Subject:  Career Exploration
Topic:     Career Assessment
Grade Level: 9/10
Student Lesson URL: 

Standards are becoming the guiding tool in our classrooms.  Teachers are incorporating standards into the classrooms to raise the learning expectancy of all students.  The effects of standards is being felt at many levels - state, district, school, and in the classroom.  Standards express a clear expectation of what all students should know (except for those with seriously disabling conditions) and be able to do.  For students standards set a clear performance expectation helping them understand what it is needed for them to meet the standard. 

Those standards used in this lesson plan are listed in the Teachers Lesson Plan web page. 

Back to the top

The Secretaries Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) Report for America 2000,  believes that teachers and schools must begin early to help students see the relationship between what they study and its application in real world context.  SCANS research verifies that what is called "Workplace know-how" defines effective job performance today.  This know-how has two elements:  competency and  foundation.  The SCANS report identifies five competencies and a three-part foundation of skills and personal qualities that lie at the heart of job performance.  The SCANS report emphasizes that these eight requirements are essential preparation for all students, both those going directly to work and those planning further education. 

In career path programs, the following eight SCANS competencies and foundation skills are taught and learned in an integrated fashion that reflects the workplace contexts in which they are applied. 

COMPETENCIES - effective workers can productively use:

1. Resource Management - allocating time, money, materials, space, and staff
2. Interpersonal Skills - working on teams, teaching others, serving customers, leading, negotiating, and working well with people from culturally diverse backgrounds
3. Information Management - acquiring and evaluating data, organizing and maintaining files, interpreting and communicating, and using computers to process information.
4. Systems Management - understanding social, organization, and technological systems, monitoring and correcting performance, and designing or improving systems
5. Technology - selecting equipment and tools, applying technology to specific tasks, and maintaining and troubleshooting technologies.

THE FOUNDATION - competence requires:

1. Basic Skills - reading, writing, arithmetic and mathematics, speaking and listening
2. Thinking Skills - thinking creatively, making decisions, solving problems, seeing things in the mind's eye, knowing how to learn and reasoning.

Personal Qualities - individual responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self management. and integrity
Back to the top

Instructional Objectives 

Students will...

Describe personal strengths, skills, aptitudes, and abilities through the creation of a business style report.

Create an electronic presentation identifying personal qualifications, employability skills, and future advancement required for various jobs within their chosen cluster. 

Locate and journalize web sites visited listing their progress of career search listing things learned, personal thoughts and achievements.

Design a computerized diagram diagramming a career cluster in your chosen field.

The activities used in this lesson plan are chosen for students needing Freshman or Sophomore career units.  Students begin by listen to a song by Alabama titled 40 Hour Week.   They will fill out the following worksheet  40 Hour Week-Song Worksheet.doc and research some information gathered from their own knowledge.  They will then be assigned to create a job position flier based off of one job that they choose.  Students will type a two page double spaced report stating the facts about their chosen job.  Students will then take a series of cyber assessments.  These assessments will direct students into career areas that meet their skills, abilities and aptitudes.  These documents are to be placed into their portfolio.  Students will then fill out an application, create a resume, and create a letter of application based on their job suggestion from the assessments.  Students will compare their job choice from the 40 Hour Work Week and from the assessments.  Do they come from the same career cluster; are they totally different; can the student do their chosen career with the knowledge and experience based on today's knowledge?  With the information gathered the students will create a PowerPoint/HyperStudio presentation for the class and will place an electric copy in their Portfolio.

Activities

• Listen to Song by Alabama "40 Hour Week"
• List jobs stated in the song
• Research job logistics
• List various skills, education and abilities to perform those positions. 
• Orally list other jobs affected by the job
• Take online surveys for skills, abilities, and aptitudes.
• Write a two page report based from 40 Hour Week and online survey
• Create a job announcement flier
• Write a biographical summary identifing work experience, values, skills, and abilities
• Fill out an application
• Fill out an resume
• Create a letter of application
• Create a Multimedia Presentation

Materials

• Cassette of "40 Hour Week" by Alabama
• Cassette Recorder/Web site given 
• Worksheet 
• Scans Weekly Log
• Scans Work Project Job Form
• Application
• Resume Form

Teacher's Role: 

• Discuss with your students the definitions of "skills, abilities, aptitudes, and pre assessment".  Students should have a sound knowledge base of the meanings of these words.
• Provide emphasis to careers changing throughout their life.
• Job suggestions from web sites may not be what the student has in mind, causing them to become disgruntled.  Students must be informed that the listing of careers are only based on the answers provided.
• Remind students that evidence of assignment will be placed into their Portfolios.
• End of project check list can be handed out to the student.
• Support student's throughout their journey
• Go over the requirements of all projects.
• Review the SCANS forms and the Learning-Rich SCANS Creation Form
• Score and return to student their project. 

Student's Role

Have Positive Attitude

Follow directions 

Create all documents as assigned

Turn in all assigned work for Teachers Evaluation

Place created documents into Portfolio

Give multimedia presentation

http://www.mega-bite.net/lightnenrod/countrysaloon2.htm 

http://www.nwc.edu/career/planning/phase1/whoami.htm
http://www.nwc.edu/career/planning/phase1/workvalues.htm
http://www.nwc.edu/career/planning/phase1/motivators.htm
http://www.nwc.edu/career/planning/phase1/personality.htm
http://www.nwc.edu/career/planning/phase1/interests.htm
http://www.nwc.edu/career/planning/phase1/skills.htm
http://www.nwc.edu/career/planning/phase1/educational.htm

Enabling Activity
Students will create a double spaced two page report,  stating what they have learned about themselves and how to apply this new knowledge in finding a career they will be successful. 

They will also create a job announcement flier.

Students will create a resume, a letter of application and fill out an application

Explore career opportunities and projected trends; investigate required education, training, and experience; and develop an individual education plan.
 

Culminating Activity
The students will prepare a PowerPoint/HyperStudio presentation to be presented to their class illustrating their knowledge of the choice in career and placed into their portfolio.