Alex’s Discovery
Alex’s Discovery
LESSON ONE
YEAR LEVEL
6
PURPOSE
• To commence exploring the world of work with a view to future careers
• To introduce students to Alex and his/her friends as they commence their VE&T
learning journey
RATIONALE
TIMEFRAME
DELIVERY MODE
TERMINOLOGY CHECKLIST
You may wish to pre-teach
these words before the
lesson or refer to them
during the lesson. The
checklist is not exhaustive
and a list displaying these
words and their meanings
should be available to all
students during the lesson.
(I)M!LEX
)MHERETOSHOW
YOU6%4ISA
GREATWAYTOGO
Alex is about to start the transition process from Year 6 by
investigating the world of work through discovering how everyday
items come to be part of our lives. The character Alex at this stage
is presented as either male or female, and can take on the persona
of any student at this level considering his or her future learning
and training options. The activities in this lesson focus on the
‘dreaming’ stage of career development. That is, students imagine
their future work options without the need to make significant
final decisions. This stage of career development should focus on
reflection of their present learning journey and the exploration of
future learning journeys with the focus clearly on VE&T options.
1 Hour
Classroom-based activities based on the VE&T Way to go
worksheets. Group discussion activities and written tasks.
Pathway – a way to progress through training and education to
employment
Work – both paid and unpaid activities
Job – a particular work situation, e.g. teacher at Smart secondary
school, cashier at Food Galore supermarket, mechanic at Gogo Cars
auto shop
Occupation – the kind of work that people do in different places
and in different ways, e.g. teaching is an occupation that includes
Primary and Secondary school teachers, adult educators, principals etc
Career – all the roles a person undertakes throughout their life
– education, training, paid and unpaid work, family, volunteer work,
leisure activities and more
Career Development – a lifelong process of growth through life,
learning and work. It can happen unintentionally, or it can be about
actively creating the work one wants to do within the context of the
life one wants to live. It is both complex and unique to the individual
TAFE - Technical and Further Education
University – Higher Education
Year 6, Lesson 1: Page 1 of 7
Alex’s Discovery
CONCEPTS TO COVER
BRAINSTORM ACTIVITY
5 M INUTES
CONCEPT QUESTIONS
On–the-Job Training – learning in the workplace
VE&T – Vocational Education and Training, a practical skill based
learning qualification
This lesson asks students to reflect on:
• their own learning journey
• what they understand about the world of work
• their top jobs or occupations they may wish to pursue
• Alex’s learning journey using the VE&T worksheets
• In groups or pairs, ask students to write what they like about
learning – this could include learning they do outside of school
– they may wish to identify who helps them to learn
• Ask students to list how they learn- doing, reading, listening,
watching, talking, planning, participating, making mistakes, repeating
activities, developing special skills
• Ask students to identify how they think Alex might learn – give
reasons for their choices. Record these for all to consider
• Students make a list of three tasks they have learnt recently
– where they learnt these tasks and who helped them to learn
• Work through the concept questions with the class
1.
20 M INUTES
2.
3.
4.
Who is Alex? Describe his/her learning journey
• Encourage students to invent Alex’s story. Try and link this
story to his learning journey
Who am l? How do l learn? What do l like to learn about?
• Students record their own learning journey from Prep to Year
6. Identify the key players in their learning journey. Identify how
they learn best and what engages them in learning
What do l know about the world of work? How do people
learn at work?
• Students develop a list of ways that people may learn on the
job. For example, through observation, practice, discussion,
special classes, shadowing another worker or explaining
tasks. Students identify common approaches to learning
Ask students to identify their top five jobs. What would be
their five worst jobs? Why? What would Alex say would be the
top five jobs?
(I)M!LEX
)MHERETOSHOW
YOU6%4ISA
GREATWAYTOGO
Year 6, Lesson 1: Page 2 of 7
Alex’s Discovery
ACTIVITY 1
“How Did They Get There?”
20 M INUTES
ACTIVITY 2
“Can you find a person
who does this job?”
10 M INUTES
(I)M!LEX
)MHERETOSHOW
YOU6%4ISA
GREATWAYTOGO
Using the VE&T Alex worksheets ask students to identify
all the images in Alex’s world.
• Students may need to be prompted to include, dining table, glass
of milk, fish bowl, Xbox etc
• Ask students to answer these questions: How did these items get
there? Why do we need these items? Who might have made them?
