Module 5: Life Span Development
Now that you have explored typical life span development from birth to late adulthood, it is time to consider your own life. Take some time to reflect about who you are and what you want to be when you get older. The physical changes of adolescence will stop long before your you finish forming your identity. You also have many choices and decisions ahead of you for the foreseeable future. Some may prove small, but others will have great impact on your future.
For this authentic assessment, you will create a visual timeline that depicts your progress in forming your identity. Your timeline should begin by detailing your life during adolescence and lead into details of your future years as an adult. Make sure events in your timeline fall into chronological order, and you indicate the approximate age the milestones occurred or you believe will occur in the future. In addition, each event should include a description and a visual representation.
Choose at least nine of the suggested events listed below in your timeline:
- One or two key events during early adolescence (ages eleven to fourteen)
- One or two key events during middle adolescence (ages fourteen to eighteen)
- Graduation
- Two post-graduation events
- Age you plan to get married
- Event related to your chosen occupation
- Age you plan to start a family
- Age you plan to retire
- Age you achieve or will achieve a dream or make a special achievement
- Age you plan to enjoy a particular leisure activity (for example, travel)
Your final product must include a title. You can create it by hand or on the computer. Before you begin, access the Adolescence and Adulthood Timeline Checklist to make sure you include all of the items required for full credit. Submit your work to the dropbox when you have completed the timeline.
Reflection
Your timeline should be personal and based on your dreams and goals. Once you have completed the assignment, reflect on the events you chose to include. Respond to the following questions in an seven-to-ten sentence paragraph.
- Did any of these milestones contradict the typical developmental tasks for stages of adolescence through adulthood?
- Do you feel as if the events and ages you included are realistic? Why or why not?
- Are there any occasions you included that you feel are unique?
- How do you think you will feel if your life unfolds differently from what you planned and described in your timeline?
Once you have completed the timeline and reflection, please submit your work to the dropbox.
Once you have completed this module, please complete the module test.