2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
Career Power Points
Lesson Plan Title:
7-8th Grades Career Development
Author: Marion BlueArm (2-5-2013)
Essential Questions:



What career is the student interested in at this time and why?
What are the 10 (+) most essential components about the career?
How can knowing what career sounds interesting help the student pursue a focused education
and career path?
Stage 1—Desired Results
Overview/ Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is twofold: (1) to expose students to as many careers within the associated
career clusters as possible and (2) to help them learn specific and the most essential information on
each occupation, including core tasks, what classes they need to take in high school to prepare
themselves, and what direction their education and career path could take from here on out. Students
will be exposed to this information by personally researching one occupation, reading about more in the
SDMyLife magazine, and finally by listening to as many slide show presentations on other careers as
there are students in the class. Classroom discussion will further enhance their learning.
Stage 2—Learning Plan & Assessment Evidence
Prerequisites:


Basic knowledge on how to create a Power Point, create new slides, order slides, select the slide
layout, select a template for the background, insert objects, and possibly work with simple
transitions.
Basic knowledge on what makes a good Power Point presentation including such hints as
o Assuring that text is legible and contrast and colors easy on the eyes (e.g. no brilliant
colors against a neon background)
o Large font
o Limited words and lines per page
o Not too many or lengthy transitions
o Fragment sentences are okay
o No direct reading when presenting- rather use each slide as visual support of what is
talked about
o Loud
and clear voice and
avoidance of “uhms”
Making the Connection
Checking Understanding
Higher Order Thinking
Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine

