GUIDANCE CURRICULUM

GUIDANCE :: ELEMENTARY CAREER DEVELOPMENT

ELEMENTARY CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions

Competency Areas

• Develop Career Awareness
• Develop Employment Readiness

Employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.

Competency Areas

• Acquire Career Information
• Identify Career Goals

Understand the relationship between personal qualities, education and training, and the world of work.

Competency Areas

• Acquire Knowledge to Achieve Career Goals
• Apply Skills to Achieve Career Goals

Key Connections:

NCESAC: Provide a framework and structure for the career development process. The Guidelines identify the competencies at each level of elementary,middle, high school and adult development that individuals need to master. These competencies are supplemented with statements of what individuals will be able to do when they have mastered the Competency. They are called indicators. The competencies and indicators are divided into three areas: self-knowledge, educational and occupational exploration and career planning.

School-to-Work Opportunities Act (NC JobReady): A system that provides opportunities for all students to participate in programs to increase students' basic competencies, employability and personal skills. Schools develop programs in conjunction with community partners that are School Based, Work Based, and Community Connected.

College Tech Prep/Tech Prep: College Tech Prep Completers (4 years of high school technical and academic studies + 2 years of Community College technical studies leading to an associate degree).

Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS): These competencies, developed by employers nationwide, specify the skills needed to be successful in the workplace. There are 27 SCANS skills divided into two categories: Foundation skills and Functional skills.

BENCHMARKS

Competency Area: ____Academic ____Career ____Personal/Social

Establish a benchmark for a specific student objective. In collaboration with your planning team design benchmarks that support your school
improvement/safe schools plan.

Competency:

Student Objective:	Benchmark: End of Grade 2	Benchmark: End of Grade 3	Benchmark: End of Grade 5

LESSONS

CURRICULUM: SCHOOL COUNSELING
AREA: CAREER DEVELOPMENT

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.01 Document the variety of traditional and nontraditional occupations.

3

Students will explore and identify 5-6 occupations based on creative construction of community helper "faces".

Poster paper/board or paper plates, scissors, crayons

• Each student will construct an outline of a family member, school person, or community worker on a piece of poster paper or paper plate. The face will be cut out.
• When students finish constructing their community helper, the teacher collects them.
• Student volunteers come up individually. Volunteer closes his/her eyes while one of the poster "faces" is fitted onto their face.
• Students in the class must give the student 3 hints and the volunteer must guess which community helper he/she is representing.

Extension: Make the point that any career is open to both male and female.

Offer resources to teacher about job classifications, resources on non-traditional careers, research on girls in technical fields, etc., Internet site links.

Discuss your career pathway with your child, including careers that in the past were open only to one gender.

Support school site visits to illustrate men and women in non-traditional careers. Emphasize skills needed.

Students can identify several career options of interest.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.02 Develop an awareness of personal abilities, skills, interests, and motivation.

4

Students will listen to a book about being unique. They will discuss how people are both similar and different and relate their unique and common traits.

RESOURCE: Leo the Late Bloomer, Leo Lionni

• Read the book and discuss the characteristics of the character, Leo, in the book. How was he different? How was he like the other characters in the book?
• Model/discuss ways people can be alike/different. Why is it a good thing that everyone is not alike? Can we learn new things from people who have different interests? How?
• Ask students to brainstorm their own likenesses and differences to others in positive ways. Model this first.

Provide resources or counseling as needed to students who are troubled by these concepts.

Highlight similarities and differences among adults in the child's world and the positive benefits of differences.

Point out community events such as festivals that celebrate similarities and differences among community groups.

Students report on similarities and differences between themselves and three classmates.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.03 Demonstrate how to interact and work cooperatively in teams.

3

After reading a story, students will discuss sharing and the emotions associated with cooperation.

RESOURCE: Rainbow Fish, Marcus Pfister (Good book about sharing)

• Read the book to students.
• Ask students to describe the idea of sharing during sharing time.
• Each student names one item they have that is VERY special to them. Teacher will "board" the answers.
• Students explain why they might be willing to share this special item with someone else.
• Students describe the feelings they would have when they share this item, if it is damaged or not returned, and how they feel when it is returned to their possession.

Extension: This activity can be easily linked to Character Education.

• Serve as a resource to the teacher.
• Work with students who have difficulty cooperating in the classroom.

Provide opportunities for the student to share with others.

Involve students in a holiday project within the community to experience cooperative interaction and sharing.