Who makes these items at work? Students will be able to obtain
answers for these questions from the Alex worksheet
Using Page 2 of the Worksheet ask students to identify
how many jobs/ occupations make up Alex’s world?
• Students should choose three vocational jobs that they may
consider they would like to know more about or may even
consider as a future career and give reasons for their choices
As a homework or follow-up task ask students to find
out about the three jobs/occupations they enjoyed the
most from Alex’s world. Ask students to talk over their
choices with their parents or other adults in their family.
They should aim to find out:
• What the job involves, how they can find out about work in this
industry?
• What type of a person might be best suited to this work?
• What skills are needed for this job?
• What they need to learn before they can do this job?
• Where they can do this learning? TAFE/On the job?
• What can they do to find more information about this job?
Useful websites for this task:
• http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au
State Government site for young people, information and links to
VE&T options
• http://www.education.vic.gov.au
Links to VE&T Pathways and career and transition information for
students, teachers and parents
• http://www.aajobpathways.com.au
New Apprenticeships Job Pathways site where students can search
using an occupation title
• http://www.myfuture.edu.au
Provides full job files under the Facts menu bar. Students
can browse alphabetically or by industry for a description of
occupations of choice.
Year 6, Lesson 1: Page 3 of 7
Alex’s Discovery
FOLLOW UP TASK
RESOURCES FOR
THIS LESSON
VELS APPLICATION
Level 4
Students present one of their favourite job choices from their
homework task and present a brief talk on what they have
discovered about their choice. This presentation may form part of
the assessment outcome for this unit of work.
VE&T Way to go worksheets
DE&T – http://education.vic.gov.au • http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au
DEST – The Job Guide online at jobguide.thegoodguide.com.au and
My Future http://www.myfuture.edu.au
STRAND
DOMAIN
DIMENSION
Physical, personal
& social learning
Interpersonal development
Building social relationships
Personal learning
The individual learner
Discipline-based learning
The humanities - economics
Knowledge & understanding
reasoning & interpretation
Interdisciplinary learning
Communication
Listening, viewing &
responding
Presenting
Information &
communications
technology
ICT for visualising thinking
Thinking processes
(I)M!LEX
)MHERETOSHOW
YOU6%4ISA
GREATWAYTOGO
Year 6, Lesson 1: Page 4 of 7
Economic reasoning
processing & inquiry
Economic reflection,
evaluation & metacognition
Alex’s Discovery
ACTIVITY 1
This is Alex. You can see into the house where Alex lives and through the window into
Alex’s backyard. Maybe it looks a lot like yours, and you recognise many of the things
in the house and in the garden?
Look closely at what’s in Alex’s life. On the next page there are pictures of eight things from Alex’s life,
and lists of some of the people and the jobs that helped to get them there. Fill in the blank spaces, and
see if you can pick other items from Alex’s place and fill in more.
(I)M!LEX
)MHERETOSHOW
YOU6%4ISA
GREATWAYTOGO
Year 6, Lesson 1: Page 5 of 7
Alex’s Discovery
ACTIVITY 2
Alex wants to work with you to
understand how the things in our lives get
to be there: What sorts of people make these
things?
How do they get to our houses?
What jobs would you need to do to keep
them working?
One has already been filled in – your job is to fill
in the rest and then talk about your choices with
your class.
SOCCER BALL
Sports coach
Professional sportsperson
Sports equipment maker
GAMES CONSOLE
Software Programmer
____________________
____________________
PAINTING
Artisits Supplies Shop
____________________
Picture Framer
TELEVISION
____________________
____________________
TV Salesperson
THE END
NEWSPAPER
Printer
____________________
____________________
GOLDFISH BOWL
____________________
Glassmaker
____________________
(I)M!LEX
)MHERETOSHOW
YOU6%4ISA
GREATWAYTOGO
Year 6, Lesson 1: Page 6 of 7
Alex’s Discovery
ACTIVITY 2
MILK
MILK CARTON
____________________
Milk Tank Driver
Milk Bar/Shop Assistant
GARDEN
____________________
____________________
____________________
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____________________
____________________
____________________
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____________________
____________________
____________________
.....................................
____________________
____________________
____________________
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____________________
____________________
____________________
(I)M!LEX
)MHERETOSHOW
YOU6%4ISA
GREATWAYTOGO
Year 6, Lesson 1: Page 7 of 7