Students all have their SDMyLife user names and passwords and possess some basic familiarity
with their SDMyLife portfolios and the site in general.
Summative Evidence (Objective): Students will create a 10+ slide Power Point on a selected career, each
slide corresponding to specific characteristic of the occupation, and present their slide show to the class.
Students will gain basic knowledge on as many careers as there are presenters in the classroom.
Materials needed:
 South Dakota MyLife Magazine,
 Paper and pencil for notes
 Handout: Career Power Point Instructions
 Handout: Rubric for Career Power Points
 Computers with internet access
 Classroom or otherwise accessible printer
 Promethean board or other technology that allows projection of what the teacher
demonstrates on the computer.
Time Required for Lesson: Six periods: four 55 minute periods plus two periods for student
optio
presentations
of the Power Points
Resources: The sample Power Point referenced in the text on the career of Veterinarian is available for
free from mbluearm@usd.edu upon request.
Suggested Activities and Procedures:
Instructions:
Day 1: Introduction of Career Power Point Project.
1. Ask every student to take out a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Then hand out the
South Dakota MyLife Magazines, and ask students to turn to the Table of Contents p. 2. Read
through it together and start leafing through the magazine. Draw students’ attention to the fact
that a different individual is featured on each double page pages 5-35 and that each of those
pages illustrates a number of South Dakota in demand careers that are in the same cluster as to
the one described.
Challenge students to think about a career they may be interested in? To what cluster does it
belong? Have each student jot down 3-5 careers of interest on a piece of paper. (10 min.)
2. Announce the task of the week: Each student will complete a Power Point on one of the careers
jotted down on their piece of paper and everyone has to select a different occupation than all
other students. (That way the presentations will represent the maximum variation of careers
possible in each class.) Pass out the instructions for the Power Point and advise students that
the same instruction sheet is available under the downloaded links in their SDMyLife in My
Portfolio – My Links . Let them know that, if they download the instruction sheet from
Making the Connection
Checking Understanding
Higher Order Thinking
Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
SDMyLife, all the websites given as sources will be life links that are clickable for direct access to
the sources. Then hand out the rubric so that students will be informed on grading expectations
from the beginning and will know what to do to earn maximum points. Briefly go over the rubric
as a class to clarify expectations. (10 min.)
Show the sample Career PowerPoint either as the provided word print out or the actual Power
Point presentation (source referenced below). (5 min.)
With the class, brainstorm ideas on how best to conduct the research. (Some sources are
suggested on the instruction sheet.) Briefly discuss responses; then tell the students that your
expectation is that their primary source will be the career tab in SDMyLife. In their magazines
on the top right corners of the right hand pages of the careers they marked, they will see the
career cluster to which each occupation belongs. By clicking on the career tab in their portfolios,
they will see several search options: they can access the career directly by typing its name in the
search box or they can search by clusters. This last choice is especially useful if students perhaps
still want to change their mind and rather do their Power Point on a career that is different from
the one they originally chose but closely related and hence in the same cluster. Have students
search the career tab and narrow down their choice to one career. (5 min.)
Ask students to select their career in the SDMyLife site and then click on “Save to Portfolio”, a
blue link on the left of the page that features each occupation. Have students print the first page
that opens, labeled “At a Glance”. Then ask them to click on the blue “Working Conditions” tab
on the left, on the “Sample Career Path” tab, and on the “Earnings” tab and print each of those
pages as well. (All information needed for the Power Point will be on one of the printouts
EXCEPT for “Advantages vs. Disadvantages”, which asks for the students’ opinions and is
entirely subjective. There are no wrong answers). Allow students to collect their printouts or
you collect them and then hand them out (5 min).
Give students a moment to read the information on their career from their printouts. If they get
done before others, they are to look back at their computer screen and click on each blue tab on
the left of their career, one at a time, and read the detailed information provided (10 min.).
Using the Promethean board, walk the students through the process of how to open a blank
Power Point presentation (a skill they hopefully already possess, but they can also learn as they
go along). As you complete each step, have the students mimic you in the creation of each slide.
Wait for everyone to be finished with each slide before moving on.
a. Select the title slide layout (slide 1). In the top text box, have the students type as title
the career of their choice. In the bottom box, have them write their name, hit enter for
a new line, type their name, hit enter, their school, enter, write the current month and
year.
b. Then click “new slide” and select the layout for the remaining slides. Most should have
a top box for the heading and a bulleted bottom box for text, except the slides which
contrast SD wages/ national wages, SD job outlook/ national job outlook and
advantages / disadvantages. These should have a heading box and below two bulleted
text boxes next to each other.
c. Create all 10/11 slides one at a time and title them according to the instruction handout.
Making the Connection
Checking Understanding
Higher Order Thinking
Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
Point out to the students that the headings correspond to most bolded headings under
“At a Glance” for each career in SDMyLife. (See the instruction handout in the
attachment for a listing of the slides and their headings.) (15 min).
8. Have students click back on the first content slide of their presentation (slide 2, the one after the
title slide) and begin creating their presentations. Tell them to worry about the text first BEFORE
changing slide design or adding illustrations or transitions. Students will work on their Power
Points for the remainder of class time as well as the next three times the class meets. (A fourth
and possibly fifth hour will be needed for presentations. As a bonus, the teacher may provide
treats to each student who has finished their presentation (5 min+/-).
Days 2 – 4: Development of Presentations
1. Students continue to work on their Power Points. Keep moving around the room and be
available to answer questions and provide assistance.
2. If a student claims to be done, have him or her share the slide show with you. As time allows,
quickly read through all the slides with the student. If any needs improvement, ask the student
to revisit the particular section and what s/he thinks should be edited. Then provide your
suggestions for improvements.
3. Either have students email the finished presentation to you or retrieve them directly while
computers are synchronized.
4. Any student who is done early can either assist helping others or can use their time as assigned.
Closure/ Wrap Up: Day 5 and 6: Career Power Point Presentations
1. When all students have completed, edited, and finalized their presentations, have students take
turns stepping up to the Promethean board and presenting their slide shows.
2. Instruct them to start out by introducing themselves and stating the career they have
researched. Students are to show and share the content of each slide, however, they should not
read directly off the slides but instead paraphrase their content.
Assessment:
See the rubric provided in the appendix as the suggested assessment tool.
Extension Activities


Class discussion on the good points of each presentation and on items that could use some
improvement.
Students could be given blank rubrics and score each presenter.
Alternate Options:


