Career

Title: Career Lesson Plan

Author: Rene Ribant-Amthor

Grade Level: 9-12

Subject/Content: Career Reports / Research

Summary of Lesson: Students research a career of their choosing to identify job description, working conditions, qualifications, earnings/benefits, and career path. They convey knowledge of these categories of learning through a five-paragraph essay.

Focus Questions: How will your chosen career impact your future?

Databases(s): InfoTrac: Custom-Professional Collection, Academic ASAP, General Reference Center, Gale Virtual Reference Library, WEB FEET

Procedures :

This lesson may be taught in conjunction with a social studies/American history course, biology course, or math course by researching careers in each content area and writing a report on one chosen career from one area. This lesson can be taught independently in an English course studying student chosen careers in any field.

Steps/Activities by teacher: Before the activity begins ensure that students are familiar with the basic five-paragraph essay format. Also, ensure that students have chosen one career to research. There are various programs available to help students identify their career matches based on their interests, talents, and skills. Check with your media specialist as many schools have subscriptions to various career planning tools.

1. Provide students with access to Gale databases for topic research
2. Hand-out "Career Search" note sheet with the following categories: career, job description, working conditions, qualifications/training/education, earnings/benefits, career path
3. Instruct students to gather five to seven pieces of information for each category. Remind them that the more they write in their notes the more they will have to fill out their essays
4. Inform students that many of the Gale databases will provide them with the information that they need. Suggest the following databases to get them started: InfoTrac: Custom-Professional Collection, Academic ASAP, General Reference Center, Gale Virtual Reference Library, WEB FEET: K-12 Collection.

Steps/Activities by student(s):

1. Access InfoTrac: Custom-Professional Collection and/or Academic ASAP and/or General Reference Center and/or Gale Virtual Reference Library and/or WEB FEET: K-12 Collection
2. Search for chosen career focusing on designated categories: job description, working conditions, qualifications, earnings, and career path
3. Analyze research and complete "Career Search" handout
4. Use collected information to write a standard five-paragraph essay. The introduction should introduce the career title, job description, and present the thesis. The first body paragraph should discuss the working conditions; the second boy paragraph should focus on qualifications, training and education required for the chosen career; the third body paragraph should cover the earnings and benefits of the career. Remember to include transition sentences. The conclusion should discuss the career path or future opportunities within the career

Outcome: Students research a chosen career and communicate their understanding of their chosen career through a five-paragraph essay.

Related Activities: Students interview someone within the field of their chosen career.

Standard Date: Approved 1996

Content Standard(s):

• Students read a wide variety of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary
• Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features
• Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience
• Students use a variety of technological and informational resources to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge
• Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities
• Students use spoken, written and visual language to accomplish their own purposes

Performance Indicators:

• At Level 1, the student is able to:
  • Research a career of their choosing
• At Level 2, the student is able to:
  • Apply learned information to their individual interests, talents and skills
• At Level 3, the student is able to:
  • Use their gathered information and knowledge to write a career report specific to their interests, talents, and skills

Computer Literacy and Usage Standards 9-12:

• The student will develop skills using a variety of computer resources to increase productivity, support creativity, conduct research, and improve communications
• The student will use technology resources to improve problem solving and decision making skills and apply these skills to situations

ISTE NETS for Students

• Students are proficient in the use of technology
• Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity and promote creativity
• Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity
• Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources

Information Power; Information Literacy Standards:

• Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively
• Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently
• Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively
• Standard 4: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and pursues information related to personal interests
• Standard 6: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation