Lesson Plan
Career Compass Journey
Students will identify their personal interests and connect them to potential career paths through self-assessment and interactive mapping activities, then articulate those connections in group discussions and an exit ticket.
Building self-awareness around interests helps students envision future career possibilities, fostering early career readiness and motivation for lifelong learning.
Audience
6th Grade Students
Time
50 minutes
Approach
Guided self-reflection and collaborative mapping activities
Materials
Mapping Your Interests Slide Deck, Interest-to-Career Match-Up Activity Sheet, Future Self Roundtable Discussion Guide, One Word Exit Ticket Form, Sticky Notes, Chart Paper and Markers, and Projector or Interactive Whiteboard
Prep
Teacher Prep
10 minutes
- Review Mapping Your Interests Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the flow of examples and questions
- Print copies of the Interest-to-Career Match-Up Activity Sheet for each student
- Prepare group stations with chart paper, markers, and the Future Self Roundtable Discussion Guide
- Print or set up digital access to the One Word Exit Ticket Form
- Test the projector or interactive whiteboard to ensure smooth slide transitions
Step 1
Career Compass Kickoff
5 minutes
- Project the first slide of the Mapping Your Interests Slide Deck with the question, “What do you love to do in your free time?”
- Ask students to think silently for 30 seconds, then share one interest with a partner (think-pair-share)
- Invite a few volunteers to share out loud and record key interests on chart paper
Step 2
Exploring Interests & Careers
10 minutes
- Continue the slide deck to define “interest” vs. “career” with clear student-friendly examples
- Model how an interest (e.g., drawing) can link to multiple careers (e.g., graphic designer, architect)
- Highlight 3–4 sample interest-career matches and ask comprehension questions
- Transition: explain that students will map their own interests next
Step 3
Mapping Your Interests
15 minutes
- Distribute the Interest-to-Career Match-Up Activity Sheet
- Instruct students to list 5–7 personal interests in the left column
- Then, use the right column to research or brainstorm 2–3 careers related to each interest
- Circulate to support students, prompting deeper thinking about each match
- After 10 minutes, invite a few students to briefly share an interesting pairing
Step 4
Future Self Roundtable
12 minutes
- Divide the class into small groups of 4–5
- Provide each group with chart paper and markers, along with the Future Self Roundtable Discussion Guide
- Instruct groups to discuss: “Which interest-career match surprised you most?” and “How might you explore this career further?”
- Have each group record main ideas on chart paper
- After 8 minutes, groups rotate and view another group’s chart, leaving positive feedback
Step 5
One Word Exit Ticket
8 minutes
- Pass out the One Word Exit Ticket Form and a sticky note to each student
- Prompt: “In one word, describe how you feel about your career exploration today.”
- Students write their word on the form and on the sticky note add a brief reason (1–2 sentences)
- Collect forms as students exit the room to gauge understanding and feelings
Slide Deck
Mapping Your Interests
Discover how what you love to do connects to real-world careers.
Welcome everyone! Today we’ll learn how our personal interests can guide us toward future careers. Use this slide deck to lead students through definitions, examples, and hands-on mapping.
What Do You Love to Do?
• Think quietly: What are your top hobbies or activities?
• Jot down at least one interest.
Hook: Project this slide and ask students to think silently for 30 seconds about what they love doing. Then prompt a quick share with a partner.
Interest vs. Career
Interest: An activity or topic that you enjoy doing.
Career: A job or profession you train for and do over many years.
Define key terms. Read each definition aloud, invite students to offer examples from their lives.
Mapping Example
Interest: Drawing
Possible Careers:
• Graphic Designer
• Architect
• Illustrator
Model mapping: Walk through this example on the board. Explain how one interest can lead to multiple careers.
Your Turn: List Your Interests
- On your sheet, write 5–7 interests in the left column.
- In the right column, list 2–3 careers related to each interest.
Explain the upcoming activity. Encourage students to list 5–7 interests and brainstorm 2–3 careers each.
Think-Pair-Share
• Share one interest from your list.
• Tell your partner a career you matched to it.
• Discuss why that career fits.
After students fill their sheets, prompt them to share one interest-career pair with a partner. Circulate and listen for creative matches.
Next Up: Future Self Roundtable
In groups, discuss:
• Which pairing surprised you most?
• How could you learn more about that career?
Then record your ideas on chart paper.
Transition to the Future Self Roundtable. Explain that small groups will discuss surprising matches and explore further career research.
Activity
Interest-to-Career Match-Up Activity Sheet
Instructions:
- In the table below, list 5–7 of your personal interests in the My Interest column.
- For each interest, brainstorm 2–3 careers that relate to it in the Related Careers column.
- In the Why does this career match your interest? column, explain why each career fits your interest.
| My Interest | Related Careers (2–3) | Why does this career match your interest? |
|---|---|---|
Reflection Questions
- Which interest-career pairing surprised you the most? Explain your answer below.
- What is one action you could take to explore a career that interests you further? Describe your plan.
Discussion
Future Self Roundtable Discussion Guide
Purpose: In small groups, students will dive deeper into their interest-career matches, practice collaborative discussion, and identify concrete next steps toward career exploration.
Group Roles (rotate as needed)
- Facilitator: Keeps discussion on track and reads each prompt aloud.
- Recorder: Writes main ideas and responses on chart paper.
- Timekeeper: Ensures each question gets adequate discussion time (about 2–3 minutes each).
- Encourager: Invites quieter group members to share and praises contributions.
- Presenter: Summarizes the group’s ideas when sharing out with the class.
Discussion Prompts
-
Surprising Matches
Which interest-career pairing surprised your group the most? Why?
-
Deepen Your Understanding
What questions would you ask or what research would you do to learn more about this career?
-
Skill Connections
What skills, classes, or experiences do you think are important for someone in this career?
-
Next Steps
What is one specific action you and group members could take within the next week to explore this career (e.g., interview a professional, watch a video, read an article)?
Reflection & Feedback
- When time is up, the Presenter shares key points from your discussion with the class.
- Rotate to another group’s chart and use a sticky dot or star sticker to leave positive feedback or an encouraging question.
Tip: Listen actively to other groups’ ideas—someone might spark a new career exploration plan for you!
Cool Down
One Word Exit Ticket
Instructions:
- On the line below, write one word that best describes how you feel about your career exploration today.
- In 1–2 sentences, explain why you chose that word.