Community Experience

🎤 Future Pathway Field Notes

Effective Communication Collaboration Academic Mindset Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Content Expertise Product Assessment Core Content Community Partners Essential Question Submission Required

Students conduct paired interviews and collect rapid survey data from peers, then rotate through brief check-ins with a counselor, college admissions visitor, trade representative, or career advisor when available. They capture quotes, needs, worries, and next-step realities on sticky notes or a shared digital board. By the end, each student sorts evidence into categories such as defining moment, future goal, challenge, support system, and unanswered question.

Plan day

Day 3

Duration

50 min

Grouping

Pair

Steps

6 steps

Lesson plan

6 steps · 50 min

#	What teachers do
1	Launch the field-note task by reviewing the interview purpose, note categories, and evidence expectations, then model how one quote can be tagged as defining moment, future goal, challenge, support system, or unanswered question connected to an origin issue. (6 min)
2	Run paired interviews using the toolkit from the previous activity; partners take turns asking questions, listening for exact language, and recording at least two direct quotes plus short notes about goals, worries, and supports. (12 min)
3	Collect rapid class survey data by having students post one short response each to prompts about likely next step, biggest obstacle, and needed support on sticky notes or a shared digital board, then scan the board for repeated themes. (8 min)
4	Rotate through brief advisor or counselor check-ins when available, or teacher mini-conferences if not, so students can test whether a postgraduation goal is specific, believable, and connected to a possible inciting incident beyond high school. (10 min)
5	Sort all interview, survey, and advisor notes into evidence categories and label each note with the strongest fit: defining moment, future goal, challenge, support system, or unanswered question; then star one pattern that could shape an origin story. (8 min)
6	Close with a fast share-out in which each student names one defining moment, one realistic future goal, and one specific challenge they may use in their Origin Issue, then submit categorized notes for formative review. (6 min)

Preparation (8 items)

Prepare interview materials from the previous activity, including printed or digital question sets, note-capture sheets, clipboards, pens, or device access.
Set up a visible category system for evidence sorting with the labels defining moment, future goal, challenge, support system, and unanswered question.
Create a shared sticky-note wall or digital board with separate spaces for peer interview notes, rapid survey responses, and advisor feedback.
Select 1–2 brief sample comic-origin moments or sample notes that show how real-life evidence can translate into an inciting incident, future goal, and obstacle.
Coordinate brief availability with a counselor, college admissions visitor, trade representative, or career advisor; if no partner is available, schedule teacher conference rotations instead.
Prepare a timer and rotation plan for pairs and check-ins so every student has equal access to interviewing, note capture, and conferencing.
Print or post a concise quality checklist requiring direct quotes, at least one follow-up question, and categorized evidence before the close of class.
Plan supports for varied learners, such as sentence stems for follow-up questions, translated prompts if needed, and an option to record audio notes before sorting them.

Student-facing instructions

You will gather real evidence that can shape your Origin Issue #1. Use your interview toolkit, sticky notes or the shared digital board, and something to write with. First, listen to the model so you can see how a real quote can become evidence for a defining moment, future goal, challenge, support system, or unanswered question. Then you will interview a partner and take accurate field notes, including at least two direct quotes and details about hopes, worries, and next steps after graduation. Next, you will add short responses to the class survey board and read patterns across the group. If an advisor, counselor, or visitor is available, you will complete a brief check-in to test whether your next-step plan sounds specific and realistic; if not, you will conference with the teacher. Finally, you will sort all of your notes into the evidence categories and choose one pattern that could become the launch point for your origin story. Your goal is to leave with organized field notes that can help you build a believable defining moment, future goal, and challenge for your comic cover and storyboard.

Success criteria

You are done when you have: completed both roles in a paired interview; recorded at least two direct quotes from your partner; contributed responses to the class survey board; participated in one advisor, counselor, visitor, or teacher check-in; sorted your notes into all relevant categories; identified at least one possible defining moment, one realistic future goal, and one specific challenge; and shared one key takeaway during the closing verbal check. Your notes should be clear enough that another person can understand the pathway you are considering and the evidence behind it.

Facilitator notes

Keep the pace tight and visible with a timer because this activity depends on rapid evidence collection. Emphasize that students are not choosing a final life plan today; they are gathering believable material for a first chapter beyond high school. During modeling, show the difference between a broad statement such as 'I want success' and a usable note such as 'I plan to apply to an electrician apprenticeship but transportation may be a problem.' Push for follow-up questions that clarify timeline, support, and obstacle. Watch for notes that are too vague, too fictional, or disconnected from actual next steps; redirect students to use concrete language grounded in interview evidence. If community partners are present, brief them to ask short, practical questions rather than deliver long presentations. If no partners are available, maintain the conference element through 1-minute teacher check-ins. Support students who need structure with sentence stems like 'What makes that your next step?' 'What could get in the way?' and 'Who would help you?' For students who are uncomfortable sharing personal plans, allow them to focus on one pathway they are seriously considering without disclosing sensitive details. Encourage mixed note formats—bullets, quotes, symbols, or color-coding—as long as categories are clear. Collect or photograph evidence boards at the end so students can reuse the material in the next activity.

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