lenny

What’s Your Path?

user image

Lesson Plan

What’s Your Path? Lesson Plan

Students will identify their personal interests and strengths, explore potential college majors and career paths, and articulate at least three options aligned with their profiles.

This lesson fosters self-awareness, guiding seniors to connect their passions and skills with academic and career choices, supporting informed post-secondary decisions.

Audience

12th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Guided self-reflection and research through structured worksheets and collaborative discussion.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

  • Print enough copies of What’s Your Path? Worksheet for each student
  • Arrange devices for online research and ensure internet access
  • Review worksheet instructions and example responses

Step 1

Introduction

5 minutes

  • Explain the lesson’s purpose: mapping interests and strengths to college majors and careers
  • Highlight learning goals and expected outcomes

Step 2

Interest Exploration

10 minutes

  • Students complete the 'Interests' section on What’s Your Path? Worksheet, listing five activities or topics they enjoy
  • Encourage reflection on why each interest is meaningful

Step 3

Strengths Assessment

5 minutes

  • Students fill in the 'Strengths' section, identifying skills and personal qualities
  • Prompt them to draw on past successes and feedback from peers or teachers

Step 4

Major and Career Research

5 minutes

  • Using devices, students research at least three college majors or career fields linked to their interests and strengths
  • Record fields, potential institutions, and key responsibilities in the worksheet

Step 5

Share and Reflect

5 minutes

  • Students pair up to share their top three paths and reasoning
  • Facilitate a whole-class debrief on insights, surprises, and next steps for deeper exploration
lenny

Worksheet

What’s Your Path? Worksheet

Section 1: Interests

List five activities or topics you enjoy and briefly explain why each is meaningful to you.

#Interest/ActivityWhy It’s Meaningful
1______________________________________________________________

2______________________________________________________________

3______________________________________________________________

4______________________________________________________________

5______________________________________________________________

Section 2: Strengths

Identify five of your skills or personal qualities and note an example or feedback source that highlights each strength.

#Strength/SkillExample or Feedback Source
1______________________________________________________________

2______________________________________________________________

3______________________________________________________________

4______________________________________________________________

5______________________________________________________________

Section 3: Potential Majors & Careers

Research at least three college majors or career fields that relate to your interests and strengths. For each, fill in the details below.

#Major/Career FieldKey Responsibilities/ActivitiesHow It Connects to My Interests & Strengths
1______________________________________________________________

_______________________________

2______________________________________________________________

_______________________________

3______________________________________________________________

_______________________________

Section 4: Reflection & Next Steps

  1. My top 3 paths to explore further are:

    1. ___________________________________

    2. ___________________________________

    3. ___________________________________

  2. How do these options align with my values and long-term goals?










  3. Next steps I will take (e.g., informational interviews, college visits, connecting with mentors):










lenny
lenny

Slide Deck

What’s Your Path?

A guided activity to help you identify what you enjoy, recognize your strengths, and explore potential college majors or career fields.

Welcome students! Introduce the activity and explain that today they’ll begin mapping their interests and strengths to future college majors and careers.

Today’s Objectives

• Identify your personal interests and strengths
• Research related college majors and career fields
• Articulate at least three potential pathways aligned with your profile

Read through each objective to ensure clarity. Ask if any terms need explanation.

Worksheet Overview

We’ll use the What’s Your Path? Worksheet, which includes:

  1. Interests
  2. Strengths
  3. Potential Majors & Careers
  4. Reflection & Next Steps

Briefly walk through the four sections of the worksheet so students know what to expect.

Section 1: Interests

• List five activities or topics you enjoy
• For each, briefly explain why it’s meaningful
Time: 10 minutes

Guide students as they work—prompt them to think about why each interest matters to them.

Section 2: Strengths

• Identify five skills or personal qualities
• Note an example or feedback source that highlights each strength
Time: 5 minutes

Encourage concrete examples: feedback from teachers, awards, or personal successes.

Section 3: Potential Majors & Careers

• Research three majors or career fields related to your interests and strengths
• Record key responsibilities and how each connects to you
Time: 5 minutes

Remind students to use reliable sources—college websites, career profiles, etc.

Section 4: Reflection & Next Steps

• Select your top 3 paths to explore further
• Reflect on alignment with your values and long-term goals
• List next steps (e.g., interviews, visits, mentors)
Time: 5 minutes

Stress that planning next steps makes exploration actionable.

Example Path

Interest: Photography (creative expression)
Strength: Visual storytelling (feedback from art teacher)
Major/Career: Graphic Design (create visual content)
Connection: Combines creativity and technical skill
Next Step: Shadow a local designer

Share this as a concrete example; encourage questions before they start their own work.

Share & Discuss

• Pair up and share your top 3 paths and reasoning
• After 5 minutes, we’ll debrief as a class: insights & surprises

Monitor pairs and listen in; later, highlight notable insights for the whole class.

Wrap-Up & Homework

• Complete any unfinished worksheet sections.
• Schedule at least one informational interview or campus visit.
• Reflect on your findings in your career journal.

Assign any unfinished work and remind students of upcoming deadlines for interviews or visits.

lenny