Scholarships for Post-Secondary Options
Practicum in Architectural Design
Lesson Plan
Performance Objective
Upon completion of this lesson, each student will create an organized structure and the files needed to
apply to multiple scholarships.
Specific Objectives
• Students will locate five scholarships that they meet the requirements for.
• Students will create an organized file system for the documents required by the scholarship.
• Students will write three essays appropriate to submit with scholarship applications.
• Students will request and collect at least three references to be submitted with scholarship
applications.
• Students will write thank you letters to anyone who writes references.
• Students will create a calendar to track the due dates of the scholarships.
Terms
• Letter of recommendation - a document in which the writer assesses the qualities,
characteristics, and capabilities of the person being recommended in terms of that individual's
ability to perform a particular task or function. Letters of recommendation are typically related to
employment (such a letter may also be called an employment reference or job reference),
admission to institutions of higher education, or scholarship eligibility.
• Reference - a letter from a previous employer testifying to someone's ability or reliability, used
when applying for a new job.
• Resume - a document that is used to “sell” applicant’s abilities to prospective employers.
• Scholarship – a grant or payment made to support a student's education, awarded on the basis
of academic or other achievement.
• Transcripts - an official record of a student's work, showing courses taken and grades achieved.
Time
This lesson should take eight to 10 class days to complete.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations
This lesson, as published, correlates to the following TEKS. Any changes/alterations to the activities may
result in the elimination of any or all of the TEKS listed.
Practicum in Architectural Design
• 130.48 (c) Knowledge and skills.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
1
o (1) The student knows the employability characteristics of a successful worker in the
modern workplace. The student is expected to:
(D) apply the competencies related to resources, information, interpersonal skills,
systems, and technology in appropriate settings and situations.
o (2) The student relates communication, mathematics, and science to the requirements of
the student's chosen field. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills with
individuals from varied cultures, including fellow workers, management, and
customers.
o (9) The student applies communication, mathematics, and science knowledge and skills
to job-related activities. The student is expected to:
(A) use written, verbal, and visual communication techniques consistent with
industry standards;
(B) use mathematics concepts in communication technology.
Interdisciplinary Correlations
English Language Arts and Reading, English IV
110.34 (b) Knowledge and skills
o (15) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural
or work- related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for
specific purposes. Students are expected to:
(B) write procedural and work-related documents (e.g., résumés, proposals,
college applications, operation manuals) that include:
(i) a clearly stated purpose combined with a well-supported viewpoint on
the topic;
(ii) appropriate formatting structures (e.g., headings, graphics, white
space);
(iii) relevant questions that engage readers and address their potential
problems and misunderstandings;
(iv) accurate technical information in accessible language; and
(v) appropriate organizational structures supported by facts and details
(documented if appropriate).
o (16) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes
or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an
argumentative essay (e.g., evaluative essays, proposals) to the appropriate audience that
includes:
(A) a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons with various forms of
support (e.g., hard evidence, reason, common sense, cultural assumptions);
(B) accurate and honest representation of divergent views (i.e., in the author's
own words and not out of context);
(C) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context;
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
2
(D) information on the complete range of relevant perspectives;
(E) demonstrated consideration of the validity and reliability of all primary and
secondary sources used;
(F) language attentively crafted to move a disinterested or opposed audience,
using specific rhetorical devices to back up assertions (e.g., appeals to logic,
emotions, ethical beliefs); and
(G) an awareness and anticipation of audience response that is reflected in
different levels of formality, style, and tone.
o (18) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation.
Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in
their compositions. Students are expected to correctly and consistently use conventions
of punctuation and capitalization.
o (19) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are
expected to spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check
correct spellings.
Technology Applications
• 126.49 (c) Knowledge and skills.
o (2) Communication and collaboration. The student uses digital media and environments
to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual
learning and contribute to the learning experience of others. The student is expected to:
(E) use evolving network and Internet resources and appropriate technology skills
to create, exchange, and publish information.
o (3) Research and information fluency. The student applies digital tools to gather,
evaluate, and use information. The student is expected to:
(A) use evolving network and Internet resources for research and resource
sharing of technology applications.
(B) apply appropriate search strategies in the acquisition of information from the
Internet, including keyword and Boolean search strategies.
(D) acquire information using appropriate research strategies with source
citations through electronic formats, including interactive components, text,
audio, video, graphics, and simulations.
