... on Chicago's South Side in a one-bedroom apartment before she attended Princeton ... Mae Jemison went into orbit abo
Future Possible Selves When presented with the idea of future possible selves, students have the opportunity to identify who they want to be. They are then able to state the strengths that they have that will help them become that future possible self. Let students know that the purpose of today’s lesson is to think about their futures.
Objective: To choose a future possible (academic and/or career) self and to state the strengths that will help them become the future possible self
Standards: Applicable Common Core Standards
Time: 45 minutes
Preparation: Review the entire lesson, including the learning object Future Possible Selves. Please note that the selection of images includes a blank one for use by students who do not find a relevant picture among the selected pictures.
Materials: Future Possible Selves learning object (see below), Eyes on the Stars animation, student copies of the Student Response Prompts, computer, speakers, Internet connection, projector or Smart Board
WARM-UP: PAIR SHARE (5 MINUTE FACE-TO-FACE ACTIVITY) 1. Begin by pairing students up by asking them to turn to a neighbor. Explain that the first partner is the interviewer. The second is the interviewee. 2. The interviewer will ask the interviewee, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The interviewee answers (e.g., a pilot, doctor, or basketball player). The interviewer then asks the interviewee to name three strengths or assets (skills, abilities, or attributes) they have that will help them achieve their goal(s). 3. Next, ask the students to reverse roles. The interviewer becomes the interviewee, and the interviewee becomes the interviewer. The students should repeat the exercise above.
ACTIVITY: DEBRIEF (5 MINUTE FACE-TO-FACE ACTIVITY) Invite students to summarize and share out what they learned about their partner. Students should ask their partners for permission to share out. Specifically, in sharing out, they should state their partner’s career or other goal, and they should state the strengths their partner will use toward achieving it. Sharing out should be done by as many of the students as possible. The next activity should accommodate students who do not participate in this debrief.
ACTIVITY: VISUALIZING FUTURE SELVES (17 MINUTE DIGITAL LEARNING OBJECT AND FACE-TO-FACE DISCUSSION) Explain to students that they are going to think about a future possible self by examining 32 pictures in this learning object. Each of the 32 pictures represents a future possible self. Students should make sure to read the captions underneath each picture. Before they begin, you should mention to students that there is also a silhouette that they can choose, in case none of the pictures resonate with them. Students should stop on the picture that most closely represents a future possible self and consider why they chose that specific picture. This learning object can be viewed at: http://storycorps.org/storycorpsu/future-selves/ After the students have been given ample opportunity, you can encourage them to share out with the rest of the class. You may want to choose from among the following questions to ask the students:
Which person did you select, and why?
What are some challenges you think the person faced to achieve his/her goals?
What strengths did the person use to overcome the challenges?
How do you think you are like the person you chose?
How did the person you chose grow over the years?
A printable version of this interactivity follows the lesson.
ACTIVITY: EYES ON THE STARS WITH CARL MCNAIR (13 MINUTE ANIMATED VIDEO AND DISCUSSION) 1. Introduce the animated clip Eyes on the Stars. Carl McNair came to StoryCorps to remember his brother, physicist Ronald E. McNair, who was the second African American to enter space. But first, he was a kid with big dreams in Lake City, South Carolina. 2. The students can view this animated clip individually, in small groups, or a whole group as a guided activity using available technologies. There is also a printable version of Eyes on the Stars available for students to read. 3. After the students have viewed the clip, explain to them that they should complete the Student Response Prompts.
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4. Once students have completed the prompts, facilitate a discussion by asking the following questions: o
What strengths or assets did Ronald McNair use to achieve his dream, and how were the strengths evidenced?
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Ronald McNair experienced the characters on TV show Star Trek as role models for who he might become. Assume that there are role models, people just like you, who perfectly represent a future possible self you want to become. Where might you look for these role models?
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How, if at all, are you like Ronald McNair?
CLOSING (5 MINUTE FACE-TO-FACE ACTIVITY) Ask each student to consider his or her future possible self, and then lead a class discussion about next steps. You may want to use the following questions as prompts for a short discussion:
What strengths or assets will you need to acquire to become your future possible self?
What are some ways that you can work to acquire these strengths or assets?
Who are some people that can/will support you along the way?
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Associated Common Core Standards The StoryCorpsU curriculum aligns with the following Common Core State Standards: English Language Arts: College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening. http://www.corestandards.org/ Comprehension and Collaboration 1.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on relevant topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1b Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1c Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1d Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas 3.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
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Future Possible Selves Gallery Walk Learning Object Introduction
Begin thinking about your future possible self by examining the pictures in this activity. Use the arrow buttons to move through the pictures. You can also click on the home button underneath each picture to return to this page.
