Lesson Plan
Course Title: Computer Programming
Session Title: Career Opportunities
Lesson Duration: Approximately 2 – 3 hours
Performance Objective: Upon completion of this assignment, the student will be able to
compare and assess important aspects of different technical careers.
Specific Objectives:
 Find and record selected characteristics of current programming job advertisements
 Locate and evaluate career characteristics using career description web sites
 Compare equivalent aspects of different technical careers
 Identify required certifications in job advertisements and job descriptions
Preparation
TEKS Correlations: 130.276(c)
 2.A – identify job opportunities and tasks;
 2.B – research career characteristics;
 2.C – examine the role of certifications, resumes, and portfolios in technology professions.
Instructor/Trainer
References:
 http://www.bls.gov/oco/
 Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook ISBN 978-1-59357-322-5 copyright 2007
JIST Publishing, Inc.
Instructional Aids:
 Presentation: Career Opportunities
 Handout: Career Opportunities and KEY
 Handout: Looking for Programming Careers
 Handout: Occupation Comparison
 Handout: Guess Which Career
 Handout: Occupational Report Rubric
 Handout: Targeting a Technical Career
 Handout: Apply for a Job
Materials Needed:
 Copies of Instructional aides
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
1

Pencil or pen
Equipment Needed:
 Students need a computer with internet access & text editing application
Learner
No prior knowledge is required. This module could be presented between more difficult modules
as motivation to continue learning computer programming.
Introduction
MI
Introduction (LSI Quadrant I):
Prepare the students to have a discussion about the connection between careers
and lifestyles by showing the Career Opportunities Presentation. The following
issues will be taught in the Presentation:
 factors to consider when choosing a career
 where to find information about job openings
 how to use company and job search websites
 how to use personal networking to find jobs
 why certifications ensure high quality employees
 how certification is offered by companies and professional groups
 students will be challenged to accomplish the three following tasks:
o find a job opening on a company website
o find a job opening in a newspaper or job search website
o find information about a certification and the career it is connected to
Follow up the Presentation with a group discussion about the type of lifestyle that
students would like as adults. Topics could include the cost of cars, homes, and
other spending. This is intended to provide motivation for the students to investigate
careers they may have a greater interest in or stronger connection to.
Handout: Looking For Programming Careers
This is an easy exercise, intended to use the student’s interest in a technical career
to introduce students to actual job advertisements that may contain unfamiliar terms.
After the students complete their handouts, use the students’ completed handouts to
talk about job hunting in general. Let students share some of the information they
found. Be sure to explore and explain unfamiliar terms from the job ads.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
2
Outline
MI
Outline (LSI Quadrant II):
Instructor Notes:
Students are required to locate information in the
following sections:
 index,
 career characteristics,
 nature of the work,
 working conditions,
 employment,
 training and other qualifications,
 job outlook,
 earnings, and
 related occupations.
Handout: Career
Opportunities
Students can use the website
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Students will summarize by telling which career
information they feel is the most important.
Application
MI
Guided Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
Handout: Occupation Comparison
Students are allowed to choose which careers they will
compare from a group of technical careers.
Another variation of this exercise is to have each student in the class pick two
careers from the entire website, to ensure that no students compare the same
careers. Students are expected to compare two careers in respect to the following
areas:
 career characteristics,
 nature of the work,
 working conditions,
 employment,
 training and other qualifications,
 job outlook,
 earnings, and
 related occupations.
Students will summarize by giving reasons for picking one career over another.
Follow-up to this exercise could include a discussion of information that students
have compiled, including which careers they think are the best based on pay,
responsibilities, and required knowledge or experience.
MI
Independent Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
Handout: Guess Which Career
This exercise can be played as a game in which groups compete against each other.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
3
Each person on a team should investigate two different careers. The combined
investigation of the group should cover all careers in the specified career group.
After completing the handout, students can compare notes as a group before they
turn in their papers to the teacher. When competition begins, the teacher reads clues
from the students’ papers. Students try to guess which career the clue refers to.
Each time a clue is read, the possible score for guessing right goes down. To avoid
random guessing, the teacher may assign a negative score for a wrong guess.
The winning group could get some special recognition.
Summary
MI
Review (LSI Quadrants I and IV):
Guess Which Career- see previous section.
Evaluation
MI
Informal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III):
Guess Which Career- see previous section.
MI
Formal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III, IV):
Handout: Occupation Report Rubric
This report is used as a formal assessment of students’ ability to use the site and to
assess important characteristics of a job description. Students are allowed to pick
any career on the site that has sufficient information to base their report on.
As with earlier exercises, finding the information is only part of the requirement.
Determining the most important characteristics and rewording them helps students
to fully understand the information they research.
Extension
MI
Extension/Enrichment (LSI Quadrant IV):
Handout: Targeting a Technical Career
This exercise challenges students to re-visit the type of job advertisements that they
began the module with. This time they will copy portions of an ad; then use the
internet to research portions of the ad that they do not understand, and find
information on technical requirements of the job.
Students are encouraged to research a career that they would consider for
themselves.
Handout: Apply for a Job
In this exercise, students will find a job opening and apply for it, answering questions
in the handout about the job and attaching their application.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
4
Icon
MI
Verbal/
Linguistic
Logical/
Mathematical
Visual/Spatial
Musical/
Rhythmic
Bodily/
Kinesthetic
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Naturalist
Existentialist
Teaching Strategies
Personal Development
Strategies
Lecture, discussion, journal
writing, cooperative learning,
word origins
Reading, highlighting, outlining,
teaching others, reciting information
Problem solving, number
games, critical thinking,
classifying and organizing,
Socratic questioning
Mind-mapping, reflective
time, graphic organizers,
color-coding systems,
drawings, designs, video,
