

GUIDANCE CURRICULUM
MIDDLE SCHOOL 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:
National Career Development Guidelines Competencies (NCDGC): 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 divided into two categories: Foundation skills and Functional skills.
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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 6 |
Benchmark: End of Grade 7 |
Benchmark: End of Grade 8 |
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LESSONS
CURRICULUM: SCHOOL COUNSELING
AREA: CAREER DEVELOPMENT
COMPETENCY 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
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
- Divide a piece of paper into four columns. The four headings for the columns are: Data, Ideas, People, and Things. These are job cluster titles which describe what people primarily work with in their occupations.
- Take one column at a time and list four or five occupations or job titles which fall in that category. For example, plumber might be placed under Things, while salesperson might be placed under People.
- Examine your list and underline those which require a college education. Circle those where training on the job is all that is necessary.
- Next, put an "!" after those jobs which you feel will be "hot jobs" in the future. Put a "?" by those you think are declining opportunities for the future.
- As a
class, group, share your list. Pair up with a classmate and research two of
the jobs from your list, using NC Careers or Career Explorer or media center.
employment outlook locally and statewide.
change.
COMPETENCY 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
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
- Divide a piece of paper into six parts, a line down the middle and two across.
- Draw a symbol or small picture which represents each of the following
topics:
- A job you would like to have someday.
- Something you want from a job besides money.
- If this career was once viewed traditionally as "male" or "female" oriented.
- An obstacle which might get in the way of your getting into the career you want.
- Something you need to do to improve upon in order to get your ideal career.
- Counselor has students share in groups first and as whole class what was learned about changing attitudes toward non-traditional careers.
- Students can define the terms non-traditional, bias, and stereotyping as they identify areas of career interest.
- Students write about the process in their journals.
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COMPETENCY 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.
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
Read the conditions listed below and ask students to brainstorm how they might affect future jobs and careers:
- Increased use of computer technology in homes
- Continued pollution of the environment
- European and Asian countries join together
- Increased numbers of homeless-worldwide
- Reduction in diseases
- Year round school/distance learning
Lead a class discussion about how to plan for a rapidly changing job market. Follow-up with research/writing skills to explore a "condition" for future assignment.
- Students identify economic, political, legal and ethical issues affecting careers of the future.
- Students identify planning steps.
- Students write about the planning process in their journals.
- Students demonstrate research techniques and writing skills to explore a "condition" further.
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COMPETENCY 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
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
- Why did you succeed? List some reasons.
- Think: What did you do? How did you do it?
- What did you learn about how to succeed? Did you learn to do something differently?
- How does attitude affect success?
- Portfolio (electronic or paper) listing of strengths and achievements.
- Students write in journals about a personal achievement.
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COMPETENCY 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
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
TEACHER/
1. What, exactly is my goal? For example, if it is to improve my math grade,
what grade will I try to achieve?
2. Is my goal realistic? For example, if I am currently making a D in math,
an A may be unrealistic by the next grading period.
3. When do I want to reach my goal? For example, the semester ends next week
does not give me ample time.
- Write a goal statement.
- Brainstorm ways to reach your goal and write them down.
- Choose the best ideas for moving you toward your goal.
- Organize your ideas into a step-by-step plan. Think about in what order should you take the steps? When will you complete the steps?
- Complete chart Goal Steps and Date to be Completed. Ask students to think about what help, support or permission they will need from others to achieve their goal. List these people and what each can do to help. Modify, change order of steps as needed.
- Completion of Goal Steps and Dates for Completion Chart.
- Student accomplishes short term goal.
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COMPETENCY 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
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/workforce_development/career-dev/index.html
Students develop a chart for these occupations that include:
- Duties
- Skills needed
- Education or training requirements
- Working hours and conditions
- Salary information
Students share findings first in small groups. Follow up with students about how to gather information pertinent to a career pathways search.
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COMPETENCY 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
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
- Have students discuss the need for such laws.
- Have students interview a full time employee to determine his/her benefits.
- Have students estimate the value of the monetary benefits of an employer's "benefits".
- Have students develop a list of why people get fired. Role play scenarios from the list.
- Human Resource Director can speak about desirable worker characteristics, primary reasons people get fired, employee benefits provided.
- Have a small business owner share the challenges and rewards of competing with larger companies in attracting and maintaining employees.
- Students can identify at least 3 employer responsibilities and employee rights.
- Students understand how "benefits" affect job satisfaction and income.
- Students can identify positive characteristics that employers seek in employees.
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COMPETENCY 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
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
- We are faced with the task of building a middle school on a piece of land that has been donated to the town. We can use workers from just five different occupations for both the building and the operation of the school. What five occupations would be needed most?
- After ten minutes, have the group report to the class and defend their choices. As a class, list other school workers who were not considered essential. What contribution do they make to the school? How does their being at the school add to its successful operation? Ask students how the group process itself worked? Was each participant treated with respect? Did everyone contribute? Why is getting along with co-workers important in the workplace?
