Lesson Plan
Designing Your Future Self
Students will be able to identify their personal values and interests and connect them to potential career paths, fostering a sense of purpose and direction in their career exploration journey.
Understanding personal values and interests is crucial for making fulfilling career choices. This lesson empowers students to explore careers that genuinely align with who they are, leading to greater job satisfaction and personal well-being in the future.
Audience
7th Grade Students
Time
75 minutes
Approach
Interactive activities, self-reflection, and a collaborative game will guide students.
Materials
Whiteboard or projector, The Blueprint of You, Values & Interests Inventory, Career Path Crossroads, Markers or pens, and Index cards or small slips of paper
Prep
Teacher Preparation
20 minutes
- Review all generated materials: Designing Your Future Self, The Blueprint of You, Values & Interests Inventory, and Career Path Crossroads.
- Prepare the projector/whiteboard for the slide deck.
- Print enough copies of the Values & Interests Inventory for each student.
- Prepare materials for the Career Path Crossroads (index cards with various career fields/jobs).
- Arrange seating to facilitate small group work and discussion for the game.
Step 1
Introduction & Hook: What Drives You?
10 minutes
- Begin with a captivating question: "What do you imagine 'Future You' doing?" (5 minutes)
- Introduce the concept of values and interests, using examples relevant to 7th graders (e.g., helping others, creativity, solving puzzles). (5 minutes)
- Use The Blueprint of You to set the stage.
Step 2
Values & Interests Inventory
20 minutes
- Distribute the Values & Interests Inventory. (2 minutes)
- Guide students through completing the worksheet, emphasizing honest self-reflection. (15 minutes)
- Facilitate a brief class discussion on common themes or surprising discoveries. (3 minutes)
- Encourage students to keep their worksheets for the next activity.
Step 3
Career Path Crossroads Game
30 minutes
- Introduce the Career Path Crossroads and explain the rules. (5 minutes)
- Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group). (2 minutes)
- Each group receives a set of career cards and their completed Values & Interests Inventory. (3 minutes)
- Students work collaboratively to match careers to hypothetical 'Future You' profiles based on values and interests. (15 minutes)
- Each group shares one interesting match and explains their reasoning. (5 minutes)
Step 4
Wrap-up & Reflection: Your Blueprint Ahead
15 minutes
- Bring the class back together for a final reflection. (5 minutes)
- Ask students: "How did exploring your values and interests change how you think about careers?" and "What's one new career you're curious about now?" (5 minutes)
- Conclude by reinforcing that career exploration is an ongoing journey and that understanding themselves is their most powerful tool.
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Slide Deck
Future You: What Will You Build?
What do you imagine 'Future You' doing?
Welcome students and introduce the exciting topic of imagining their future. Ask the hook question.
More Than Just a Job
It's about what makes you happy and fulfilled!
- Values: What's most important to you?
- Interests: What do you love to do?
Explain that careers aren't just about jobs, but about what makes them happy and fulfilled. Introduce the idea of personal values.
Your Values Compass
What truly matters to you?
- Helping others? (e.g., Doctor, Teacher)
- Creativity? (e.g., Artist, Designer)
- Solving problems? (e.g., Engineer, Detective)
- Working with animals? (e.g., Veterinarian, Zookeeper)
- Making a lot of money? (e.g., Business Owner, Financial Advisor)
- Learning new things? (e.g., Scientist, Researcher)
Provide clear examples of values. Encourage students to think about what truly matters to them.
Your Interest Explorer
What do you love to do or learn about?
- Sports? (e.g., Athlete, Coach)
- Video Games? (e.g., Game Developer, Coder)
- Reading? (e.g., Author, Librarian)
- Building things? (e.g., Architect, Carpenter)
- Music? (e.g., Musician, Music Producer)
- Animals? (e.g., Zoologist, Pet Groomer)
Provide clear examples of interests. Ask students to think about their hobbies and favorite subjects.
Your Personal Inventory
Time to discover more about YOU!
- We'll use the Values & Interests Inventory to explore.
- Be honest with yourself!
- There are no right or wrong answers.
Explain the purpose of the worksheet and how it connects to values and interests. Transition to the worksheet activity.
Career Path Crossroads
Let's play a game!
- Use your inventory to match yourself with different careers.
- Work with your group.
- Think about how values and interests guide choices.
Introduce the game and explain that it's about matching their discoveries to real-world careers. Emphasize collaboration.
Building Your Future
You are the architect of your own future!
- Understanding your values and interests is your superpower.
- Career exploration is an exciting journey.
- What will your blueprint look like?
Summarize the key takeaway: self-knowledge is power in career exploration. End on an encouraging note.
Worksheet
Values & Interests Inventory
Part 1: What Do You Value? (What's most important to you?)
Read each statement and circle the number that best describes how important it is to you.
1 = Not Important at All | 2 = A Little Important | 3 = Moderately Important | 4 = Very Important | 5 = Extremely Important
-
Helping others: Making a positive difference in people's lives.
