Summary
Themes of resilience, meaningful goal-setting, and prioritizing relationships are fundamental issues students will explore in this 5E lesson based on Randy Pausch’s inspirational memoir, The Last Lecture. Students will analyze how Pausch’s tone, language, sincerity, and anecdotes contribute to his perspectives on overcoming obstacles and achieving childhood dreams. Students will examine how his approach to viewing failure as a stepping stone rather than an obstacle affects achievement and personal growth. Drawing on their own life experiences, students will prepare and deliver presentations modeled after Pausch's "last lecture," conveying their understanding of his lessons and applying them to real-life decision-making, ultimately reflecting on the legacy of a life well-lived.
Essential Question(s)
What practical lessons about resilience, goal-setting, and building meaningful relationships can be applied to overcome our own challenges and make better life decisions?
Snapshot
Engage
Students use ABC Graffiti to brainstorm words relating to life’s lessons, reflecting on the most valuable lessons learned with an elbow partner, and creating chat station posters inferring information about The Last Lecture.
Explore
Students use the strategy Novel in a Day to identify the theme, tone, and author’s perspective of The Last Lecture, analyzing perspectives and values, explaining in an Inverted Pyramid, and generating discussions about their analyses.
Explain
Students interpret and synthesize the phenomenon of the perception of failure, generating a Driving Board Question, and following up with a 3-2-1.
Extend
Students construct questions using Say Something sentence starters and design a Cognitive Comic about one key theme from the text.
Evaluate
Using Mirror, Microscope, and Binoculars, students reflect on their experiences in life and high school and compose a video essay using VlogIt.
Materials
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Chat Stations [Graphic Organizer] Handout (attached; one per student)
Chat Station Cards (attached; one card per station)
Cognitive Comics (attached, one per student)
Say Something Handout (attached; one per student)
Video Essay Rubric (attached; one per student)
Mirror, Microscope, Binoculars graphic organizer (attached, one per student)
Inverted Pyramid Discussion Questions (attached; one per pair of students)
Chart Paper
Flip chart markers
Sticky notes
Engage
45 Minute(s)
Introduce the lesson’s title by displaying slide 2 from the attached Lesson Slides.
Share the lesson’s essential question and learning objectives on slides 3 and 4 to the extent you feel necessary.
Display slide 5 and explain to students that they will complete an ABC Graffiti activity related to life’s lessons. Have students form groups of 2-3 and move to their assigned stations; give each group a uniquely colored marker. Instruct the groups to choose a scribe to carry the marker to each poster and coordinate the writing duties.
Explain to students that they will write down words for as many letters as possible in the time provided using their prior knowledge of “Lessons Learned in Life.” Use the examples from the slide or other examples to clarify the activity for students. Announce that students have three minutes, set the timer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iISP02KPau0 ) and have them begin. If you believe students may need more or less time, you can find additional timers on the K20 Center’s YouTube Channel.
When the timer ends, move to slide 6 and have students rotate to the next station. Remind them to pick up where the previous group left off, fill in blank spaces, and make corrections where necessary. Restart the timer, noting that students only have two minutes in each rotation (https://youtu.be/HcEEAnwOt2c?si=y_VO-BnzYHjUskZG ).
Optional extension: When the timer ends, display slide 7 and inform students they can now use an outside resource to generate new ideas for this three-minute round. Start the three-minute timer and continue in this fashion, rotating to new stations until students have exhausted their ideas.
When the timer ends, display slide 8. For the final round, instruct the groups to return to their original poster and construct a Six Word Memoir, a summary statement that synthesizes the poster’s information. Have students return to their seats. Conduct a class discussion in which groups share their summary statements. (Ex. Fail, learn, grow—repeat without fear.)
Explore 1
50 Minute(s)
Share the preview video for The Last Lecture on Slide 9 with students. Explain that it explores the author's reflections on his life and the lessons he wants to share.
Display slide 10 and share the instructional strategy Chat Stations with students. Place students into groups of three to four. Students will have 2 minutes at each poster to jot down key findings/observations from their group discussions. Point out the posted chat stations around the room and have students visit each station as a group. At each station, they should discuss the material on the posters to predict and justify the answers to the poster questions. Ask them to record this information in their Chat Station Graphic Organizer (attached).
Once students have completed the poster circuit, bring them together as a whole group to share what they discussed in their small groups.