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COMPETENCY 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.
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
- Distribute these definitions:
Work- use of energy to do or make something; labor, duty, occupation.
Job- a piece of work done for pay; task, employment.
Career Æ profession, occupation; the way one earns one's living; one's progress through life or in one's work. - Have students discuss differences in definitions and list examples of each category.
- Distribute Career Choices in NC and Users Guide from NC SOICC.
- The career planning process is a continuous circle divided into three parts: 1) Self-assessment, 2) Exploring Careers, and 3) Job Seeking Skills.
- Students brainstorm all the reasons people work.
- Make the point that one's career is made up of more than a salaried job.
- Students can define the difference between work, jobs and careers.
- Students can explain the three steps of the career planning process.
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COMPETENCY 004.00 Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relating to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
- Disseminate SCANS sheet to students prior to job shadowing experience.
- Students should be able to identify examples where each skill might be observed on the job.
- Students develop an interview protocol and a chart to record observations while shadowing a business.
- Students report their findings to the entire class after the shadowing experience.
- Were there any surprises? Which of the SCANS skills were most often recorded by students?
- How can students practice developing the traits of punctuality, integrity, and effort?
Note: This activity can be integrated easily with Character Education.
- Students recognize SCANS in the workplace.
- SCANS Observation Chart completed during shadowing experience.
SCANS (SECRETARY'S COMMISSION ON ACHIEVING NECESSARY SKILLS)
WORKPLACE KNOW-HOW
SCANS Foundation Skills
- Basic Skills
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Mathematics, Speaking, Listening - Thinking
Skills
Thinking creatively, Making decisions, Solving problems, Visualizing, Knowing how to learn, and Reasoning - Personal qualities
Responsibility, Self-esteem, Sociability, Self-management, Integrity/Honesty
SCANS COMPETENCIES
- RESOURCES - Allocating time, money, materials, space, staff/people
- INTERPERSONAL SKILLS - Working on teams, Teaching others, Serving customers, Leading, Negotiating, Working with cultural diversity
- INFORMATION - Acquiring/evaluating data, Organizing/maintaining files, Interpreting and communicating, Using computers
- SYSTEMS - Understanding social, organizational, and technological systems, Monitoring/correcting performance, Designing/improving systems
- TECHNOLOGY - Selecting tools and equipment, Applying technology to specific tasks, Maintaining/troubleshooting technologies
ALL ASPECTS OF THE INDUSTRY
- PLANNING - Any detailed scheme, program, or method worked out beforehand for the accomplishment of an objective
- MANAGEMENT - The act, manner, or practice of managing, handling, or controlling something
- FINANCES - The science of management of money or other assets
- TECHNICAL AND PRODUCTION SKILLS - Technical skills, pertaining to the abstract or theoretical (Principle) aspects of the job
- PRINCIPLES OF TECHNOLOGY - Body of methods and materials used to achieve objectives
- LABOR AND COMMUNITY ISSUES - Workers collectively, Team building, Work benefits, Work for wages; a social group or class having common interest under the same government
- HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES - Functioning normally without disease, in an environment that is conducive to and promotes health and safety
- ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES - Protection of the natural environment, i.e., air, water, soil, resources
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COMPETENCY 005.00 Employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.
OBJECTIVE:
005.01 Apply decision-making skills to career planning, course selection, and career transitions.
- Let students know "Today we will be talking about decisions." Ask students to define what decisions are. Example: A decision is having to make up your mind about something; choosing one thing over another.
- Generate a dialogue for about 4-5 minutes. Ask students to identify examples of "good" and "not-so-good" decisions they have made recently in the area of school work or homework. What were they thinking as they made each decision?
- What were the rewards or costs of each decision the next day or later?
- Talk about choices to come in high school. For example, doing your best versus doing enough to get by picking harder courses or only ones that are easy for you
- Ask students to reflect on the differences such choices/decisions can make in later life?
- Give students several hypothetical situations related to high school course selection. Ask students to list all possible choices and the reasons for and against each option. This can be done in groups.
- Ask students to share their responses from the groups.
- Remind students to discuss course planning options with their parent(s) prior to high school registration.
- Remind students to seek as much information possible related to themselves and course selection in high school prior to making decisions.
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COMPETENCY 005.00 Employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.
RESOURCE: Career Choices in North Carolina Tabloid, Activity 1. People, Data, Things, Ideas
- Introduce the Interest inventory to students.
- Interests are the things you enjoy doing. Your likes and dislikes in your work and hobby activities will help you plan for careers which best match you. The more interest you have in your work, the happier you will be on the job.
- The following interest inventory activity will help you organize your likes and dislikes into 4 categories: people, data, things, or ideas.
- Students complete the Interest section of the survey.
- Students complete the Work Values section of the inventory.
- Students complete the Skills and Abilities section of the survey.
- Students transfer results onto the Self-Assessment Summary.