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Actress: Viola Davis Actress
Oscar nominee and Tony Award winner. Currently stars in the TV show How to Get Away With Murder. "It is a time when Black women now have no choice but to take matters in their own hands and create images for ourselves ... It's up to us to look for the material, it's up to us to produce it ourselves, it's up to us to choose the stories."
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Astrophysicist: Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson
Before receiving degrees in astrophysics from Harvard, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia, Neil attended public schools in the Bronx and was captain of the wrestling team. “I was stopped and questioned seven times by University police on my way into the physics building. Seven times. Zero times was I stopped going into the gym - and I went to the gym a lot. That says all you need to know about how welcome I felt at Texas.”
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Chef: Marcus Samuelsson
Born in Ethiopia and adopted by a Swedish family after the death of his mother. He owns Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem. In 2011, Red Rooster hosted a fundraising dinner for the Democratic National Committee that President Obama attended. The event raised $1.5 million at $30,000/plate.
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Rapper, Record Producer, Entrepreneur: Jay-Z
Raised in Brooklyn’s Marcy housing projects by a single mom, Jay-Z is one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in America. “You learn more in failure than you ever do in success.”
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Scientist, Inventor: Dr. Phillip Emeagwali
Born in Nigeria, called the “Bill Gates of Africa.” He dropped out of school at 14 because his father could not afford to pay the school bills. He continued to study hard at home until he got a scholarship to Oregon State University, where he studied math. His inventions include a method for making oil fields more productive, saving the US hundreds of millions of dollars each year. “The hardships that I encountered in the past will help me succeed in the future.”
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Firefighters: Sophy Median and Tommy Olsen
Sophy Medina and her fiancé, Tommy Olsen, are both firefighters in New York City. They came to StoryCorps to talk about their experience fighting a fire together. As a firefighter, compensation increases are based on years of service. For example, in New York City, after 5 years of service the base salary can increase to $76,488 per year with promotion opportunities and benefits.
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Cartoonist, Comic Book Artist: Gilbert Hernandez
Gilbert Hernandez knew he wanted to be a graphic storyteller from a young age. He and his 6 siblings were raised by their single mom who passed on her love of comics to her children. Gilbert studied comics and developed his drawing skills through constant practice.
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Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel
Gustavo Dudamel grew up in the Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto. He has studied music since an early age and is now conducting and working with some of the best orchestras in the world, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic. “You have to believe that things will happen, you have to work and love what you’re doing.”
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Journalist: Maria Hinojosa
Maria Hinojosa was born in Mexico City, raised in Chicago, and currently lives in Harlem. She is the anchor and executive producer of Latino USA, one of the earliest public radio shows devoted to the Latino community. She has hosted the show for 20 years and is also the founder, president, and CEO of the media group that produces it. In 2007, she was inducted into the “She Made It” Hall of Fame at the Paley Center for Media/Museum of Television and Radio. “I can’t let go of Mexico. It’s a part of who I am.”
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Film director, Screenwriter, Producer, Editor: Alfonso Cuaron
Alfonso Cuaron has been nominated for 6 Academy Awards, winning Best Director and Best Film Editing for Gravity. He was born in Mexico City and studied filmmaking at National Autonomous University of Mexico. He began his career working in television in Mexico and as assistant director to Latin American film productions before landing his first big screen assignments.
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Police chief: Cathy Lanier
Cathy Lanier is the first female Police Chief. She dropped out of school after the 9th grade and became a mother at 15 before returning to school and receiving degrees from John Hopkins University and the Naval Postgraduate School. She was appointed as the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia in 2007. The average pay for police officers in 2012 was $56,980 per year, or $27.40 per hour. Compensation increases based on years of service, with optional retirement at one-half salary after 22 years.
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Educator, College President: Dr. Ruth Simmons
Dr. Ruth Simmons was elected Brown University’s first female president in 2000 and she was the first African-American president of an Ivy League institution. She grew up the daughter of a sharecropper and the youngest of 12 kids. In 2001 Time named her America’s best college president and in 2002, she was selected as the Newsweek Ms. Woman of the Year.
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Doctor, Inventor: Dr. Patricia Bath
Patricia Bath was raised in Harlem, New York. She studied Chemistry at Hunter College. She became passionate about eye care when she became aware that blindness was much more common amongst racial minorities and poor populations. She was determined to address this and went on to become the first African American woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical purpose, a probe to treat cataracts
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Lawyer, Public Servant, First Lady of the United States: Michelle Obama
Michelle was raised on Chicago’s South Side in a one-bedroom apartment before she attended Princeton and Harvard. “Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.”