Allow students to complete this project with a partner instead of alone.
Have students upload their completed Power Points into their SDMyLife portfolios.
Making the Connection
Checking Understanding
Higher Order Thinking
Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
STANDARDS:
Revised Bloom’s Level:
Standard B: Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a
wide range of substantial postsecondary options, including college.
A:B1 Improve Learning
A:B1.5 Organize and apply academic information from a variety of sources
A:B2 Plan to Achieve Goals
A:B2.7 Identify post-secondary options consistent with interests, achievement, aptitude and abilities
STANDARD C: Students will understand the relationship of academics to the world of work and to life
at home and in the community.
A:C1 Relate School to Life Experiences
A:C1.3 Understand the relationship between learning and work
A:C1.6 Understand how school success and academic achievement enhance future career and
vocational opportunities
Career Development: Standard A: Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in
relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.
C:A1
C:A1.1
C:A1.2
C:A1.3.
C:A1.7
Develop Career Awareness
Develop skills to locate, evaluate and interpret career information
Learn about the variety of traditional and nontraditional occupations
Develop an awareness of personal abilities, skills, interests and motivations
Understand the importance of planning
C:A2 Develop Employment Readiness
C:A2.3 Demonstrate knowledge about the changing workplace
C:A2.7 Develop a positive attitude toward work and learning
C:B1
C:B1.1
C:B1.2
C:B1.3
C:B1.4
C:B1.5
C:B1.6
Acquire Career Information
Apply decision-making skills to career planning, course selection and career transition
Identify personal skills, interests and abilities and relate them to current career choice
Demonstrate knowledge of the career-planning process
Know the various ways in which occupations can be classified
Use research and information resources to obtain career information
Learn to use the Internet to access career-planning information
C:B2
C:B2.1
C:B2.4
C:B2.5
Identify Career Goals
Demonstrate awareness of the education and training needed to achieve career goals
Select course work that is related to career interests
Maintain a career-planning portfolio
C:C1
C:C1.1
C:C1.2
C:C1.3
Acquire Knowledge to Achieve Career Goals
Understand the relationship between educational achievement and career success
Explain how work can help to achieve personal success and satisfaction
Identify
personal preferences and interests influencing career choice and
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Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
success
C:C1.4 Understand that the changing workplace requires lifelong learning and acquiring new skills.
Personal/ Social Development: Standard B: Students will make decisions, set goals and take necessary
action to achieve goals.
PS:B1.9 Identify long- and short-term goals
(Standards available at http://www.ascanationalmodel.org/files/StudentStandards.pdf )
Attachments (Lesson Materials)
1. Student Handout: Career Power Point Instructions
2. Teacher Rubric for assessment of Career Power Points
3. Sample Career Power Point shown in Word. In the classroom, it can be shown to the students as
a sample slideshow presentation.
Making the Connection
Checking Understanding
Higher Order Thinking
Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
SDMyLife Career Project - JH
Directions:
Create a Power Point presentation with a background and design of your choice. Your presentation will
have a minimum of 10 slides, one addressing each of the following criteria. All answers can be found in
Career Cruising www.sdmylife.com under the Career tab on top of the page and also on the various
career websites listed on page 2.
Slides:
1. Name of Career, Your Name, current Grade Level, School, Month & Year
2. Core Tasks (describe the career/ occupation)
3. Workplace (locations, inside or outside; where?)
4. Working Conditions (working hours, special dangers or other conditions)
5. Earnings / Income/ Wages/ Salary: range; SD and/or national averages
6. Education/ Training Needed
7. Attributes and Abilities (Special Skills needed)
8. Sample Career Path (Name and describe the different levels)
9. Job Outlook (In Earnings tab: employment trend, national and South Dakota given)
10. Advantages/ Disadvantages (as perceived by you (5+ things you dis/like the most about the job)
11. Bonus slide: Related Careers: Name at least 10 and some clusters and maybe what industries
they fall under.
12. Sources and other Resources (names and urls or other sources where you found your
information)
Oral Presentation:
Share the findings on your preferred career with the rest of your class in an oral report.
If you like, you can use notes that you add below your slides or notes recorded on separate note cards.
When presenting, do not read your slides but state in your own words the important aspects under each
heading.
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Checking Understanding
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Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
Additional Sources:

The biggest job search site is the Occupational Outlook Handbook which is now online at
http://www.bls.gov/oco. Write the name of the job you want to find into the search box. This
site has thorough information on most known occupations and contains a section on each slide
you need.

http://apps.sd.gov/applications/LD01DOL/Template/Main.aspx?TemplateID=17&OrphanPage=h
ttp://apps.sd.gov/applications/LD55CareerInsite/CustomContent/welcome.aspx Type the
career into the keyword box or search by interest area below.

You can also explore the following web site(s) for information on the same occupation:
www.mappingyourfuture.org/planyourcareer/careership
Explore the Match My Careers and Cluster link
www.mappingyourfuture.org/planyourcareer/careership/match_career.cfm
and then pick one career (also called an occupation).

