Day 5: ATC Presentations + Aviation Goal Plan
Lesson Overview
| Time | 50 minutes |
| Objectives | Present LEGO ATC simulation results and procedures; complete eDynamic Unit 2.2 Setting Goals; write a 3-step goal plan for an aviation career; favorite Transportation careers in H&L Climber Profile |
| TEKS | d(4)(A), d(1)(C) |
| Deliverable | Team ATC presentation (3 minutes) + individual 3-step goal plan for an aviation career |
| Materials | LEGO airports from Day 3-4, Simulation Run Logs from Day 4, Chromebooks, H&L accounts, eDynamic Unit 2.2 access, Xello accounts (Jobs and Employers), printed 3-Step Aviation Goal Plan template, projector |
Warm-Up (3 min)
WARM-UP: On a scale of 1-10, how interested are you in an aviation career after this week? Has the number changed since Monday?
Take a quick show of hands or whip-around responses. No discussion. This is a thermometer check, not a debate.
Activity 1: Team ATC Presentations (18 min)
Each team has 3 minutes to present:
- Show their LEGO airport and walk through the layout decisions
- Demonstrate their best ATC communication procedure (one team member acts as controller, another moves a plane)
- Share the most challenging scenario they faced and how they solved it
- Connect the simulation to a real aviation career (pilot, ATC, dispatcher)
The class fills in a quick listening grid as each team presents, what was the most creative layout solution, what was the smartest communication procedure, what would they steal from another team's design.
Facilitation Tip
Hold the time strictly to 3 minutes per team. With 6-7 teams, this fills 18-21 minutes and leaves time for the goal plan. Use a visible timer on the projector.
Activity 2: eDynamic 2.2 Completion + Aviation Goal Plan (20 min)
Source: eDynamic Unit 2.2 + 3-Step Aviation Goal Plan template
Students return to eDynamic Unit 2.2 from Day 4 and finish the unit. The unit's key takeaway: SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
After completing eDynamic, each student writes a 3-step goal plan for an aviation career on the printed template. Even if a student is not personally interested in aviation, they write the plan as an exercise in long-range goal sequencing. The template structure:
| Goal | Specific Action | When |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1: This year (7th grade) | Example: "Join Civil Air Patrol cadet program" or "Watch 3 documentaries on FAA careers" | By June 2026 |
| Step 2: High school (9th-12th) | Example: "Take Algebra I, Geometry, Physics, and apply to JROTC" | 2027-2031 |
| Step 3: After high school | Example: "Enroll in Embry-Riddle aviation program" or "Join Air Force pilot training" | 2031-2035 |
Each step must be specific (no "study hard") and time-bound. Students who picked a non-aviation pathway in Week 1 still write the aviation plan as a thought exercise. The skill of breaking a long career into staged goals applies to ANY pathway.
[H&L PLATFORM] Students open H&L Climber Profile and favorite at least 2 Transportation careers they explored this week: Pilot, ATC, Aviation Mechanic, Drone Operator, Flight Dispatcher, or Transportation Needs Analyst. The workbook (Ch 16: My Next Steps) treats favoriting as the way the H&L app accumulates Career Plan data. These favorites will appear in the student's Climber Profile and influence H&L's pathway recommendations.
[VERIFY IN Xello] Students with extra time complete the Xello "Jobs and Employers" activity from the 7th-grade task list. Confirm exact Xello task name with district admin.
DOK 3: What conclusions can you draw about why goal-setting is especially important for careers like pilot or air traffic controller that require years of training? How is this different from a career you can start with a 6-month certification?
Activity 3: Quick Share (6 min)
In pairs, students share one of their three goal steps with a partner. Then 2-3 volunteers share their Step 3 (the long-term goal) with the whole class. The point is to hear how different students broke aviation careers into different sequences.
Exit Ticket (3 min)
EXIT TICKET (Concept Map / Connection Diagram) · Printable PDF:
The Transportation career I found MOST interesting this week: _____
Connect this career to THREE things:
1. My 3-step goal plan Step 1 (the action I'll take THIS school year)
My Step 1: _____. In one sentence, which ONE small thing will I do THIS WEEK to kick it off?
2. The Irving High School of Aviation Sciences pathway (Aviation Maintenance + Drone Engineering)
Does this pathway lead DIRECTLY to my career, or is it a STEPPING STONE through college / military / FAA school? Circle: DIRECT / STEPPING STONE. One sentence why:
3. My Wk0 RIASEC type (Doer, Analyzer, Creator, Helper, Persuader, or Organizer)
My RIASEC: _____. In one sentence, why does my type fit (or not fit) the SPLIT-SECOND decisions and math of Transportation careers?
(d(4)(A), d(1)(C))
Differentiation
- Support: Pre-filled Goal Plan template with Step 1 already drafted as a class option ("Watch 3 aviation documentaries this semester"). Students adapt and add Steps 2 and 3.
- Extension: Build a 4-step plan that includes a backup if the primary aviation path doesn't work out (e.g., color-blindness disqualifies pilot training). What is the alternate aviation career and how does the plan branch?
- ELL: Bilingual Goal Plan template with Spanish headers. Pre-teach: Goal = Meta, Step = Paso, Action = Acción, Year = Año. Allow students to write goal text in Spanish if more comfortable.