The Benefits of Higher Education
Lesson Plan #2
Title:
Benefits of Completing College: Healthier and Happier Lifestyles
Purpose: (“why” of the lesson, where and how does it fit into the course/curriculum)
Students will learn about the personal health benefits they will gain from education beyond high school.
Learning Outcome(s): (what will students be able to do/know by the end of the lesson)
Students will understand how obtaining education beyond high school can aid them in becoming healthy and happy
individuals in their work life and personal life. This will show students that finishing education beyond high school
will most likely help them find a career that makes them happy and gives them the opportunity to lead healthy
productive lifestyles in and out of their work life.
Opening Journal Prompt: (focus student attention)
Answer the following question: What are some reasons why you would want to go to college? Do you think that
finishing an education beyond high school will make you happy? Why or why not?
Input From You: (main content: ideas, information, concepts, principles, procedures and examples)
The teacher will pass out the Benefits of Completing College: Healthier and Happier Lifestyles handout to
the students and together as a class they will read the information and discuss as needed.
Vocabulary Activation: (activate and diagnose prior knowledge)
The teacher will pair the students and pass out the Active Vocabulary Sheet to students. Together the class will read the
directions and start the task. The vocabulary words include the following: Lifestyles, Empowered, Environment,
Resilient, Obese, Satisfaction, and Well-being. Students will also be asked to create a sentence using each word to
show understanding.
Input From You: (main content: ideas, information,
Guided Practice: (application of knowledge: classroom
concepts, principles, procedures and examples)
activities for students, problem to solve, etc.)
The class will come back together and review the
vocabulary words while creating examples of each for an
even firmer understanding.
The students will pair up and share their Healthier and
Happier Lifestyles Quiz answers with each other.
If they have different answers they will have a few
minutes to convince one another which answer is right
and decide which one to choose.
The teacher will then hand out The Healthier and Happier
Lifestyles Quiz
1
The Benefits of Higher Education
Lesson Plan #2
Closure: (recap key concepts, helps students consolidate knowledge)
The class will come back together and go through the quiz and answers. Together the teacher and students can explain
the answers they chose through a class discussion.
Check for Understanding: (what questions will you ask and when to determine students understand)
Closing Journal Prompt: Do you believe that finishing an education beyond high school will in fact make people more
happy or healthy? Why or why not?
Assessment: (how does this lesson relate to assignments/homework/readings)
This can be assigned as homework or in class assessment. The students will be asked to write a letter to a friend or
family member. In this letter they will explain the reasons why they think education beyond high school is important to
health and happiness.
Materials:
Benefits of Completing College: Healthier and Happier Lifestyles handout
Active Vocabulary Sheet
The Healthier, and Happier Lifestyles Quiz with Answer Key
Supplementary Materials:
Education Pays: http://trends.collegeboard.org/education-pays
The Value of Education Brief: http://www.utahwomenandeducation.org/assets/Research__Policy_Brief_1.pdf
Utah Women & Education Initiative- Clips and Videos: http://www.utahwomenandeducation.org/resources/videos/
Goals for the Common Good: http://www.measureofamerica.org/file/common_good_forecaster_full_report.pdf
The Utah Women and Education Initiative (www.utahwomenandeducation.org)
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Active Vocabulary Sheet
Name__________________ Date________
Directions: With your partner, find the definitions of each word below and together create a sentence using the
word. Each of you must fill out your own sheet.
Lifestyles:
Dictionary definition________________________________________________________________________
Create a sentence with the word Lifestyles_______________________________________________________
Empowered:
Dictionary definition________________________________________________________________________
Create a sentence with the word Empowered _____________________________________________________
Environment:
Dictionary definition________________________________________________________________________
Create a sentence with the word Environment_____________________________________________________
Resilient:
Dictionary definition________________________________________________________________________
Create a sentence with the word Resilient_______________________________________________________
Satisfaction:
Dictionary definition________________________________________________________________________
Create a sentence with the word Satisfaction_____________________________________________________
Well-being:
Dictionary definition________________________________________________________________________
Create a sentence with the word Well-being______________________________________________________
Obese:
Dictionary definition_______________________________________________________________________
Create a sentence with the word Obese_________________________________________________________
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The Healthier and Happier Lifestyles Quiz
Name__________________ Date________
Directions: Please answer the following questions as best you can on your own. Questions 1-2 are Multiple
Choice and 3-6 are True or False statements.
1. Educated people
a) have more self-confidence and high self esteem
b) are less resilient and more depressed
c) have increased job and life satisfaction
d) both a and c
2. People with a college education are more likely to
a) create healthy lifestyles for their children
b) have employer provided insurance
c) have strong support networks for themselves and their families
d) all of the above
3.
True or False:
Finishing a postsecondary degree will decrease your chances of obesity.
4.
True or False:
You will most likely create a healthy lifestyle for yourself if you drop out of school and start working.
5.
True or False:
Your chances of living longer go up when you complete a postsecondary degree.
6.
True or False:
If you complete a postsecondary degree you are more likely to take up smoking and have a hard time
quitting
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The Healthier and Happier Lifestyles Quiz
Answer Key
1. Educated people
a) have more self-confidence and high self esteem
b) are less resilient and more depressed
c) have increased job and life satisfaction
d) both a and c
2. People with a college education are more likely to
a) create healthy lifestyles for their children
b) have employer provided insurance
c) have strong support networks for themselves and their families
d) all of the above
3.
True or False:
Finishing a postsecondary degree will decrease your chances of obesity. College graduates are more
likely to maintain a healthier diet with higher dietary fiber intake and lower cholesterol. They are more
likely to exercise and less likely to be overweight or obese.
4.
True or False:
You will less likely create a healthy lifestyle for yourself if you drop out of school and start working.
People with less schooling tend to make mess healthy lifestyle choices including smoking, less exercise,
and greater incidences of alcohol and drug abuse.
5.
True or False:
Your chances of living longer go up when you complete a postsecondary degree. In fact, college
graduates live an average of seven years longer than their lesser educated peers.
6.
True or False:
If you complete a postsecondary degree you are less likely to take up smoking and have a hard time
quitting. More educated men and women behave in ways that help maintain good health. They are less
likely to smoke and have lower alcohol abuse dependency.
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