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Career Quest Kickoff

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Lesson Plan

Career Quest Lesson Plan

Students will envision a future career, reflect on required skills, and create a two-step goal map to begin planning their path to success.

This lesson builds self-awareness, goal-setting skills, and a growth mindset, empowering 5th graders to connect today’s learning to future aspirations and understand that small steps lead to big achievements.

Audience

5th Grade

Time

25 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion and hands-on reflection.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Hook & Introduction

5 minutes

  • Display Slide 1 of the Career Quest Slide Deck and welcome students to their “Career Quest.”
  • Ask: “What jobs or careers have you thought about?” Record responses on chart paper or the board.
  • Emphasize that today they’ll imagine their future selves and start planning how to get there.

Step 2

Future Self Reflection

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Future Self Reflection Worksheet.
  • Prompt students to draw themselves in their chosen career and write 2–3 sentences about why they picked it.
  • Circulate and encourage creativity and detail.

Step 3

Group Discussion

5 minutes

  • Have students share their drawings and reasons with a partner.
  • Ask pairs to highlight one surprising or interesting career they learned about.
  • Invite 2–3 volunteers to share with the whole class.

Step 4

Career Goal Mapping

8 minutes

  • Hand out the Career Goal Map Activity Sheet.
  • Explain: “Choose one skill or step you need to reach your future career (e.g., improving reading, exploring science). Then list two actions you can take this year.”
  • Students complete their goal map independently.
  • Provide support for students who need examples or sentence starters.

Step 5

Share & Wrap-Up

2 minutes

  • Invite 1–2 students to share their goal and first action step.
  • Reinforce that planning and small steps build success: “Every big career starts with today’s choices.”
  • Close with Slide 8 of the Career Quest Slide Deck and a growth mindset reminder.
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Slide Deck

Welcome to Career Quest!

Today we’ll imagine our future selves and start planning how to get there.

Display this title slide as students enter. Welcome everyone to the Career Quest Kickoff and get them excited about exploring future careers.

Think About Careers

• What jobs or careers have you thought about?
• Share your ideas with the class!

Use this slide to launch a quick brainstorm. Ask students aloud: “What jobs or careers have you thought about?” Record their responses on chart paper or the board.

Future Self Reflection

  1. Draw yourself in your chosen career.
  2. Write 2–3 sentences explaining why you picked it.

Introduce the future self reflection activity. Distribute the Future Self Reflection Worksheet now.

Share with a Partner

• Show your drawing and read your sentences.
• Ask: “What surprised you about your partner’s career?”

After students finish their drawings, guide them into partner pairs.

Career Goal Mapping

  1. Choose one skill or step for your career.
  2. List 2 actions you can take this year to build that skill.

Hand out the Career Goal Map Activity Sheet. Explain the mapping steps.

Work on Your Goal Map

• Complete your map independently.
• Be as specific as you can!

Circulate and support students as they work. Offer examples (“Read one book per week,” “Explore a science club”).

Share & Celebrate

• Who will share their goal?
• Every big career starts with today’s choices!

Invite 1–2 volunteers to share their goal and first action. Reinforce that small steps lead to big successes.

Growth Mindset Reminder

“I can learn anything I set my mind to. Small steps lead to big achievements!”

Close the lesson by reinforcing growth mindset. Encourage students to keep adding small steps to their map as they learn more.

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Discussion

Career Chat Discussion

Overview:
In this discussion, you’ll dive deeper into your future career ideas by sharing with a partner and then with the whole class. You’ll practice listening, asking questions, and building on each other’s ideas to learn about new careers and consider the skills you’ll need.

Discussion Guidelines

  1. Listen respectfully to your partner without interrupting.
  2. Speak clearly and share your thoughts.
  3. One person speaks at a time—raise your hand if you’d like to add on.
  4. Use kind and encouraging words when responding.

Partner Discussion (3–4 minutes)

  1. What excites you most about your chosen career and why?











  2. What did you learn about your partner’s career that surprised you?











After both partners have shared, choose one surprising or interesting idea to bring to the whole-class discussion.

Whole-Class Discussion (3–4 minutes)

  1. Which career shared by a peer was new to you? What did you find interesting about it?











  2. What skills do you think are most important for that career, and how could you start practicing one of those skills this year?











Follow-Up Prompts (Use as Needed)

  • “Can you tell us more about why you chose that skill?”
  • “How might you face a challenge when working on that skill, and what could help you overcome it?”
  • “Who could you ask for help as you work toward this goal?”

Link back to the Future Self Reflection Worksheet and the Career Goal Map Activity Sheet to show how your ideas connect to your goals.

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Activity

Career Goal Map

Name: _______________________ Date: _______________

Career I’m Exploring:




My Goal Map

Skill or Step I Need to Reach My CareerTwo Actions I Can Take This Year



1.





  1. |

How This Helps Me:
Write 1–2 sentences explaining how practicing this skill or taking these actions will bring you closer to your future career.







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Worksheet

Future Self Reflection Worksheet

Name: _______________________ Date: _______________

1. Draw Yourself in Your Chosen Career

Use the space below to draw a picture of yourself doing the job or career you imagine for your future.











2. Why Did You Choose This Career?

Write 2–3 sentences explaining what interests you about this career and why you could see yourself doing it.







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