Career Exploration Unit ~ offered by Sha Hall

This career exploration unit is comprised of two lessons for each of the following grades:
third, fourth, fifth and sixth. After much discussion with my K-5 school counselor we
concluded an 8-10 career unit for one grade was unrealistic for our school. So with her
guidance I decided to split eight lessons up between four grades.
On the following pages you will find lesson plans encouraging youngsters to identify and
explore various careers. Many of the lessons have students asking their families for
input on careers, career skills and reasons why they work. This encourages students to
gather facts about the world of work and then apply their new knowledge to themselves
and reflect on why they will work and what type of work they wish to do in the future.
Career exploration units can be overlooked but they are an essential piece of a
comprehensive school guidance curriculum.

RESOURCES:
Kathleen Taylor, Elementary Counselor, Vernon Schools
Irene Guarino, Elementary Counselor, Piscataway Schools
powertolearn.com
Jim Lukach, school counselor, Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District

Unit Title: Career Exploration

Lesson Title: ABCs of Careers

ASCA Mindset/Behavior Area(s):

Author: Sha Hall

Category 1 & 2
Grade Level: Third Grade

Author Contact: shall@cr.k12.ia.us

Instructional Groupings:

Time Required: 50 minutes

For this lesson I plan to use small group setting (4-5

students)

Standards: Mindset: 2. Self-confidence in ability to succeed, Behavior/Social: 6. Use effective collaboration and
cooperation skills

Materials:

ButcherPaper
Markers

Overview: This lesson encourages students to brainstorm various careers available to people. At the completion
of this lesson students will list 52 different career options.

As a result of this lesson/unit students will...

Understand: that there are all kinds of careers people can have.
Know: 52 different career names

Do (Skills): work collectively and collaboratively in

small groups

PreAssessment To start the lesson I will ask students to show me on their hands how many different careers
they know of

References: Borrowed from Kathleen Taylor, Elementary Counselor, Vernon Schools

Unit Title: Career Exploration

Continued
ASCA Mindset/Behavior Area(s):

Lesson Title: ABCs of Careers

Author: Sha Hall

Category 1 & 2
Grade Level: Third Grade

Author Contact: shall@cr.k12.ia.us

Instructional Groupings:

Time Required: 50 minutes

This lesson will use a whole group format.

Standards: Mindset: 6. Positive attitude toward work and learning, Behavioral/Learning 1. Demonstrate criticalthinking skills to make informed decisions

Materials:

CareerPosterfrompreviousABCsofCareerslesson

Overview: In this lesson I will connect student interest and aptitude to the 52 career choices from the last lesson
As a result of this lesson/unit students will...
Understand: how we all have different interests and aptitudes for what we want to do with our lives and those
can change over time

Know: how to define interest and aptitude and apply the Do (Skills): begin to connect their interests and
concepts to their lives

aptitudes to potential careers choices for them in the

future

PreAssessment ask students to define interest and aptitude and how they relate to potential careers
References: Borrowed from Kathleen Taylor, Elementary Counselor, Vernon Schools
Unit Title: Career Exploration
ASCA Mindset/Behavior Area(s):

Lesson Title: Career BINGO

Author: Sha Hall

Category 1 & 2
Grade Level: Forth Grade

Author Contact: shall@cr.k12.ia.us

Instructional Groupings:

Time Required: 50 minutes

This lesson will use a large group format.

Standards: Mindset: 4. Understanding that postsecondary education and life-long learning are necessary for long
term career success, 6. Positive attitude toward work and learning, Behavior/Social: 1. Use effective oral and written
and communication skills and listening skills.

Materials:

BINGOcardsandMarkers
Onelinedescriptionsofcareers

Overview: This lesson encourages students to identify their interests and how those interests can help them
match potential careers for themselves. It will also increase student knowledge about career descriptions.

As a result of this lesson/unit students will...

