Career Awareness, Exploration, and Planning
Activity 1: Which Occupations Would Suit My Interests?
Foundational Objectives:
Awareness and knowledge of different occupations and skills needed to access, understand and use occupational information.
Awareness of self and knowledge of the value of a positive self-concept.
Learning Objectives:
The student will:
C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS, TL
Materials:
Time: Two - three class periods.
Activity:
Additional Activities:
What's My Line - One student thinks of an occupation. Other members of the class can ask questions to try to discover his/her occupation. The person being asked may only answer "yes" or "no". The first person to discover the occupation thinks of another occupation. Here are some sample questions:
(a) Do you often travel?
(b) Do you work for a government agency?
(c) Do you wear a uniform?
(d) Do you work with machines?
(e) Do you work outside?
(f) Did you have to graduate from university to practise your occupation?
Evaluation:
Resources:
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A. Choose an occupation from the list to match each of these phrases.
1. looking after other people's accounts ___________________.
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Occupational Interests (continued) B. List three occupations for each of the following categories. For example:
1. Involves people: ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Involves data: _____________________________________________________________________ 3. Involves things: ____________________________________________________________________ 4. Includes mostly heavy physical work: ___________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Includes mostly light physical work: _____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Includes both heavy and light physical work: _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Is done mostly outdoors: _____________________________________________________________ 8. Is done mostly indoors: ______________________________________________________________ 9. Is done both indoors and outdoors: _____________________________________________________ C. Complete the following statements. 1. The three occupations from part B that I am most interested in are: __________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Three other occupations that I am interested in are: __________________________________________________________________________________ |
Source: One step at a time, Educational and Career Explorations, Intermediate Division, Ministry of Education, Ontario, 1984.
Activity 2: Who Can Work Here?
Foundational Objective: Awareness of and knowledge about changing gender roles.
Learning Objectives:
The student will:
C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS
Materials:
Time: Three class periods.
Background Information:
"One of your major roles is your role as a man or a woman. Years ago, society had a pretty strict definition of these roles. Boys were expected to be very masculine. They played with toy trucks and cars, participated in contact sports, and probably studied maths, sciences, and industrial arts. When they grew up and married they were expected to be the breadwinners and the head of the family.
Girls, on the other hand, played with dolls, played "house", perhaps became a cheerleader, and studied English, languages, and typing. When they grew up, they might work for a couple of years as a nurse, secretary, or teacher. However, when they married they quit work to devote their lives to their families.
All these stereotypes have changed, particularly for girls. Organized athletics for girls are a major part of every school and every community. Girls are studying subjects such as auto mechanics, electronics, and computer sciences. Young men can be found in such occupations as nursing, early childhood education, and fashion design. Young women are increasingly entering fields such as architecture, engineering, carpentry and business management.
Consider these facts. Today, married women, with children, can expect to work at least 25 years outside of the home. Even if a young woman decides to stay home to raise her children, she will probably have 5-10 years of work before starting her family and 15-20 years of work after her children have left home. However the number of years a woman works will probably be much longer. In 1981, about 75% of the women aged 20-45 were working outside of the home.
Unfortunately, the average income for a family headed by a woman is only about $15,000 while for a family headed by a man, the average income is almost $30,000, nearly twice as much.
That happens because traditionally female jobs in clerical, sales, and service occupations are low paying. At the present time, between 40% and 50% of working women are single, widowed, or divorced. These women have gone back to work often at low paying jobs. But another statistic tells us that because of computers, these low paying jobs will decrease in number by 35%.
Remember, all careers are open to both sexes. You are not confined to a particular career simply because of birth. What is important is your interests and abilities, not your sex" (Collins, Marv et al., 1985, pg 69).
Activity:
(a) Girls are often encouraged to enter occupations such as ____________________ (a nurse, a secretary, a nursery school teacher, etc.).
(b) Boys are often encouraged to enter occupations such as ____________________ (an engineer, a truck driver, a dentist, etc.).
Men should be bus drivers.
Women should be secretaries.
Women are weak and are only capable of doing light work.
Men are strong and should therefore be responsible for heavy work.
(b) Ask students whether they agree or disagree with these statements and why. Discuss the limiting effects of sex-role stereotyping on career decisions.
(a) What are some of the jobs traditionally done by women and by men?
(b) For what reasons are women concentrated in certain occupational fields and men in
others?
(c) How do you feel about men becoming nurses, kindergarten teachers, or secretaries and women becoming bus drivers, construction workers, or engineers?
