The Real Game – ‘The personal journey’
Band of development:
Early adolescence
Curriculum organiser:
School’s decision
Year level(s):
Proposed duration:
Essential Learning
Achievements
8
6-8 lessons
1. The student uses a range of strategies to think and learn.
3. The student makes considered decisions.
5. The student contributes to group effectiveness.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Thank you to teachers from Belconnen High School for developing and sharing this unit.
This is a sample unit of work. Teachers need to consider its usefulness within the context of their own students’ needs
and school’s curriculum plan and adapt it accordingly.
Posted:
November 2007
SOCIAL SCIENCES
THE REAL GAME – ‘THE PERSONAL JOURNEY’
Key Learning Area: Careers/Social Sciences
Year: 8
Band of Development: Early Adolescence
Duration: 6–8 lessons
DESCRIPTION
In this unit of work students will be linked to the real world – by hosting a Career Day, where they will invite members of the real working world into the school for
a session of trading ideas and experiences. Students will integrate their prospective working goals into a complete pathway picture, reinforcing the idea of
careers as the combination of personal, family working and extra-curricular activities. The students will identify and draw upon what they have learnt about the
world of work and through completing a self-audit they will be able to imagine an ideal job in a visioning exercise. Students will focus on defining and refining
their preferred way of thinking, exploring alternative or new ways of thinking and broadening the available repertoire of their thinking skills. The range of thinking
strategies will contribute to the development of the students’ decision-making capacity. Putting their career making decisions into effect will involve support from
other class members as they assume different support and leadership roles within their group contexts in The Real Game.
This unit of work is based on The Real Game. Department of Science and Training (DEST) -The Real Game Facilitator’s Kit – Junior Secondary/Middle
Secondary Edition http://www.dest.gov.au/
ESSENTIAL LEARNING ACHIEVEMENTS
ELA 1 The student uses a range of strategies to think and learn
In the early adolescence band of development, students have opportunities to:
3. use logical, creative and lateral thinking to explore relevant knowledge in depth, distinguish central concepts from contributing ideas, stimulate imagination and
generate and test creative ideas and solutions
6. recognise how feelings influence their thinking
9. develop strategies to promote motivation and persistence in learning (e.g. practise a new skill, memorise information, persist with solving a complex problem).
ELA 3 The student makes considered decisions
In the early adolescence band of development, students have opportunities to:
2. use the inquiry process to gather information from a variety of sources to identify additional options
4. identify sources of information for making decisions about key aspects of their lives (eg school pathways, health behaviours)
5. assess the impact and consequences of decisions they have already made to identify whether they will impact on their future choices
10. make decisions and put them into effect as part of topics or themes across the school’s curriculum.
ELA 5 The student contributes to group effectiveness
In the early adolescence band of development, students have opportunities to:
1. explore the different contexts within and beyond school when they may be required to work in a group or as a team to complete a task or reach a goal
2. display cooperation and flexibility in allocating and undertaking varying roles and tasks in groups
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ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
What will the students remember in three months or three years?
 that personal likes and dislikes in making informed Career decisions about jobs and job satisfaction is important
 the impact of career choices on life
 that positive decision making will ensure links are built between life and work
 the value of in depth knowledge in Careers
 the importance of critical thinking before they decide and act
 how peers can be effective resources and sources of support for learning
 the benefits of working in effective groups and teams to support learning
 the importance and influence of emotions in thinking and learning.
WORTHWHILE LEARNING
The student will have opportunities to:
 extend their knowledge of the importance of acquiring in depth knowledge within fields and discipline areas
 examine examples of a how a practitioner in a field goes about making new knowledge and apply lessons learned to their own thinking
 undertake a range of specific roles in formal groups or teams
 use effective strategies to achieve clarity of communication when working in groups.
Outcomes
Students will have the opportunity to:
 look ahead at their futures
 demonstrate their understanding
of how education, work and family
fit into the journey of life
 demonstrate their understanding
of the terms: career, job and
occupation
 demonstrate their understanding
of why it’s important to enjoy the
work they choose to do
 identify the correlation of The High
Five principles to their own life.
Content
1.3 use logical, creative and lateral
thinking to explore career knowledge
in depth, distinguish central concepts
from contributing ideas, stimulate
imagination and generate and test
creative ideas and solutions by
investigating the circle of life.
Teaching and Learning Activities
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Present The High Five Principles
Class discussion.
Students to present a summary of
discussion.
Complete the Circle of Life or the
Time Line handout.
Apply knowledge of World of Work
to participate in the Spin Game.
Invite retired persons to the lesson
to assist in the completion the
Circle of Life.
Discussion on how the world of
work has changed and continues
to change.