Explore 2
250 Minute(s)
Explain to students that they will use the novel The Last Lecture to analyze a character’s actions, dialogue, and relationships. They will learn to recognize and explain key themes, tone, and the author’s perspective. Display slide 11 and share the instructional strategy Novel in a Day with students. Once students understand the strategy's focus, you will model how to build a summary slide for a student-edited slide deck summarizing the novel.
Open “The Last Lecture Summary” slide deck (a second slide deck, attached). Spend a few minutes reviewing slides 1-4 of the “The Last Lecture Summary” slides. When you have completed the review, display slide 5 to review the expectations for the activity. Read Chapter 1 of the book together and then elicit information in a whole-class discussion. Use student observations to build a summary with the class on slide 7, modeling how they should complete their assigned chapter slides. Together, identify the theme, tone, and author's perspective for chapter 1. (Unhide slide 6, a model summary slide, if you choose not to complete a summary together with your class.)
When you have finished summarizing Chapter 1, return to the main slide deck and display slide 12. Divide the class into six groups. Each group will be responsible for one set of ten chapters.
The Last Lecture, Chapters 2-11
The Last Lecture, Chapters 12-21
The Last Lecture, Chapters 22-31
The Last Lecture, Chapters 32-41
The Last Lecture, Chapters 42-51
The Last Lecture, Chapters 52-61
Instruct students to Jigsaw the chapters within their groups, and then each student will craft a summary of the part they individually read. In their groups, they will create a combined summary of all the chapters assigned to their group.
Go to slide 13 and have students type in your shortened URL address or scan the QR code to access the “The Last Lecture Summary” slide deck. Once students have accessed the activity and the “sample” slide, minimize the Lesson Slides and pull up the “The Last Lecture Activity” slides. Instruct them to find their chapter slides and add summaries to the linked “The Last Lecture Summary” slide deck. Ask each group to share their summaries in chapter order as a class.
Allow students time to read (with a text this long, suggest about two or three days to read and create their slides) and write their summaries and reflections. Have students keep summaries and reflections concise while focusing on identifying the main idea and highlighting key lessons or events in each chapter. Reflections may include any personal connections prompted by their reading. You may have students write their reflections on a separate piece of paper to be handed in, especially if you would like students to write honestly and confidently. Display slide 14. Have groups present their summaries to the class and follow up with discussion as necessary.
Display slide 15 and briefly explain the Inverted Pyramid strategy. Distribute the Inverted Pyramid handout to each partner group. (Alternatively, you may unhide slide 16 if you choose not to print the Inverted Pyramid handout.) Ask pairs to complete the questions on the handout. Display slide 17 and invite pairs to partner with another pair to share their thoughts about key elements of the novel. Display slide 18. Groups of four should join to create a group of eight and continue to discuss the answers to the discussion questions. Continue until the whole class is one group.
End the activity by facilitating a whole-class discussion about what students learned regarding themes, tone, and the author’s perspective.
Explain
75 Minute(s)
Display slide 19. Briefly introduce this video on the themes of rejection and failure. Begin at 12:34 and watch until the end (15:16). https://www.ted.com/talks/jia_jiang_what_i_learned_from_100_days_of_rejection
Display slide 20. Elicit student input on a definition of “grit.” Compare their definition to the presenter: “We need to measure whether we've been successful, and we have to be willing to fail, to be wrong, to start over again with lessons learned.” Introduce the video and watch 03:19-05:47. https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance
Explain the Driving Question Board strategy. Describe the strategy in the context of the questions, “Why are we so afraid of failure?” and “Why does failure have such deep negative perceptions [in our culture]?” Demonstrate the process for students. Continue to slide 21 to ask the questions,
What would you do if you weren’t afraid to fail?
How might your life change if you embraced failure as a stepping stone rather than an obstacle?
Have students ponder their initial responses and ideas, writing their questions and observations on stickies that can be placed on a Driving Question Board. Ask students to add their contributions to the board and conduct a whole-class discussion focusing, in part, on grouping their observations and questions according to similarities, then begin exploring the groups in discussion.
Display slide 22. After allowing adequate discussions, have the students follow up this activity with a summary using the 3-2-1 strategy. As an exit ticket, students will discuss 3 things they have learned, 2 questions they still have, and 1 thing they found interesting. The responses can be shared aloud or turned in on paper.