1 2 3 4 5 -
Creativity: Expressing myself through art, writing, music, or new ideas.
1 2 3 4 5 -
Problem-solving: Figuring out solutions to difficult challenges.
1 2 3 4 5 -
Learning: Gaining new knowledge and skills constantly.
1 2 3 4 5 -
Adventure/Excitement: Having a job that is thrilling and unpredictable.
1 2 3 4 5 -
Stability/Security: Having a predictable job with steady income and benefits.
1 2 3 4 5 -
Making money: Earning a high salary.
1 2 3 4 5 -
Teamwork: Working closely with others to achieve a common goal.
1 2 3 4 5 -
Independence: Having control over my own work and decisions.
1 2 3 4 5 -
Community: Contributing to my local area or a specific group.
1 2 3 4 5
My Top 3 Values:
Part 2: What Are Your Interests? (What do you love to do or learn about?)
Check all the boxes that apply to you. Feel free to add your own!
Activities I Enjoy:
- Reading books/stories
- Playing video games
- Playing sports/being active
- Drawing/painting/creating art
- Writing stories/poems
- Building things (LEGOs, models, forts)
- Listening to music/playing an instrument
- Watching movies/TV shows
- Taking care of animals
- Spending time outdoors (hiking, biking, exploring)
- Cooking/baking
- Solving puzzles/mysteries
- Helping friends or family
- Learning about science/experiments
- Learning about history/different cultures
- Using computers/coding
- Debating/discussing ideas
- Organizing/planning things
- Working with my hands
Other Interests:
My Top 3 Interests:
Part 3: Connect the Dots!
Think about your top values and interests. How do you think they might connect to different types of jobs or careers? Write down a few ideas.
Example: If I value Helping Others and am interested in Animals, I might consider being a Veterinarian or an Animal Shelter Worker.
Game
Career Path Crossroads: What's Your Destiny?
Game Objective
To collaboratively match various career cards to hypothetical 'Future You' profiles based on identified values and interests, and to justify those connections.
Materials Needed (per group)
- Your completed Values & Interests Inventory
- One set of "Career Cards" (provided by teacher - see below for examples)
- One set of "Future You Profile" cards (provided by teacher - see below for examples)
- Pen/Pencil
How to Play
-
Form Your Team: Divide into small groups (3-4 students).
-
Review Your Inventory: Each student briefly shares their top 3 values and top 3 interests from their Values & Interests Inventory with their group.
-
Draw a Future You Profile: Each group draws one "Future You Profile" card. This card describes a fictional person's primary values and interests.
-
Explore Career Cards: Spread out the "Career Cards" face up on your table.
-
Matchmaking! As a group, discuss and choose three career cards that you think best align with the "Future You Profile" you drew.
- Discuss: Why do you think this career fits the profile? How do the values and interests of the profile connect to the career?
- Consider: What skills would be important in this career? How would someone with these values/interests thrive in this role?
-
Justify Your Choices: For each of the three chosen career cards, write down 1-2 sentences explaining why you chose it for that profile, referencing the values and interests.
-
Share with the Class: Each group will share their chosen "Future You Profile" and one of their career matches, explaining their reasoning.
Example Career Cards (Teacher will provide these on separate index cards or slips of paper)
- Architect: Designs buildings and spaces. (Creativity, Problem-solving, Working with hands)
- Veterinarian: Cares for sick and injured animals. (Helping others, Animals, Problem-solving)
- Software Engineer: Creates computer programs and apps. (Problem-solving, Learning, Using computers)
- Chef: Cooks and creates new dishes in a restaurant. (Creativity, Working with hands, Teamwork)
- Teacher: Educates students in various subjects. (Helping others, Learning, Community)
- Forest Ranger: Protects natural parks and wildlife. (Outdoors, Animals, Community)
- Journalist: Researches and writes news stories. (Learning, Writing, Problem-solving)
- Financial Advisor: Helps people manage their money. (Making money, Problem-solving, Helping others)
- Musician: Creates and performs music. (Creativity, Performing, Independence)
- Detective: Investigates crimes and solves mysteries. (Problem-solving, Learning, Adventure/Excitement)
Example Future You Profile Cards (Teacher will provide these on separate index cards or slips of paper)
Future You Profile 1
Top Values: Helping others, Community
Top Interests: Reading, Debating/discussing ideas
Future You Profile 2
Top Values: Creativity, Independence
Top Interests: Drawing/painting/creating art, Building things
Future You Profile 3
Top Values: Problem-solving, Learning
Top Interests: Using computers/coding, Solving puzzles/mysteries
Future You Profile 4
Top Values: Adventure/Excitement, Animals
Top Interests: Spending time outdoors, Taking care of animals
Future You Profile 5
Top Values: Stability/Security, Teamwork
Top Interests: Cooking/baking, Helping friends or family
Future You Profile 6
Top Values: Making money, Independence
Top Interests: Organizing/planning things, Debating/discussing ideas