Summary
What does it mean to have a plan for a postsecondary college or career? This lesson encourages students to explore their career choices and develop a plan to achieve their career goals.
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 the Career Interest Survey.
Explain
Using a KWHL Chart 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
Lesson Slides (attached)
Career KWHL and action plan organizer (attached, 1 per student)
Career Interest Survey (attached, 1 per student)
Pens/pencils
Poster paper (1 per student)
Paper (1 per group)
Markers/crayons/colored pencils
Sticky notes
Internet
Optional Essay Rubric (attached, 1 per student)
Anchor Chart Rubric (attached, 1 per student)
Engage
20 Minute(s)
Using the attached Lesson Slides, show slide 2 and ask students, “What did you want to do when you were younger?” Allow some time for sharing.
Organize students into five groups to participate in a Time Scramble.
Show slide 3. Once students have organized themselves into groups, give them 5 minutes to write down on a group list any jobs they might have wanted as a child.
Show slide 4. Have groups rotate their papers clockwise to the neighboring group. Give them 4 minutes to read through the list and add any jobs that are on their group list but may not have been included on the neighboring group’s list. If there is a job on the new list they had originally included on their list, have them place a tally mark next to the job(s).
Show slide 5. Have groups rotate their papers again, using the same process for 3 minutes.
Show slide 6. Have groups rotate papers again and repeat process of adding and tallying for 2 minutes.
Show slide 7. Have groups complete one last rotation and take 1 minute to review and add any missing jobs.
Show slide 8. Have groups rotate back. Make sure that each group has their original list. Give groups a little time to review their edited lists.
Show slide 9. Ask students the following questions:
“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.
Show slides 10–12 to go over the essential question and learning objectives before moving on.
Explore
45 Minute(s)
Show slide 13. Pass out the attached 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” is of greatest interest to them.
Show slide 15. Pass out the attached Career Interest Survey - Step 2 handout to students. Have students identify their top three career clusters based on their Step 1 results and review the list of careers associated with each of the three career clusters. Ask students to highlight, underline, or star any careers in the clusters that they may be interested in pursuing.
Show slide 16. Ask students to discuss their results with an Elbow Partner. Once pairs have discussed their results, ask for student volunteers to share out their results. Ask them to use the following questions to discuss and to share their results:
Did the results match with your interests?
Do you want to explore your career clusters further?
Explain
120 Minute(s)
Show slide 17. Explain to students that, regardless of the career they would like to have, they should have a plan to achieve it:
Doctors require not only a bachelor’s degree but also medical degree, residency, tests, and other certifications. The entire process is lengthy and can be costly.
Truck drivers make good money and do not require a degree, but they do require driving school and a commercial driver’s license (CDL). This license is separate from a normal driver’s license and requires a more costly test than a normal license.
Remind students that whatever career they choose, they need a plan.
Pass out the attached Career KWHL Chart to each student. Explain the KWHL strategy to students. Show slides 18–19. 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 them time to research their selected careers. Display slide 20 to provide students a list of appropriate websites to use for research.
On the second page of their KWHL chart, have students complete the action plan to narrow down the information they need to locate as they research.
Extend
60 Minute(s)
Show slide 21. Assign students to either create an Anchor Chart or to write an essay detailing the information they have researched about their chosen career. Pass out the attached Anchor Chart Rubric, which describes the requirements and expectations for this assignment.
The Career Anchor Charts should include the following:
Selected career
Brief explanation of the career
Requirements for that career (e.g., CDL, hospital residency, board certifications)
Chosen school and admission requirements
Funding sources
Relevant images
Evaluate
30 Minute(s)
After students have completed their Anchor Charts, have students hang them up in a display around the room.
Show slide 22. Review instructions for a Gallery Walk. Ask them to view each Anchor Chart poster and provide thoughtful, constructive feedback on sticky notes.
Show slide 23. Once students have completed the Gallery Walk, have them make any revisions recommended by their classmates.
Show slide 24. Have students complete the L column of their KWHL Chart with what they have learned about their chosen career.
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. https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/Learn/research-industries.aspx
Clipart Library. (n.d.). Collection of career cliparts. [Digital image]. http://clipart-library.com/careers-cliparts.html
Grand Rapids Community College. (n.d.). Your career starts here. [Digital image]. https://subjectguides.grcc.edu/c.php?g=257560&p=1721102
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/58
K20 Center. (n.d.). Canva. Tech Tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/612
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow Partners. Strategies. 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.). Piktochart. Tech Tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/2394
K20 Center. (n.d.). Time Scramble. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/186
K20 Center. (2021, February 8). Zoom into Your Career. [Video Playlist]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raPkWwV_hPc&list=PL-aUhEQeaZXIhi-ivvrQTrrEAlWvFWisR
UC Santa Cruz. (n.d.). Research Online Databases. https://careers.ucsc.edu/grad/resources/Researchonlinedatabases.html
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020, December 2). Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020, May 14). Student’s Desk. https://www.bls.gov/k12/students/
Wikimedia. (2015). Tally. [Graphic image]. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NYW-Tally.png
