Self-Awareness

Activity 1: All About Me

Foundational Objectives:

Awareness and understanding of the life career concept.
Awareness of self.

Learning Objectives:

The student will:

• describe the various roles an individual may have as part of one's life career.
• identify personal qualities and events that have influenced his/her self-concept.
• complete a personal inventory.

C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS

Materials:

• student journals
• handout No. 1 "Personal Inventory"
• chalk
• student notebooks
• paper
• markers or crayons
• magazines
• scissors
• chalkboard

Time: Two - three class periods.

Activity:

1. Review Life Career Concept (refer to Self-awareness Activity 1, Career Guidance 6, page 602).

2. On the board list the four major sources of information about self and areas within each.

   Personal Characteristics needs skills and abilities interests health values personality

   Home place of residence neighbourhood family culture

   Leisure friends sports hobbies other activities

   Work part-time jobs chores how you spend money

3. Have students complete handout No. 1 "Personal Inventory" in their notebooks.

4. Divide students into small groups to share their "personal inventories".

5. Using the four categories have students design a self-portrait using one of the following:
   a) a concept web of their personal portrait.
   b) a collage of their personal portrait.
   c) a book of cartoons depicting their personal portraits.

6. Role Playing - Have students role play various characteristics, events, and roles in their lives.

Additional Activities:

Students may construct a collage, mobile or banner depicting their lives.

Evaluation:

See Appendix C for sample group assessment forms.

Resources:

For printing and copying this template Requires Acrobat Reader (click on the table title)

Grade 7 Goal: Self-Awareness
Handout No. 1 "Personal Inventory"

Source: Making career decisions by Collins, Studd and Wallace. Copyright 1984. Used by permission of Nelson Canada, A Division of Thomson Canada Limited.

Grade 7 Goal: Self-Awareness
Handout No. 1 "Personal Inventory"

Activity 2: Relating My Interests and Activities

Foundational Objective: Awareness of self and knowledge of the value of a positive self-concept.

Learning Objectives:

The student will:

• identify personal interests, abilities, strengths and weaknesses and how they relate to careers.
• define the following terms: interests, and leisure (see Glossary of Terms in Appendix A).

C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS

Materials:

• pencil or pen
• handout No. 2 "Interest Profile"

Time: Two class periods.

Activity:

1. Review and discuss the meaning of interests and leisure and know it might relate to an occupational choice.

2. Have students complete handout No. 2 "Interest Profile." Tell students that they should be prepared to support their choices. Collect the profiles all at once and in such a manner that they can be easily redistributed to the students later on during the period. If some students finish earlier, suggest they try to add to the list of related jobs in each category.

3. Role Playing Activities: In small groups have students select interests and activities that relate to various occupations and role play in the large group. Students should be encouraged to be creative.

4. Collage: In small groups have students construct a collage of activities involved in various occupations. (Students may choose to construct posters to display in the classroom instead).

5. Return the first handout to students and ask them to check for consistencies and/or inconsistencies between what they think they like or dislike and what they actually do (participation) in each interest area. (Students may exchange sheets with a classmate to do this.)

6. As a wind up activity have students discuss how interests and activities relate to occupations.

Evaluation:

Resources:















For printing and copying this template Requires Acrobat Reader (click on the table title)

Grade 7 Module: Self-Awareness
Handout No. 2 "Interest Profile"

Source: One step at a time, Educational and Career Explorations, Intermediate Division, Ministry of Education, Ontario, 1984.

Grade 7 Module: Self-Awareness
Handout No. 2 "Interest Profile"

Activity 3: My Qualities

Foundational Objective: Awareness of self and knowledge of the value of a positive self-concept.

Learning Objectives:

The student will:

• identify personal qualities and events that have influenced his/her self-concept.
• write an autobiography describing an event.
• demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between personality and occupational goals.
• demonstrate his/her ability to work in a group effectively.

C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS

Materials:

• student journals
• handout No. 3 "Important Qualities"

Time: Two class periods.