(E) identify, create, and use available file formats, including text, image, video,
and audio files.
Occupational Correlation (O*Net – www.onetonline.org/)
Job Title: Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
O*Net Number: 17-1011.00
Reported Job Titles: Architect; Architectural Project Manager; Design Architect; Principal Architect;
Principal, Architectural Firm; Project Architect; Senior Architect/Design Manager; Senior Architectural
Designer; Senior Planner; Specifications Writer
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
3
Tasks
• Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools. See
more occupations related to this task.
• Plan or design structures such as residences, office buildings, theatres, factories, or other
structural properties in accordance with environmental, safety, or other regulations. Green Task
Statement See more occupations related to this task.
• Direct activities of technicians engaged in preparing drawings or specification documents. See
more occupations related to this task.
• Prepare contract documents for building contractors. See more occupations related to this task.
• Prepare information regarding design, structure specifications, materials, color, equipment,
estimated costs, or construction time.
Soft Skills
• Active Listening
• Critical Thinking
• Speaking
• Complex Problem Solving
• Coordination
Teacher and Student Tasks
• Day 1: Scholarship & Funding Opportunities
o Teacher presentation on scholarships and demonstration of finding scholarships.
o Students will identify two sources of scholarships.
• Day 2: Getting Organized
o Teacher presentation on scholarship process and organizations.
o Students will identify two additional sources of scholarships.
o Students will create a digital system to organize and track scholarship applications.
o Students will identify the common elements of scholarship applications, including but not
limited to, transcripts, resumes, essays, photographs, and letters of recommendation.
• Day 3: Keeping Track of Time
o Teacher presentation on time keeping and calendaring.
o Students will identify one additional source of scholarships.
o Students will create a plan for five scholarships with a calendar timeline to complete and
submit the materials.
• Day 4: Resumes
o Teacher presentation on writing resumes.
o Students will write resumes.
o In partners, students will edit and review resumes.
• Day 5: References
o Teacher presentation on getting personalized references.
o Student will write an email that can be used to solicit references.
o Students will contact at least three individuals for reference letters for each scholarship.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
4
•
•
•
Day 6- 8: Writing essays
o Teacher presentation on writing scholarship essays.
o Students will write and edit one essay per day.
o In pairs, students will review and revise edits.
o Essays can be written in class or assigned as homework.
Day 9: Collecting Transcripts
o Students will collect necessary transcripts from high school or college programs.
o Students will work on documentation in folder system.
o Students will be editors for each other’s work for proof and review.
o Students will contact/follow-up with individuals for reference letters.
o Students will scan and organize reference letters.
o Students will write thank you letters to references.
Day 10: Finalize Project
o Students will finalize project.
o Students will complete a self-evaluation of the project using the rubric.
o Students will submit final USB flash drive or link to collaborative drive.
Accommodations for Learning Differences
It is important that lessons accommodate the needs of every learner. These lessons may be modified to
accommodate your students with learning differences by referring to the files found on the Special
Populations page of this website (cte.unt.edu).
Preparation
• Find scholarships that would be appropriate for your cluster area.
• Find scholarship listings for your local community.
• Pull example resumes.
• Each year, ask students for samples to share with other students.
Instructional Aids
• Scholarship websites
• Grading rubric
• Internet
Materials Needed
• USB flash drives or collaborative drives
Equipment Needed
• Computers (for students to complete project)
• Projector (for digital presentation)
• Scanner to scan recommendation letters
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
5
Introduction
Learner Preparation
• Ask students to describe how homes looked in the past.
Lesson Introduction
Use multi-media presentation and explain the concepts of scholarships.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
6
Outline
MI
Outline
I.
II.
III.
Explain different types of funding
a. Apply for Financial Aid
b. Scholarships
c. National Grants
d. Pell Grants
e. Service Commitment:
AmeriCorps, PeaceCorps,
ROTC, Military
f. Local schools / living at home
What Kinds of Scholarships
a. University / College
b. National
c. State
d. Organizational
e. Local
Scholarship Searches & Strategies
a. Search sites & aggregators
b. Professional organizations
c. Local organizations
d. School counselors
e. Lists
f. Emails
IV.
Scholarship Process
a. Key components
b. Personal information
c. Resume
d. Academic information
e. Community information
f. Essay
g. References
h. Transcripts
i. Due dates
V.