DVD, charts, maps
Use music, compose songs
or raps, use musical
language or metaphors
Organizing material logically, explaining
things sequentially, finding patterns,
developing systems, outlining, charting,
graphing, analyzing information
Developing graphic organizers, mindmapping, charting, graphing, organizing
with color, mental imagery (drawing in
the mind’s eye)
Use manipulatives, hand
signals, pantomime, real life
situations, puzzles and board
games, activities, roleplaying, action problems
Reflective teaching,
interviews, reflective listening,
KWL charts
Cooperative learning, roleplaying, group brainstorming,
cross-cultural interactions
Natural objects as
manipulatives and as
background for learning
Socratic questions, real life
situations, global
problems/questions
Creating rhythms out of words, creating
rhythms with instruments, playing an
instrument, putting words to existing
songs
Moving while learning, pacing while
reciting, acting out scripts of material,
designing games, moving fingers under
words while reading
Reflecting on personal meaning of
information, studying in quiet settings,
imagining experiments, visualizing
information, journaling
Studying in a group, discussing
information, using flash cards with
other, teaching others
Connecting with nature, forming study
groups with like minded people
Considering personal relationship to
larger context
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
5
Name: __________________ Date: _____________ Period: _________
Career Opportunities
Objective: Students learn to use http://www.bls.gov/oco/ to investigate career characteristics
Instructions: Use http://www.bls.gov/oco/ to find different career characteristics. Complete and
answer the following questions.
Index: If you are using the website, use the menu on the left side.
1. The two categories under the ‘Management’ heading are “Management’ and ‘Business and
Operations.’
2. The job description for ‘Computer Information Systems Managers’ is in which category?
Circle one [ Management / Business and Financial ]
Career Characteristics: Look in the Management Occupations category to find the description
of ‘Funeral Directors.’ Use the Funeral Director information to answer the following questions
and fill in the blanks.
3. The title of the first section is Significant P
.
4. This section may mention certification or education requirements. [ True / False ]
Nature of the Work: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
5. Funeral Directors are also called m
or u
6. Funeral Directors also prepare o
.
notices.
7. Do Funeral Directors handle bodies? [ Yes / No ]
Working Conditions: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
8. Funeral Directors work regular hours. [ True / False ]
9. Funeral Directors can dress any way they like. [ True / False ]
Employment: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
10. There are [ more than / less than ] 20,000 Funeral Directors working.
11. More than 50% of Funeral Directors are self employed. [ True / False ]
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
6
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement: Skim this section to answer the following
questions.
12. Funeral directors must be licensed. [ True / False ]
13. Funeral directors can be trained in college. [ True / False ]
Job Outlook: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
14. Which skill will increase employment opportunities?
[ driving
/
embalming / casket making
]
Earnings: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
15. The median earnings for a funeral director are more than $35,000. [ True / False ]
16. Which funeral director probably earns more?
[
one in a larger city
/
one in a small town
]
Related Occupations: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
17. Which of these occupations uses skills similar to those used by funeral directors?
[ plumbers / psychologists / pharmacists / plasterers ]
Summary: Based on your reading, answer the following questions.
18. List 2 things that you found out about funeral directors that you did not already know.
19. If your friend is interested in becoming a funeral director, list 2 things you think that your
friend should consider.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
7
Name: __________________ Date: _____________ Period: _________
Career Opportunities KEY
Objective: Students learn to use http://www.bls.gov/oco/ to investigate career characteristics
Instructions: Use http://www.bls.gov/oco/ to find different career characteristics. Complete and
answer the following questions.
Index: If you are using the website, use the menu on the left side.
1.
The two categories under the ‘Management’ heading are “Management’ and ‘Business
and Financial Operations’.
2.
The job description for ‘Computer Information Systems Managers’ is in which category?
Circle one [ Management / Business and Financial ]
Career Characteristics: Look in the Management Occupations category to find the description
of ‘Funeral Directors’. Use the Funeral Director information to answer the following questions
and fill in the blanks.
3.
The title of the first section is Significant Points
4.
This section may mention certification or education requirements. [ True / False ]
Nature of the Work: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
5.
Funeral Directors are also called morticians or undertakers.
6.
Funeral Directors also prepare obituary notices.
7.
Do Funeral Directors handle bodies? [ Yes / No ]
Working Conditions: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
8.
Funeral Directors work regular hours. [ True / False ]
9.
Funeral Directors can dress any way they like. [ True / False ]
Employment: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
10.
There are [ more than / less than ] 20,000 Funeral Directors working.
11.
More than 50% of Funeral Directors are self employed. [ True / False ]
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
8
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement: Skim this section to answer the following
questions.
12.
Funeral directors must be licensed. [ True / False ]
13.
Funeral directors can be trained in college. [ True / False ]
Job Outlook: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
14.
Which skill will increase employment opportunities?
[ driving / embalming / casket making ]
Earnings: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
15.
The median earnings for a funeral director are more than $35,000. [ True / False ]
16.
Which funeral director probably earns more?
[ one in a larger city / one in a small town ]
Related Occupations: Skim this section to answer the following questions.
17.
Which of these occupations uses skills similar to those used by funeral directors?
[ plumbers / psychologists / pharmacists / plasterers ]
Summary: Based on your reading, answer the following questions.
18.
List 2 things that you found out about funeral directors that you did not already know.
DO NOT GRADE.
19.
If your friend is interested in becoming a funeral director, list 2 things you think that your
friend should consider.
DO NOT GRADE.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
9
Name: __________________ Date: _____________ Period: _________
LOOKING FOR PROGRAMMING CAREERS
Objective: Students explore employment and career possibilities online.
Instructions: Do an internet search for the two keywords Programming and Jobs, and record
your results below. Be prepared to discuss your findings.
Find at least 5 different programming job descriptions and list the following for each:
1.
Job title:

