Real Career Quest Reading Passage

Imagine your future. People work in many jobs. Some help others. Some build things. Some cook food. Read about these five cool careers. Think about which one sounds fun to you!

Teacher

A teacher helps students learn new things. They plan lessons, read stories, and answer questions. Teachers work in schools and help students grow.

Veterinarian

A veterinarian cares for animals. They check pets’ health, give shots, and fix broken bones. Veterinarians work in clinics or zoos to help animals feel better.

Chef

A chef cooks yummy meals in restaurants or bakeries. They choose recipes, chop vegetables, and mix flavors. Chefs work with a team to serve tasty dishes to people.

Engineer

An engineer solves problems using math and science. They design bridges, cars, or computer programs. Engineers plan, test, and build things that help our world move forward.

Firefighter

A firefighter saves lives and property. They put out fires, rescue people, and give first aid. Firefighters train hard and work at a fire station to keep communities safe.

Underline any words you do not know.
Which career sounds most exciting to you? Be ready to share why!

Career Discussion

Objective

Help students dive deeper into the five careers from the reading. Encourage them to connect each job to their own interests, skills, and questions.

Group Setup

• Groups of 3–4 students
• Assign roles: Speaker, Recorder, and Reporter
• Discussion time: 5 minutes

Discussion Guidelines

• Listen respectfully when others speak.
• Speak clearly and share your thoughts.
• Build on each other’s ideas.

Discussion Prompts

1. Vocabulary Check (1 minute)

   • Share one word you underlined from the reading.
   • What do you think it means? How did you figure it out?

2. Career Connections (2 minutes)

   • Which career (Teacher, Veterinarian, Chef, Engineer, Firefighter) stood out to you most?
   • Why did it catch your attention?
   • What skills or qualities would someone need for that job?

3. A Day in the Life (1 minute)

   • Imagine you have that job for one day.
   • What tasks would you do first?
   • Who would you work with or help?

4. Ask & Explore (1 minute)

   • What questions do you still have about this career?
   • How could you find answers? (e.g., talk to someone, watch a video, read more)

Reporter Share-Out (1 minute)

Each group’s Reporter shares:

• The career you chose and one reason why.
• One question you’d like to explore next.

Teacher Tip: Use follow-up questions such as “Can you tell me more about that?” or “What part of the reading made you think that?” to deepen the conversation. Feel free to reassign roles or combine questions if your group finishes early.

Career Match-Up Cards

Instructions:

• Print and cut along the lines so each card stands alone.
• There are two types of cards: Career Title Cards and Job Description Cards.
• Shuffle both sets together. Students work in small groups to match each title card with its correct description.

Career Title Cards (5 cards)

• Teacher
• Veterinarian
• Chef
• Engineer
• Firefighter

Job Description Cards (5 cards)

• Helps students learn new things by planning lessons, reading stories, and answering questions.
• Cares for animals by checking pets’ health, giving shots, and fixing broken bones in clinics or zoos.
• Cooks yummy meals by choosing recipes, chopping vegetables, and mixing flavors in restaurants or bakeries.
• Solves problems using math and science to design bridges, cars, or computer programs.
• Saves lives and property by putting out fires, rescuing people, and giving first aid from a fire station.

Career Reflection Worksheet

Use what you learned from the Real Career Quest Reading Passage, the group discussion, and the Career Match-Up Cards game to answer the questions below. Be honest and thoughtful in your responses!

1. Which career interested you the most today? Explain why this career stands out to you.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What skills, education, or training do you think you would need for this career? List at least two and explain.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. What is one question you still have about this career? How could you find the answer? (For example: talk to a family member, watch a video, do an online search, read a book.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. What is one action step you can take this week to learn more about your chosen career? Be specific (for example: interview someone, visit a website, read an article, draw a picture of your dream job).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. Imagine yourself working in this career ten years from now. Describe a typical day in that job. Use at least three sentences.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Turn in this worksheet to your teacher when you have completed all questions.