7th Grade Careers Page
Career Paths booklet - connect occupational knowledge presented in booklet (job market, part-time jobs, equal pay for women, & 6 career fields) to self knowledge (types of activities students know they enjoy & characteristics students value using themselves), AND practice thinking about course choices to support students' career choices...summary 2 page worksheet review questions attached.
Day 1 - Introduce themes "Technology Changes Careers" - eliminates some jobs and creates new jobs so young people mapping paths to entering a career (or career field) is a skill that may be used many times during a lifetime.
Discussion of typewriters being replaced with computers, so not many typewriter repair jobs today. This is ANALYTICS (Wikipedia) PRACTICE!) -
Look at the Occupational Outlook Handbook article; Home Computer Market, p.49, to answer the question, "What percentage of "less than 9th Graders" used a computer at home in 1993?"
Most popular jobs in Iowa (are they using newer technologies?) - https://www.usawage.com/popular/jobs-state-iowa.php
Discussion of cell phones being replaced with wrist devices, Moore's Law, and nanotechnology (sizes get smaller and devices get faster); consider article "After Moore's Law" - http://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2016-03-12/after-moores-law
Share excerpts from article focus, "Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Bosh Campaign For More Programmers", http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2013/02/26/bill-gates-celebrities-support-education-for-computer-programming/#15f597cdc618
Share how students can learn to code independently referring to this article listing free online websites, "12 Sites That Will Teach You Coding for Free", https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/250323
Here are the top 10 fastest growing jobs in Iowa, and below, we’ll show you the top 100 (https://www.zippia.com/advice/fastest-growing-jobs-in-iowa/):
Ask students to look over the questions 1-17 of the Career Paths Booklet and identify those they think they can answer correctly without reading the article (becomes evident there is difference between a career and a career field). Page 1 covers differences between Job, Career, Career Path. Share story of Bauer Built in Paton, Iowa (Lead in - "Have you every eaten at 209 in Paton?") as person who is on a career path that fits the criteria for person living "The American Dream".
Career Paths booklet page 6, start considering Business and note how most careers are in business but very few business courses required to graduate from most high schools;
"How many of you have a parent in a business career?"
"How many of you know someone in one of the listed common business jobs?"
Day 2 - Go over other Career Paths as class using booklet (above) and sharing the State of Iowa updated Career Cluster graphic
Read over 4 remaining Career Paths as class
Ask students to go to different parts of room depending upon their career path personal preference guesses
-Talk about what influenced their thinking and choices, also brainstorm how these choices may change with time/age, -Explain how Career Paths are related to one another having more or less in common (same as Holland Codes).
-Have students read over preceding Career Paths packet pages, then answer 17 questions to include listing page number where they found correct answer, then review as class.
Day 3 - "Plus your pluses" and "overcome your weaknesses" = that's career building! (Teen "Soft" & "Hard" Skills 5 pg Packet)
-Pluses = students look over the 1pg. list of soft skills (skillsyouneed.com) and ID those they believe they have and use regularly (practice); use handout for students to check and choose 3 to list examples in their daily living.
-Soft skills often effect our ability to keep a job or be competitive with others who have the same level of hard skills.
-More Pluses = hard skills self identification & describing application of 2 hard skills; use 4pg. Teen "Hard Skills" Worksheet
-As Hard Skills Increase schools reflect those changes more slowly, but Careers reflect those changes quickly.
-Think of school as way to get a knowledge base for your future hard & soft skills and a time to practice developing those skills too.
Day 4 - Practice Matching Your Personal Self Knowledge to Career Knowledge using Student Form (Research Your Favorite Company, Product, or Brand) - see what it would take to be part of your favorite business.
- For Example, look at job information & job positions that Pinterest shares - https://careers.pinterest.com/ OR a 2nd Example: at http://www.aeropostalecareers.com/
From the student form: What is your favorite Brand name? Find your favorite brand's website. Look over their Career section. Search for types of workers at the company to find an area of work or job title most interesting to you. Do they want to hire someone for that job position or are they offering an internship you might like - what are the requirements for the job or internship? What would you need to do to get ready (education, skills, move your residence to where?)