O*Net Online allows a wider search and provides an in-depth look at hundreds of specific
occupations, including detailed skills, knowledge and ability requirements, tasks and work
activities involved, work settings, and interests and values of people employed in a given
occupation. Includes military. http://online.onetcenter.org Click on Find Occupations, in the
keyword box, type the name of the occupation.

The JobStar site http://jobstar.org/tools/career/spec-car.htm includes information on careers
and on each branch of the Military. Click on Guides to Specific Careers.
You can also research the Military by scrolling down to Military. Click on Military Career Guide
Online or go to http://www.todaysmilitary.com/app/tm/is and select the desired branch.
Follow directions and print the information.

To see real life job openings, visit http://www.careeronestop.org. Click on Topics A-Z (top
right), scroll down to the heading Occupations, click on browsing, under Keyword Search, type
the name of the occupation.
You can collect information from various sites to complete your career PowerPoint. State all
sources used on your last slide and copy-paste the url where you found it.
Making the Connection
Checking Understanding
Higher Order Thinking
Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
Rubric to assess the Career Power Points
1
Slides
Introduction
4
4 stated
3
3 stated
1-2
1-2 stated well
1
1 or less and
slide is named
Career is described
and tasks are
mentioned
Career is
described but
specific tasks
are unclear
3 aspects
named and
described
Two tasks are
named
Only one task is
named
1-2 aspects
named and
clearly
described
One or less
described and
slide is named
Info on 4 aspects,
Info on 3
aspects,
Info on 2
working
conditions well
described
One or less
working
condition
described.
Earnings/
Wages/ Income/
Salary
Points: 5
All 5 stated: name of career,
student name, School,
student’s grade level, and
month and year.
Career is briefly but clearly
described so that it is easy to
know what tasks and skills it
involves
5 aspects named: career is
tied to a particular location?
Indoor/ outdoor? Country/
city? Clear description of
location requirements
5 aspects are described,
such as working hrs; special
dangers; work environment,
travel, tips, with people or
not, indoors/ outdoors…
SD and national beginning
and averages wages stated
(4)
2
Core Tasks
3
Work Place
4
Working
conditions
5
Only 3 of 4 stated
Only 2 of 4
stated
Only one of 4
stated
Not correctly
stated but said
something
6
Education/
Training needed
Levels of education needed
clearly stated
Partially stated but
some examples
given
Partially stated;
no PS school
named
Marginally
stated
7
Attributes &
Abilities
4 aspects named
and clearly
described
3 aspects
named and
described
2 aspects
named and
described
8
Sample Career
Path
At least 75% of
levels and sub
criteria stated
At least 60% of
levels and sub
criteria stated
30%- 40% of
levels and sub
criteria stated
Something said
but not stated
correctly or 1
level or less
9
Job Outlook
4 of the named
aspects accurately
stated
3 of the named
aspects
accurately
stated
2 of the named
aspects
accurately
stated
1of the named
aspects
accurately
stated
10
Advantages
4 stated
3 stated
2 stated
1 stated
10
Disadvantages
5 special skills, knowledge,
abilities, or needed licenses
and types of diplomas
stated.
All 3-4 levels given in
SDMyLife stated and
earnings, requirements, and
responsibilities of each
named.
National or state job outlook
including (1) employ #s now
and (2) future, reflecting (3)
what change, (4)
percentage, and (5) # of
future job openings.
5 + likes about the job
(prospects) well stated
5 aspects disliked about the
job) are stated
Slide named,
but nonpertinent
information
1 aspect named
and described
4 stated
3 stated
2 stated
1 stated
Bonus Slide:
Related Careers
At least 10 related careers
and some related clusters
7-9 related careers
and/ or clusters
Sources/
Resources
3 + sources named with
print source or url provided
2 + sources named
with print source or
url provided
A: 55+
B: 44 – 54
2-4 related
careers and/or
clusters
2 sources but no
url or print
source or vice
versa.
D: 11 - 32
1 related
careers or
clusters
1 source or less.
Total Points
5-6 related
careers and/or
clusters
3 sources but no
url or print
source or vice
versa
C: 33 - 43
11
Making the Connection
4 aspects named
and clearly
described
Checking Understanding
Higher Order Thinking
F 10-
Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
Sample Career Power Point
Making the Connection
Checking Understanding
Higher Order Thinking
Handout
2012 South Dakota MyLife Magazine
Making the Connection
Checking Understanding
Higher Order Thinking
Handout