Lesson Plan

Choosing a College: Clarifying Your Values

Grade Level: 6-12

Length: 60+ minutes

DE Domain: SD VAR

  • Differentiate between System One and System Two thinking.
  • Define and articulate values in different decision scenarios.
  • Identify criteria for exploring and evaluating colleges.

This two-part lesson is intended to be used very early in the college decision-making process. The first lesson guides students through a structured decision-making process by starting with a theoretical decision: choosing a car. Students will practice clarifying their values in this scenario, and then apply these essential Decision Education skills to their college search and selection process in the following lesson.

The second lesson guides students through the process of clarifying their values for college, creating a list of criteria for identifying and evaluating colleges of interest.

Focus Standard:

  • SD.2 Clarify the values and objectives of the decision-maker in a given decision.

Supported Standard(s):

  • SD.1 Identify and frame what a decision is and is not about
  • VAR.4 Recognize, practice, and demonstrate active open-mindedness.
  • VAR.5 Practice and demonstrate self-awareness of thought processes and behavior.

Optional: Online access for researching criteria

Lesson:

Part 1

Engage (5-10 minutes)

  • Hook students by asking the question “What kind of car do you want when you get older?”  
    • Goal: Highlight how initial decisions are most often based on System One thinking.
    • Give students time for discussion in smaller groups and circle the room to listen to responses.
    • If students ask clarifying questions (Do I have kids? Where do I live? What kind of job do I have?) respond by telling them ‘Those are all great questions to think about and I don’t know the answer to that.’ Make a mental note to bring these back up later.
    • After giving students time to reflect, begin making a running list of the cars they respond with on the board.
    • After generating a list of cars, ask students to share the reasoning for their decisions.
      • You may notice many students were drawn to certain cars based on looks and what’s currently trending.
    • Let students in on some of the thinking you observed while they were in small groups. This is also a time you can bring up the more deliberative thinking you observed. Share that ‘Some people took into account their hopes, dreams, and possible lifestyle, while others picked their dream car based on it’s looks, popularity, or based on how luxurious it was.’

Apply (20-30 minutes)

Intro to Systems 1 and 2 Thinking

  • Ask students to think about how much thought they put into what route they took to get to class, what to say when a friend says, “what’s up?” or how you were going to tie your shoelaces this morning.
  • Explain the difference between System 1 and System 2 thinking:
    • These decisions are all employing System 1 thinking. The decisions we make with System 1 are automatic, unconscious, instinctive, and intuitive. As small or insignificant as they may seem, these are all decisions you regularly make, and you make thousands of them a day! This is why our System 1 thinking is so important; can you imagine mapping out a plan every morning single for how you’d tie your shoes for the day?
    • While we rely on our System 1 thinking to help us make so many routine decisions to save time, there are some bigger and more consequential decisions that do need more thought. These decisions require System 2 thinking. System 2 thinking is the deliberative, rational thinking where you consciously evaluate your decision options.
  • Ask the students to think back to your question about the dream car and consider the car buying process. Is it a simple or more complex decision? Should we be using System One or System Two thinking?
  • Have students imagine their life at 40 and turn and talk with their peers (job, living situation, location, etc).
    • How many folks are married or have kids?
    • How many live in a city? Suburbs? Country?
  • Discuss how their initial car choice aligns with their imagined life and pose follow up questions.
    • How many think their idea of a car fits the life they just imagined?
    • Is there space for kids?
    • Room for parking in the city?
    • Will you be close enough to a charging station living in the country?

Applying System 2

  • Ask the students to think back to your question about the dream car and consider the car buying process. Is it a simple or more complex decision? Should we be using System 1 or System 2 thinking?
  • Have students imagine their life at 40 and turn and talk with their peers (job, living situation, location, etc).
    • How many folks are married or have kids?
    • How many live in a city? Suburbs? Country?
  • Discuss how their initial car choice aligns with their imagined life and pose follow up questions.
    • How many think their idea of a car fits the life they just imagined?
    • Is there space for kids?
    • Is there room for parking in the city?
    • Will you be close enough to a charging station living in the country?

Clarifying Values

  • Have students work in small groups to brainstorm a list of criteria that, based on the life they described, may impact the type of car they want. Remind them that the ‘wow factor’ can be on the list, but it should be considered alongside other important factors.
  • Suggested criteria might include:
    • Room to transport family (or kids and their friends)
    • Safety of the car
    • Cost of ownership (repairs, gas mileage)
    • Reliability
    • Wow factor (looks good)
    • Fun to drive
    • Comfort
    • Immediate costs (sticker price)
    • Job-related needs (pickup trucks for certain jobs)
    • Space for parking (given location of envisions life)
    • Desired amenities (heated seats, sun roofs)
    • Storage space (trunk space, roof racks)
    • Recreational uses
  • Bring students back together to share and discuss the criteria they identified.

Reflect (5-10 minutes)

  • Make the comparison of using System 2 thinking to make big decisions, like choosing a car, to choosing a college to attend.
  • Discuss how clarifying our values can help us focus on what really matters for a specific decision.

Part 2

Engage (5-10 minutes)

  • Remind students how they practiced identifying criteria for a specific scenario, buying a car, and how that helped them to get clear on what they really value for that decision. Discuss how that process can apply to other decisions.
  • Hook students by asking, “What do you want out of your college experience?”
  • Together, generate a list on the board, potentially including:
    • Affordability, likelihood of financial aid
    • Scholarship awards
    • Activities (sports, intramural activities, clubs, etc.)
    • Intended majors
    • Size and diversity of the student body
    • Likelihood of acceptance
    • Distance from home
    • Type of campus (rural, suburban, urban)
    • Variety of majors
    • Campus appeal
    • Prestige
    • Education statistics (Graduation rate, retention rate, job placement, passing of certification exams, accreditation)
    • Study abroad options

Apply (15-20 minutes)

  • Have students develop their own individual lists of criteria that reflect their values in a college experience. Remind them that, similarly to cars, the ‘wow factor’ of a college’s reputation can be on the list, but it should be considered alongside other important factors.
  • Form small groups for students to share and discuss the criteria they identified, and why they prioritized certain factors.
  • If time allows, students can begin researching a particular college of interest to see how it aligns with their criteria.

Reflect (5-10 minutes)

  • Ask students to gauge their confidence in the college search and selection process.
  • Suggested Questions:
    • How can having clear values help you navigate this process?
    • How can the criteria you have identified enhance your college visits?

Differentiation:

Part 1

  • Simplify the decision process by either limiting the number of criteria they need to brainstorm or providing pre-made lists for them to choose from rather than creating on their own.
  • Provide graphic organizers and visual aids for students to understand System 1 and 2 thinking.

Part 2

  • Instead of choosing a college, students can evaluate different career paths to determine whether university, community college, trade school, or another option would be needed to accomplish their goal.
  • As an extension, consider a pre-mortem on potential challenges in college in general or at a particular school.

Optional extensions:

Part 1

  • Understanding of Systems One and Two thinking.
  • Identification and articulation of values in different decision scenarios.
  • Reflection on goals for the future and how that may impact the criteria identified for a given decision.

Part 2

  • Ability to generate meaningful and well-justified criteria.
  • Consideration of external inputs and additional values.

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