Lesson 4: Lesson Plan | Find Your Grind Resource Center

Starter Kit WHY + HOW to begin living the life you want + being the person you want to be.

Curriculum & Grade Level: Future Ready, 8th Grade

Objective(s):

Students will be able to…

Explain what the Explore library is and what each badge type provides
Describe why Skills badges are important in the Find Your Grind learning journey
Evaluate their current level for important/key Power skills

CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION

Materials & Resources:	Physical Space:
No special materials required.	The classroom setup should be left to the teacher's discretion, providing ample space for easy movement while monitoring student progress. A designated area should be established for one-on-one time between the teacher and students to connect and reflect on the lesson.

PROCEDURES

Select the activities that align with your time frame and class needs.

Introduction (3 minutes):	Find Your Grind’s Explore Library is a treasure trove of information and inspiration, filled with Mentors, Careers, Lifestyles, Skills, and Industries. Think of it like a personalized adventure. You'll have the chance to learn about things that interest you, discover new passions, and find mentors who inspire you. At the end of this lesson, you’ll dive deep into Skill badges and use them to begin mapping out your own skill sets.
2. Student Learning / Independent Learning (8 minutes):	Students complete a badge titled: “Your Library Card”
3. Discussion (25 minutes):	Students have now learned about Mentors (in Future Edge, 6th grade) and Careers (in Future Proof, 7th grade). They will explore Skills in this section but a discussion on their thoughts and usage of the Explore Library is a good primer for this lesson and the rest of their Find Your Grind experience. Have students quickly scroll through their Favorite badges and the Explore Library What are some of your favorite badges? Why are those your favorite? Note and ask for follow-up on any trends you notice (the same badges or types of badges/activities) How have Explore badges helped you so far? How do you plan on using the Explore Library this school year? Ask them to share what some of their favorite badges have been and why. End the discussion by previewing that students will be diving deep into Skill badges for this lesson.
4. Student-led Activity: Skills Quest (10 minutes):	Students complete a Skills badge scavenger hunt and use their existing knowledge about skills to search within the Library.
5. Student Learning / Independent Learning (10 minutes):	Students complete a badge titled: “Skill Up”
6. Teacher-led Activity: Cooperative Skill Learning (30 minutes):	The whole class will focus on one skill and share their thoughts in a small group discussion before sharing with the whole class. See teacher materials.
7. Reinforce Learning – Closure (5 minutes):	Summarize key takeaways from the activities and discussion. Encourage your students to complete badges in the Explore Library as they continue their Find Your Grind journey.

DIFFERENTIATION

Student Learning Needs:

Strategies for students who need additional support: Offer one-on-one short check-ins. This allows them to ask questions, get clarification on difficult concepts, and receive individualized guidance, helping them stay on track and feel more connected in the online environment.
Strategies for advanced students: Students who are advanced or complete their work early can explore more badges within the Explore Library. All of that content is self-served and can add additional interest and learning for those students.

Learning Preferences:

The Explore Library allows students to select the content they want to experience.

ASSESSMENT

Evaluate Student Understanding:

Badges with assessments:
- Your Library Card ⭐⭐
Skills Quest

Students will successfully complete this activity when all questions are answered. The exact answers may vary based on the content they selected. The learning outcomes are focused on the process, not the output.

Cooperative Skill Learning
- Students can be assessed on how they work together and what they share with the class. There is no formal grading or evaluation for this activity.

Anticipated Challenges and Solutions:

The Explore Library can be overwhelming to some - there is an abundance of content available there. Have students start with things they recognize (Mentor names, Career titles, etc.) and then branch out from there.
Students can also peruse what’s available and use the Favorite tool to make a short-list of content to return to. They can access those Favorites on their Dashboard page.

CONNECTIONS

Real-World Connections:	Current Event Scholarly Article Podcast Video
Skill Development & Higher-Order Thinking:	Agency Compassion Critical Thinking Curiosity Empathy Exploration Introspection Observation Personal Development Self-efficacy
Feedback and Reflection:	You can use an exit ticket, or similar techniques, to get feedback on the lesson effectiveness. Individual conversations with students can also give you important insights.
Explore Library:	These are five of the most popular Explore badges Mentors: Alexander Rossi Brittany Isenhour Alexa Hernandez DrLupo Arthur Hightower Careers: Esports Athlete Film & Television Actor Infantry Soldier Professional Soccer Player Real Estate Agent Skills: Creativity Physical Imagination Confidence Problem-solving

BADGE OVERVIEW

Your Library Card

Students will embark on a journey of discovery, exploring the vast resources of the Explore Library. From meeting inspiring Mentors to exploring different Careers and Industries, there's something for everyone. Students will also test their knowledge with a quiz and claim their badge. Let's see what students can discover!

Skill Up

Skills are an important building block of any successful life and lifestyle. In this badge, students will uncover what kind of skill content can be found in the badges and how to use it to their advantage. They will also see some example skill content before doing some skill reflecting on their own.

NEW VOCABULARY

Mentors	Inspirational people who share their experience, advice, and stories.
Industries	How alike careers are grouped. Find Your Grind’s Industries are grouped by what that industry impacts.
Badges	How information is grouped in Find Your Grind. They may have multiple “stars” for students to complete to earn the “badge”.
Content	Information available for students, like written words and videos.

NEXT STEPS & REFLECTION

Ongoing professional learning and reflection related specifically to this lesson.

What went well?

What were the areas of opportunity or challenges? (e.g., difficulties with vocabulary, pacing, etc)

Have you explored the Explore Library? What are some of your favorite badges? Why?

Explore Content Classwork Ideas

Lesson 1: Lesson Plan

Lesson 5: Lesson Plan

Lesson 5: Student-led Activity

Lesson 2: Lesson Plan