Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Middle School Career Academies for
College and Career Readiness
A Guide for
Interdisciplinary
Implementation
This guide provides an overview to the
career academy model, as implemented
Newark Valley Middle School in N.Y. It
describes the benefits for all students and
advantages for teachers. Lesson plans for
family & consumer sciences, art education,
English language arts, general science,
health education and social studies are
provided, making this a useful tool for
many classrooms.
C a r e e r a n d Te c h n i c a l
E d u c a t i o n Te c h n i c a l
Assistance Center of NY
1585 Rt. 146
R e xf o r d , N Y 1 2 1 4 8
518-723-2137
F. 518-723-2140
w w w . n yc t e c e n t e r . o r g
Part II Section 1 Lessons
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Acknowledgements
Guide Description
Part I Introduction
Part II Lessons
Introduction
Part II Lessons Section 1
FACS Lessons
Part II Lessons Section 2
Art, ELA, Science,
Health, Social Studies
Part II Section 1 Lessons
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Acknowledgements
The Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center of NY
wishes to thank the writers of this publication:
Jessica Williams, Ed.D.
Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher
and inspiration for these academies at
Newark Valley Middle School
Todd Schaffer, Principal
Newark Valley Middle School
Nikki Morgan, Health Education
Sandra Gray, Social Studies
Ashley Stauder, English Language Arts
Teresa Fallon, General Science
Laura Johnson, Art Education
Newark Valley Middle School
CTE Technical Assistance Center of New York: Mission and Purpose
The Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center (CTE TAC) of New York assists the New York State Education
Department (NYSED) in carrying out its mission of improving the quality, access, and delivery of Career and Technical Education
(CTE) through research-based methods and strategies resulting in broader CTE opportunities for all students.
The CTE TAC operates as part of the Successful Practices Network (SPN) under a contract with the NYSED. The CTE TAC
increases the capacity of the NYSED to serve, support, and expand CTE across the state.
CTE TAC services are provided to teachers and students in:
 Local education agencies
 BOCES
 High needs school districts
 CTE professional organizations
 CTE student leadership organizations
CTE TAC Work Plan
 CTE data collection and communications
 Networking to strengthen CTE
 Integration of the Common Core State Standards
 CTE program and student leadership expansion
 CTE program approval process
 Best practices in CTE
The Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center of NY has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and
reliability of the information contained in this document. The views expressed are those of the Center alone and do not
necessarily represent the position of the NYS Board of Regents or the NYS Department of Education.
Part II Section 1 Lessons
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness:
A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Overview of the Guide
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
is a description of the Newark Valley Middle School program that is researched based and operating in Newark
Valley, NY. Part I of the guide talks about the structure of the program and Renzulli’s Enrichment Triad Model on
which it is based. The philosophy, delivery, student projects, program outcomes, and lessons learned are explained.
A resource list is provided to assist those who wish to replicate the model. An administrative perspective by the
school’s principal is also included.
Part II is designed to be used as a working document as teachers pursue the Career Academy Model. The
introduction to this part provides a Lesson Plan Template which can be accessed as a Word document for easy use.
The middle school teachers provide their thoughts about program implementation here as well. The first section of
lesson plans is dedicated to Family and Consumer Sciences lessons because the academies grew out of the work that
Jessica Williams, FACS teacher, was doing in her classroom. The lessons and their supporting appendices are
offered for use as they are, or to be adjusted to meet the needs of other classrooms, students and teachers.
The second section of lessons come from English Language Arts, General Science, Social Studies, Health Education
and Art Education teachers who joined Ms. Williams in the Career Academy initiative. Grading rubrics and student
work samples are also provided with these lessons.
It is hoped that the reader will find this document useful in moving toward a Career Academy structure in their
middle school. The document may be used to meet individual school and teacher needs in creating active and
engaging student experiences.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness:
A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Part I - Introduction
Overview of the Career Academy Model at Newark Valley Middle School
Introduction
Newark Valley Middle School (NVMS) is a comprehensive grade 4-7 school located in rural New York. The
education program offers core and special area courses including Family & Consumer Sciences. The school’s
approximately 1,200 students represent a range of socioeconomic levels.
In the fall of 2012, the 7th grade team implemented a pilot career academy model in order to:




increase student engagement by providing a highly differentiated curriculum
promote 21st century skills
integrate the Common Core
assist students as they start to plan for college and careers.
The model is based on the Enrichment Triad Model (ETM) of teaching and learning, developed by Dr. Joseph
Renzulli, an educational psychologist at the University of Connecticut’s Neag Center for Gifted Education and
Talent Development. The model aims at replacing dependent and passive learning with active and engaged student
experiences. Started as a Family & Consumer Sciences (FACS) classroom experience in which students explored
career options; the use of the ETM has spread throughout the 7th grade and is now part of science, math, ELA, social
studies, and health classes. Full implementation of the model took five years of planning.
Research is being conducted to determine the impact of this model on student planning for college and career. Initial
findings indicate that students are highly engaged and gaining 21 st century skills.
Interestingly, the model promotes a critical and perhaps unexpected benefit: the
creation of social capital as defined by positive worker traits such as intellectual
“I want to build and
courage, passionate dedication to a discipline, sensitivity to human concerns, and a
design buildings that go
willingness to engage in challenging work.
into nature…where you
This early research on the NVMS experience indicates that the model may be
uniquely suited to helping students gain 21st century skills, as well as positive
character traits that lead to pro-social behaviors in school and the workplace Other
schools can implement similar models, leading to better outcomes for students and
schools as well as for society.
Part II Section 1 Lessons
don’t bulldoze down
trees because that’s
what is giving us
oxygen. I want to save
the environment. I want
to contribute to nature.”
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Philosophy Underlying the Model
The Career Academy model at NVMS is actually based on two ideas developed
by Renzulli. The first is the Enrichment Triad Model (ETM), in which curricular
design focuses on:
 an appreciation that each learner is unique and therefore all learning experiences must be examined
in ways that take into account the abilities, interests, and learning styles of the individual
 assessment of all learning activities for enjoyment, since learning is more effective when students
enjoy what they are doing
 connections to real, current problems that are student-chosen
 student constructed meaning of content and learning. (Renzulli, 1976)
The ETM is comprised of three types of experiences.
Type 1 experiences “expose children to a wide variety of
disciplines, topics, occupations, hobbies, persons, places
and events.” Examples of Type 1 experiences include
watching a documentary, hearing a speaker, taking a
mini-course, and watching a performance. Type 2
experiences focus on the development of learning how
to learn in a particular discipline and involve the
“deliberate process of thinking and feeling about the
discipline and the work it entails.” Type 3 activities
involve a student becoming a first-hand inquirer.
(Renzulli & Reis, nd)
The second idea on which we base our
philosophy is that of Operation
Houndstooth. This theory delineates
traits that, when exhibited in a person,
are thought to comprise wisdom.
Through specific methods of teaching
and learning, we work to develop these
traits in our students:
 optimism: hope and positive
feelings from hard work
psychological
and
 courage:
intellectual independence, moral
conviction
 romance with a discipline or topic: absorption, passion
 sensitivity to human concerns: insight, empathy
 physical & mental energy: charisma, curiosity
 vision/sense of destiny: sense of power to change things, sense of direction, pursuit of goals.
(Renzulli, 2002)
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
We believe that by allowing students the opportunity to examine all learning through their own talents
or interests as they relate to a future career, we are encouraging them to find a “purpose” in their lives:
one that they believe can make the world a better place. Having purpose is linked to a host of positive
behaviors, is often discussed in tandem with wisdom, and is considered, by at least one group of
scholars, to be a measureable component of wisdom. (Jason et al. 2001) Damon and his colleagues
(2003) defined purpose in a way that delineated a direct link between the concept of purpose and the
concept of wisdom. “Purpose is a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at
once meaningful to the self and of consequence to the world beyond the
self.”
“It’s made me excited to
start a career like this.
Careers remove people from isolation and alienation by engaging them in
Sometimes now I dream
action-oriented participation; a give-and-take exchange with the outside
I’m an oncologist. I don’t
world in which they become linked to other people and a larger social
know if that means
anything…maybe it’s
good. Having a career provides people with a sense of purpose and
because I’m working so
interdependence, encouraging reciprocity, mutuality, and altruism. These
hard with it.”
are just the type of 21st century skills we are trying to encourage in
education today. By linking the curriculum to a student’s life purpose
through career education and development, we produce students who are
truly college and career ready and actually promote social capital that will be used to make the world a
better place. (Bloch, 2005; Blondel, as cited in Savickas; Fletcher, 2004; Hall, 1996; Peterson, 2012; Pink,
2009; Richardson, as cited in Patton & McMahon, 2006; Savickas, 1997)
Students in middle and high school typically complete career assessments that involve a series of
checked boxes or a routinized battery of tests, which often tell students what they already likely know
about themselves. With today’s focus on college and career readiness, it is important to explore what
that concept really means. It is not just the ability to take college classes without needing remediation. It
requires a deep understanding of self and society and how one may make a meaningful contribution
that serves both. Career development is really an exploration of self that should encourage students to
engage in mindful reflection of their character, talents, gifts, interests, and life experiences and to use
those to interact with their environment in a way that promotes the welfare of both the individual and
society at large. This is a much more complex process than the regular career assessments used in
schools; however, it may be a process that can be achieved through the implementation of the ETM.
How the Career Academy Model Is Delivered
While the ETM was not originally designed to teach career development, NVMS staff utilize an adapted
form of the model in the 7th grade Career Academy as we rely on 6th grade teachers to provide Type 1
experiences. In addition to organizing a truly amazing Career Day experience for our 6 th graders,
teachers prompt students throughout the year to consider potential career choices as they read books,
learn about different topics, watch television, engage in conversations, and participate extracurricular
activities and especially Career Day. In a sense, engagement with the curriculum and extracurricular
activities, as well as conversations with meaningful adults and peers, acts as Type 1 experiences.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
At the end of 6th grade, the school counselor, 6th grade teachers, and FACS teacher work with students
to help them pick a career cluster to study in 7th grade. Predesigned clusters are:













