This lesson is designed to help students explore the variety of careers available to them. Students may find the avenue for their success in life. Several Internet activities will help students explore different careers.
Foundation Proficiency IV: Students will develop an understanding of career options and the process of preparing for employment. Grades 6-8: Students will explore careers to determine potential interest.
1. To help students become aware of different careers.
2. To open communication between parents and students about prospective careers.
3. To help students become aware of the many details that different careers encumber.
4. To help students set some possible career goals.
Materials:
Career resources from the library or media center. Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Internet access.
1. Have students work together in pairs and make a list of all the careers or jobs that are available in their community.
2. Have them also make a second list of careers or jobs that are not available in their direct community.
3. Take students to the library and have them access this Career Awareness site: http://web.buddyproject.org/web010/default.htm. This site will help them explore careers they may not have thought of before.
4. After exploring the Career Awareness site have the students update their lists.
5. Have the students work through the Career Trail at this site: http://library.thinkquest.org/11720.
6. Make sure the students know where the career resources are located in the library.
7. Again have the students update their lists.
8. Have the students take their lists (still working in pairs). Each person should choose one career that is in their community and one that is not in their community and find out the following information using the career resources such as the Dicationary of Occupational Titles and the Department of Labor web site found at: http://www.dol.gov/dol/welcome.htm.
a. A description of the career.
b. How much education is needed?
c. How much would this person be paid?
(In the end, each student will have researched 4 careers)
9. Have students discuss the different careers they have explored. Especially point out things that they did not know about the careers such as job responsibilities and how little or how much the jobs paid.
1. Students could ask their parents or guardians about their careers. One question could be, "If you were to choose a career other than the one you are working at now, what would it be?"
2. The same questions could also be asked to their teachers.
Students will use the Career awareness sites as a fun way to explore different careers. The sites contain activities that the students can use to find careers they may not have even known existed. The Department of Labor site may be accessed to find information about different jobs.
Students career descriptions will be evaluated. Points will be given for how complete their description is and how much other relevant information they found about careers.