Career Exploration Day

Mary Braddock

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Career Exploration Day

Explore various careers

In this lesson, students will explore different careers through interactive activities and guest speakers. They will learn about various job roles and the skills required for each profession. This lesson is important as it helps students understand the diversity of career options available and the skills they need to develop for future success.

Audience

8th Grade Students

Time

1 hour 30 mins

Approach

Explore various careers

Materials

Post-it notes, Pens, Career Exploration Worksheet, Guest Speaker Bios, and Career Role Cards

Step 1

Introduction

10 mins

Welcome students and introduce the purpose of Career Exploration Day.
Briefly explain the agenda and what students will learn.
Distribute Career Exploration Worksheets to each student.

Step 2

Interactive Career Stations

40 mins

Set up different stations around the room, each representing a different career.
Provide Career Role Cards at each station with information about the job role and required skills.
Divide students into small groups and rotate them through the stations every 10 minutes.
Encourage students to take notes on their worksheets about each career.

Step 3

Guest Speaker Session

30 mins

Invite guest speakers from various professions to talk about their careers.
Allow each speaker 5-7 minutes to share their experiences and insights.
Encourage students to ask questions and engage with the speakers.

Step 4

Group Discussion

10 mins

Facilitate a group discussion about what students learned.
Use questions from the Career Exploration Discussion attachment to guide the conversation.
Encourage students to share their thoughts and any new interests they discovered.

Step 5

Closure

5 mins

Summarize the key takeaways from the day.
Encourage students to reflect on which careers interested them the most.
Collect worksheets and thank students for their participation.

Discussion

Career Exploration Discussion

A discussion to reflect on the careers explored and insights gained from guest speakers.

What career did you find most interesting and why?

Encourage students to think about what aspects of the career appealed to them, such as the skills involved or the work environment.

What skills do you think are most important for the careers you explored?

Guide students to consider both technical skills and soft skills that were mentioned during the activities and speaker sessions.

How did the guest speakers influence your perception of certain careers?

Ask students to reflect on any new information or perspectives they gained from the guest speakers.

Worksheet

Career Exploration Worksheet

A worksheet for students to record information and reflections on the careers they explore during the lesson.

List three careers you explored today and one interesting fact about each.

Think about the stations you visited and what you learned from the role cards.

Which career would you like to learn more about and why?

Consider what aspects of the career intrigued you or aligned with your interests.

What skills do you need to develop for the career you are most interested in?

Reflect on the skills mentioned in the role cards and by the guest speakers.