Career Exploration

Students are very interested in planning their futures, and this lesson will help bring their plans from pie-in-the-sky dreams to reality.

Common Core Standards:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.9 Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1d Establish and maintain a formal style.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Anticipatory Set:

Have students write about their dream future, for 10 minutes.  This is a quick write, so it is not corrected.  It is simply a way for students to get their thoughts on paper.

Direct Instruction:

Day One

  1.  Have a few student volunteers read their quick writes.
  2. Explain to the students that clarifying their dreams will help them to choose which careers to research.  Explain that they will be writing paragraphs about their dreams.
  3. Create a rubric and hand it out.  Elements on the rubric might include topic sentence, 3 details and a conclusion; adequate explanation of dreams; and correct punctuation and capitalization.
  4. Have students use their quick writes to write their paragraphs.
  5. Explain to students that they will be editing in pairs.  They should provide two things they like about the other person’s paragraph, as well as two questions.
  6. After students edit, they should make changes and write a final draft of their paragraph.

Day Two

  1.  Have students complete interest inventory.
  2. Discuss post-secondary options.  Many students want to go to college, which requires a great deal of commitment from students with disabilities.  Passing around a textbook, and discussing accommodations and supports that are available, will help students to weigh their options.
  3. On computers, assist students as they find jobs that suit their interests and require the level of post-secondary education that they would like.

Guided Practice

Day Three

  1.  Explain to the students that they were be researching three careers.  They are to find the average salary, education and training required, and skills required.
  2. Assist students on computers, as they research their careers and fill out the forms.

 Independent Practice

Depending on the level of the students, have them write paragraphs, write reports, or make posters displaying the information they learned in their research.  Provide a rubric in advance.

Conclusion

Have students share their final projects in front of the class.

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