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Singer-Songwriter, Musician: Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman was raised by her mother in Cleveland, Ohio. When she was young, she was living on welfare and a victim of racial discrimination and abuse. She started playing guitar and writing songs when she was 8 years old. She is now a folk singer and social activist who writes and performs songs about social injustice. “I think it is important, if you are an artist, to use your music to stand up for what you believe in.”
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Supreme Court Justice: Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor was raised by a single mother in Bronx housing projects and worked to become a firstgeneration college student. She was diagnosed with diabetes at a young age. She is of Puerto Rican descent and is now the Supreme Court’s first Hispanic justice, serving since 2009.
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Astronaut: Mae Jemison
Mae Jemison went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor on September 12, 1992. She was the first African-American female astronaut to travel in space. “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations…If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won’t exist because you’ll have already shut it out.”
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Philosopher, Academic, Activist: Cornel West
Cornel West focuses on the role of race, gender and class in American society. He is frequently a media commentator on political and social issues, appearing on CNN, C-SPAN, MSNBC and PBS. “None of us alone can save the nation or the world. But each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so.”
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CEO: Ursula Burns
Ursula Burns grew up in a housing project in Manhattan’s Lower East Side raised be a single mom, a Panamanian immigrant. She now serves as the Chairman and CEO of Xerox. She was the first AfricanAmerican woman to head a Fortune 500 company. In 2009 she was rated one of Forbes most powerful women in the world.
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Fashion Designer: Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He became a world-renowned fashion designer. He is known for his charitable character and committed funds towards supporting his home community. He started a foundation for an orphanage and school for children of La Romana, which now cares for 1,200 children daily.
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Paramedic: Rowan Allen
Rowan Allen (R) was the paramedic on the scene when a van hit Bryan Lindsay (L). The two men came in to StoryCorps to remember that day. Rowan works with the New York City Fire Department. The starting salary for $37,350/yr and increases based upon years of service. It requires an EMSParamedic Certificate, high school diploma, and valid license.
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Women's Rights Activist, Humanitarian: Zainab Salbi
Zainab Salbi was born in Baghdad, Iraq. Her experience of the Iran-Iraq War gave her passion for defending the rights of women around the world. In 1995, Bill Clinton honored her at the White House for her humanitarian work in Bosnia. She is founder and former CEO of Women for Women International, an organization that provides support to women survivors of war.
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Musician, Singer-Songwriter: Stevie Wonder
Although Stevie Wonder has been blind since shortly after his birth, he is one of the most successful musicians of the late 20th century. He was signed to Motown Records in 1961, when he was only 11 years old, and continues to play music to this day. He has recorded more than 30 U.S. top ten hits and won 22 Grammy Awards.
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Martial Artist, Instructor, Actor, Screenwriter: Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee is one of the most renowned martial artists of all time and was influential in changing the representation of Asians in mainstream media. “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”
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Psychologist, Researcher: Angela Duckworth
Angela Duckworth is a Chinese American Psychologist and Researcher who won the MacArthur Fellowship. “Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
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Teacher: Ayodeji Ogunniyi
In 1990, Ayodeji Ogunniyi left Nigeria with his mother and brother to come to the United States and join their father, who was working as a cab driver in Chicago. The inspirational experience of working as a tutor helped him to overcome the death of his father and led him to become a teacher. At StoryCorps, Ayodeji talked about how his father’s death changed the course of his life.
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Author, Activist, Journalist: Janet Mock
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, first person in her family to go to college. She publically came out as a trans woman in 2011, and won the Sylvia Rivera Activist Award in 2012. Her memoir Redefining Realness made the New York Times bestseller list. "I believe that telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act."
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Actress, Writer, Producer: Mindy Kaling
Studied playwriting in college, first woman writer on The Office. She moved to Brooklyn after college to work as a baby sitter and then production assistant before breaking into the stand-up scene. She is the first South Asian woman to star in her own TV show in the U.S., The Mindy Project, which she created, writes, and produces. “Write your own part. It is the only way I've gotten anywhere. It is much harder work, but sometimes you have to take destiny into your own hands. It forces you to think about what your strengths really are, and once you find them, you can showcase them, and no one can stop you.”
