Lesson: Map of the Landscape of College

Lesson: Map of the Landscape of College

1. Key points/goals of the lesson

• For students to pull together their understanding of the “map” of the landscape of college, and try and organize the information.
• To create maps to display in the halls and classrooms – both to inform other students, and surround them with college-related materials.
• To generate discussions between students about the kinds of colleges there are, the differences between them, and the pros and cons of various kinds.

1. Background or important vocabulary

• Environment (e.g. rural, urban, suburban)
• Selectivity (% of applicants admitted. A high percentage, e.g. 78% means it’s relatively easy to get into; a low percentage, e.g. 14%, means it’s quite difficult to get into).
• Undergraduate
• Diversity

1. Materials Needed

• Copies of the attached chart, one per student or per pair
• Large chart paper or poster board for each student or pair
• Markers, colored pencils or crayons
• Students may also create a chart on the computer if they prefer

1. Instructions for implementing the activity

• Students’ task is to create a “map” of the different kinds of colleges in and around New York City/state and beyond that they have visited or learned about during their time in high school. They may organize your map any way that they wish, and may work individually or in pairs. However they choose to organize it, give students the following requirements for their map:

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1)It should include at least 20 different colleges/universities. You may choose from the chart below, or, if you wish, do research on and include any other college that is of interest to you.

2)For any college included on the map, you must provide information on at least 2 of the following factors (you may also include others):

• Location
• Type of environment (urban, rural, suburban)
• Type of degree granted (BA or AA)
• Private or public
• Selectivity – how difficult it is to get into, based on % applicants admitted
• Size (total number of undergraduates)
• Diversity (% African American and Latino)
• Top majors

3)It is recommended that you don’t try to include ALL of the above information on your map, but rather choose a factor that is the organizing principle, and then include some of the other information for each school.

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• Students should be given several class periods to complete this activity, and materials to make them colorful and attractive, e.g. markers, colored pencils, large chart paper.

1. Suggestions for debriefing the activity

• Have students present the maps to each other, and explain why they chose the colleges they included, and how they organized their maps
• Post the maps in classrooms or around the school for other students to look at.

Possible Colleges to use on Maps