(d) Are men and women capable of doing the same work? Discuss the reasons behind the answers.
(e) What are some of the fears that both men and women have when they select non-traditional careers?
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fireman steward, stewardess policeman, policewoman mailman, postman delivery boy man's achievement manpower businessman's lunch a ten-man committee man-made the best man for the job |
firefighter flight attendant police officer letter carrier, postal worker messenger, courier human achievement human resources, labour force business lunch a ten-member committee manufactured, handmade, machine made, artificial the best person for the job |
(a)Should women who have children work outside the home?
(b)Should men and women share equally in such household chores as doing the laundry, painting, preparing meals, looking after children, cleaning and mowing the lawn?
(c) Do most men like having their wives work outside the home?
(d)Do most women work so they can buy `extras' for themselves, their homes, and their families?
(e) Does everyone want to get married some day?
(f) Should men earn more money than women?
(g) Should everyone - man or woman - be allowed to do whatever kind of work he/she chooses?
(h) Do men and women work for the same reasons?
Additional Activities:
Culture and Sex-Role Stereotyping - Ask students to investigate the occupational roles of men and women in other cultures. Students should understand that the definitions of male and female roles are culturally determined.
Language and Sex-Role Stereotyping - Ask students to investigate changes in the language used to describe certain occupations or achievements. Discuss the positive effects that the changes would have on career decisions (e.g., chairman - chair or chairperson).
Collage - Have students collect newspaper articles and photographs of men and women in non-traditional careers and make a collage on the bulletin board with the material.
Evaluation:
Resources:
Sources: One step at a time, Educational and Career Explorations, Intermediate Division, Ministry of Education, Ontario, 1984.
Junior high school career guidance, New Brunswick Department of Education, 1988.
Activity 3: Let's Plan A Career Day
Foundational Objective: Awareness and knowledge of occupations and the skills to access, understand, and use occupational information.
Learning Objectives:
The student will:
C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS, TL
Materials:
Time: Two or three class periods.
Activity:
Additional Activities:
Computer Search - If a computer career package is available to students in the school, have students search occupations using the computer.
Evaluation:
Resources:
Adapted from One step at a time, Educational and Career Explorations, Intermediate Division, Ministry of Education, Ontario, 1984.
Activity 4: I Want To Be An Entrepreneur
Foundational Objective: Awareness and knowledge of occupations and the skills needed to access, understand and use occupational information.
Learning Objectives:
The student will:
C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS
Materials:
Time: Two class periods.
Background Information:
Entrepreneurs are people who have the vision to see opportunities that others have not identified and the initiative to act upon those opportunities by using their resources to create new ventures. Entrepreneurs bring together the resources of labour, natural resources and money in order to address a need, want or problem in an innovative way. They are willing to take controlled risks in order to create an occupation and a lifestyle that offers personal satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.
Most entrepreneurs begin their occupations when they recognize a gap in the delivery of a product or service. Sometimes they see a need for a product or service in their community and take the initiative to meet that need. For example, a successful business venture that rents maternity clothes developed out of the recognition that most mothers-to-be cannot afford to buy a complete new wardrobe.
In other cases, entrepreneurs recognize an opportunity; they see new customers that no one else has identified. For example, an entrepreneur might recognize that most elementary and high school students have some knowledge of French and so see potential customers for French teen magazines and rock videos.
Some entrepreneurs have the creativity and imagination to develop an entirely new product. Some computer hardware and software falls into this category and so do games such as Trivial Pursuit. Still other entrepreneurs package an old product or service in a new way to make it more appealing to consumers. Dial-a-Sandwich services and restaurants that encourage offices to order by fax are two examples of this type of entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurs may see an opportunity or need within the organization they work for. They may use resources effectively to satisfy that need. For example, a government employee may discover that the public has difficulty understanding pamphlets and forms. That employee may decide to launch a campaign to encourage all employees to use Clear Language.
Sometimes an entrepreneur will see an opportunity that will benefit others. One man organized a courier service which employed Street Kids. The service benefited from their knowledge of the city. In turn the young people learned to read and write and had gainful employment.
Every community has entrepreneurs. Retail business people and people who sell services such as insurance or auto maintenance are the most obvious examples. But there are other types of entrepreneurs as well. Each person who operates a booth at the farmers' market is an entrepreneur in a small way; so is the person who sells plants from a backyard greenhouse, who does dressmaking for others, and who sells homebaking on a regular basis. The range of existing and potential entrepreneurial ventures is very broad indeed.
