Career Exploration 101

Catherine Pierson

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Career Exploration 101

Explore various career paths

This lesson introduces students to various career paths, helping them identify their interests and strengths through practical exercises and a guest speaker session. This exploration is essential as it helps students make informed decisions about their future careers.

Audience

High School Students

Time

1 hour

Approach

Explore various career paths

Materials

Post-it notes, Pens, Career Interest Worksheet, Guest Speaker Bio, and Career Path Discussion Questions

Step 1

Introduction

10 mins

Briefly introduce the objective of the lesson.
Explain why exploring various career paths is important.
Outline the day's activities.

Step 2

Career Interest Worksheet

15 mins

Distribute the 'Career Interest Worksheet' to students.
Students complete the worksheet individually, identifying their interests and strengths.
Collect the worksheets for review.

Step 3

Guest Speaker Session

20 mins

Introduce the guest speaker and provide a brief bio.
Guest speaker shares their career journey and insights.
Allow for a Q&A session with the guest speaker.

Step 4

Career Path Discussion

10 mins

Facilitate a discussion using the 'Career Path Discussion Questions'.
Encourage students to share their thoughts and reflections based on the guest speaker's session and the completed worksheets.

Step 5

Closure

5 mins

Summarize the key takeaways from the lesson.
Encourage students to continue exploring different careers and discuss what they have learned with family or friends.
Provide any additional resources or handouts for further exploration.

Worksheet

Career Interest Worksheet

This worksheet helps students identify their interests and strengths to explore potential career paths.

List your top three interests or hobbies.

Think about activities you enjoy doing in your free time.

List your top three strengths or skills.

Consider what you believe you are good at or have been praised for.

Match each interest to a possible career path.

Match each strength to a potential career path.

Discussion

Career Path Discussion Questions

Questions to facilitate a discussion on students' reflections about different career paths and the guest speaker's insights.

What was the most surprising thing you learned from the guest speaker?

Encourage students to think about specific anecdotes or advice shared by the guest speaker.

How do your interests and strengths align with any of the careers mentioned?

Help students make connections between their worksheet responses and the careers discussed.

What additional careers are you interested in exploring and why?

Prompt students to think about how they might research and learn more about these careers.