Here career exploration results in a PowerPoint including educational and job requirements, a mentor interview and possibly a job site tour

Title – Career Exploration
By – A. Walden
Primary Subject – Computers / Internet
Secondary Subject – Social Studies
Grade Level – 5-6

Unit Focus:

Change

Essential Understanding/Question:

The students will evaluate information gathered and synthesize judgments and criteria to determine if a certain career is suitable for their interests and personality.

Goal:

The student will be able to identify career possibilities according to their interests and educational goals.

Objectives:

Students will:
• Gain insights into criteria employers use in selecting employees.
• Develop generalization from collected data.
• Gain experience in talking with employer of a desired career.
• Practice data collection through a questionnaire.
• Practice converting data into a visual representation through PowerPoint.

Alabama Course of Study:

Career/Technical Education COS:
2)   Assess the use of technology in different career fields.

 

3)   Apply knowledge and skills gained through student organization activities to enhance personal and professional growth.

 

12) Assess appropriate professional behavior for the workplace.

 

Technology COS:
2)   Use various technology applications, including word processing and multimedia software.

 

8)   Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

 

9)   Use technology tools to organize, interpret, and display data.

 

12) Create a product using digital tools.

Procedure:

Day 1:
• Review careers – group students by interest area, chosen field, or required college major.
• Have a list of careers by college departments from an actual college catalog.
• Allow students to share information and share careers of interest.
• Use Socratic questioning techniques when questioning students about interesting careers.

 

Day 2:
• Students can work in groups of two to research information of interest about the career of their choice.
• They can use the Internet, books, library, or any other resource in the classroom that will help in their research project.
• Students will collect and group their information for their career choice.
• Students will collect their research and include entrance test score requirements for a specific college offering a degree for their career, whether a Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D. is required in the field, etc.
• Students will also research the salaries, job requirements, job locations, and the benefits of their profession.
• Homework:
  • Student can contact a person within their career field and ask for an interview or chance to see them do their job.

 

Day 3 & 4:
• Students can look into contacting an online mentor if they cannot find a person to interview.
• Using a standardized questionnaire, students will obtain opinions on the most important skills and attitudes that employers look for in potential employees.
• Afterwards, students will transfer their collected data into a bar graph to illustrate the top ten on-the-job skills and attitudes needed for employment success.
• In closing, ask students to compare this list to the most important skills and attitudes list and discuss their similarities and differences.
• Students can follow the daily routine of their job and ask specific questions of interest.
• Students can keep a journal of career experience.
• Homework:
  • Organize materials for presentation.

 

Day 5:
• Students will create their own PowerPoint presentation of their experience including pictures, and any other interesting resources within this career exploration project.
• Students must have a minimum of seven slides with precise information and pictures about their career of interest.

Evaluation/Assessment:

• Each student will have an idea of a career path to take and the education required to pursue particular careers according to their own individual interests and education goals.
• The student’s presentation must include at least seven slides with precise information about their learning experience.
• Students will be given a rubric to follow for meeting the requirements of this project.

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