Change My Future or
Stay the Course
GRADE 11 LESSON 3
Time Required:
Content Standards: (7.1.2. Standard 2): Students will complete
school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a
wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.
Indicators:
e.) Students will organize and apply academic information from a
variety of sources.
h.) Students will establish challenging academic goals in
elementary, middle/junior high, and high school.
j.) Students will develop and implement an annual plan of study to
maximize academic ability and achievement.
GOAL:
Students will evaluate their current career plan
and adjust according to financial and academic criteria.
Activity Statements:
Students will complete a handout that helps them to assess their current interests and abilities.
Then they will use information gathered from the internet to complete a career plan and
determine if they need to make any changes in their career plan based on the information they
acquire today.
Materials:
1.) Computers available in the classroom
2.) Handout #1 My Interest, Abilities & Plans (copy on front and back)
Procedures:
Say: The more you know about yourself the more successful you will be in developing a career
plan that is suitable for you. The more you understand your strengths, interests, abilities,
Author: Shelly DeBerry (sdeberry@access.k12.wv.us)
Change My Future or
Stay the Course
GRADE 11 LESSON 3
values, likes, dislikes, etc. the clearer and more specific your goals can be. Various items such as
interest inventories and personality inventories can help you gain insight into what you will be
most satisfied doing. Today we are going to find out if you are on the right track or not. We
will also look at whether any changes to our plans will also affect us financially.
Pass out Handout #1 My Interests, Abilities & Plans
Say: Let’s start by thinking about your interest. What do you like to do? Think about the
experiences that you have had so far that you have enjoyed. Write down the experiences in the
various categories that you have had that you have enjoyed. Give students about five minutes
to do this. Encourage them to write down everything they do even if it is playing videos most of
the time or whatever they find themselves doing at any time.
Continue on with the next section. Read each statement to them aloud and have them
respond to it on their paper. You can also ask for some of them to give their responses aloud as
you go.
Have the students use the information they have completed so far and check off the aspects of
a job that they seem most suited for.
Next, have students turnover Handout #1 My Interest, Abilities & Plans to complete their career
plan. Tell the students you are going to give them about fifteen minutes to complete the career
plan section. Explain that they can go to a computer to access information about job
description, education or special skills needed if they need to look up that information. Give
them the following website on the board to do a search of different careers:
http://mappingyourfuture.org/planyourcareer/careership/
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Optional Resource is: The Occupational Outlook Handbook which is a nationally recognized
source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making
decisions about their future work lives. The Handbook is revised every two years.
Author: Shelly DeBerry (sdeberry@access.k12.wv.us)
Change My Future or
Stay the Course
GRADE 11 LESSON 3
Discussion:
Ask students to share if they are on track on not?
Summary:
Ask a student who says they are on track to state their career plan and tell what current
activities they are involved in that are related to their career goal.
Ask another student who says they are on track which current subjects they are doing well in
relate to their career goal?
Ask another student not on track what activities would they need to get involved in to help
them get on track with their career goal? Will this change cost them more money at this time?
Ask another student not on track what courses do they need to improve their grades in to help
them get on track with their career goal? Will they need to pay for a tutor to make this
happen? Or, will they have to cut back hours at their after school job to study more?
And finally, ask if anyone is considering changing their career goal. If so, allow them to share
why they are making that decision today. What will this change cost them? Will they have to
pay for more education after high school then that had previously planned for, what other cost
will they incur in making this change?
Additional Resources:
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
http://mappingyourfuture.org/planyourcareer/careership/
http://ncis.unl.edu/shared/ccjrstudents.htm
http://www.pheaa.org/k_thru_12/cs_highschool.shtml
http://studentaid2.ed.gov/career/career_finder/
http://www.educationplanner.org
6.) http://www.bls.gov/emp/emppub2.htm
Occupational Outlook Handbook-Ordering Information for Employment Outlook
Publications
Author: Shelly DeBerry (sdeberry@access.k12.wv.us)
Change My Future or
Stay the Course
GRADE 11 LESSON 3
Title
Price
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition (Bulletin 2700)
Paper cover
$20.00
Hard cover
39.00
Career Guide to Industries, 2008-09 Edition (Bulletin 2701)
42.00
To order contact the Government Printing Office Bookstore.
Extension Activities:
Welcome to Mapping Your Future’s Show Me the Future!
http://showmethefuture.org/
Game that they can play on line at home
Author: Shelly DeBerry (sdeberry@access.k12.wv.us)