State/City

List some required or preferred programming languages or skills

List some responsibilities of the job

Pay scale (if listed)

List a term or phrase in the ad that you don’t understand.
2.
Job title:

State/City

List some required or preferred programming languages or skills

List some responsibilities of the job

Pay scale (if listed)

List a term or phrase in the ad that you don’t understand.
3.
Job title:

State/City
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
10

List some required or preferred programming languages or skills

List some responsibilities of the job

Pay scale (if listed)

List a term or phrase in the ad that you don’t understand.
4.
Job title:

State/City

List some required or preferred programming languages or skills

List some responsibilities of the job

Pay scale (if listed)

List a term or phrase in the ad that you don’t understand.
5.
Job title:

State/City

List some required or preferred programming languages or skills

List some responsibilities of the job

Pay scale (if listed)

List a term or phrase in the ad that you don’t understand.
6.
In what ways were the job ads similar?
7.
Which job would you be most interested in? Explain.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
11
Name: __________________ Date: _____________ Period: _________
Occupation Comparison
Objective: Students compare two occupations to gain a better understanding of each by
evaluating their characteristics.
Instructions: Use the EOOH (Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook) or
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ to compare two occupations that you would consider choosing. At
least one of them should be a technology career.
Comparing Occupations
1.
List the name of each occupation, and the page number or web page that it starts on.

Occupation #1
page

Occupation #2
page

List one of the significant points about each occupation.
#1

#2
2.
3.
4.
List 3 characteristics of the Nature of the Work for each occupation; compare them and
put stars by the ones you think are the most important.

