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Day 1: H&L Powerskills "Work Ethic" + STEM Program Activity

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Define work ethic using the H&L Powerskills module; complete the STEM Program planning activity; design a flyer for the imagined community STEM program
TEKS d(4)(F), d(4)(B)
Deliverable Completed STEM Program planning chart (Name, Audience, Activities, Location, Community Impact) + a flyer with sign-up info
Materials Chromebooks, H&L Powerskills Workbook (pp. 12-15, "Work Ethic" + linked H&L Ch 8 STEM Program activity, pp. 124-125), printed STEM Program planning chart, blank paper or Canva for flyer design, projector

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: Describe a time you had to work really hard at something, school, sports, video game, learning an instrument, helping at home. What kept you going when it got tough?

Take 4-5 student responses. Surface the recurring themes, perseverance, the goal mattered, fear of letting someone down, pride in finishing. Bridge: today's activity is about that exact thing, the H&L Powerskills module calls it Work Ethic.

Activity 1: H&L Powerskills "Work Ethic" — Read the Module (10 min)

Source: H&L Powerskills Workbook, pp. 12-15, "Work Ethic" module (also referenced in H&L Ch 8 Engineering, p. 124)

Direct students to open the H&L Powerskills workbook to the Work Ethic module. Read the workbook framing aloud (paraphrased from p. 12-13):

Work ethic is about working hard and doing it well. It means showing up on time, doing your best, being responsible, and not giving up when tough situations come up. People with strong work ethic take pride in what they do and try their best, even when no one is watching. Employers want employees who care about their work. Strong work ethic helps you reach your goals, earn respect, and make a difference.

The module then introduces a community service activity, designing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) program to teach others. The workbook frames this as a chance to show work ethic, not just talk about it.

The workbook (p. 13-14) shares STEM statistics that motivate the activity: - STEM jobs are projected to grow 10.4% over the next 10 years - Only 20% of high school graduates are prepared for college-level STEM courses - 74% of middle school girls are interested in STEM, but only 0.4% pursue it after HS - Parents often lack STEM knowledge to help their children

Students read the framing and underline one statistic that surprises them.

Activity 2: STEM Program Planning (20 min)

Source: H&L Powerskills, pp. 13-14, STEM Program Activity (Steps 1-2)

Distribute the printed STEM Program planning chart (taken directly from the workbook on p. 14). Students complete two steps:

Step 1: Choose a Topic

The workbook lists example topics across the 4 STEM areas: - Science: Environment, animals, biology - Technology: Coding, robotics, digital safety - Engineering: Designing solutions, building structures - Math: Budgeting, problem solving, patterns in nature

Students pick one topic. They can also propose their own topic as long as it fits STEM.

Step 2: Plan Your Program

Students fill in the planning chart with 5 questions (directly from the workbook, p. 14):

Question Student Answer
What is the name of your program? (Make it fun and catchy)
Who are you trying to reach? (Kids? Seniors? Families?)
What will you do? (Workshop? Fun event? Science fair?)
Where will it take place? (School? Library? Park? Online?)
How could your program help your community?

Examples to project: - "Code Club for 4th Graders". Saturday afternoons at Irving Public Library, teaches Scratch coding to elementary students - "Robotics for Girls", after school at a campus STEM club, hands-on LEGO Spike builds for 6th-grade girls - "Backyard Science". Sundays at a community park, kid-friendly experiments using household items - "Math in Music". Tuesday afternoons at a senior center, teaches kids how rhythm and fractions connect

Facilitation Tip

Students will pick the same topic ("coding for kids") if you let them. Push variety, call out "I want at least 3 different STEM areas in this room." A class with only coding clubs misses the point.

Activity 3: Design the Flyer + Discussion (12 min)

Source: H&L Powerskills, p. 15, Step 3 (Design a Flyer) + Class Discussion

The workbook (p. 15) instructs students to design a flyer for their program. The flyer must include: - Program name (big, eye-catching) - Date and time - Location - What participants will do (1-2 sentences) - Who it is for (target audience) - A way for people to sign up (QR code, phone number, email, or "Show up at...")

Students design the flyer on blank paper OR in Canva (5-7 minutes max). Stick figures and basic shapes are fine, the point is the information design, not the art.

Class Discussion (from workbook, p. 15):

After flyer time, run the workbook's class discussion. The prompt: "Discuss how you showed (or would show) a strong work ethic while creating your STEM outreach program. Think about how you stayed focused, followed through on your plans, took responsibility, and worked hard to make your program the best it could be."

Take 3-4 student responses. The point is to make the connection explicit: doing this activity well was the act of practicing work ethic.

DOK 3: What conclusions can you draw about why work ethic matters in jobs you cannot supervise, like a community volunteer or a freelance worker?

Exit Ticket (3 min)

EXIT TICKET (Short Constructed Response) · Printable PDF:

  1. Define WORK ETHIC in my own words (NOT from the workbook):

Work ethic is _____________

  1. ONE specific thing I did during today's STEM Program planning activity that showed work ethic:

What I did: _____________

  1. Who benefits from MY strong work ethic on this STEM program (not just me)? ONE sentence:
  1. The STEM topic I chose (Science / Technology / Engineering / Math): ___. The AUDIENCE my program targets: ___

(d(4)(F), d(4)(B))

Differentiation

  • Support: Pre-filled STEM Program planning chart with a topic and audience already selected. Students fill in the activities, location, and community impact rows. Pair with a peer for the flyer step.
  • Extension: Take the STEM program from imagination to reality, write 3 specific action steps to actually launch the program at your school or in the Irving community next semester.
  • ELL: Bilingual planning chart with Spanish row labels. Pre-teach: Work Ethic = Ética de trabajo, Volunteer = Voluntario, Community = Comunidad, Program = Programa. Allow flyer to be designed in Spanish or bilingual format.