Learning Links
Self-assessment / Labor Market Trends / Prediction / Trends / Community Service / Self-fulfillment / Adaptability / Teaming / Continuing Education
Related Concepts
Interest/Abilities/Aptitudes / Multiple Life Roles / Career Opportunities & Trends / Characteristics / Requirements of Occupations / Career Planning / Career Diversity/Change / Economic Opportunities
Demonstrators should be read from bottom to top, but need not be demonstrated sequentially.
Elementary Demonstrators
• Communicate the concepts of work and career.
• Examine and group careers found in the community.
• Relate school studies to life pursuits.
• Analyze and compare how different careers affect life roles (e.g., parent, spouse, community leader).
• Compare different careers to determine the various requirements.
Middle School Demonstrators
• Explore career options in different occupational clusters and geographic areas.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the interrelationship of life roles, lifestyles, and careers.
• Analyze the relationship between educational achievement and career opportunities.
• Assess personal strengths, interests, and abilities.
• Evaluate a preliminary, personal career plan.
High School Demonstrators
• Analyze the interrelationships of school and work experiences to life goals and career planning.
• Assess personal performances and interests; integrate assessment results in career planning.
• Analyze, interpret, and evaluate present and future job markets.
• Appraise characteristics and requirements of personal career options; evaluate effects on lifestyles and multiple life roles.
• Make and defend a personal career choice.
Sample Teaching/Assessment Strategies
Collaborative Process: Brainstorming, Cooperative Learning / Community-Based Instruction: Mentoring/Apprenticeship/Co-op, Shadowing / Continuous Progress Assessment: Anecdotal Records, Interviews, Observations, Portfolio Development, Performance Events/Exhibitions / Problem Solving: Brainstorming, Inquiry, Investigation, Case Studies, Creative Projects, Interviews / Technology/Tools: Computers, Calculators, Interactive Video, Multimedia, Videotaping, Telecommunications / Whole Language Approach / Writing Process
These sample strategies offer ideas and are not meant to limit teacher resourcefulness. More strategies are found in the resource section.
Ideas for Incorporating Community Resources
• Shadow individuals on the job in the community and evaluate their careers based on pre-established personal criteria for a "good job."
• Invite a representative from an employment agency or placement firm to discuss present and future job opportunities at local, state, and national levels.
• Invite employers and representatives from universities and colleges, technical schools, and military branches to participate in a career fair.
Core Concept - Career Path
Sample Elementary Activities
• Use technology to investigate the educational and skill requirements of different careers. Present a visual to the class. PE, OE
• Interview family, neighbors, and school personnel to identify the demands their careers make on their personal time. Decide how this might impact their family roles and pursuit of personal interest. PE, OE
• Investigate how individuals in jobs use mathematics, science, reading, writing, and social studies in their work. Communicate through graphs and charts. PE, OE
• Collect real objects or tools used in specific careers in your community. Use your collection to group the careers into like categories. PE, OE
• Plan and participate in a hat day that illustrates different careers. PE
• Complete a series of chores over a one-week period. Discuss the differences between work and play. PE, OE
Applications Across the Curriculum
Language Arts
· Review career opportunities in local and statewide newspapers; classify the opportunities on a chart. PE, OE
· Compose a story about working in a career you have investigated. OE
Mathematics
· Use advertisements from local newspapers to compare the salaries of a number of occupations. Graph or chart your findings. PE, OE
· Explore careers (e.g., architect, sculptor, graphic designer) in which the use of shapes and models is an important part. OE, P
Arts and Humanities
· Compose a rap or other musical piece to describe the challenges of a career. PE, OE
Science
· Categorize the science-related "Help Wanted" advertisements. Graph and share the results. PE, OE
Social Studies
· Interview employees in various "judicial system careers" to determine their roles in ensuring due process. PE, OE
Practical Living
· Interview someone who works to determine the relationship between his/her occupation and lifestyle. Report your findings. PE, OE
· Research the number of people playing professional basketball and high school basketball. Discuss the actual opportunities in professional sports. OE, P
Sample Middle School Activities
• Develop an Individual Career Plan (ICP) to determine courses for the freshman year. PE, OE
• Complete a range of assessment activates to identify strengths, interests, and abilities. Develop a personal profile. PE
• Survey individuals in various careers; graphically present the correlation between educational achievement and career opportunities. PE, OE
• Gather data (e.g., income, working conditions, continuing education requirements) about a number of careers which interest you. Using the data, develop a multimedia presentation which shows how career choice impacts lifestyle. PE, OE, P
• Initiate a one-day career exchange program with local community members. PE
Applications Across the Curriculum
Variations on a theme: Career Day
Language Arts
· Write letters inviting representatives from a variety of careers and institutions to participate in a "Career Day" in your school. OE
Science
· Design posters to be displayed at each booth which illustrates how that career has changed over time. PE, OE.
Mathematics
· Calculate the cost per student to each institution who sponsored a representative. OE
Social Studies
· Develop an assessment instrument and evaluate the use of democratic principles used by the group during the planning process for the "Career Day." PE, OE
Arts and Humanities
· Videotape, edit, and broadcast a tape with highlights of the "Career Day." PE, P
Practical Living
· Research stress and other health-related threats associated with each career exhibited; prepare bar graphs for display or dissemination on "Career Day." OE
Sample High School Activities
• Complete an Individual Career Plan (ICP) for your immediate future. Justify your plan. OE, P
• Develop a multimedia presentation depicting a new trend in an established career. P
• Explore the changing role of the military and its ability to provide jobs. Deduce changes in skills required to be a soldier of today as compared to 50 or 100 years ago. OE
• Generate a database of present and future job markets. Make an "endangered species" list of jobs and/or careers. PE
• Shadow an individual employed in a career that interests you. Project yourself in that role; illustrate/explain how certain characteristics you possess would meet those required in the career and how others would need to be strengthened. OE, P
• Modify the current Individual Career Plan (ICP), throughout high school years, using the career portfolio. PE, OE
• Interview employment counselors or personnel directors to determine the impact of school and work experiences on career planning.
• Use the results of your personal assessment surveys to select four or five career options. Investigate the characteristics and requirements of each. Prioritize the options based on how each might affect your lifestyle and multiple life roles. PE, OE
Applications Across the Curriculum
Language Arts
· Interview employers in the community and analyze the relationship between work and school. P
· Write letters to selected colleges/universities about an educational program for a chosen career. P
Mathematics
· Develop a statistical database on current and predicted career opportunities in an occupational cluster. P
Science
· Investigate and present careers that utilize a specific scientific technique (e.g., gene splicing, titration or remote sensing). OE, P
· Analyze the impact of extended life span on society. Predict the resulting effects on career opportunities for young people. OE
Social Studies
· Investigate careers in a specific occupational cluster; place each career on an international map to show where it is concentrated. PE
· Research and develop a board game showing how strengths, interests, and abilities will affect career choices in the social studies area. PE, OE, P
Arts and Humanities
· Design a multimedia presentation on a selected career. PE
Practical Living
· Interview individuals (e.g., sports broadcasters, coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapist, fitness center owners/instructors, YMCA/ YWCA directors, camp directors) who participate in careers linked to physical activities. Investigate employment opportunities and educational requirements for these careers. OE, P
· Tour Kentucky Tech Centers to observe and collect information about different technical training programs. PE