Architecture & Interior Design
Business & Finance
Creative Writing
Culinary Arts
Education
Engineering & Computer Science
Fashion Design
Film, Photography & Music
Forensic Science & Law
Life Sciences (plant, animal, Earth)
Medicine
Psychology
Sports, Exercise & Nutrition
“I’ve learned that I know
nothing in the field of
chemistry and that I need to
know a lot more. I think I am
going to be a chemist when I
grow up. I just need to work
a lot harder in everything –
get my grades up. I want to
figure out how chemicals
react to each other.”
While most students’ choices fall into one of these clusters, students with different interests are
accommodated. Examples of other career interests include chemistry, meteorology, sociology, and
philosophy.
During the 2012-13 school year, students were scheduled in all of their classes with students of similar
interests. Groupings were as follows: Social Sciences, Technology & Engineering, Life Science, Medicine
& Forensics, Applied Design, and Human Performance & Nutritional Science.
Once students have chosen a career to study, their Career Academy becomes an individualized
experience in which their interests and talents guide choices in the learning material provided. Six key
questions guide learning, as suggested by Renzulli & Richards (2000) for middle school students:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What do people with an interest in this area (e.g., film making) do?
What kind of products do they create and/or what services do they provide?
What knowledge, materials, and other resources do they provide?
What methods do they use to carry out their work?
How, and with whom, do they communicate the results of their work?
In what ways can we use the product or service to affect the intended audience?
Students are asked these questions in many different ways as they view the 7th grade curriculum
through the lens of their interest and talent. When asked to endorse a candidate in social studies class,
future engineers might consider how one candidate’s policies on green
energy and sustainability could influence the products or services that
they might be able to create. Future teachers might wonder about the
“This has made me learn
how to express my
viability of the profession given budget cuts proposed by another
creativity and show how I
candidate. In science class, the future engineers come to understand
am inspired and how to
make presentations. It’s
that engineers create solar panels in order to combat global warming
increased my confidence
and the future educators understand their role in promoting a sense
a lot. Redesigning a room
of eco-responsibility in students. They may consider who taught them
inspired by a 7th grader –
that’s pretty big.”
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
about global warming and how they might share that information with others.
As students travel through their courses, the curriculum is continually personalized, and they return to
the six questions over and over again. By the end of the year, the students have developed some
expertise about the impact of their discipline and are considering how they might tackle big problems
that exist in the world.
The Big Project
The culminating experience for our 7th graders is the design and implementation of a big project. The
purpose is to contribute a new product, service, or idea to the world. The project must be presented to
an authentic audience.
This big project corresponds to the Type III activities described as part of ETM.
The goals of Type III enrichment include:
 providing opportunities for applying interests, knowledge, creative ideas, and task
 commitment to a self-selected problem or area of study
 acquiring advanced level understanding of the knowledge (content) and methodology (process)
used in particular disciplines, artistic areas of expression, and interdisciplinary studies
 developing authentic products that are primarily directed toward bringing about a desired impact
upon a specified audience
 developing self-directed learning skills in the areas of planning, organization, resource utilization,
time management, decision making, and self-evaluation
 developing task commitment, self-confidence, and feelings of creative accomplishment.
It is at this point that the teacher reminds students that they are the experts and that the teacher is
there as a guide to provide supplies, guidance, and an ear for ideas. The teacher and teacher assistant
typically move around the classroom, watching and asking questions, providing advice and guidance
when necessary, assuring task-orientation, and sometimes just staying out of the way. The ultimate goal
here according to Renzulli is to “replace dependent and passive learning with independence and
engaged learning” and to develop creative productivity in students.
The students design their projects in FACS class. The whole 7th grade team - including technology, art,
music, guidance, principal, librarian, PE, and LOTE (languages other than English) teachers - works
together to help students accomplish these projects. Sometimes we even have assistance from high
school teachers and staff, community members, and parents.
One group of future architects held a series of business meetings, proposed the redesign of the school library,
requested money from the Parent-Teacher-Student Association to do the actual redesign, and then spent the year
working to carry it out. Three students conducted sociological experiments on the
bystander effect, one built a magnificent catapult, and another developed experiment
completely independently and could explain to a peer and a high school chemistry
“I’ve also learned how
teacher what happened and why. Two students built towering cakes that they gave as
exciting it can be
gifts, three raised money to help an organization that protects endangered animals,
working in groups. I
work a lot better in a
many have student-taught in pre-K and kindergarten classrooms, and one assisted the
group of people
district’s occupational therapist with kindergarten screenings. A group of six made a
because I need to
working hovercraft, a group of five designed and implemented an after-school
Part II Section 1 Lessons
collaborate and share
ideas. I need to be
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asked questions so that
I can get my ideas out.”
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
intramural basketball club for 4th and 5th grade students, and five students individually designed and created fashion
and had the courage to wear them to school. Other projects also impressed us.
Outcomes
Interesting themes emerged when students were asked to reflect on their 7th grade Career Academy experience.
Many were outcomes we had hoped for and expected. Students reflected on their career plans, had a better
understanding of specific careers, and were focused on attaining the goals of college and technical school.
Once we made intentional efforts to personalize every project related to the Career Academy experience, students
began truly to understand the importance of multidisciplinary thinking. They improved their ability to make
meaning of the curriculum and to relate each subject and the knowledge they gained to other classes they were
taking. Teachers reported that discipline problems went down during the times that students were engaged in Career
Academy work.
These are goals that we expected to attain by implementing the Career Academy model at NVMS. However, the true
story lies in a transformative school experience that goes far beyond what we had envisioned. As evidenced by
student video journals and written essays, we believe our students gained wisdom as they experienced this model of
teaching and learning. More than 100 student journals were analyzed by outside reviewers, including a psychiatric
nurse practitioner with a specialization in adolescent psychology, a school counselor, and a high school science
teacher who was not part of the Newark Valley district team. Common themes emerging from these journals
reflected positive worker traits and characteristics that create a remarkably high level of 21 st century skills. Themes
included:






positive feelings from hard work
falling in love with a discipline/absorption/vision and destiny
sensitivity to human concerns/insight/empathy
courage/intellectual and moral conviction
desire to become more of an expert/do better work
importance of collaboration/relationships
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
What We Have Learned
We are thrilled with the outcomes of our model so far. We have also learned some critical lessons about
the delivery of the Career Academy and identified areas for improvement.
Here are some suggestions for implementing this model.