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Engineer, Nonprofit Founder and Executive Director: Luz Ruvas
Luz Rivas is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and grew up in Los Angeles. After learning to program in 5th grade, Luz decided to pursue a technical career. She has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from MIT and a Masters in Technology in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She founded the nonprofit organization DIY Girls to increase girls’ interest and success in STEM.
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Athlete, Entrepreneur: Serena Williams
Started playing tennis at age four on the public courts in Compton, California. Has been ranked #1 in the world for women’s singles on six different occasions. “Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.”
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Athlete: Jeremy Lin
Received no offers of athletic scholarship for college and did not get drafted to NBA upon graduation, but was accepted to Harvard University and earned a spot on the basketball team. Now a professional basketball player for the LA Lakers. “My best career decision was probably not giving up when I wanted to.”
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Professional Dancer: Antonio Douthit-Boyd
Antonio Douthit-Boyd grew up in St. Louis the Transitional Hope House for homeless families. As a teenager, he earned a scholarship at a local dance studio. After years of hard training, Antonio joined Dance Theater of Harlem and then Alvin Ailey America Dance Theater as a Principal dancer. In 2013, he married his partner and fellow company member, Kirven Boyd.
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Entrepreneur, Stockbroker, Author: Chris Gardner
Chris Gardner was in foster care as a child and struggled with homelessness twenty years later while raising his young son. He got back on his feet and become the CEO of his own company. The movie “The Pursuit of Happiness” is based on his memoirs.
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Community Activist: Linda Sarsour
Linda Sarsour is a Palestinian Muslim American who was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She is a community activist who speaks out and organizes against religious and racial profiling and police brutality. Currently she is the National Advocacy Director for the National Network for Arab American Communities and locally serving as the Director of the Arab American Association of New York. She was honored in 2011 by the White House as a “Champion of Change”, and recently named “American Muslim of the Year” by the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S.
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You
Create your own future possible self.
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Eyes on the Stars StoryCorps Animation Clip: Eyes on the Stars
On the morning of January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lifting off. All seven crew members were killed. Ronald McNair was one of the astronauts aboard Challenger that day. A graduate of MIT who grew up in the small farming community of Lake City, South Carolina, McNair was only the second African-American to visit space. His older brother, Carl, talks to a friend, Vernon Skipper, about how Ronald’s journey from the rural South to outer space began with an act of courage at the local public library. “Ron was someone who didn’t accept societal norms as being his norm.”
Transcript Carl McNair: When he was nine years old, Ron, without my parents or myself knowing his whereabouts, decided to take a mile walk from our home down to the library, which was, of course, a public library, but not so public for black folks, when you’re talking about 1959. Vernon Skipper: OK. CM: So, as he was walking in there, all these folks were staring at him—because they were white folk only—and they were looking at him and saying, you know, “Who is this negro?” VS: [Laughs] CM: So he politely positioned himself in line to check out his books. Well, this old librarian, she says, “This library is not for coloreds.” He said, “Well, I would like to check out these books.” She says, “Young man, if you don’t leave this library right now, I’m gonna call the police.” So he just propped himself up on the counter and sat there and said, “I’ll wait.” So she called the police and subsequently called my mother. Police came down—two burly guys come in and say, “Well, where’s the disturbance?” And she pointed to the little nine-year-old boy sitting up on the counter. And he [the policeman] says, “Ma’am, what’s the problem?” So my mother—in the meanwhile she was called—she comes down there praying the whole way there, “Lordy, Jesus, please don’t let them put my child in jail.” And my mother asks the librarian, “What’s the problem?” “He wanted to check out the books and, you know, your son shouldn’t be down here.” And the police officer said, “You know, why don’t you just give the kid the books?”
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And my mother said, “He’ll take good care of them.” And reluctantly, the librarian gave Ron the books. And my mother said, “What do you say?” He said, “Thank you, ma’am.” [Laughter] Later on, as youngsters, a show came on TV called Star Trek. Now, Star Trek showed the future where there were black folk and white folk working together. VS: Right. CM: And I just looked at it as science fiction ’cause that wasn’t going to happen, really. But Ronald saw it as science possibility. You know, he came up during a time when there was Neil Armstrong and all of those guys. So how was a colored boy from South Carolina, wearing glasses, never flew a plane, how was he gonna become an astronaut? But Ron was someone who didn’t accept societal norms as being his norm, you know? That was for other people. And, um, he got to be aboard his own starship Enterprise.
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Eyes on the Stars Student Response Prompts 1. I’m reminded of…because of…
2. One thing that stood out to me was…because…
3. If I were Carl, I would…because…
4. One thing I’d like to know more about…
5. Other:
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