Extend
50 Minute(s)
Pass out copies of the Say Something handout and move to slide 23 to support your explanation. Have students find an Elbow Partner to develop a probing question or statement based on the reading using every category of sentence starters from their Say Something handout. For a few minutes, pairs can write their questions or statements on sticky notes. Then, ask them to pose their questions to the class to generate responses. Guide the discussion as needed.
Move to slide 24 and instruct students to identify:
The main themes or messages the author, Randy Pausch, is trying to convey;
Specific examples or stories the author uses to illustrate these themes;
How the author's perspective and writing style contribute to the meaning of the text;
Pausch's use of specific language, tone, and narrative techniques and how they impact the reader's understanding and interpretation of the life lessons;
The perspectives or experiences Pausch draws upon shape how he presents these lessons.
Record student observations on the board or in a slide for later reference.
Display slide 25 to introduce the Cognitive Comic strategy, divide students into small groups of 4-5, and pass out the Cognitive Comics template. Each group will select one key theme from "The Last Lecture" (e.g., overcoming obstacles, the importance of childhood dreams, etc.) to explore further. Groups will create a visual representation of their theme using the Cognitive Comic strategy, incorporating quotes from the book and personal reflections. Each group will present their chart to the class, explaining their chosen theme and how it relates to the overall message of "The Last Lecture." Encourage students to connect their themes to their own dreams and experiences.
Evaluate
90 Minute(s)
Display slide 27 and introduce the Mirror, Microscope, Binoculars strategy to students. Indicate that the Mirror refers to internal reflection, that the Microscope is a close inspection of learning, and that the Binoculars are a global, “big-picture” reflection. Ask students to answer the three prompts on slide 27 on notebook paper and turn in their responses before leaving the class. Review students’ responses to assess their understanding of the lesson.
Reflection Questions:
Mirror: (internal reflection): What have I learned about myself by reading this book?
Microscope: (close inspection): What lessons required closer inspection?
Binoculars: (global reflection): What value does The Last Lecture have for the world?
Display slide 28. Students will create a video essay using VlogIt, “Their Last Lecture,” about their time in high school. The essay must include the following:
Parts of the Lecture:
Attention getter and thesis statement: What have you done or thought that might get a reader’s attention?
Reflection on the past: What details about your life would you like to share?
Advice to underclassmen at their high school: What is your lasting legacy?
Looking forward: What do you want to do in the next 5, 10, 20+ years?
The students will be given a copy of the rubric before creating their video essay to ensure they complete all the required components.
Display slides 29-30. Discuss quotes and how they tie into the lesson.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. —Winston Churchill
So, even if there are failures, it brings experience. Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer. —Randy Pausch
Resources
Duckworth, A. (2013). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance
Jiang, J. (2015) What I learned from 100 days of rejection. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.ted.com/talks/jia_jiang_what_i_learned_from_100_days_of_rejection
K20 Center. (n.d.). 3-2-1. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/117
K20 Center. (n.d.). ABC graffiti. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/96
K20 Center. (n.d.). Chat stations. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/944
K20 Center. (n.d.). Cognitive comics. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/198
K20 Center. (n.d.). Driving question board. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1511
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). Inverted pyramid. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/173
K20 Center. (n.d.). Jigsaw. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/179
K20 Center. (n.d.). Mirror, microscope, binoculars. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/3020
K20 Center. (n.d.). Novel in a day. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/74
K20 Center. (n.d.). Say something. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/778
K20 Center. (n.d.). Six-word memoir. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/75
K20 Center. (n.d.). VlogIt. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/2556
K20 Center. (2021).
K20 Center 20-minute timer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjcwzinQlEE
K20 Center. (2021). K20 Center 15-minute timer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3zT2IxZQaw
K20 Center. (2021). K20 Center 10-minute timer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gy-1Z2Sa-c
K20 Center. (2021). K20 Center 3-minute timer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iISP02KPau0
K20 Center. (2021). K20 Center 2-minute timer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcEEAnwOt2c
Nicholson, K. (2012, Mar. 28) The last lecture movie trailer. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbeCfNWr9Ls&t=75
Standards
12.1.S.3 Students will conduct formal and informal presentations in a variety of contexts supporting their message with evidence and using verbal and nonverbal cues.
12.3.R.1 Students will analyze the extent to which historical, cultural, and/or global perspectives affect authors' stylistic choices in grade-level literary and informational texts.
12.3.R.2 Students will evaluate authors' perspectives and explain how those perspectives contribute to the meanings of texts.
12.4.W.2 Students will select language to create a specific effect in writing according to purpose and audience.