More than 17% of all new businesses are started by people under 24 years of age.
Activity:
Additional Activities:
Bulletin Board - Have students design a bulletin board about entrepreneurs.
Collage - Have students construct a collage with newspaper and magazine pictures of entrepreneurs.
Visit a local entrepreneur and conduct an interview about developing a business.
Resources:
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Box 7626
Saskatoon, SK S7K 4R4
Saskatchewan Economic Development
7th Floor, Ramada Inn
1919 Saskatchewan Drive
Regina, SK S4P 3V7
Junior Achievement
Bayside Center
222 - 255 2nd Ave. N.
Saskatoon, SK S7K 2B7
Adapted from Project real world module IV, Federal/Provincial Publication, Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment, 1986.
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Traits of the Entrepreneur E N T R E P R E N E U R |
Activity 5: Jobs That Require Cooperative Efforts
Foundational Objectives:
Awareness and knowledge of occupations.
Awareness and knowledge of the interrelationship of life roles.
Awareness of the value of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to interact successfully with others.
Learning Objective:
The student will:
C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS
Materials:
Time: One class period.
Background Information:
Activities that develop concepts of cooperation can benefit students in many ways. Students may see that cooperative work is effective in many situations, thus helping students to develop patience, empathy and open mindedness, and to learn important ways of problem solving through exploring group dynamics. The enrichment of ideas and approaches that students experience through interaction with others will also help them in their future jobs.
Activity:
Cooperation is.....
Additional Activities:
Interview people from cooperative organizations (both employees and elected officials) to get a better sense of how important cooperation is to the functioning of these organizations.
Interview people in various occupations in the community and ask them how they work cooperatively.
Evaluation:
The students will identify ten ways individuals work cooperatively together in various occupations.
Resources:
Activity 6: Volunteer Work and Leisure Time Activities
Foundational Objectives:
Awareness and knowledge of the interrelationships of life roles.
Awareness of change and knowledge and skills needed to cope with life transitions.
Learning Objectives:
The student will:
C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, PSVS, NUM
Materials:
Time: One - two class periods.
Activity:
One group of people who often downplay their transferable skills are women who have been out of the work force for a number of years while their children were of pre-school age. In a class activity, have the students make a "mega-list" of all the transferable skills that such a woman might have. Student answers might include:
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(a) Make a list of the values of volunteer work for the teenager. Include testing of job skills and interests.
(b) Using a real estate map of your school area, draw a circle approximately one kilometre in radius from the school. What types of volunteer work -- either presently existing or self-initiated --might be possible in just this short distance from school. Brainstorm the possibilities!
Additional Activities:
Students could plan a volunteer project for the school or community.
Students could design a brochure showing all volunteer and leisure activities they are involved in.
Evaluation:
Resources:
Adapted from Health and personal life skills, Junior High School, Alberta Education, 1987.
Activity 7: Factors That Influence Occupational Choice
Foundational Objectives:
Awareness and understanding of the life career concept.
Awareness and knowledge of the career planning process.
Learning Objectives:
The student will:
C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, PSVS,
Materials:
Time: One class period.
Activity:
Additional Activities:
Write and illustrate a story, poem, cartoon, or song about roles, lifestyles, and occupational choices.
Write a poem or story about members in society who for various reasons do not have the same opportunities as other people (i.e., handicapped, economically disadvantaged, place of residence such as in a war torn country).
Evaluation:
Resources:
Adapted from Developmental guidance classroom activities, Vocational Studies Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1991.
Activity 8: Career Development Record
Foundational Objectives:
Awareness and understanding of the career planning process.
Awareness of change and knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to cope with life transitions.
Learning Objectives:
The student will:
C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, PSVS
Materials:
Time: One class period.
Activity:
I learned that ...
Teachers may wish to plan a fun activity to acknowledge the success of the students' career development progress this year.
Evaluation:
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Career Development Record - Grade 6 Student's Name: _________________________________ Date: _________________ High Interest Subjects: ____________________________________________________________ Low Interest Subjects: ____________________________________________________________
Achievements: __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Hobbies/Interests: _______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Wants to be a: __________________________________________________________________ Career interest inventories taken: (Refer to Activity 2 - Module 1) ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Inventories show preference for: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Comments: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ |
Source: Developmental Guidance Classroom Activities, Vocational Guidance Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1991. Reprinted with permission.
Grade 7 Module: Career Awareness, Exploration, and Planning
Handout No. 3 "Career Development Record"