Background Information:

Refer to background information Career Guidance 6, Self-awareness Activity 2,

Activity:

1. Distribute copies of the handout "Important Qualities" and ask students to complete it.

2. Divide the class into small groups. Ask students to name three characteristics that are important to them, explain why they chose them, and suggest an occupation that might be appropriate for a person with those three qualities.

3. Autobiography - Have students imagine the following situation and write a short autobiography in their journals. Students may wish to share in small groups.

   You have just been nominated for the Saskatchewan Junior Citizen of the Year Award for saving a young child from burning in a house fire. A local newspaper reporter telephones you and asks you for a short description of yourself and your activities. What will you say?

4. Have students share their autobiography on a volunteer basis.

5. Open-ended Statements - Print or type statements such as the sample ones listed below on cards. You may wish to make up statements that are directly applicable to your students. (To be done in small groups).

              I get frustrated when ...
              One thing that makes me very angry is ...
              When I get angry I ...
              Honesty is ...
              A good student is one who ...
              The thing that I like most about my parents/brothers/sisters is ...
              I am happiest when I ...
              I often wish ...
              I'd like my friends to ...
              My best subject at school is ...
              Something that makes me afraid is ...
              My favourite colour/sport/food is ...
              When I participate in ... I wish....

   Have the students sit in a circle if possible and place the cards face down in the middle of the circle. A volunteer chooses a card and completes the statement. If a student does not wish to complete the statement chosen, he/she may choose another card. Other students may offer their own opinions or suggestions in a positive manner. Repeat the procedure with another volunteer. This activity will increase students' awareness of their own and others' feelings. The activity can also be done in small groups.

6. Have students also share how these personal activities relate to the area occupations.

7. As a wind up activity have students complete the following statement in their journals:
   I learned that I ...

Additional Activities:

Autobiography - Students can read an autobiography about a famous person who has had an impact on society. Discuss the qualities of this person. Share a summary of the person's life with the rest of the class.

Evaluation:

See Appendix C for sample group assessment forms.

Resources:













For printing and copying this template Requires Acrobat Reader (click on the table title)

Source: Junior high school career guidance, New Brunswick Department of Education, 1988.

Grade 7 Module: Self-Awareness
Handout No. 3 "Important Qualities"

Activity 4: Getting to Know You

Foundational Objectives:

Awareness of the value of others and skills to interact.
Awareness of the life career concept.

Learning Objectives:

The student will:

• identify and state characteristics of other class members.
• describe knowledge and skills required to fulfil different life career roles.
• demonstrate his/her ability to work effectively in a group.

C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, PSVS

Materials:

• pencil
• handout No. 4 "Getting to Know You Interview Form"

Time: One - two class periods.

Activity:

1. Have students pair up with a student they do not know well and have each student interview the other, referring to the items on the handout "Getting to Know You Interview Form".

2. Have students pretend to be the person they just interviewed and introduce themselves to the rest of the class. A microphone could be used for this activity, if possible.

3. After all students have had an opportunity to introduce the person they interviewed, ask them to discuss how difficult it is to pretend they are someone else.

4. Divide students into small groups and have them respond to the following statement:
   All individuals have skills that can contribute to society ...

   Brainstorm a list of skills that students in the classroom know that contribute to society.

5. Share responses with large group.

Additional Activities:

1. Have students interview each other in a TV Talk Show.

2. Invite a group of local business people into the classroom for a panel discussion. Ensure a balance of gender, age and culture among the presenters.

3. As a class, students can develop a list of qualities (1) for friendships (2) at school (3) family members (4) on the job.

Evaluation: See Appendix C for sample group assessment forms.

For printing and copying this template Requires Acrobat Reader (click on the table title)

Source: Developmental guidance classroom activities, Vocational Studies Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1991. Reprinted with permission.

Grade 7 Module: Self-Awareness
Handout No. 6 Getting to Know You Interview Form