Having a Pep Rally in which students in the same Academy sit together might a good way to start.
Perhaps each group can also wear the same color. A sense of community among students
specializing in the same discipline helps to create academic camaraderie and teamwork. It also
allows students to develop an appreciation of each other’s interests. During the rally, staff explains
the curricular design and purpose of the model to students.
Our first major Career Day, at which students wore shirts advertising their Academy, did a lot for
team-building. We wished we had done it earlier in the year.
We suggest a Career Day for 6th grade students to familiarize them with various choices. This year 45
speakers from many career paths offered workshops to 6th and 7th grade students. Afterward, 6th
grade students completed assessments and engaged in private
consultations with a 6th grade teacher. We believe students will be happier
“I think that, with my
with their Career Academy choices in 7th grade because of this.
abilities, we could change
If your school has study halls, intervention classes, or advisory time, it
the way that special
education works. You
might be good to group students of similar interests together.
don’t just deal with each
disability the same way,
but you deal with each
child – as a person – in a
different way.”
Although we did group everyone from the same Academy together the first
year, we have decided not to always do so. We believe that a multidisciplinary
perspective is more helpful for all students. While there are benefits to the
teacher in planning lessons when everyone in the room is in the same
academy, we do not believe it is in the best interests of the students. All realworld problems require a multidisciplinary approach, and encouraging students to see solutions through
the eyes of another discipline may be more beneficial in promoting 21st century skills.
Based on our pilot year, we have made some changes to the curricular delivery of our Career Academy
model. While constant reference is being made to viewing all learning through the students’ own
discipline, major projects and experiences are spaced throughout the year. Part II-Lessons in this
document provides some examples. Teacher and student should work together to ensure that curricular
experiences are interesting and enjoyable.
We believe the outcome of our work is something that must be shared with other schools. This model is
developing social capital by engaging students in rigorous and relevant material through authentic
problem-based learning experiences in which they apply their learning to real-world problems that can
work to make the world a better place. This is the most meaningful definition of college and career
ready.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
References
Bloch, Deborah (2005). Complexity, chaos and nonlinear dynamics: A new perspective on career development
theory. Career Development Quarterly, 53(3).
Damon, William, Menon, Jenni, & Cotton-Bronk, Kendall (2003). The development of purpose in adolescence.
Applied Developmental Science, 7(3), 119-128.
Fletcher, Joyce (2004). The paradox of postheroic leadership: an essay on gender, power and transformational
change. The Leadership Quarterly, 15, 647-661.
Hall, Douglas T. (1996). Protean careers for the 21 st century. The Academy of Management Executive, 10(4), 8-16.
Jason, L., Reichler, A., King, C., Madsen, D., Camacho, J. & Marchese, W. (2001) The measurement of wisdom: A
preliminary effort. Journal of Community Psychology, 29(5)585-598.
Patton, Wendy & McMahon, Mary (2006). Career Development and Systems Theory: Connecting Theory and
Practice. Netherlands: Sense Publishing.
Peterson, Amelia (2012). Making the Call: Vocation as a Mechanism for Good Work. Cambridge: Harvard Graduate
School of Education.
Pink, Daniel H. (2009). Drive: The Surprise Truth about What Motivates Us. New York: Riverhead Books.
Renzulli, Joseph (1976). The enrichment triad model: A guide for developing defensible programs for the
gifted and talented. Gifted Child Quarterly, 20, 303-326.
Renzulli, Joseph (2002). Expanding the conception of giftedness to include co-cognitive traits and promote social
capital. Phi Delta Kappa, 84(1), 33-58.
Renzulli, Joseph & Reis, Sally (n.d.). The schoolwide enrichment model executive summary. National Research
Center on the Gifted and Talented website: www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/semexec.html.
Savickas, Mark (1997). The spirit in career counseling - fostering self-completing through work. In: Bloch, Deborah
P. & Richmond, Lee J. (eds.), Connections between Spirit and Work in Career Development. Palo Alto: DaviesBlack.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
A Statement from the Principal
by Todd Schaffer, Principal
Newark Valley Middle School, Newark Valley, New York
Middle school plays a major role in the development of young men and women. It is a time for them to make
tremendous strides socially and emotionally while building a solid academic foundation for future success in high
school and beyond. During these important and impressionable years, it is crucial to provide a framework for
students to connect to school. There are far too many outside influences that
can potentially distract students from focusing on academics.
“Schools must take advantage of
Schools must take advantage of any opportunities for students that foster their
any opportunities for students that
feeling truly connected to the academics and ultimately their future. The
foster their feeling truly connected
Career Academy model developed at Newark Valley Middle School has done
to the academics and ultimately
just that. By focusing on possible careers, students have found meaning in
their future. The Career Academy
their daily efforts in school, rather than feeling the material is something they
model developed at Newark
have to “get through” in hopes of more exciting and enriching experiences
Valley Middle School has done
later in their education. As most middle school principals have observed, when
just that.”
students are engaged in and excited about learning, their teachers find it much
easier to challenge them and further their skills. The 7th grade teaching staff
has worked tirelessly to assist each other in developing a differentiated
curriculum that allows students to use their gifts, talents, and interests. By giving students the opportunity to focus
their learning through the lens of a career area, they are recognizing each student as unique, with something
important to contribute to the group. Teachers and students continue to see the benefits of this approach, and it is
exciting to think about the potential for increased achievement and engagement of our students.
With any new initiative, there will always be challenges to overcome and compromises to be made. Introducing new
ideas and philosophies to veteran staff can lead to difficult conversations. It is natural for some to cling to ways that
have brought success in the past and to question new ideas and practices. As such, the full implementation of this
model took five years. However, persistence, passion, and relationship building among staff allowed the team to
break through some traditional outlooks and move towards what good teaching and learning can look like. This was
no small feat, and it is a testament to the idea behind the Career Academy model as well as to the teachers here.
Opening people’s minds was the first step. The bulk of the work in 2012-13 was to show the benefits of the Career
Academy model and to prove its sustainability. When teachers began to see the increased engagement and higher
level thinking during class, the true momentum began. Middle schools are constantly looking for ways to engage
students and have them take a larger role in their education. The Career Academy model has been a big success in
this area.
Many schools are feeling overwhelmed by the unprecedented pressures from the State Education Department. New
standards, high stakes testing, higher expectations, and shrinking budgets are the new norm. These are also the
things that keep administrators up at night and consume much of our time and focus on a daily basis. Programs that
can address these issues while inspiring deeper interest in academics will be invaluable as we move forward in this
new era. We believe that this model has the potential to instill 21 st century skills in students, to help develop college
and career readiness, to make deep connections between their interests, talents, and abilities and the Common Core
curriculum and, most importantly, to consider how they might make a meaningful contribution to the world.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness:
A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Part II - Lessons
Introduction to Career Academy Lessons
The sample lessons that follow are divided into two sections. Section 1 has lessons that would be
taught in Family & Consumer Sciences classes. Section 2 has lessons related to other subjects:
English Language Arts, General Science, Social Studies, Health Education, and Art Education.
Every lesson is appropriate for all students, including students with disabilities, English language
learners, and gifted & talented students.
Each lesson includes a rubric for grading. These rubrics are intended to be shared with students
early in the lesson so that they know what excellent work looks like.
A blank lesson plan template follows, which show the questions that each segment of the
template answers. The Career Academy model lends itself to many types of lessons, and teachers
are encouraged to create their own.
The lessons are also available in Microsoft Word by clicking on www.insert site.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Lesson Plan Template
Title:
Subject:
Lesson Length:
Lesson Overview:
Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:

Subject/Other Standards:

21st Century Skills:

Learning Outcomes: (What will students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?)