Assessment
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Completion of the Circle of Life
handout or theTime Line handout.
Participation in discussion about
the High Five Principles and how
the world of work has changed and
continues to change.
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Students will have the opportunity to:
 demonstrate an understanding of
a positive self-concept and its
influence in one’s life and work
 link learning to one’s life scenarios
both present and future
 demonstrate how decision making
links to life/work building
 demonstrate the process of
life/work building.
3.4 identify sources of information for
making decisions about key aspects
of their lives, in particular career
decisions
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5.1 explore contexts within the
workforce where they may be required
to gather information
5.2 allocate and undertake varying
roles and tasks within a group
displaying cooperation and flexibility
specific to occupations across varied
organisations.
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Students will have the opportunity to:
 gain knowledge about the world of
work and relationship between a
variety of occupations and leisure
time
 compare what they have learned
in The Real Game with
experiences of people in the work
world
 reflect on their learning.
3.2 use the inquiry process to gather
information from a variety of sources
to identify additional options
1.6 recognise how feelings influence
their thinking and the impact on their
decision making by reflecting on
journal entries
3.5 assess the impact and
consequences of decisions they have
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Creation of My Ideal Job Profile for
presentation to peers.
Use reference material to create a
pathway plan on future job options
Oral presentation to peers of
research.
In small groups research and
share information on specific
career occupations – businesses,
government and educational
institutions, business owners and
other professional occupations.
Evaluate the necessary
requirements of a particular
occupation.
Investigate through research what
the job requires including
performance measures.
Outline job requirements for
chosen occupations.
Excursion to the Centrelink Career
Information Centre.
Study the contexts of both
individual and group oriented
employment.
Use technology – Internet and
email to identify sources of
information.
Reflection on journey of The Real
Game journal entry.
Survey students on interests and
invite guest speakers to the
school.
Prepare a Careers Day covering a
range of guest speakers from
different organisations including
topics on resumes, interview skills
and career pathways.
Research business and enterprise
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Presentation of My Ideal Job
Profile.
Completion of pathway plan on
future job options.
Presentation of information on
specific career occupations.
Research and preparation of
questions for guest speakers.
Participation in Career Day.
Interaction and discussion with
guest speakers.
Individual presentation to whole
class on career research and
individual interests.
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already made to identify how they will
impact on their future choices.
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Students will have the opportunity to:
 demonstrate their understanding
of the main concepts of The Real
Game including: job, occupation,
career; The High Five principles;
the connection between school
subjects and the world of work; the
relationship between personality,
interests and job satisfaction
 use vocabulary pertaining to the
world of work.
1.9 develop strategies to promote
motivation and persistence in learning
(e.g. practise a new skill, memorise
information, persist with solving a
complex problem)
3.10 make decisions regarding career
options and put them into effect by
modifying pathways plans to include
goals subject choices and time
frames.
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opportunities within the world of
work using a variety of resources.
Prepare a presentation on what
opportunities exist within the world
of work that interest you.
Complete What I Know about the
World of Work Survey.
Compare surveys completed at
both the beginning and the end of
the unit.
Play The Spin Game.
Modify Career Pathway plan
completed in earlier unit of The
Real Game.
Incorporate timeframes and goal
setting.
Provide individual interview
session with Careers Counsellor to
discuss goals pathways and time
frames.
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Completion of survey.
Pathways plan evaluated and
modified by student.
Complete an evaluation of the
comparisons of surveys.
Use new vocabulary during class
discussion related to careers and
the world of work.
Glossary
Reflection
In this unit how has the teaching and learning demonstrated the following:
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that every student can learn
the maximising of student learning
sustained opportunities for students to learn
depth of student understanding and expertise
equitable and inclusive opportunities for learning
ethical practice
content, assessment and pedagogy that is coherent and aligned
a dynamic and responsive approach?
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Professional Resources
Teaching Strategies
What is needed to support student learning, inclusive practice and scaffolded learning?
Department of Science and Training (DEST) -The Real Game Facilitator’s Kit – Junior Secondary/Middle Secondary Edition http://www.dest.gov.au/
DEST - ‘Chase Your Dreams’ Resource Kit Steve Waugh presents: Chase your dreams
Job resources Australia www.jobjuice.com.au
Australia’s career information service www.myfuture.edu.au
Australian JobSearch www.jobsearch.gov.au
Australian Bureau of Statistics www.abs.gov.au
Student to Industry Program www.sip.net.au
Australian Association of Careers Counsellors www.aacc.org.au
ACT Career Education Association www.actcareers.org.au
Centrelink Career Information Centres – 13 Lonsdale St Braddon ACT Career Information Centre Outlets
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