Lesson 3Your Only Purpose in Life
Goal: To convince students that their sole purpose in life while young, is to get an education.Materials: Marker board, markers, one poster-size copy for each student (or as large a copy as possible) of the check shown below.
1. _ Ask the students to discuss what their "job" or "purpose" is while young. Inform the class, that while they may have other interests, commitments, responsibilities and goals, their job while young is to get an education.
2. _ Ask students discuss if they get paid for doing their job of getting an education. When students say that they do not get paid, inform them that high school graduates actually earn $329,000 more than drop-outs. Ask the students to calculate how much of that $329,000 they earn per year, per month, per week, per hour, per minute, per second that they are in school. Assist the class to discover that they are actually being quite well-
paid for the time they invest in school.3. _ Ask one student at a time to commit to making school their top priority and to complete their education. As students accept this challenge, ceremoniously give the student the blank check, and assist the student to write in their own name and sign the check. Ask each student to state two things they will begin to do to dedicate themselves to their mission of getting an education. Post the completed checks prominently on the wall.
4. _ Review the major points of this lesson:
! While young, your sole mission in life should be to get an education.
! You are actually being well-paid to complete your education as grads earn about $329,000 more than drop-outs.
! By completing school, you will receive much more money than those who leave school. What are you going to do to make school your main reason for living?
Based on an idea from Ted Ralston, The Counseling Center, West Union, Ohio
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