Relevance/Rationale: (Why are the outcomes of this lesson important in the real world? Why are these outcomes
essential for future learning?)

Activities/Tasks: (What learning experiences will students engage in? How will you use these learning
experiences or student products as formative assessment opportunities?)

Formative Assessment Criteria for Success: (How will you and your students know if they have successfully
met the outcomes? What specific criteria will be met in a successful product/process? What does success on the
outcomes look like?)
Resources/Materials: (What texts, digital resources, and materials will be used in this lesson?)

Comments:
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Dear Fellow Teachers,
When we sat down to write this introduction, we thought we might give you a calendar to help
you plot out projects and events. We thought it might offer you and your students the opportunity
to wade slowly into what will be a very different way of teaching and learning. Our editor
suggested that perhaps it would be less overwhelming if there were some step-by-step directions.
However, in the spirit of the Career Academy model itself, we don’t want to tell you how to
make this work for you. Instead, we firmly hope and believe that each teacher or team of
teachers who choose to implement the model will make it their own. They will use their own
gifts, talents, and interests as well as their own needs to design something that works best for
them. After consulting with teachers from districts all over New York, with superintendents and
with Principals, we know that this model can be adapted to meet the needs of the students and
teachers utilizing it and that it works best when the teachers, students, administrators, and
community believe in the model and make it their own.
We choose to do a big “kick off” assembly and then our Academy work begins in Art, Health,
Family & Consumer Sciences, and Social Studies. When the Social Studies project ends, a
career-based Science project begins. When the Science project ends, an ELA one begins, and
then we cycle back around to Social Studies. We infuse local, state, and national contest entries
throughout and special field trips for students interested in particular careers. Our intervention
(or “enrichment”) courses often focus on career-based learning. Throughout the year, our
students always have their hand in at least one career-based project. Sometimes they are
simultaneously working on two or three. Maybe your school wants to do career-based projects
all the time in every class. Maybe you are just two teachers pairing up to try one unit in this new
way. What matters is not so much the order in which you roll it out or which subjects incorporate
a career-based orientation to their work. What matters is the pedagogy and the good teaching that
make the model work. We strongly recommend that you read all about Renzulli’s Enrichment
Triad Model (see reference at the end) in order to better understand the eventual goal of this type
of teaching and learning: to replace passive and dependent learners with active and engaged
ones.
The one thing you must know is this: You can expect your students to feel truly flummoxed for
the first month of learning in this new way. We have evidence of our own, as well as anecdotal
evidence from other teachers and schools, that a full month of coaching, encouragement,
nurturing and “letting go” is required in order for this model to be successful. In our school, we
have even developed a name for the phenomenon that usually occurs sometime between the last
week of September and mid-October. It happens for each student on a different day, at a different
moment. We call it “jumping the fence.” It is the moment when students finally believes that
their own interpretation of information matters more than the information itself, when they start
asking questions and desiring to know more, rather than just repeating what they have read in a
book or been told in class. It is the moment when they understand that they will be allowed
intellectual freedom, the chance to be creative and innovative in their thinking. It is the moment
that they understand that they can change the world around them; that they are powerful, that
they are valued, and that they can determine their own destinies.
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When students view the curriculum through their own lens (children of this age use their career
plans to define their own sense of purpose in the world) they are empowered and they WILL
become self-directed learners.
We think the most important message we can give you for your own implementation of this
model is don’t give up when you don’t see the magic right away. For the first month or two, you
need to slowly do away with your role as “imparter of knowledge” and slip into the role of
facilitator/cheerleader/supply finder/advocate. Ask students to tell you what they think about
everything. Tell them that providing a summary of someone else’s ideas is for “newbies.” They
have to analyze. They have to question. They should take nothing as fact nor should they assume
that all “truths” are unchanging. Tell them to “think like a doctor” and “think like an artist.” Call
them Nurse Andrew and Architect Alyssa. Remind every student that they have something
meaningful to contribute and that that they are developing an expertise that will surpass your
own. Truly believe that every single one of them can make a meaningful contribution.
It’s going to take some convincing…so keep at it. If you can make it through the first month, we
are confident that you and your students will be transformed by the experience.
Sincerely,
Jessica Williams, Family & Consumer Sciences
Nikki Morgan, Health Education
Sandra Gray, Social Studies
Ashley Stauder, English Language Arts
Teresa Fallon, General Science
Laura Johnson, Art Education
Newark Valley Middle School
Newark Valley, New York
Renzulli, Joseph (1976). “The Enrichment Triad Model: A Guide for Developing Defensible
Programs for the Gifted and Talented,” Gifted Child Quarterly, 20, 303-326.
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Section I –Family & Consumer Sciences Lessons
As designed, the New York State Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) standards were to
be inherent throughout all of the content areas offered in the school system. Consequently, they are
foundational to the curriculum for the Newark Valley Middle School academies. The intermediate level
standards are presented here.
NYS Career Development & Occupational Studies (CDOS) – Intermediate Standards
The model and all lessons attached to this document meet the Intermediate level CDOS standards.
Standard 1 – Career Development
1. Students will learn about the changing nature of the workplace, the value of work to society, and the connection
of work to the achievement of personal goals.
Students:
 continue development of a career plan that would assist in the transition from school to eventual entry into a
career option of their choosing.

demonstrate an understanding of the relationship among personal interests, skills, and abilities and career
research.

understand the relationship of personal interests, skills, and abilities to successful employment.

demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the changing nature of work and educational
requirements.

understand the relationship of personal choices to future career decisions.
Standard 2 – Integrated Learning
1. Integrated learning encourages students to use essential academic concepts, facts, and procedures in
applications related to life skills and the world of work. This approach allows students to see the usefulness of the
concepts that they are being asked to learn and to understand their potential application in the world of work.
Students:
 apply academic knowledge and skills using an interdisciplinary approach to demonstrate the relevance of how
these skills are applied in work-related situations in local, state, national, and international communities.

solve problems that call for applying academic knowledge and skills.

use academic knowledge and skills in an occupational context and demonstrate the application of these skills by
using a variety of communication techniques (e.g., sign language, pictures, videos, reports, and technology).
Standard 3a - Universal Foundation Skills
Students will demonstrate mastery of the foundation skills and competencies essential for success in the workplace.
1. The ability to read, write, listen, and speak as well as perform arithmetical and mathematical functions.
Students:
 listen to and read the ideas of others and analyze what they hear and read; acquire and use information from a
variety of sources; and apply a combination of mathematical operations to solve problems in oral or written
form.
2. Thinking skills lead to problem solving, experimenting, and focused observation and allow the application of
knowledge to new and unfamiliar situations.
Students:
 evaluate facts, solve advanced problems, and make decisions by applying logic and reasoning skills.
3. Personal qualities generally include competence in self-management and the ability to plan, organize, and take
independent action.
Students:
 demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between individuals and society and interact with others in a
positive manner.
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4. Positive interpersonal qualities lead to teamwork and cooperation in large and small groups in family, social,
and work situations.
Students:
 demonstrate the ability to work with others, present facts that support arguments, listen to dissenting points of
view, and reach a shared decision.
5. Technology is the process and product of human skill and ingenuity in designing and creating things from
available resources to satisfy personal and societal needs and wants.
Students:
 select and use appropriate technology to complete a task.
6. Information management focuses on the ability to access and use information obtained from other people,
community resources, and computer networks.
Students:
 select and communicate information in an appropriate format (e.g., oral, written, graphic, pictorial, multimedia).
7. Using resources includes the application of financial and human factor and the elements of time and materials to
successfully carry out a planned activity.
Students:
 understand the material, human, and financial resources needed to accomplish tasks and activities.
8. Systems skills include the understanding of and ability to work within natural and constructed systems.
Students:
 understand the process of evaluating and modifying systems within an organization.
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Introduction to Career Development and Exploration Course
Subject(s): Family & Consumer Sciences
Lesson Length: One Class Period
Lesson Overview: Introduce overall goals and layout of the course including an understanding of the Depth of
Knowledge (DOK) Levels (Webb, 2005). Explain how students will move from Level One to Level Four work by
the end of the course, which is how all people develop expertise. Explain the basics of the Enrichment Triad Model
(ETM) (Renzulli, 1976) and that this course is modeled after that way of teaching/learning.
Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
 Introduce students to Common Core Standards in math and ELA that will be key elements of assessment
during the course.
st
21 Century Skills:
 Introduce 21st century skills to students as primary goals of the course.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will understand that the primary purposes of the course are to:
 Develop expertise in a particular area of interest
 Create a unique product/idea/service and present it to an authentic audience in their chosen
area of interest
 Practice 21st century skills that can be utilized in school, college, and the workplace
 Integrate knowledge and learning from all courses into the understanding of their specific area
of interest
 Find a sense of purpose in their education and career goals
Relevance/Rationale:

The course has the potential to:
o reduce the dropout rate as students gain an understanding of the connection between their
education and their career goals
o increase creative-productivity in students
o increase social capital as students are encouraged to consider the positive contributions
they can make to society by using their talents in a specific area of interest.
Activities/Tasks:

Students complete an index card (Ticket Out the Door) with their career choice and what they
hope to get out of the class.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:
 Ticket Out the Door
Resources/Materials:



Copy of the DOK chart
Schoolwide Enrichment Model graphic (attached)
Pictures or video of DOK Level Four work (ETM Type III projects) of other students
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Comments: Stress that by the time students reach Level Three (DOK) or Type III (ETM), the teacher is no longer
the expert but is now the facilitator and the students should be self-directed learners. Explain that you cannot be an
expert in everything and that students’ knowledge should surpass yours about halfway through the course.
Schoolwide Enrichment Model
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Introductory Letter: What Are You Passionate About?
Subject(s): Family & Consumer Sciences
Lesson Length: Two class periods
Lesson Overview: Introduce the U.S. Department of Labor 16 Career Clusters and ask students to consider which
one sounds the most interesting or relevant to them. Have them write a letter to you explaining their choice.
Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and
style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.7.2 Demonstrate command of the standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2a Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2b Spell correctly.
FACS Standards for New York State:
 CD 5.2 Identify career clusters and opportunities for the development of transferrable skills.
 CD 5.4 Examine potential career choices to determine knowledge, skills, and attitudes associated with
each.
st
21 Century Skills:
 Communicate clearly through writing.
Learning Outcomes:


Students will understand the 16 Career Clusters and where their own interests fit within those
clusters.
Students will write an engaging three paragraph letter that includes proper grammar and
spelling, sentence flow, and structure. This letter must show evidence of critical and creative
thinking.
Relevance/Rationale:



Deepens understanding of students’ individual learning needs/interests, which helps the teacher
can differentiate the curriculum.
Helps students consider college and career planning.
Sets expectation for rigorous writing throughout the course.
Activities/Tasks:

Students will write a letter to the teacher explaining their career goals and discipline-specific
areas of interest. This letter will be graded.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:

See Letter to the Teacher Rubric (Appendix A at the end of Section I), which evaluates the letter
based on format, length, intrigue, and mindfulness.
Resources/Materials:


Computer with access to Microsoft Word or a similar program OR
Paper and pen/pencil
Comment: It is important to do this lesson with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. You want the word passion to be
key. Ask: What issue would you be willing to fight for? What matters the most to you in the world? What problem
would you be willing to dedicate your life to solving? Can you make a career of it?
Students who claim they have no idea what they want to be when they grow up can be prompted with questions such
as: What are you best at in school? What are your hobbies? What’s the most exciting place you’ve ever been?
Starting a conversation about strengths and interest will usually lead students in the direction they need to go in
order to start considering what they might like to do for a career. Occasionally, discussing a student’s personal
struggles can also lead to considering a career that might make life easier for others.
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The Language of the Discipline
Subject(s): Family & Consumer Sciences
Lesson Length: Seven class sessions (and at home)
Lesson Overview: Explain that there are words and phrases that are unique to experts in every field. Understanding
these words and phrases allows students to develop a beginning understanding of informational, discipline-specific
texts. Students will create a piece of digital art using these subject-specialist words.
Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4c Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g. dictionaries, glossaries,
thesaurus), both print and digital to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise
meaning of its part of speech.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text
with a version of that information expressed visually.
FACS Standards for New York State:
 Process Skills: Management Skills (time)
21st Century Skills:
 Information Literacy: Access and evaluate information, use & manage information
 Information, Communications and Technology Literacy: Apply technology effectively
 Initiative & Self-Direction: Manage goals and time, work independently
 Productivity & Accountability: Manage projects
Learning Outcomes:


Students will understand the meaning of at least 40 discipline-specific words or phrases.
Students will be able to connect specific words and phrases to their relevance in their own
specific area of interest (An engineer needs to know what torque is because…).
Relevance/Rationale:


Without an understanding of the language of the discipline, students cannot read or write at a
high-level about their chosen area of interest. Language of the discipline project helps students
understand basic principles that a subject specialist works.
When students have a basic understanding of the language of the discipline they move on in the
course to non-fiction reading and writing.
Activities/Tasks:

Students will create a piece of digital art using Wordle, Tagxedo, or a similar word cloud
program.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:



Discipline-specific quizzes on language
Wordle or Tagxedo art (samples of Tagxedo attached)
Language of the Discipline Word Art Rubric (Appendix B at the end of Section I)
Resources/Materials:




Computers with Internet access
Discipline specific text or reference books
Access to a digital word cloud program
Language of the Discipline Word Lists (Appendix C at the end of Section I)
Comment: There should be no specified deadline to this component of the course, nor should students be allowed to
move on if they have not mastered the language of the discipline. Explain to students that they can get done quickly
or take as much time as they want, but they cannot move from Level One (DOK) to Level Two if they are
unprepared. Dangling the project-based learning as the motivator will encourage students to work hard and in a
timely manner. For students who are really struggling, you can modify the number of expected words or the level of
the words you choose to assign.
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Discipline-Specific Reading and Writing
Subject(s): Family & Consumer Sciences
Lesson Length: Six class periods (and at home)
Lesson Overview: Students will read three teacher-chosen texts and respond to them. Texts should vary based on
students’ reading level but always be at a “striving” level rather than at the current reading level, which is consistent
with the Enrichment Triad Model (ETM) design. Many students can be assigned adult level reading.
Students write reviews of the articles, including questions they still have, what they want to know next,
and if they remain interested in the discipline or think they might like to change career paths. Through
this experience, as well as group discussion, students begin to consider the knowledge they are gaining
and their own potential contributions to the field. They also begin to analyze how they incorporate new
knowledge into their perspective on the future. What ensues is a dialogue between the student and
teacher that encourages questioning, self-reflection, and critical thinking.
Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and
style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.7.2 Demonstrate command of the standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2a Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2b Spell correctly.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the
grades 8-8 complexity band proficiently and independently.
 CCSS.ELA.Literacy.RI.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 68 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
FACS Standards for New York State:
 Process Skills: Critical and creative thinking in work settings as evidenced through writing
st
21 Century Skills:
 Communicate effectively through writing.
 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Use systems thinking, make judgments and decisions.
Learning Outcomes:


Students will read and understand several pieces of informational text related to their career
interest.
Students will write article reviews about the nonfiction texts. These reviews will indicate
technical understanding, critical reflection, and creative thinking.
Relevance/Rationale:




Teacher understanding of students’ individual learning needs/interests increases, so that the
teacher can differentiate curriculum/instruction.
Students understand key concepts and ideas that are central to their chosen career.
Students can determine if career-related topics remain of interest or if they misunderstood
what their career choice was really about.
Students understand that writing is used to communicate and express ideas in all career fields
and therefore is a critical component of all career paths and all progress within a discipline.
Activities/Tasks:

Students will write article reviews explaining the texts they were assigned.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:


The teacher will grade each review and write a note back to the student encouraging further
mindful reflection of the content and asking the student what he/she wants to know next.
See Rubric for Informational Article Review (Appendix D at the end of Section I), which scores
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the writing based on format, length, technical information, and mindfulness.
Resources/Materials:

A bibliography of appropriate articles and texts is provided in Appendix E – Resources for
Discipline-Specific Reading and Writing (at the end of Section I).
Comments: Students should be encouraged to do more research on anything in an assigned article that sparks their
interest. They can listen to YouTube videos, search images, etc. to supplement their reading. Students often take
advantage of this opportunity to enhance their understanding of text and to investigate further when they are highly
engaged with the text. Because students are reading and writing about something they are interested in, expectations
should be raised for students to work hard.
Outstanding response:
"Just as I thought technology was almost at its peak, I read the article on a new invention called the ‘surveillance
hummingbird.’ This tiny, compact, man-made, robotic bird is an engineering wonder. This bird can go places
humans cannot. For example, it has gone into combat zones, spied on drug lords and hunted for survivors of
earthquakes. Although it may not be a native bird to countries it's spying on, other engineers have created
camouflage and colors that make it look natural.
“This robotic bird is something important and useful if used in the right way. What if many other people started
using them who didn't have people's best interests in mind? Would this device be banned because of its abilities?
One thing I really liked (just like in the article before) is that they made this robotic bird to be of assistance to a wide
variety of people. If it could be used to help survivors of natural disasters, then this NAV (nano air vehicle) could be
very useful. If I was able to create one of these hummingbirds, I might try to put a thermal camera that could sense
body heat of survivors or other people that the hummingbird was spying on. If I was creating this NAV I would try
to put an infrared camera on so that the NAV could be used at night. It could see better without using a light that
might give away its position.
“Overall, I really thought this article was interesting because the hummingbird could be used in so many good ways,
but also bad ways if it got into the wrong hands. I also liked how it wasn't going to be for just that government's use
but to search for survivors of disasters. Also, since the invention of this NAV, researchers in Japan have made a
detailed butterfly which mimics the real thing. When I saw this I thought how the invention of this robotic
hummingbird had an influence on other people and that it sparked ideas. This helped me to see that I might be able
to do that with the things that I create one day." - 7th grade future engineer
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Project-Based Learning: Developing Career Specific Skills
Subject(s): Family & Consumer Sciences
Lesson Length: 10 sessions
Lesson Overview: Students will work in small groups to accomplish teacher assigned projects that
develop career-specific skills. Students will apply knowledge gained from Language of the Discipline and
Discipline-specific Reading & Writing to the analysis of these projects. These hands-on projects increase
students’ understanding of the real-world application of the discipline’s language, theories, ideas, and
skills. All students will keep a journal reflecting on the experience of these projects. These journals, as
well as the completed projects, are shared with peers and teacher.
The projects are almost always done in small goal-oriented groups of students with similar interests. The
aim is to improving the worker traits mentioned in the New York State standards for FACS, including
leadership, teamwork, creative and critical thinking skills, communication skills, and management of
time, people, and resources. Students are encouraged to move around the room, watch what others
were doing, discuss ideas with students in other career clusters, engage in their thinking processes and
brainstorming, and help them negotiate roadblocks. Have students take breaks from their hands-on
learning to investigate how their learning and ideas might blend with others’ outside their discipline. In
this way, each career cluster revolves around a major discipline but also explores interdisciplinary
themes.
Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
For all students:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1a Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study;
explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and
reflect on ideas under discussion.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1b Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and
deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1c Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and
comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1d Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted,
modify their own views.
Architecture & Interior Design:
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.A.1 Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including
computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different
scale.
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.B.6 Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, volume and
surface area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons,
cubes, and right prisms.
Fashion Design:
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.A.1 Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including
computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different
scale.
Business & Finance:
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.RP.A.3 Use proportional relationships to solve multistep ratio and percent
problems.
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Medicine:
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.C.8c Design and use a simulation to generate frequencies for compound events.
 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) also met.
Psychology:
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.A.1 Understand that statistics can be used to gain information about a
population by examining a sample of the population; generalizations about a population from a sample
are valid only if the sample is representative of that population. Understand that random sampling tends
to produce representative samples and support valid inferences.
Nutrition/Culinary Arts:
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.EE.B.4 Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical
problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the
quantities.
Life Science:
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.A.2 Use data from a random sample to draw inferences about a population with
an unknown characteristic of interest. Generate multiple samples (or simulated samples) of the same size
to gauge the variation in estimates or predictions.
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.C.8c Design and use a simulation to generate frequencies for compound events.
 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) also met.
Law/Forensic Science:
 CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.A.1 Understand that statistics can be used to gain information about a
population by examining a sample of the population; generalizations about a population from a sample
are valid only if the sample is representative of that population. Understand that random sampling tends
to produce representative samples and support valid inferences.
 National Science standards also met.
Engineering & Technology:
 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) met.
FACS Standards for New York State:
For all students:
 C 1.4 Demonstrate verbal and non-verbal behaviors and attitudes that contribute to effective
communication.
 C 1.6 Demonstrate effective/active listening and feedback techniques.
 C 1.8 Demonstrate effective communication skills in a group setting to accomplish a task.
 L 1 Demonstrate teamwork and leadership skills in the school and workplace.
 M.8 Demonstrate management of individual and family resources, including food, clothing, shelter,
money, time, and personal energy.
 T.1.4 Demonstrate creative and/or critical thinking skills to accomplish a task.
 IR.1 Demonstrate behaviors that promote positive character development and ethical behavior in family,
school, work, and community settings.
 IR.9 Demonstrate respectful and caring relationships in family, school, work, and community settings.
Architecture & Interior Design PEM 3.1 Investigate a career in Personal Environment Management
 PEM.2.6 Apply the process skills to implement the effective use of living space.
Fashion Design CM 6.1 Investigate a career in Clothing or Textiles
 CM.1.3 Demonstrate simple, basic hand sewing techniques needed for creating or repairing a textile
product by using appropriate tools, equipment, and supplies.
 CM.1.4 Use creative ideas and materials to personalize an individual project.
 CM.4.3 Identify appropriate clothing for individual’s roles and activities.
Education F 3.1 Investigate a career in Human Services
 F.1.7 Discuss how environmental conditions can nurture or impede development.
 HD.2.1 Examine the role of nurturance on human growth and development.
 HD.2.3 Demonstrate understanding of procedures required for the care of an infant or young child.
 HD.2.4 Cite experiences which can be provided for the young child to promote/enhance physical, social,
emotional, and intellectual growth and development.
Part II Section 1 Lessons
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation

HD.2.5 Apply information about promoting/enhancing child growth and development when observing
and interacting with young children.
Business FM 6.1 Investigate a career in Financial Management
 CRM.1.2 Identify and describe the influence media and advertising have on consumer decision making.
 CRM.1.3 Analyze the influence peers have on consumer decisions across the lifespan.
 CRM.1.4 Determine the influence that availability of the resources of time, effort, money, and skills have
on consumer decisions.
 CRM.1.5 Evaluate technology’s influence on products and services and its impact on consumer decision
making.
 CRM.1.6 Identify environmental and social issues that impact the rights of others in the context of
consumer decisions.
Medicine HD 13.1 Investigate a career in Human Development
 HD.4.1 Investigate the impact of heredity and environment on human growth and development.
 HD.4.2 Determine the impact of social, economic, and technological forces on individual growth and
development.
 HD.4.3 Examine the effects of gender, ethnicity, and culture on individual development.
 HD.4.4 Examine the effects of life events on one or more aspects of an individual’s growth and
development.
Psychology IR 10.1 Investigate a career in Interpersonal Relationships
 HD.9.1 Recognize that adolescents have problems in common.
 HD.9.2 Recognize the frequency of changes, the relationship to stress, and the need to develop coping
skills.
 HD.9.3 Identify the causes of stress, and examine appropriate ways to manage stress.
Culinary Arts, Sports/Exercise NW 6.1 Investigate a career in Nutrition and Wellness
 NW.4 Demonstrate the ability to plan, select, purchase, prepare, serve, and store nutritious and
aesthetically pleasing foods for individuals and families across the lifespan.
 NW.5.0 Apply the process skills of management and critical and creative thinking to meal preparation and
consumption in a laboratory situation.
Life Science
 PEM.2.4 Explain ways of conserving natural resources in family, school, work, and/or community settings.
Law/Forensic Science
 HD.4.1 Investigate the impact of heredity and environment on human growth and development.
 HD.4.2 Determine the impact of social, economic, and technological forces on individual growth and
development.
 HD.4.3 Examine the effects of gender, ethnicity, and culture on individual development.
 HD.4.4 Examine the effects of life events on one or more aspects of an individual’s growth and
development.
Film/Photography/Music
 HD.7.6 Compare and contrast the influence of family, peers, media, and others on decision making
Engineering & Technology
 PEM.2.4 Explain ways of conserving natural resources in family, school, work, and/or community settings.
 PEM.2.6 Apply the process skills to implement the effective use of living space.
21st Century Skills:
 Communicate effectively through writing.
 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Use systems thinking, make judgments and decisions.
Learning Outcomes:


