to School

Learning More

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