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Here are a few lessons that I have used with a high school Psychology class. Hopefully the lessons are clear and useful to some teachers.
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What is the best way for students to connect with the material in the book?
Teachers are constantly faced with this question. What is the best way to engage students?The Last Lecture is a great book for all ages. There are many awesome activities for high school seniors.
In years past, students have engaged in silent sustained reading in class. This year with a large class (31 students), I am going to read the story to the students. As a parent, it is so valuable to read to a child of any age. Some students will be attending very competitive colleges, while others will be entering the military or workforce, so there is a wide range of reading levels.
This semester, I am planning on reading to the class. This will keep us on the same page and will facilitate class discussion. The book is part of psychology unit on “motivation and emotion.” There will be times when I get emotional reading this book. It will be hard to get through some sections without tears, that is okay!
Below are some important quotes that can be discussion points. I also have included some possible activities that you can have the students complete.
Silent Sustained Reading (Handout)
Dedication “With thanks to my parents who allowed me to dream, and with hopes for the dreams my children will have.” It is so important to have dreams! What are your dreams? What role have your parents played in the pursuit of your dreams. (Visionboard)
Introduction
“I have 10 tumors in my liver, and only a few months left to live.” (page ix)
“While I could feel sorry for myself, that wouldn’t do them or me any good.” (page ix)
“All parents want to teach their children right from wrong, what we think is important, and how to deal with the challenges life will bring. We also want them to know some stories from our lives.” (page ix)
Assignment: Select TWO family members and ask them to share a story about his / her life. The story should be something that is meaningful to the individual. (Storycorps: Family Unit) a quote to get the person to consider: “What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we were to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?” (page 3)
“If I were a painter, I would have painted for them. If I were a musician, I would have composed music. But I am a lecturer. So I lectured.”
Assignment: Randy Pausch is an older man, who has had more life experiences and has had more years to identify and develop his talents. You have had many experiences in your life. Identity TWO of your strongest talents.
- Identify the talent:
- Explain who you have developed this talent in the past, what you are doing now, and what you will do in the future to develop this talent.
- Explain how you are sharing this talent with other or how you can share this talent in the future.
“I talked about honesty, integrity, gratitude, and other things I hold dear.”
Assignment: Identify three values you “hold dear.” Explain the values and why they are important you. Give a concrete example of how you apply these goals to your life.
1 An Injured Lion Still Wants to Roar
“What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we were to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?” (page 3)
“I saw it as my mission to do all I could to lessen the burdens in her life.” (page 5)
“This lecture will be the last time many people I care about see me in flesh. I have a chance here to really think about what matters most to me, to cement how people will remember me, and to do whatever good I can on the way out.” (page 7)
“When parents tell children things, it doesn’t hurt to get some external validation.” (page 9)
“What makes me unique?” (page 9)
Assignment: One of the biggest challenges in life is fully under your “true self.” This means understanding and accepting who we are. Reflect on the deepest of deep questions: “What makes me unique?”
“I thought about how I defined myself: as a teacher, a computer scientist, a husband, a father, a son, a friend, a brother, a mentor to my students. Those are all the roles I value.” (page 10)
Assignment: Identify your THREE most important roles. Explain your responsibilities in that role. Evaluate how well you fulfill the responsibilities of this role.
“My uniqueness, I realized, came in the specific of my dreams. I truly believed I was a lucky man because I had lived out these dreams.” (page 10)
2 My Life in a Laptop
“How do you get other people to reconnect with theirs (childhood dreams)?” (page 11)
“an unpleasant reminder for Jai that she would now be without me for this birthday and all the birthdays to come.” (page 12)
“I did a sabbatical at Electronic Arts (EA sports)” (page 12) How many people own an EA game?
“The accidental elements that play into both our arrival into life… and our departure into death.” (page 13)
“Wondering if I’d have to go on stage wearing the adult diaper I’d brought as a precaution.” (page 14) – being prepared
3 The Elephant in the Room
“The logo on my short-sleeved polo shirt was an emblem of honor because it was worn by the Disney Imagineers…I was paying tribute to that life experience, and to Walt Disney himself, who famously had said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” (page 16)
“My dad always taught me that when there’s an elephant in the room, introduce it. If you look at my CT scans, there are approximately ten tumors in my liver, and the doctors told me 3-6 months of good health left. That was a month ago, so you can do the math.” (page 16)
“That is what it is. We can’t change it. We just have to decide how we’ll respond. We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” (page 17)
Assignment: “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” (page 17) Explain a “tough hand” in life you have been dealt and how you “played the hand.” This hand could be something out of your control – a birth defect, divorce, accident, moving – or something you controlled – an arrest, a bad grade, a bad decision. In your answer
-
Explain the “hand”
-
Explain “how you played it”
-
Describe how you feel about how you played it
“I am not in denial.” (page 17)