#1

#1

#1

#2

#2

#2
List 2 characteristics of the Working Conditions for each occupation; compare them
and put stars by the ones you think are the most important.

#1
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
12
5.
6.

#1

#2

#2
Read the section Training, Other Qualifications and Advancement. List what kind of
training or certification is required for each occupation.

#1

#2
Read the section Job Outlook. List 2 important facts for each occupation; compare
them and put stars by the ones you think are the most important.
 #1

#1

#2

#2
7.
Read the section Earnings. Compare equivalent earnings for each occupation.

#1

#2
Choosing an Occupation
8.
9.
Review the facts that you have listed above. Tell which occupation you think you would
prefer.
List 2 reasons why you think this occupation would be better for you.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
13
Name: __________________ Date: _____________ Period: _________
Guess Which Career
Objective: Students investigate several technical careers
Instructions:
1. Students work in small groups using http://www.bls.gov/oco/ to get facts about different
technical careers.
2. Students should only investigate technical careers in the Computer and Mathematical
Occupations group.
3. Each student in the group should pick 2 careers; then record the career names and 5
facts about each one. These facts will be used as clues when the guessing starts. Have
them record the hardest clues first. The last clues should be the easiest.
4. When groups are finished recording their clues, they should give their career clue sheets to
the teacher who will act as the moderator of the game.
5. The teacher reads clues, one at a time, for a given career. The first group to identify the
career gets points based on how many clues were revealed. One clue = 5 points, 2 clues =
4 points, etc.
6. The team with the most points wins.
7. Write your group name and team members here.
Career # 1-
1. Clue #1
2. Clue #2
3. Clue #3
4. Clue #4
5. Clue #5
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
14
Career # 21. Clue #1
2. Clue #2
3. Clue #3
4. Clue #4
5. Clue #5
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
15
Name: __________________ Date: _____________ Period: _________
Occupation Report Rubric
Objective: Students choose a career that they are interested in to research and report on.
Instructions: Use http://www.bls.gov/oco/ to research and report on a career. Use the rubric
below to guide your report.
1. Sources Cited: (10 points) Website pages and/or book and page numbers are listed.
2. Information restated, not copied: (25 points) The report contains few if any direct
quotes from the original source. Where direct quotes are used, they are cited.
3. Nature of the Work: (10 points) 5 important aspects of the work are described in
complete sentences.
4. Working Conditions: (15 points) 3 important aspects of the working conditions are
described in complete sentences.
5. Employment: (10 points) Compare the employment statistics to the employment
statistics of a related occupation.
6. Training and Qualifications: (10 points) 3 important aspects are described in
complete sentences.
7. Job Outlook: (10 points) 3 important aspects are described in complete sentences.
8. Earnings information: (10 points) Median and earnings range are listed and explained.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
16
Name: __________________ Date: _____________ Period: _________
Targeting a Technical Career
Objective: Students research technical career specifications online.
Instructions: Do an internet search for a technical career, following the instructions below.
1. Create your own document with your name at the top and the name of the technical
career you are researching as the title.
2. You can cut and paste information from the internet, but it cannot be used alone. Use
your own words to describe what is important in the information you have gathered. Be
sure to cite any information you get from websites.
3. Start by copying a short job advertisement for the technical career you are
researching.
4. Make a list in the same document with each of the terms or phrases in the job ad that
you do not understand.
5. Do an internet search to get information on each of the terms in the list above. Copy
and paste information that explains the term. Add your own explanations to the
information you found.
6. Make another list of any program languages, technical certifications and other
requirements that the job ad lists.
7. Do an internet search to get information on each of the requirements in the list above.
Copy and paste information that explains the requirement. Add your own
explanations to the information you found.
8. Write a conclusion to explain what you learned from your research.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
17
Name: __________________ Date: _____________ Period: _________
Apply for a Job
Objective: Students applies for an actual job or internship
Instructions: Find a job opening online or in the newspaper. Document your job
application by answering the questions below.
1. What is the job title?
2. What is the name of the company?
3. Where is the job located?
4. Give the source or website that you used to find the job.
5. List some of the job responsibilities or activities.
6. List some of the job requirements, including any certifications, required
languages, education, etc.
7. List some of your qualities, experience, and skills that will help you to be
considered for the job.
8. Tell why you are interested in this job.
9. Print your application and attach it to this document.
IT: [Computer Programming]: [Career Opportunities] Plan
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013
18