Students can list the opportunities they have had to share during the activities and the results of the cooperation.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.04 Explore the importance of planning

3

Students see positive results by practicing simple planning strategies

Kid-a-Littles, The Value of Planning video from NIMCO, Inc. Paste, glue, construction paper of various colors, string, glitter, crayons, markers, scissors, magazines, etc.

• Ask students to get the material they would like to use to make a collage.
• Tell them to make a collage of items a carpenter would use.
• When students begin to want to get other items, tell them they must use only what they took
• After a few minutes, stop them and talk about planning ahead for a project. Make the point that knowing what you are going to do ahead of time makes it easier to gather or do what is needed.
• View the video, if available, The Value of Planning
• Have students brainstorm simple planning steps needed to complete a chore or assignment that the students have in the near future.

• Post and discuss daily work schedules.
• Help students plan for their assignments due by using a simple timeline of when tasks need to be completed.

Help students develop simple planning steps to complete tasks at home.

Invite a government employee (water department, tax department) to discuss simple planning steps related to a current project in the community.

Students can complete planning steps for a class assignment.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.04 Explore the importance of planning

5

Students use planning steps to complete assignments.

Kid-a-Littles , The Value of Planning video from NIMCO, Inc. Opening Activity ® Have a wide variety of materials displayed. This might include paste, glue, construction paper of varying colors, string, glitter, crayons, markers, scissors, magazines, etc. Tell the students to get the material they would like to use. After the students make their selection, tell them to make a collage of items a carpenter would use. When students begin to want to get other items, tell them they must use what they took. After a few minutes, stop them and talk about planning for a project or any other activity. If they know what they are going to do, it is easier to gather or do what is needed. View the video, The

Value of Planning. Extension -Choose a career and tell what educational plan one would have to pursue to acquire that career.

Help students plan daily for the work of the day by posting and discussing the quality agenda. Help students plan for their assignments due by using a timeline of when steps need to be completed to finish the assignments.

Share planning steps to your career with your child.

Invite teachers, parents to share careers and their planning steps.

Students can identify several steps to take to get information about educational options and career options.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.05 Develop skills in areas of interest

K-3

Students can identify areas of interest and careers that correspond to them.

Extension: Have students bring or talk about something they are interested in.

Emphasize the areas of interest in your students. Highlight potential careers related to those interests

Support student's interests; introduce students to development of skills in areas of interest through games, hobbies, community involvement.

Invite community members to share how they both work and maintain hobbies, interests.

Students can identify several careers and associated skills needed.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.05 Develop skills in areas of interest.

4-5

Students explore careers based on their interests.

RESOURCE: Career-O-Rama

• Have students explore careers related to their favorite subject. Point out the correlation between favorite subjects and future work.
• Students list several careers of interest and career cluster in which the careers are organized.
• Discuss emerging careers based on new technologies such as robotics. Have students brainstorm possible careers that may be needed in the future.
• Students should select two new careers that they would like to know more about.
• As a class, have students brainstorm how to get more information about their career interest.

Serve as a resource to the teacher and students as they conduct further research.

Support student's career interests through discussion, pursuit of hobbies, community activities.

Invite a speaker who turned a hobby or interest into a career to discuss their career pathways.

• Students can identify several careers and how to get more information about them.
• Students can identify interest areas.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.05 Pursue and develop skills in areas of interest.

4-5

Students will identify interests through play.

Emphasize the areas of interest in your students.

Community Helpers cards by Trend Enterprises. Develop a community helpers center. Use play objects for a doctor's office, construction jobs, artist, musician, scientist, etc. Allow students to experiment in the center. After the centers, draw all students back to the big group. Display cards one at a time. Allow students to guess from the picture what the job is. When students successfully guess, read the requirements for the job from the back of the card, and ask them what they think the personal qualities of a person in this job are like. After they give their opinions, read the personal qualities from the card. Let the students share if they think they have the same qualities as the person in the job.

Extension for K-2 ® Have students bring and talk about something they are interested in.

Extension for 3-5 ® Give the students a simple interest inventory such as the Career Game or use an online interest inventory such as NC Careers from the SOICC web page.

Allow child to pursue areas of interest such as ball, piano, art, etc.

Invite persons from the community to class to share their job and interests with the students.

Students can name personal interests

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.06 Develop hobbies and vocational interests.

K-3

Students display a hobby or interest through creative artwork.

Construction paper, scissors, crayons.

• Display a T-shirt illustrating someone's hobby outside of work.
• Have students trace the shape of the T-shirt on paper, cut it out and print their name on the bottom.
• Students can draw pictures or designs to illustrate their hobby.
• Students share the shirts with the class and talk about their hobbies.
• After sharing, students will name one new hobby that interests them.
• Have students brainstorm ways to find out more about their new interest.