Understand: that career options are limitless and should be connected to their interests
Know: at least three additional careers and what they

Do (Skills): identify careers based on description of

do

main career functions provided by teacher

PreAssessment Ask students to define some of the careers that will be described in the BINGO game
(paleontologist, esthetician, etc.)

References: Borrowed from Irene Guarino, Elementary Counselor, Piscataway Schools

Unit Title: Career Exploration
ASCA Mindset/Behavior Area(s):

Lesson Title: People I Know

Author: Sha Hall

Category 1 & 2
Grade Level: Forth Grade

Author Contact: shall@cr.k12.ia.us

Instructional Groupings:

Time Required: 50 minutes

This is a large group activity. Students can remain at the

desks.

Standards: Mindsets: 6. Positive attitude toward work and learning, Behavioral/Social: Learning Strategies 7.
Identify long and short-term academic career and social/emotional goals.

Materials:

Whiteboardorflipchart
Predevelopedmatrixforgroupdiscussion

Overview: Students will identify various jobs they have seen, they will recognize the work done in those jobs, the

will share the types of careers they would like to have when they grow up

As a result of this lesson/unit students will...

Understand: Various career options and what having a career entails
Know: the types of job functions in various careers

Do (Skills): begin thinking what they want to do in

their futures and consider possibilities for themselves

PreAssessment Short written or verbal assessment about the job functions for various careers
References: Adapted from powertolearn.com
Chart for the Board
PERSON

JOB

DOES THIS PERSON

MAKE SOMETHING?

DOES THIS PERSON

HELP OTHERS?

Mrs. Hall

Counselor

No

Yes

Grandma

Postal carrier

No

Yes

Students think to themselves about the following questions:

1. Have you thought about what job you want to have when you grow up?
2. What job do you think you want to have?
3. Why that job?
4. Do you know anyone doing that job?
Ask students to think about the adults they know and what jobs they do.
Explain the chart and have students orally contribute to the chart. Once you

have 10-12 responses review the chart reflect on the results, discuss. Ask
students if they would like to share their future plans.
Related Links:
Elementary Career Sites: http://www/coe.iup.edu/ce636/ssites.htm
What I want to be http://www.nashvilleschoolteacher.com/elemplan.html

Unit Title: Career Exploration

ASCA Mindset/Behavior Area(s):

Lesson Title: Career Charades

Author: Sha Hall

Category 1 & 2
Grade Level: Fifth Grade

Author Contact: shall@cr.k12.ia.us

Instructional Groupings:

Time Required: 50 minutes

Large group activity

Standards: Mindsets: 6. Positive attitude toward work and learning, Behavioral/Social: Learning Strategies 7.
Identify long and short-term academic career and social/emotional goals.

Materials:
*Careerpicturesfromvariousprintresources*Whiteboardorflipchartfortakingnotes *Tapetodisplaythepictures

Overview: Students will use the pictures to act out various careers. The whole class will identify the career and

brainstorm skills needed to perform career.

As a result of this lesson/unit students will...

Understand: There are a large variety of careers open to adults and those careers have various skill sets needed
to do the job.

Know: The kinds of skills needed to have particular

careers.

Do (Skills): Be able to verbalize potential future

careers for themselves and why they would be interested

in those careers.

PreAssessment Hold up pictures and have students raise their hands if they can identify the career and the
skills needed to do it.

References: Adapted from powertolearn.com

Unit Title: Career Exploration
ASCA Mindset/Behavior Area(s):
Category 1 & 2
Grade Level: Fifth Grade
Time Required: 50 minutes

Lesson Title: Family Career Tree

Author: Sha Hall

Author Contact: shall@cr.k12.ia.us

Instructional Groupings:
This lesson will use both large and small groups.

Standards: Mindsets: 6. Positive attitude toward work and learning, Behavioral/Self-Management: 1. Demonstra

ability to assume responsibility, 3. Demonstrate ability to work independently, Behavioral/Learning: 9. Gather eviden
and consider multiple perspectives to make informed decisions.