Organization
a. File types
b. USB flash drives or
collaboration drives
Notes to Teacher
Talk through the different types
of funding for post-secondary
education. Open the discussion
to see what the students have
thought about using.
Give examples of the different
types of scholarships someone
may find at each level. Add
appropriate examples from your
own industry.
Help students find scholarships
that would be beneficial to
them.
By looking at the scholarships
that they found, have a
discussion about the common
elements that students have
found.
Based on your school’s security,
find out what collaborative
drives are available.
Show different types of calendar
templates. Allow students to
use what they will actually
follow – even their smart
phones.
Provide examples of student
resumes.
Help students brainstorm whom
they could ask to be a reference.
Essays may take more or less
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
7
VI.
Keeping Track of Time
a. Start early
b. December due dates
c. Documentation of enrollment
/ grades
time in the classroom
depending on your own
schedule and how much writing
they can do at home.
VII.
Resume
a. Content types
b. Writing tips
c. Example
d. Content Ideas
Check with your own school
about the transcript request
process.
VIII.
Reference letters
a. Reference process
b. Get more letters than you
need
c. Write thank you notes
IX.
Scholarship Essays
a. Good writing
b. Flow / structure
c. Memorable
d. Tell your story
e. Share your heart
f. Stand out from other students
g. Essay ideas
X.
Transcripts
a. Ordering and organizing
XI.
Finalize Project
a. Self-review
b. Finalize project pieces
c. Submit
Give a copy of a rubric to each
student for a self-evaluation.
Multiple Intelligences Guide
Existentialist
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Kinesthetic/
Bodily
Logical/
Mathematical
Musical/
Rhythmic
Naturalist
Verbal/Linguistic
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
Visual/Spatial
8
Application
Guided Practice
The application for this lesson is outlined in the Scholarship Planning Project and Rubric at the end of
this lesson.
Independent Practice
• Students will work at their own paces to complete the activities.
• All work is to be done in class, so the teacher can check for understanding.
• Students are strongly encouraged to take ownership of this activity and to establish a workable
pace in order to complete it on time.
Summary
Review
• What do you think scholarship committees are looking for when they review resumes, essays,
and letters of recommendations?
• Where are the best places to find scholarships?
Evaluation
Informal Assessment
• Teacher will observe students during Independent Practice.
• Teacher will assist students as needed.
Formal Assessment
• Use the Scholarship Planning Rubric to evaluate.
Enrichment
Extension
Create a bulletin board to share the successes of each scholarship received. One idea is to have fake
checks that can be put up on the board. Teacher can also track how much total funding each class
receives.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
9
Scholarship Resources Handout
You can search for scholarship listings and find many sites that include listings of scholarships. Here are
a few to get you started.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Every Chance Every Texan
o http://www.everychanceeverytexan.org/funding/aid/faidalpha.php
My College Options (Texas)
o https://www.mycollegeoptions.org/TX/0/Texas/search-results-scholarship-search-bylocation.aspx
College Scholarships (Texas)
o http://www.collegescholarships.org/states/texas.htm
College Scholarships (Subjects)
o http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/subject-specific.htm
Big Future by the College Board
o https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search
Student Scholarships
o http://www.studentscholarships.org/
Some school districts have great scholarship listings too:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Austin ISD
o https://www.austinisd.org/scholarships
Arlington ISD
o http://www.aisd.net/AISD/Default.aspx?alias=www.aisd.net/aisd/scholarships
Mesquite ISD
o http://www.mesquiteisd.org/college-scholarships/
Fort Worth ISD
o http://www.fwisd.org/files/_FFAsx_/a22733bd372513063745a49013852ec4/scholarship
_senior.pdf
Houston ISD
o http://www.houstonisd.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=110473
Waxahachie ISD
o http://schools.wisd.org/default.aspx?name=whs.scholarships
Scholarship Aggregators
There are many sites that help you find scholarships. You can use them to help find the scholarships,
but we recommend that you use it only as a directory and submit directly to the organization instead of
through the aggregator site. There are many scams where you have to pay to get scholarships. You
should never have to pay anything to receive a scholarship.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
10
Scholarship Project
For this project, you will be setting up your own plan to apply for scholarships that you meet the
requirements for. You will collect files and documents to do this.
There are two options for completing this task.
A) Collaborative Drives – This option is valuable if you want to be able to work with your teachers
and parents. You can share documents and get help with reviewing documents very easily.
