Lesson Seed: Career Speed Dating
High School Core Learning Goal 1.0 Skills and Processes
Expectation: The student will show that connections exist both within the various fields of
science and among science and other disciplines including mathematics, social studies,
language arts, fine arts and technology.
Indicator 5. The student will investigate career possibilities in the various areas of science
Objective: Investigate careers in environmental health and determine which best fit the
students’ interests.
Materials and/or Set Up
Computers with Internet access and Flash version 8.
Career Profile Worksheet (from the Teacher Tips, Suggested Activities section of the Meet
the Experts interactive http://experts.thinkport.org/envirohealth/default.aspx ),
Log sheet to be used with interviews (attached below)
Poster paper and art supplies for "Wanted Poster" activity
Wanted Poster Assignment Sheet/Grading Tool. (attached below)
Activities

Discuss the diversity of careers that are related to science. Introduce the relationship
between science education and possible careers.

Have students complete the “My Career Goals” column of the Career Profile worksheet
to identify their own likes/dislikes and how those preferences will affect their career
path.

Have students preview the questions that will be asked of each scientist.

Instruct students to log on to the website once a week, select 1 scientist to "interview,”
and record their findings on the log sheet.

After completing 4 interviews, have students select 1 of the 4 to evaluate using the
Career Profile Worksheet.

Have students continue until they have interviewed 12 experts and compared the three
careers they selected to evaluate using the Career Profile worksheet to their own career
goal preferences.

Have students investigate the job outlook for their chosen career. This will provide
them with potential salary as well as hiring potential. The guidance department can be a
resource for this information.

Have students create a "Wanted Poster" for their chosen career. On this poster, the
students will include information that they learned from the expert interview as well as
additional details described in the assignment sheet/grading tool.
Lesson Seed Created by Nancy Miller
School: Sandy Valley High School, Magnolia, Ohio
Lesson Seed: Career Speed Dating
Conclusion/Wrap Up
Display posters and have students participate in a gallery walk to share their selections.
Lesson Seed Created by Nancy Miller
School: Sandy Valley High School, Magnolia, Ohio
Meet the Experts –Career Speed Dating “Wanted Poster”
Assignment Sheet/Grading Tool
After you have completed 12 interactive interviews, select the career that you think
would interest you the most.
Using the resources suggested by your teacher, research the job outlook for your chosen
career. This will provide you with additional information about your career: potential
salary, number of potential jobs in the future, education needed.
Create a "Wanted Poster" putting all of the information that you have collected into a neat
visual.
Refer to the grading tool below as you construct your poster
Component
possible
points
Career Title
1
Scientist Interviewed - include brief introduction
4
Education needed:
Classes to take in middle/high school
College needed
Area colleges that offer this degree
1
1
1
Job outlook - Salary, employment outlook in the future
3
Summary of the job - What do you do daily?
5
Importance of the job How does this job impact the world?
5
3 quotes from the scientist
9
Pictures/Diagrams that represent the career. These could
include tools the scientist uses or pictures that represent the
work of the scientist (5 REQUIRED)
10
Personal Statement - Paragraph explaining why you
selected this career. (Use 3 interesting facts that you
recorded on your log sheet as a guide)
10
Neatness/Grammar/Overall appeal of poster
5
Total
55
points
earned
Name __________________________________________
Class ___________________________________________
Date__________________________
Teacher________________________
MEET THE EXPERTS—CAREER SPEED DATING: LOG SHEET
Directions: As you carry out the interactive interview, complete the chart below.
Name of Scientist___________________________________ Title/Job_______________________________________
What made you want to do what you do?
How do you use the science and math that you
learned in K-12 schooling in your career
today?
Explain what you do.
What are the skills that are necessary for your
job?
What kind of processes do you use
(tools/techniques) in your career?
How does your job impact my daily life?
Why is your work important/important to you?
What’s the most important thing you have
discovered in your work?
Who or what inspired you to get into this
field?
In your opinion, what is the greatest
environmental health challenge we face?
(How did we get into it? How can we get
out of it? Why should we care?)
What advice would you have for kids that
want to pursue your career?
What are 3 things that you learned from the
interview that surprised or interested you about the
career.
1
2
3