Lesson Plan
Future Explorers Lesson Plan
Students will explore and identify at least three different careers by matching bilingual picture cards to job titles and descriptions, then share their choices in English or Spanish.
Introducing careers helps students see real-world connections to school, builds vocabulary in both English and Spanish, and sparks motivation for future goals.
Audience
1st Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive slides plus hands-on matching activity
Materials
- Future Explorers Slide Deck, - Career Cards Bilingual Set, - Career Match Worksheets, - Facilitator's Lesson Script, - Chart Paper, and - Pencils
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Print and cut out Career Cards Bilingual Set
- Make copies of Career Match Worksheets for each student
- Review slide progression in the Future Explorers Slide Deck
- Familiarize yourself with prompts in the Facilitator's Lesson Script
Step 1
Introduction & Engagement
5 minutes
- Display Slide 1: Title and images of workers; say in English and Spanish: “Today we are Future Explorers! / ¡Hoy somos Exploradores del Futuro!”
- Ask: “What do you want to be when you grow up? / ¿Qué quieres ser cuando seas grande?”
- Show 3 example careers (doctor, firefighter, teacher) from the slide; briefly describe each in both languages
Step 2
Career Matching Activity
15 minutes
- Hand out Career Cards Bilingual Set and Career Match Worksheets
- Instruct students to match each picture card to the correct job title and simple description on their worksheet
- Circulate to support English and Spanish learners, reading cards and descriptions aloud as needed
- Encourage students to say the job name in both languages
Step 3
Share & Discuss
7 minutes
- Invite volunteers to place a matched card on chart paper and say: “I chose ___ because…” / “Elegí ___ porque…”
- Ask: “What skills do you need for this job? / ¿Qué habilidades necesitas para este trabajo?”
- Acknowledge responses and add key vocabulary to chart paper in both languages
Step 4
Conclusion & Reflection
3 minutes
- Summarize: “Careers help us use our talents to help our community.” / “Las carreras nos ayudan a usar nuestros talentos para ayudar a la comunidad.”
- Prompt students to complete the sentence: “I want to be a ___ because ___.” / “Quiero ser ___ porque ___.”
- Collect worksheets and thank students for sharing
Slide Deck
Future Explorers / Exploradores del Futuro
30-minute bilingual lesson on different careers.
Lección bilingüe de 30 minutos sobre diferentes carreras.
Welcome students: “Good morning, Future Explorers! / ¡Buenos días, Exploradores del Futuro!” Show slide and point to images. Explain today’s adventure.
Today's Plan / Plan de Hoy
- ¿Qué es una carrera? / What is a career?
- Actividad de emparejamiento / Matching activity
- Compartir y reflexionar / Share & reflect
Read each bullet in English then Spanish. Encourage students to follow along.
¿Qué es una carrera? / What is a career?
Una carrera es el trabajo que haces para ayudar a la comunidad.
A career is the work you do to help the community.
Explain: Una carrera es el trabajo que haces para ayudar a la comunidad. A career is the work you do to help the community. Ask if anyone knows another definition.
Example Careers / Carreras de Ejemplo
• Doctor / Doctor(a): cuida a las personas / takes care of people
• Bombero / Firefighter: apaga incendios / puts out fires
• Maestro / Teacher: enseña a los estudiantes / teaches students
Point to each image. “This is a doctor / doctor(a). He cares for people. / Él cuida a las personas.” Repeat for firefighter and teacher.
Actividad: Empareja las Carreras Career Matching
Tomen sus tarjetas y hojas de trabajo.
Use Career Cards Bilingual Set y Career Match Worksheets.
Hand out materials. Show students where to find the job titles and pictures. “Let’s match!” / “¡Emparejemos!”
Share & Discuss / Compartir y Discutir
Coloca tu tarjeta y di:
“Elegí ___ porque… / I chose ___ because…”
¿Qué habilidades necesitas? / What skills do you need?
Circulate and support. Prompt students to say each job in English and Spanish as they match.
Reflection / Reflexión
Completa: “Quiero ser ___ porque ___.”
“I want to be ___ because ___.”
Write a few student responses on chart paper. Model the reflection sentence once more in both languages.
Great Job, Explorers! ¡Gran Trabajo, Exploradores!
Thank you for participating.
Gracias por participar.
Praise the class. “You are all amazing Future Explorers! / ¡Son todos increíbles Exploradores del Futuro!”
Script
Facilitator’s Lesson Script: Future Explorers
Introduction & Engagement (5 minutes)
Teacher (show Future Explorers Slide Deck, Slide 1):
Good morning, Future Explorers! / ¡Buenos días, Exploradores del Futuro!
Today we are Future Explorers! / ¡Hoy somos Exploradores del Futuro!
Teacher:
What do you want to be when you grow up? / ¿Qué quieres ser cuando seas grande?
Teacher:
Show me with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down if you already have a job in mind.
Teacher (go to Slide 4):
Let’s look at some example careers. / Veamos algunas carreras de ejemplo.
Teacher (point to first image):
This is a doctor. / doctor(a). He cares for people. / Él cuida a las personas.