B) A USB flash drive – If your school limits the access to a collaborative drive or file sharing, then a
USB flash drive is a good way to bring the documents back and forth to school and home.
Requirements
1. Identify at least five scholarships for which you meet the requirements.
2. For each scholarship, create a folder in either a USB flash drive or virtual drive. Name that folder
to correspond to the name of the scholarship.
a. In each folder, create a document named REQUIREMENTS that lists with each of those
requirements.
3. Create a folder called ESSAYS.
a. In this folder, you will put any essay that you have written as a scholarship essay or for a
class that could be used as content in a scholarship essay.
b. Review the current essays in “Apply Texas” if you are planning on attending school in
Texas.
c. Include at least three different essays in your folder.
4. Create a folder called RECOMMENDATIONS.
a. In this folder, you will file any letters of recommendations that you have been able to
collect. These are best if they have been signed, scanned, and can be reprinted or sent
digitally if needed.
b. Include at least three letters of recommendation.
i. A teacher
ii. An administrator
iii. A member of the community
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
11
5. Create a folder called RESUMES.
a. In this folder, you will file a copy of your resume. Some scholarships will require different
lengths. Therefore, if you create a new version, keep any copies in this folder and save
with the name of the file relevant to the type of resume that it is (For example, “OnePaged Resume” or “Two-Paged Resume).
b. Include at least one resume in this folder.
6. Create a CALENDAR to document the due date of each scholarship.
a. If you are using a collaborative drive with a calendar app, you can make this in a shared
Calendar that you can share with your family.
b. If you are using digital file share site or a USB flash drive, you can make a calendar in a
table in a document, spreadsheet, or a calendar template for a slide.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
12
Scholarship Planning Rubric
Scholarship
Identification
0
Poor/Not Evident
1
Needs Improvement
2
Exemplary
Scholarships were
identified, however, they
were not an appropriate
match for the qualifications
of the student.
The drive is not organized.
Four scholarships were
identified that match the
qualifications of the student.
Five scholarships were identified
that match the qualifications of
the student.
The drive includes a folder
for each scholarship.
Requirements
The requirement listing is
not included.
Essay 1
The first essay is missing or
is too short to be
considered for a
scholarship.
Essay 2
The second essay is missing
or is too short to be
considered for a
scholarship.
Essay 3
The third essay is missing or
is too short to be
considered for a
scholarship.
Some requirements for
scholarships are missing in
the folder structure.
The first essay does not align
well to the prompt or may
not be appropriate yet
without revision for
scholarship consideration.
The second essay does not
align well to the prompt or
may not be appropriate yet
without revision for
scholarship consideration.
The third essay does not
align well to the prompt or
may not be appropriate yet
without revision for
scholarship consideration.
Two recommendation letters
are included.
The drive includes a wellorganized structure with a
folder for each scholarship.
Requirements for each
scholarship are listed in each
folder.
The first essay aligns well with
the prompt and would be an
appropriate essay to submit for
scholarship consideration.
Folders Created
Recommendations Zero to one
Resumes
recommendation letters
are included.
A resume is not included in
a folder.
Calendar
A calendar is not included.
Writing
The writing needs
significant revisions with
many errors in grammar or
mechanics.
A resume is included in a
folder that needs revisions to
be able to appropriately
highlight the student’s
academic career for
scholarship consideration.
A calendar is created to
document due dates for each
of the scholarships
identified, but the formatting
is not clean and professional.
The writing needs revisions
with some errors in grammar
or mechanics.
The second essay aligns well to
the prompt and would be an
appropriate essay to submit for
scholarship consideration.
The third essay aligns well to the
prompt and would be an
appropriate essay to submit for
scholarship consideration.
Three recommendation letters
are included.
A resume is included in a folder
that appropriately highlights the
student’s academic career for
scholarship consideration.
A professional, well-formatted
calendar is created to document
due dates for each of the
scholarships identified.
The writing is exemplary with no
errors in grammar or mechanics.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
13
Peer Review for Essay
Writer: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Peer Reviewer: ____________________________________________________________________________
Essay Prompt: _____________________________________________________________________________
Scholarship Organization: ____________________________________________________________________
Does the essay meet the prompt?
Yes/No
Notes
Does the essay meet the goals of the
scholarship organization?
Does the essay convey a personal tone
and voice?
Does the essay maintain good
organization, structure, and flow?
Does the essay maintain correct writing
grammar and mechanics?
Is the essay unique and memorable?
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.
14