Year 4, Lesson 1.3 - Finding Your Focus

Semester Learning Goal

Students will investigate community needs, reflect on personal values, and apply design thinking to develop a values-aligned project idea. Through research, collaboration, and iteration, they will explore what it means to do Good Work as a good person, good worker, and good citizen.

Lesson Goal

Students will identify a personally meaningful or community-relevant issue they care about and begin articulating why it matters to them. This will serve as a foundation for designing their Capstone project idea during Semester 1 and implementing it in Semester 2.

Assessment

• Observe student engagement during group brainstorming and Walk and Talk activities.

• Review exit tickets for clarity, values alignment, and early indications of a project focus.

Casel Alignment

Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making, Social-Awareness

Portfolio Documentation

• Community Mapping Brainstorm Handout

• Year 4, Lesson 1.3 - Exit Ticket

Resources

• Sticky notes or index cards

• Markers

• Chart paper or whiteboard for class-wide idea tracking

Prerequisites

Year 4, Lesson 1.2

Total Time

30 - 40 minutes

Instructions

1. Opener: Where Do You See the Need? (5 minutes)

• Ask students to reflect silently on the following question:

  • If you could change one thing in your school, community, or world, what would it be—and why?

• Invite 2–3 students to share their ideas aloud.

• Explain that today’s goal is to start identifying a project focus that feels meaningful and connected to their values. This issue will become the foundation for a project they’ll design over the next few months—and implement in the second half of the school year.

2. Walk and Talk: Exploring Issues That Matter (10 minutes)

• Have students partner up and take a short walk around the classroom or hallway, discussing the following prompts:

  • What are some issues, challenges, or opportunities you’ve seen at school or in your neighborhood?

  • What’s a cause or topic you’ve always cared about but never had a chance to explore deeply?

  • What’s something small you’ve noticed that could make a big difference if someone addressed it?

• After 5 minutes, have students switch partners and continue the conversation with someone new.

3. Snowball Brainstorm: Community Mapping (15 minutes)

• Distribute the “Community Mapping Brainstorm” handout or a blank sheet of paper with the following prompt:

  • List as many school, neighborhood, or community issues, opportunities, or passions as you can think of—one idea per sticky note or card.

• Once students have written 6–8 ideas individually, have them “snowball” their notes with small groups by:

  • Sharing and clustering their sticky notes

  • Identifying common themes

  • Adding new ideas sparked by group discussion

• Ask each group to share their top 3 most compelling or common ideas with the class and record these on a master list.

4. Metacognition Moment: What Draws You In? (10 minutes)

• Ask students to select one idea from the brainstorm that they feel most personally connected to.

• Have students write or discuss their responses to the following prompts:

  • Why does this issue or topic matter to you?

  • How does it connect to your values or your identity?

  • Do you see a connection to excellence, ethics, or engagement? How might this topic help you grow in one of these areas during the rest of your Capstone journey?

• Invite 2–3 students to share with the full group to inspire others.

5. Closing and Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

• Ask students to complete the Lesson 1.3 Exit Ticket.

• Students will be asked to answer one of the following questions:

• What issue or topic are you considering focusing on during the design phase of your Capstone?

• Why does it feel personally or locally important to you?

• What are you curious to learn more about as you continue designing your project idea?

• Collect the Exit Tickets for assessment and portfolio documentation.