Dream Job Brainstorm

Think about the future! If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? It doesn't have to be realistic yet – just dream big!

1. My dream job is:
   
   
   
2. What do you imagine doing in this job?
   
   
   

Teacher Talk Track

Warm-Up: Dream Job Brainstorm (5 minutes)

(Display Career Quest Launch! Slides - Slide 1)

Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going on a 'Career Quest' to explore some exciting possibilities for your future. To kick things off, let's do a quick 'Dream Job Brainstorm'. Take out your My Career Explorer Worksheet. On the first page, I want you to silently think about this: If you could have ANY job in the world, what would it be? Don't worry about how realistic it is right now – just dream big! Write down your dream job and what you imagine doing in it. You have about 2 minutes to jot down your thoughts."

(Give students 2 minutes to write. Circulate and observe.)

Teacher: "Alright, who'd like to bravely share one of their dream jobs? No pressure, just curious!" (Call on a few students. Affirm their ideas.)

Introduction to Schoolinks & Career Exploration (5 minutes)

(Display Career Quest Launch! Slides - Slide 2)

Teacher: "Fantastic ideas, everyone! Now, how cool would it be if there was a tool to help you explore some of these dreams, and even discover new ones you never knew existed? Well, there is! Today, we're going to dive into Schoolinks."

(Display Career Quest Launch! Slides - Slide 3)

Teacher: "Schoolinks is like your personal guide to figuring out what you might want to do after high school. It helps you explore different careers, see what kind of education they require, and even learn about colleges. Why do you think it's important to start exploring careers now, even in 6th grade? Turn and talk to a partner for 30 seconds."

(Allow 30 seconds for partner talk, then call on 1-2 students to share out.)

Teacher: "Exactly! It's never too early to start thinking about your future, connecting what you learn in class to real-world jobs, and discovering what truly excites you. It helps you set goals and understand the purpose behind your learning."

Teacher: "Since you've all used Schoolinks before and are logged in with your Google accounts, let me quickly show you how to find the career section..."

(Briefly demonstrate navigating to the career search.)

Guided Career Research in Schoolinks (10 minutes)

(Display Career Quest Launch! Slides - Slide 4)

Teacher: "Okay, it's your turn to be a 'Career Explorer'! Everyone, please grab your devices and open Schoolinks. Once you're in, navigate to the 'Careers' section. Your mission for the next 10 minutes is to search for two different careers that sound interesting to you."

(Display Career Quest Launch! Slides - Slide 5)

Teacher: "As you explore, use your My Career Explorer Worksheet. For each career, I want you to find and write down three things:
1. A brief Job Description – what does this job actually do?
2. The Education Needed – what kind of schooling or training is required?
3. The Average Salary – how much money can someone expect to earn in this role?
Also, try to identify one or two Skills that are important for the job. I will be walking around to help anyone who gets stuck or has questions. Go ahead and start your exploration!"

(Circulate, offer assistance, and encourage students. Provide gentle reminders about the time and what information to record.)

Share & Reflect (5 minutes)

(Display Career Quest Launch! Slides - Slide 6)

Teacher: "Time to bring it back together, career explorers! Let's hear some of your exciting discoveries. Who found something surprising or really interesting about a career?"

(Call on 2-3 students to share one interesting fact. Encourage brief, focused sharing.)

Teacher: "That's fascinating! So, after this quick dive into Schoolinks, what career sparked your interest the most today? And why?"

(Call on 1-2 more students.)

Teacher: "Think about it: How might exploring careers like this help you in the future, even if you change your mind a hundred times?"

(Allow for a brief, open discussion. Reinforce the idea that exploration is about discovering possibilities, not making final decisions.)

Cool-Down: Future Focus (5 minutes)

(Display Career Quest Launch! Slides - Slide 7)

Teacher: "To wrap up our Career Quest for today, I have a quick 'Future Focus Cool Down' for you. Please complete the short reflection on the Future Focus Cool Down ticket. Think about what you learned and one career you might want to explore further."

(Distribute the cool-down tickets.)

Teacher: "Once you're finished, please turn in your cool-down ticket as you leave. Thank you for being such great career explorers today!"

My Career Explorer Worksheet

Part 1: Dream Job Brainstorm

1. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
   
   
   

2. What do you imagine doing in this job?
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Schoolinks Career Research

Use Schoolinks to research two careers that interest you. Fill in the information below for each career.

Career 1:

• Job Description: What does a person in this job typically do?
  
  
  
  

• Education Needed: What kind of schooling, training, or degrees are usually required?
  
  
  
  

• Average Salary: What is the approximate annual salary for this career?
  
  
  

• Skills: What skills or qualities are important for this job?
  
  
  
  

Career 2:

• Job Description: What does a person in this job typically do?
  
  
  
  

• Education Needed: What kind of schooling, training, or degrees are usually required?
  
  
  
  

• Average Salary: What is the approximate annual salary for this career?
  
  
  

• Skills: What skills or qualities are important for this job?
  
  
  
  

Future Focus Cool Down

Name: ____________________________

1. What is one new thing you learned about career exploration today?
   
   
   

2. Which career that you researched (or heard about) would you be most interested in exploring further? Why?
   
   
   
   

3. What is one question you still have about careers or Schoolinks?