Ninth grade Final Project

Creating A Map To Your Dreams

 

Materials:

          Poster board 22x28

                The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

                Art supplies

                A computer

                Your imagination!

 

Over the next few weeks, we will be reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.  This is a fable about following dreams.  Besides the daily reading assignments, activities, and discussion, students will be responsible for mapping out the next 20 years of their life.  For this project, students will need to imagine that they are 20 years older and have been asked to reflect on where their life has taken them since the ninth grade.  Students are encouraged to choose any dream they might have.  However, it is important to be realistic and true to yourself.  What are some of the obstacles you might face?  What achievements will you make on the way?  Who will you depend on for guidance? 

 

Step 1:  Research

Research a dream job.  What type of schooling will you need?  What is the salary?  What type of personality is required for this job?  What people can help you get this job?

Research the universities that you would like to attend.  What types of things are required for admittance?  What might be some of the obstacles in trying to get into this school?

Research the places you might like to live. What is the cost of living?  How will you afford it?  Will you be renting or owning a house?

 

Step 2: Create the next 20 years of your life.

I suggest creating a skeleton timeline that looks at the next 20 years, two years at a time.  You can fill in details later.

Ex.     2002-2003…. high school (AP test)

                2004-2005…. graduate/ first year of college

                2006-2007…. College or vocational school or travel, etc

                2010-2011…. graduate school,  job??

                2012-2013…. Marriage??

                2014-2015…

2016-2017…

                2018-2019…

                2020-2021…

                2022, …

Where your life journey goes over the next 20 years is totally up to you…however, you can’t die, win the lottery, or inherit a large sum of money, etc.  You should try and imagine different possibilities…problems that may arise, people you might meet, etc.

 

Step 3:  Create your Map

            Use a large poster board 28x22

                Your name is the title and it should be easy to read.

You have creative license on how you create the actual map but it should begin with the year 2002 and end with the year 2022!  You need to have a minimum of 10 visuals…one to represent every two years.  These visuals should also have a brief caption that explains what is happening to you at this point and the date.  You should also have a minimum of 5 quotes taken directly from The Alchemist. These quotes should relate to your life struggles and achievements.  Try to match up each quote with a particular event in your life.  Maybe it is a quote that provides words of encouragement, or a quote that simply cheers you up when you are down.  Your final product should be colorful, organized, and easy to read.  There should be no blank areas.  All captions should be typed.  Pictures can be hand drawn, computer generated, magazine cutouts, etc.  You should use no more than 5 clipart type drawings.  You are encouraged to be creative with this assignment!!!

 

Step 4: Reflection

The final task is to create a reflection of the past 20 years of your life.  Students are to imagine that we are having a 20-year reunion for Ms. McBain’s freshmen English class 2003.  You will need to write a brief essay (500 words or less but at least a page) or a poem (20 lines no less than 15) that captures the highlights of your map and shares with us the feelings you have about where your life has gone.  These reflections will be put on the poster as well, but you must have a copy to turn in separately. They must be typed, double-spaced, and free of grammar/spelling errors. During the week of finals we will have a class reunion.  Students will share their maps and read their reflections.  Students will be asked to dress as if they were 20 years older and working in their dream profession. 

 

Grading:

This project is worth 100 pts.  (50 pts for the poster, 30 pts for the reflections, 20 pts for the presentation and involvement (being dressed up)).

 

This project should teach you a lot about yourself and your dreams.  Planning can be very rewarding.  It is impossible to plan for everything that will happen to you in life but if you consider the possibilities (bad and good), there is a very good chance you will be prepared.  Good luck and have FUN!!!