Arrange for a hobby fair at school. Have adults bring and display items from their hobbies.

Encourage students to pursue hobbies.

Identify community events that illustrate crafts, skills, hobbies.

• Students can name hobbies of friends.
• Students can illustrate an interest or hobby through the art activity.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.06 Develop hobbies and vocational interests.

4-5

Students will brainstorm potential hobbies and interests.

Six Post It Paper with different hobby listed at top of each; six magic markers

• Define avocation and hobby. Ask for examples of each.
• Assign students to one of six groups by counting off. Give one member of each group a different color magic marker.
• One through Six Post It Pages are posted around the room
• Assign each group to brainstorm as many careers as possible associated with a hobby, in 3 minutes. One student will record answers.
• Student groups then move to the next Post It Page to add to the list of careers associated with the next hobby listed.
• Students are asked to stretch their imaginations as they move from hobby to hobby.
• The group with the most contributions wins (note colors of markers on each page).

Serve as a resource to the teacher.

Have students ask parent if their jobs are related to their hobbies.

Have a school staff member share an interesting hobby with students.

Students can relate at least three careers related to three hobbies.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.07 Balance work and leisure time.

3

Through the humor of the Berenstain Bears, students will learn the lesson of excess.

Video, The Berenstain Bears

• Send a note home ahead of time asking parents to help children list the things they do after school hours. On the day of the class, collect the lists.
• Arrange a consensogram of the things on the list (categorize).
• Plot a graph of the student time spent on each category after school.
• Let students deduce from the graph what gets more time.
• Discuss the place of school work in the graph.
• View the Berenstain Bears and Too Much Birthday. Discuss the concept of excess.

Schedule a time for students to complete homework and home responsibilities.

• Students can identify their non-school activities
• Students can articulate the need to schedule time for work and play.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.07 Balance work and leisure time.

4

Students will make a time schedule for important activities and a plan to accomplish them.

Model for students by following closely the quality agenda each day. The agenda can be broken down into small activities (snack time, P.E., etc.

COUNSELOR

• Explain that an important part of any job is scheduling time knowing when to do what.
• Without scheduling or with spending too much time on one job, things often do not get completed.
• Have students list ten things they must do today.
• List beside each the time they will spend on the activity.
• Have students put in a third column the time they will do the activity. Check to see if there is enough time.
• Let students compare lists for similarities and differences.

Schedule a time for students to complete homework and home responsibilities. Reward with leisure time when tasks are completed.

Students can list their activities on a schedule.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.08 Generate respect for individual uniqueness in the workplace.

4

Students will develop awareness of how work can satisfy individual uniqueness in the workplace.

magazines, scissors, construction paper, crayons

• Open the discussion by asking students to describe the hobbies, interests, or activities they enjoy.
• Introduce the concept that many people work in jobs that relate to their individual interests and uniqueness. Ask students to think of some examples (vet ® likes animals, auto mechanic ® likes cars, etc.).
• Students then create a collage showing their interests, things that they are good at doing, etc.
• Students describe their collage to the class and give one example of a job that they might like to do.

• Precede teacher lesson with session on self-concept development
• Offer self-esteem groups, friendship groups
• Model acceptance and tolerance

Invite a community member who is in a non-traditional role to discuss their career pathway. Note: Nontraditional Occupations are those in which women or men comprise 25% or less of total employment.

Each student completes a collage and can identify unique aspects of several occupations of interest.

{TOP}

004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

004.09 Develop a positive attitude toward work and learning.

3-5

Students develop an awareness of how work can satisfy personal needs through interviews and/or viewing career pathway videos.

Enter Here Video Series includes 100 careers at work. If no career videos are available, students can interview an adult.

• Open discussion by showing students a video or several videos of people at work.
• Discuss the concept of job satisfaction.
• Ask students to make notes from the video that indicated job satisfaction.
• Discuss with students the different reasons people work.
• Each student selects an occupation from the videos viewed and completes an outline with headers such as:

Job Title
Description of Job
Education/training required
Salary/wages
Advantages of the job
Disadvantages of the job
Personal Needs the job might satisfy

• Students share their findings.

Support teacher and class with resources.

Talk to your child about the reasons you work, including personal fulfillment.

Have a community member talk to students about the different volunteer agencies available to citizens who work without pay, and reasons why people work.

Students complete the job outline.

{TOP}

MORE LESSONS

<< Back | Table of Contents | Next >>