- Have students select a career of interest and complete Activity 7, Career Briefs, using the information from Career Choices to answer the questions in the Activity.
- Students complete the interest inventory
- Students can identify at least one career of interest for further exploration
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COMPETENCY 005.00 Employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.
ACTIVITIES:
Handouts: Career Planning Roadmap, Career Planning Worksheet
- Use the analogy of a road trip to remind students of the steps involved
in Career Planning:
Would your parents ever think of taking you on a cross country road trip without knowing where to go? Without a roadmap? Brain storm with students all the essentials for a successful road trip.
(Preparation for the trip: research on the destinations, reservations, dependable car, map, appropriate clothes, plan for emergencies, contingency plan if things don't work out at as planned at the destination, etc.) Preparing for our futures similarly requires research, a destination, a plan (map) of where we want to go, contingency plans in case things don't work out, etc. You, the student are in the driver's seat and where you end up is up to you" - Students read Career Planning Roadmap . Discuss each step with students. Have students discuss the kinds of information available to them to help them make choices.
- Career Planning Worksheet is completed by students in class. Students can use prior interest assessment information.
- Maintain these items in student portfolio if possible.
www.dpi.state.nc.us/student_promotion
CAREER PLANNING WORKSHEET
Career Choice 1
______________________________________________
This is interesting because:
______________________________________________
High School Courses that may help me:
______________________________________________
Education and Training I will need:
______________________________________________
Job Outlook:
______________________________________________
My Action Plan:
______Get more information
______Interview someone
______Volunteer or intern in the field
______ Write to schools for more information
Career Choice 2
______________________________________________
This is interesting because:
______________________________________________
High School Courses that may help me:
______________________________________________
Education and Training I will need:
______________________________________________
Job Outlook:
______________________________________________
My Action Plan:
______Get more information
______Interview someone
______Volunteer or intern in the field
______ Write to schools for more information
CAREER PLANNING ROADMAP
| ROUTE 1 SELF ASSESSMENT |
Self Assessment: Who Am I? What interests skills and abilities do I have. Also, what do personality and values have to do with this? |
| ROUTE 2 CAREER EXPLORATION |
Career Exploration: Have you talked to people in
careers that interest you? Your parents? Read books or watched videos about careers? Used appropriate Internet sites to explore? |
| ROUTE 3 GOAL SETTING |
What do I have to do to get there? Do I need a 2 year or 4 year degree? Extra training? Am I signed up to take the right courses? Have I talked to recent graduates in this field about the the courses they took in high school? |
| ROUTE 4 TAKE ACTION |
Your action plan includes registering for the right courses all four years of high school. Do you know what schools offer preparation in this career area? |
| ROUTE 5 EVALUATE |
Is my career direction one with promise? Will it satisfy my personal needs? Where do I go next? |
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COMPETENCY 005.00 Employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.
- Review with students self-assessment categories defined by the Holland Codes and People Data, Things, and Ideas available through the North Carolina Career Choices publication.
- Tell students that the Career Pathways were identified by the Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Community College System.
- Career Pathways are a way of organizing lots of career
opportunities into a few groups. Each "cluster"
or group of careers requires common skills and knowledge. - Hand out to
students the eleven Career Pathways on one sheet of paper:
I. Agricultural & Natural Resources Technologies
II. Arts & Sciences
III. Biological & Chemical Technologies
IV. Business Technologies
V. Commercial & Artistic Production Technologies
VI. Construction Technologies
VII. Engineering Technologies
VIII. Health Services
IX. Industrial Technologies
X. Public Service Technologies
XI. Transport Systems Technologies - Title eleven sheets of newsprint with a Career Pathway and place around the room.
- Have students number
off 1-11 and form groups. Each group begins with one career pathway and brainstorms
careers that fall under one career pathway heading. ONE team member writes the
careers on the worksheet using a colored marker. ‡ Call time in 3 minutes and
ask the groups to shift to the next
Career Pathway sheet. - Each group continues to add to the lists, moving to the next career pathway after 3 minutes until all 11 are visited.
-
Review the lists. Which group had the most careers (colored markers). Discuss
the accuracy of the
suggestions.
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COMPETENCY 005.00 Employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.
- As students study a country, discuss how the climate and location of the country have impacted on its growth and history. Show the relationship between climate and location and the development of particular industries in the country.
- Carry the thought to the students' own environment by having them research their state or local economy listing the kinds of industries and occupations most prevalent.
- How do climate and location impact on the occupational opportunities available to them locally?
click on:
- Economic Data
- State and Local
- Employment and wages by county
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COMPETENCY 005.00 Employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.
- Students will review the want ad section of the Sunday newspaper and
list the various types of jobs
advertised. - Next, count the total number of jobs advertised.
- Each student will select ten occupations and compute the percentage of the total number of job openings represented by each title chosen.
- Students will combine their individual figures to create a pie graph or bar graph showing the employment opportunities picture for their area.
- Discuss employment trends revealed by the graphs.
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