Materials:

*Whitepaperforeverystudenttodrawtheirfamilycareertree*Teambuildingactivities

Overview: This lesson will encourage conversation about careers and skills sets needed for those careers. It will

also encourage students to interview their family members and gather information about their careers and skill sets.
Students will be asked to bring back their family career trees to the next class and share out what they learned.

As a result of this lesson/unit students will...

Understand: Various careers and the skills, interests or personality needed to effectively perform job functions o
that career.

Know: Identify various careers and skill sets needed to

perform those careers.

Do (Skills): Interview their family members to get

information about the various careers they have and the
skills needed to do their job.

PreAssessment Ask students about their families and have them identify (quick written assessment) how muc
they know about the careers family members have.

References: Adapted from Jim Lukach, school counselor, Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District
Unit Title: Career Exploration
ASCA Mindset/Behavior Area(s):

Lesson Title: Why Work?

Author: Sha Hall

Category 1 & 2
Grade Level: Sixth Grade

Author Contact: shall@cr.k12.ia.us

Time Required: 50 minutes

Instructional Groupings:
Large group discussion and independent work required.

Standards: Mindsets: 6. Positive attitude toward work and learning, Behavioral/Self-Management: 1. Demonstrat

ability to assume responsibility, 3. Demonstrate ability to work independently, Behavioral/Learning: 9. Gather eviden

and consider multiple perspectives to make informed decisions.

Materials:

InsightsbyTerriAkin,DavidCowan,GerryPalomares,DianneSchillingandSandySchuster
OnecopyofWhyWorkhandoutforeachstudent.

Overview:

This lesson encourages students to discuss the world of work, explore why people work and what they get out of their work (satisfaction).
Students will be asked to interview four people (2 female/2 male), record their answers to interview questions and then share out with the whole group the resu
from their interviews. As a class well compile results in a graph form to reflect on the BIG PICTURE (how are results different for gender/age, etc.)

As a result of this lesson/unit students will...

Understand: Students will understand why people chose to work and maybe why they chose not to work.
Know: Student will know why their interviewees chose

Do (Skills): students will complete independent

to work.

assignment and share out with whole group their results

PreAssessment Ask students why people work and why people dont work. Have class discussion about
reasons people do or dont work.

References: Borrowed from unknown source on the Internet

Unit Title: Career Exploration
ASCA Mindset/Behavior Area(s):

Lesson Title: Alphabet of Careers

Author: Sha Hall

Category 1 & 2
Grade Level: Sixth Grade
Time Required: 50 minutes

Author Contact: shall@cr.k12.ia.us

Instructional Groupings:
Large and small groups

Standards: Mindsets: 1.) Demonstrate critical thinking skills to make informed decisions, Behaviors/Social Skills:
1.) Use effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills, 6.) Use effective collaboration and
cooperation skills

Materials:
*SheetsofpaperwithindividualLetterswrittenattopofpage*Tapetodisplaythefinishedworkfromsmallgroups

Overview: Kids will use letters of the alphabet to brainstorm one skill or attitude for getting a job (one skill or

attitude per letter). Kids will work in teams to brainstorm various skills/attitudes needed to get and keep jobs. Kids
will use the pages provided to write their brainstorming results and share with the class by taping their efforts to a
designated wall. This exercise will demonstrate to students that not just one skill or attitude can determine workplac
success but a plethora of skills/attitudes are required.

As a result of this lesson/unit students will...

Understand: getting and keeping a job depends on many different skills and attitudes
Know: students will know at least 26 skills/attitudes for Do (Skills): Students will orally identify one skill and
getting and keeping jobs

one attitude for getting and/or keeping a job

PreAssessment Ask students to define skills and attitudes. What do they mean and how can they help or hurt
us?

References: Adapted from powertolearn.com