Teacher (point to second image):
This is a firefighter. / bombero(a). He puts out fires. / Apaga incendios.
Teacher (point to third image):
This is a teacher. / maestro(a). He teaches students. / Enseña a los estudiantes.
Career Matching Activity (15 minutes)
Teacher (slide changes to Slide 5):
Now it’s time to match careers! / ¡Ahora es hora de emparejar las carreras!
Teacher:
I’m handing out the Career Cards Bilingual Set and your Career Match Worksheets.
Teacher:
On your worksheet, you will see job titles and simple descriptions in English and Spanish. Find the matching picture card, say the job name in both languages, and place it next to the correct description.
For example, find the doctor / doctor(a) card and match it with “Doctor / Doctor(a): cares for people / cuida a las personas.”
(Teacher circulates, supporting learners.)
Teacher (at a table):
Can you read this job title in English? / ¿Puedes leer este título de trabajo en español?
Teacher (at another table):
What is this job called? / ¿Cómo se llama este trabajo?
(Continue circulating until most students have matched their cards.)
Share & Discuss (7 minutes)
Teacher (switch to Slide 6):
Let’s share our matches! / ¡Compartamos nuestros emparejamientos!
Teacher:
Who would like to place a card on the chart and tell us about their choice? / ¿Quién quiere colocar una tarjeta en el papel y contarnos sobre su elección?
Student volunteer places card.
Teacher (modeling sentence):
I chose ___ because ___. / Elegí ___ porque ___.
Teacher:
What skills do you need for this job? / ¿Qué habilidades necesitas para este trabajo?
Teacher:
Thank you for sharing! / ¡Gracias por compartir!
Conclusion & Reflection (3 minutes)
Teacher (Slide 7):
Careers help us use our talents to help our community. / Las carreras nos ayudan a usar nuestros talentos para ayudar a la comunidad.
Teacher:
Now, on your worksheet, complete this sentence:
“I want to be a ___ because ___. / Quiero ser ___ porque ___.”
Teacher:
Please hand in your worksheets and pencils.
Teacher (Slide 8):
You are all amazing Future Explorers! / ¡Son todos increíbles Exploradores del Futuro!
Thank you for participating. / Gracias por participar.
Activity
Career Card Matching Activity
Instructions / Instrucciones:
- Print this page on cardstock and cut out each card along the lines. / Imprime esta página en cartulina y recorta cada tarjeta por las líneas.
- Distribute one set of cards to each student or pair of students along with their Career Match Worksheets. / Entrega un juego de tarjetas a cada estudiante o pareja junto con sus Hojas de Emparejamiento de Carreras.
- Students say the job name in English and Spanish, then match each picture card to the correct title and description on their worksheet. / Los estudiantes dicen el nombre del trabajo en inglés y en español, luego emparejan cada tarjeta con el título y la descripción correctos en su hoja.
- Encourage students to explain their match: “I chose ___ because… / Elegí ___ porque…”.
Career Cards Bilingual Set / Tarjetas de Carreras Bilingües
| Job (English) | Carrera (Español) | Description (EN) | Descripción (ES) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor | Doctor(a) | Takes care of people | Cuida a las personas |
| Firefighter | Bombero(a) | Puts out fires | Apaga incendios |
| Teacher | Maestro(a) | Teaches students | Enseña a los estudiantes |
| Police Officer | Police / Policía | Keeps people safe | Mantiene a las personas seguras |
| Chef | Chef / Cocinero(a) | Cooks delicious food | Cocina comida deliciosa |
| Veterinarian | Veterinario(a) | Cares for animals | Cuida a los animales |
Print two columns per page, cut along the grid lines, and mix up cards before distributing.
Worksheet
Career Match Worksheet / Hoja de Emparejamiento de Carreras
Part 1: Empareja las Carreras / Match the Careers
Instructions / Instrucciones: Glue each picture card or draw a line to match it with the correct job title and description.
- Doctor / Doctor(a): Takes care of people / Cuida a las personas. _______
- Firefighter / Bombero(a): Puts out fires / Apaga incendios. _______
- Teacher / Maestro(a): Teaches students / Enseña a los estudiantes. _______
- Police Officer / Policía: Keeps people safe / Mantiene a las personas seguras. _______
- Chef / Cocinero(a): Cooks delicious food / Cocina comida deliciosa. _______
- Veterinarian / Veterinario(a): Cares for animals / Cuida a los animales. _______
Part 2: Reflection / Reflexión
Complete the sentence / Completa la oración:
“I want to be a ___ because ___.”
“Quiero ser ___ porque ___.”
Activity
Career Picture Cards / Tarjetas de Imágenes de Carreras
Instructions / Instrucciones:
- Print this page on cardstock and cut out each card along the dotted lines. / Imprime esta página en cartulina y recorta cada tarjeta por las líneas punteadas.
- Distribute one set per student or pair. / Entrega un juego a cada estudiante o pareja.
CARD: Doctor / Doctor(a)
CARD: Firefighter / Bombero(a)
CARD: Teacher / Maestro(a)
CARD: Police Officer / Policía
CARD: Chef / Cocinero(a)
CARD: Veterinarian / Veterinario(a)
