Summary
What does it mean to have a plan for a post-secondary college or career? This lesson encourages students to explore their career choices and develop a plan to achieve their career goal.
Essential Question(s)
What does it take to achieve the career you want?
Snapshot
Engage - Students reflect on their childhood career choices through a Time Scramble activity.
Explore - Students explore their interests as they participate in a career interest survey.
Explain - Using a KWHL to guide them, students research their chosen career and create an action plan.
Extend - Students illustrate their career and action plan by creating an Anchor Chart.
Evaluate - Students participate in a Gallery Walk and turn in their Anchor Charts for evaluation.
Materials
Paper (1 per group)
Pens/pencils
KWHL and Action Plan organizer (attached, 1 per student)
Poster paper (1 per student)
Markers/crayons/colored pencils
Sticky notes
Career Interest Inventory (attached, 1 per student)
Internet
Lesson PowerPoint
Engage
20 Minute(s)
Display slide 2 and ask students “What did you want to be when you were younger?” then, place students in five groups to participate in a Time Scramble.
In their groups, give students five minutes to write down any jobs they wanted as a child (slide 3). Then, have groups rotate their papers clockwise to the neighboring group, and give them four minutes to read through the list and add any jobs that may be missing (slide 4). If groups see a job on the new list that they had originally included in theirs, have them place a tally mark next to the job(s). Groups will then rotate their papers again and use the same process for three minutes (slide 5). Then, they will rotate papers again and repeat for two minutes (slide 6). Then, finally, groups will have one last rotation and one minute to review and add any missing jobs (slide 7).
Have groups rotate back and they should have their original list again (slide 8). Give groups a little time to review their edited list.
Ask students the following questions (slide 9):
“What were the most common jobs on the lists?” Allow students time to respond.
“What were some of the more unique jobs on the lists?” Allow students time to respond.
“How do the jobs on the list differ from the careers you want now? Allow students time to respond.
Display slides 10 - 12 to go over the essential question and learning objectives with students prior to moving on.
Explore
45 Minute(s)
Display slide 13 and explain to students that many people find jobs based on their personal interests, and that there are many careers out there. However, you might not know all of the career options without exploring them.
Pass out the Career Interest Survey - Step 1 handout to students. Give students time to complete the survey. Walk around the room as students work through it.
Once students have completed the survey, display slide 14 and ask students to total their interests for each page. Their scores should tell them which “career cluster” they are most likely to find a career that interests them.
Pass out the Career Interest Survey - Part 2 handout to students and display slide 15. Have students identify their top three career clusters based on their Part 1 results and review the list of careers associated with each career cluster. Ask students to highlight, underline, or star any careers in the clusters that they may be interested in pursuing.
Ask students to discuss their results with an Elbow Partner. Once pairs have discussed their results, display slide 16 and ask for student volunteers to share out their results. Did the results match what their interests? Do they want to explore their career cluster further?
Explain
120 Minute(s)
Display slide 17 and explain to students that regardless of the career they would like to have, they should have a plan to achieve it. Doctors require a bachelor’s degree, medical schools, tests and certifications, and the entire process can be costly. Truck drivers make good money and do not require a degree, but they do require a CDL, which is separate from a normal driver’s license and requires a more costly test. Whatever career they choose, they need a plan.
Pass out the KWHL chart to each student and display slides 18 and 19. At the top, have them fill out their chosen career.
In the K column, ask students to fill out what they know about their selected career.
In the W column, ask students to fill out what they need or want to know about their career.
In the H column, ask students to fill out HOW they will find that missing information. Could they learn more information about their career through research? Through career interviews? Through job shadowing?
Once students have completed those three columns, give students time to research their selected career. Display slide 20 to provide students a list of appropriate websites to use for research.
On the second page of their KWHL chart, students will find an Action Plan that can help them narrow down the information they need to locate as they research.
Extend
60 Minute(s)
Students will then work to create an Anchor Chart or essay detailing the information they have researched about their chosen career. Pass out the Anchor Chart Rubric to students which has the requirements and expectations of their work (slide 21).
The Career Anchor Charts should include…
Selected career
Brief explanation of the career
Requirements for that career (i.e., CDL, hospital residency, board certifications)
Chosen school and admission requirements
Funding sources
Optional Activity: Essay
If appropriate, consider having students write a narrative or informative essay addressing their chosen career and action plan. Students can refer to the attached Optional Essay Rubric as they write.
Evaluate
30 Minute(s)
After students have completed their Anchor Chart, have students hang up their Anchor Chart to display around the room. Have students participate in a Gallery Walk as they read through each Anchor Chart poster and provide thoughtful, constructive feedback on sticky notes (slide 22).
Once students have completed the Gallery Walk, have students make any revisions they see fit after reading through the feedback provided by their peers (slide 23).
Have students complete the L column of their KWHL chart with what they have learned about their chosen career (slide 24).
Students can turn in their KWHL chart and action plan, their Anchor Charts, and their essays (if assigned) for evaluation.
Resources
CareerOnestop.org. (n.d.) Scan your local industries to find the strongest job markets. Retrieved from: https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/Learn/research-industries.aspx
K20 Center. (n.d.). 16 Ways to Survey My Career. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/student-resource/790
K20 Center. (n.d.). Anchor charts. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/64f2b35101a470dda36d44421900af08
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow Partners. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). Gallery walk/carousel. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f505a54d
K20 Center. (n.d.). KWHL graphic organizer. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f505dd47
K20 Center. (n.d.). Time Scramble. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/186
K20 Center. (2021, February 8). Zoom into Your Career. [Video Playlist]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raPkWwV_hPc&list=PL-aUhEQeaZXIhi-ivvrQTrrEAlWvFWisR
UC Santa Cruz. (n.d.) Research Online Databases, Retrieved from: https://careers.ucsc.edu/grad/resources/Researchonlinedatabases.html
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020, December 2). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020, May 14). Student’s Desk. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/k12/students/