PHYS 1000 — Odyssey Plans: Part 2 + Lifeview/Workview(Week 9)

Odyssey Plans: Part 2 + Lifeview/Workview

Last time, you drafted three Odyssey Plans—possible futures you could imagine for yourself. This week, we’ll test those plans against opportunities you can actually explore here at UNG and in the community. We’ll also start connecting your plans to your values through Lifeview (what you believe makes life meaningful) and Workview (what makes work worthwhile).

The goal is to move from imagination → action. By the end of class, you’ll have a concrete prototype you can try in the next two weeks and a clearer sense of how your values connect to your future in physics.

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🗣️ Check-In

Before we dive in, let’s ground ourselves. Share with a partner:

What’s one thing from your Odyssey Plans that you’d actually like to try out this semester?

How this connects to our goals: Helps you reflect on your imagined futures (self-discovery) and begin to translate them into concrete steps (design mindset).

Highlights from the Week

After sharing this with a partner in class, submit this to the discussion thread in D2L.

You have the option to post anonymously in D2L, if you choose.

🛠️ Mini-Lesson: Prototyping vs. Predicting
  • You can’t think your way into certainty about your future.
  • Designers test ideas by prototyping—taking small, low-risk steps to see what works.
  • In physics, this might mean: interviewing a professor, shadowing a lab, trying a new study group, or volunteering for outreach.

How this connects to our goals: Builds design thinking skills by focusing on testing ideas instead of chasing the “right” answer.

🌐 In-Class Activity: Opportunity Mapping
Step 1 – Rapid Prototyping Ideas
  • Share one Odyssey Plan with a partner.
  • Brainstorm at least 3 small prototypes you could try for that plan.
Step 2 – Browse UNG Resources

Spend a few minutes exploring these pages:

👉 Write down:

  1. One opportunity that connects to your Plan A (expected path).
  2. One that connects to Plan B or C (alternate/wild card).
Step 3 – Department / Campus / Community Brainstorm

As a class, we’ll build a shared list of opportunities:

  • Department: The Minute, Society of Physics Students (SPS), outreach events, research groups
  • Campus: CURCA, student orgs, honor societies, guest lectures
  • Community: Planetarium nights, STEM festivals, local K-12 outreach
Step 4 – Prioritize + Commit
  • Pick one concrete prototype you can try in the next two weeks.
  • Write down: the action, the first step, and when you’ll do it.
  • Share with a partner for accountability.

Ties Odyssey planning to real opportunities (exploring careers, designing a path) while building community support.

✍️ Reflection: Lifeview & Workview

Take 5–10 minutes to draft short notes on each:

  • Lifeview: What do you believe makes life meaningful?
  • Workview: What do you believe makes work worth doing?

You don’t need polished essays—just rough drafts to capture your thinking. Later, we’ll connect these views back to your Odyssey Plans and prototypes.

How this connects to our goals: Helps you align personal values with possible futures, making your plans more authentic and meaningful.

🚪 Exit Ticket

Before you leave today, go to the D2L discussion thread and post:

  • One way your Lifeview/Workview influenced your choice.
  • The prototype you’re committing to.

(You may post anonymously, but you must post something.)

  • Discover yourself by connecting values (life/work) to your future plans.
  • Explore careers in physics through real UNG opportunities.
  • Design your path by choosing prototypes you can act on now.
🔭 Next Week Preview: Seminar with Dr. Mike Schatz

Next Thursday, our seminar speaker will be Dr. Mike Schatz, from Ga Tech. You can read the short article or webpage linked on the Georgia Tech Physics site about Dr. Schatz’s work in low-gravity fluid physics (you can start here: Georgia Tech Physics Faculty – Mike Schatz).

Think about how this connects with what we’ve been doing in class:

Curiosity Check:

  • What interests you most about low-gravity fluid physics?
  • What question do you have about this field or its applications?

Connection to You:

  • How could this topic connect to something you’ve learned in class or a personal interest?
  • Can you imagine this research connecting to one of your Odyssey Plans?

Question Prep:

  • Write one thoughtful question to ask Dr. Schatz during the seminar. Try to connect it to his research or his journey as a physicist.

🎯 How This Week Connects to Our Learning Goals

This module supports our course goals by:

  • Discover yourself by connecting values (life/work) to your future plans.
  • Explore careers in physics through real UNG opportunities.
  • Design your path by choosing prototypes you can act on now.