Students practice basic skills needed for their career.
Students will work cooperatively to accomplish a task.
Relevance/Rationale:
Part II Section 1 Lessons
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation


Students are given the opportunity to practice real-world, hands-on skills necessary in their
career field.
Students apply knowledge gained about the language of the discipline and discipline-specific
reading and writing to work-based skills.
Activities/Tasks:

These will vary based on student interest. See Sample Project Ideas Based on Career Interest
(Appendix F at end of Section I) for projects that incorporate the Common Core in math and ELA.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:


Projects are peer graded using Small Group Project Rubric (Appendix G at the end of Section I)
Journal entries are teacher graded using Journal Entry Rubric (Appendix H at the end of Section
I)
Resources/Materials:

Vary based on project. The sample projects include supply lists.
Comments: Projects can be set up as stations in the classroom. Students should be encouraged to take breaks from
their own projects to watch and question each other. At this point, the teacher MUST act as facilitator and students
take on the role of experts. This is a critical component of the course. Encourage students to find outside resources
when stuck (YouTube videos, library texts, other students and other teachers who might act as resources). There
should be no specified deadline to this component and students should not be allowed to move on if they have not
mastered the application of a set of skills in their chosen discipline.
Food art pear mice made by future culinary artists.
Future medical professionals dissect a sheep’s brain.
Part II Section 1 Lessons
31
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Future engineers complete circuit design experiments.
Future forensic scientists extract human DNA.
Part II Section 1 Lessons
32
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Making a Contribution
Subject(s): Family & Consumer Sciences
Lesson Length: 5 weeks minimum
Lesson Overview: Students work in groups to create an original product, service, or idea and present it to an
authentic audience within their career field. This is a Type III (ETM) and Level Four (DOK) project.
Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
 Varies depending on the project
FACS Standards for New York State:
 All four process skills: communication, leadership, critical & creative thinking, and management
 Others vary depending on student designed project.
21st Century Skills:
Think Creatively
 Use a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)
 Create new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical concepts)
 Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own ideas in order to improve and maximize creative
efforts
Work Creatively with Others
 Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others effectively
 Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives; incorporate group input and feedback into
the work
 Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work and understand the real-world limits to adopting
new ideas
 View failure as an opportunity to learn; understand that creativity and innovation involve a longterm, cyclical process of small successes and frequent mistakes.
Implement Innovations
 Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in which the innovation
will occur
Reason Effectively
 Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation
Use Systems Thinking
 Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in complex
systems
Make Judgments and Decisions
 Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs
 Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view
 Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments
 Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis
 Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes
Solve Problems
 Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways
 Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions
Communicate Clearly
 Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a
variety of forms and contexts
 Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions
 Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)
 Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as
assess their impact
 Communicate effectively in diverse environments (including multi-lingual)
Collaborate with Others
Part II Section 1 Lessons
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation


Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams
Exercise flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish a
common goal
 Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by
each team member
Adapt to Change
 Adapt to varied roles, jobs responsibilities, schedules and contexts
 Work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities
Be Flexible
 Incorporate feedback effectively
 Deal positively with praise, setbacks and criticism
 Understand, negotiate and balance diverse views and beliefs to reach workable solutions, particularly
in multi-cultural environments
Manage Goals and Time
 Set goals with tangible and intangible success criteria
 Balance tactical (short-term) and strategic (long-term) goals
 Utilize time and manage workload efficiently
Work Independently
 Monitor, define, prioritize and complete tasks without direct oversight
Be Self-directed Learners
 Go beyond basic mastery of skills and/or curriculum to explore and expand one’s own learning and
opportunities to gain expertise
 Demonstrate initiative to advance skill levels towards a professional level
 Demonstrate commitment to learning as a lifelong process
 Reflect critically on past experiences in order to inform future progress
Interact Effectively with Others
 Know when it is appropriate to listen and when to speak
 Conduct themselves in a respectable, professional manner
Work Effectively in Diverse Teams
 Respect cultural differences and work effectively with people from a range of social and cultural
backgrounds
 Respond open-mindedly to different ideas and values
 Leverage social and cultural differences to create new ideas and increase both innovation and quality
of work
Manage Projects
 Set and meet goals, even in the face of obstacles and competing pressures
 Prioritize, plan and manage work to achieve the intended result
Produce Results
 Demonstrate additional attributes associated with producing high quality products including the
abilities to:
Work positively and ethically
Manage time and projects effectively
Multi-task
Participate actively, as well as be reliable and punctual
Present oneself professionally and with proper etiquette
Collaborate and cooperate effectively with teams
Respect and appreciate team diversity
Be accountable for results
Guide and Lead Others
 Use interpersonal and problem-solving skills to influence and guide others toward a goal
Part II Section 1 Lessons
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
 Leverage strengths of others to accomplish a common goal
 Inspire others to reach their very best via example and selflessness
 Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in using influence and power
 Act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind
Learning Outcomes:

Students use their talents and interests to make a meaningful contribution to their discipline.
This contribution will be in the form of a product, service, or idea presented to an authentic
audience.
Relevance/Rationale:



Students develop a sense of self-efficacy.
Students connect application of classroom learning to his/her career aspirations.
Students work to make the world a better place.
Activities/Tasks:

Students prepare a presentation on their project for an authentic audience in which they explain
their idea and how it can make a meaningful contribution to their discipline, community, or the
world.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:

The idea for the project is graded but the final product is not. Students write a proposal to the
teacher (as a group) explaining their final project and why they believe it will make a meaningful
contribution to the field. The teacher either does or does not approve the project proposal.
Resources/Materials:

Varies depending on student project. See Examples of Big Projects (Type III) Designed by
Students (Appendix I at the end of Section I) for suggestions.
Part II Section 1 Lessons
35
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
To the teacher: Reference Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Level.
APPENDIX A
Letter to the Teacher Rubric
0
Poor spelling
and grammar
incomplete
sentences. No
sense of
organization to
the writing.
1
Incomplete
sentences,
significant
grammatical
errors. Lacks
flow.
2
Complete
sentences, few
grammatical
errors. Lacks
flow.
3
Complete
sentences, correct
grammar. Lacks
flow.
4
Complete
sentences, correct
grammar, logical
flow.
Length
1 paragraph
with few
sentences.
2 paragraphs
with very few
sentences per
paragraph.
3 paragraphs, all
less than 5
sentences.
3 paragraphs,
some have less
than 5 sentences.
3 paragraphs,
each has a
minimum of 5
sentences.
Mindfulness
Letter lacks
reflective
thought or indepth analysis
of thoughts or
feelings.
Letter shows
some careful
thought but was
clearly rushed
or not carefully
enough
considered.
Letter is
thoughtful and
reflective but
does not share
what student
already knows,
wonders about,
or questions.
Letter is
thoughtful,
reflective, and
discusses
student’s
understanding but
does not probe or
consider new
questions.
Letter is
thoughtful,
reflective,
discusses
student’s
understanding,
and considers
new questions.
Intrigue
Letter is
uninteresting.
Writer is clearly
bored by what
he/she is
writing.
Letter attempts
to engage reader
but writer is not
thinking at a
high enough
level (yet) to be
interesting.*
Letter is
interesting to
read but
mistakes in
other categories
(e.g., format,
mindfulness)
make it very
difficult to
understand and
therefore enjoy.
Letter is
interesting to read
but mistakes in
other categories
(format,
mindfulness)
make it somewhat
difficult to
understand.
Letter is
interesting to read
and leaves the
reader interested
to find out more.
Format
Part II Section 1 Lessons
36
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
APPENDIX B
Language of the Discipline Word Art Rubric
0
Fewer than 20
1 (55%)
20-39
2 (70%)
40-59
3 (85%)
60-79
4 (100%)
80-100
All one color.
No shape.
Colorful but no
shape.
Colorful, relevant
font, interesting
shape.
Use of
Time/
Resources
Student misused
time, did not
research words,
was distracted
other students.
Student
misused some
time. Was often
distracted.
Colorful, relevant
font, shape related
to career choice (ex:
chef hat)
Student used
multiple sources to
find definitions
(experts, text,
Internet) and used
his/her time wisely.
Sharing
with the
World
Cloud is not
posted.
Final cloud is
posted
somewhere in
the school that
FEW students,
faculty, and
staff will see it.
Name is signed
onto cloud.
Colorful with
relevant or
interesting font.
No shape.
Student struggled
to utilize tools
(Internet, books).
Was often
confused about
how to find
appropriate
definitions.
Final cloud is
posted where
SOME students,
faculty, and staff
will have a
chance to see it.
Name is signed
onto cloud.
Number of
Words
Included
Creativity
Part II Section 1 Lessons
Student used the
Internet to find
definitions and
used his/her time
wisely.
Final cloud is
posted where
MOST students,
faculty, and staff
will have a
chance to see it.
Name is signed
onto cloud.
Final cloud is posted
where MOST
students, faculty,
and staff will have a
chance to see it.
Name is signed onto
cloud with quote: I
KNOW WHAT
THESE WORDS
MEAN. ASK ME.
37
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
APPENDIX C
Language of the Discipline Word Lists
Lists of 100 words follow for these career areas.
 Architecture & Interior Design

Astrophysics & Outer Space

Counseling & Psychology

Creative Writing

Culinary Arts & Nutritional Science

Early Childhood Education

Engineering & Technology

Fashion Design

Film, Photography, Music

Forensic Science & Law

Medicine

Sports & Exercise
Part II Section 1 Lessons
38
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Architecture & Interior Design:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
accents
aesthetics
A-frame
amphitheater
antiques
apse
arch
architecture
architrave
archivolt
art
baluster
Bauhaus
belfry
beveled edge
blueprints
bombe
budget
building safety
bulwark
bungalow
buttress
CADD
coffer
colonnade
color
composition
concept
cool colors
Corinthian
cornice
craftsman
creativity
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
cupola
deco
decorator
design
distressed
dome
Doric
eclectic
Elsie De Wolfe
ethnic
excavation
fabric
faux-boise
feng shui
field verify
floor plan
Frances Adler Elkins
Frank Gehry
Frank Lloyd Wright
frieze
function
furniture
gallery
gilded
Gothic
handicapped accessible
harmony
home automation
hue
indirect lighting
inlay
interior design
Ionic
ironwork
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
39
joist
keystone
kilim
lacquer
landscape
layout
LEED
lighting
linoleum
lonely couple
material board
monochromatic
motif
murphy bed
organization
Palladian
patina
pediment
personality
plinth
portfolio
portico
post-modernist
retro
scale model
sustainability
swatches
symmetry
theme
to-the-trade
transom
trendy
warm colors
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Sports & Exercise
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
abdominals
ACSM
adrenaline
aerobic
affective learning
amateur
anaerobic
anatomy
anorexia
arabesque
Arthur Ashe
asthma
athlete
attitude
Babe Ruth
ballet
barbell
biceps
biology
biomechanics
BMI
body work
bulimia
center floor
coaching
cognitive learning
competition
concussion
conditioning
conflict theory
cooperative game
Dean Smith
defense
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
dehydration
deltoid
determination
diabetes
distributed practice
electrolytes
endurance
ethics
exercise
fitness
flexibility
foul
heart rate
hypoxia
injury prevention
intimidation
kinesiology
lifestyle
marathon
martial arts
Martina Navratilova
massage
mental imagery
motivation
motor control
motor development
motor learning
movement
Muhammad Ali
muscle tone
nutrition
obesity
offense
Olympics
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
40
performance
performance psychology
physical therapy
physiology
Pilates
play
preparatory set
quiescence theory
recovery
recreation
regimen
regulations
reminiscence effect
RICE
scrimmage
sedentary
sense modality
showboating
skill
sports writing
strategy
swimming
touchdown
Tour-de-France
transfer learning
trapezius
triathlon
vasoconstriction
vasodilation
warm-up
Wilma Rudolf
work decrement
yoga
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Engineering & Technology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
.com
.edu
.gov
.org
after effects
ampere
analog
Andrew Ng
artificial intelligence
audacity
Bill Gates
binary code
brainstorming
budget constraints
bug
byte
C++
CAD
capacitor
chip
circuit
computer
computer science
conductive
conservation
conservation of energy
copper wire
counter bore
CPU
cyber
data
digital
documentation
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
efficiency
electric car
electromagnetics
engine
engineering
ethics
fiber optics
flash drive
freehand
gears
gestalt
graphic design
grounding
hack
hardware
http
hybrid
hydropower
innovation
Internet
invent
ion
Java
kilobyte
kinetic energy
Linux
manufacture
market research
mass
material
megabyte
motherboard
nanotechnology
negative charge
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
41
network
Nicola Telsa
nuclear energy
ohm
open-ended design
operator
perspective sketch
pi
plane
power supply
problem-solving
proportion
RAM
robotics
scale
semiconductor
simulation
social media
software
solar energy
Solaris
Steve Jobs
sustainability
torque
transistor
Trojan horse
virus
visualize
volt
voltage
watts
wind energy
working drawings
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Culinary Arts & Nutritional Science
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
a la carte
agriculture
al dente
amino acid
anemia
antioxidant
appetizer
aromatics
avocado
bacteria
baguette
bake
barbeque
basting
batter
bento boxes
blanche
blend
blue plate service
BMI
boil
budget
California roll
calorie
candy thermometer
caramelize
carbohydrate
catering
chop
CIA
clean
coconut milk
colander
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
commercial kitchen
conduction
convection
creativity
crop
culture
cut in
dice
e-coli
ecoliteracy
entrée
etiquette
expiration date
Fast food
fat
FDA
fiber
fondant
food art
food cost
food science
French knife
fry
genetically engineered
hunger
hydroponics
internal temperature
Jamie Oliver
Julia Childs
julienne
kaiseki meal
mandolin
marinate
menu
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
42
mince
mineral
norovirus
nutrient
organic
paella
pallet knife
paring Knife
Pasteurization
pastry
perishable
protein
puree
ratatouille
reduce
roast
salamander
salmonella
sanitary
sauté
scurvy
sifter
simmer
skillet
slice
sous chef
steam
stew
stir fry
Sylvia Weinstock
toss
USDA
vitamin
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Fashion Design
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
accessories
aesthetics
A-line
alterations
Anna Sui
appliqué
avant-garde
backstitch
balance
blanket stitch
bling
blue
brand
burka
camisole
cardigan
Chanel
corduroy
corset
cotton
craftsmanship
creativity
culture
distribution
Donatella Versace
dress for success
dress reform
elegant
emphasis
empire waist
fad
fashion buyer
fashion journalism
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
Fashion Week
fashionista
faux
FIT
flapper
form
garment
green
handbag
harmony
haute couture
hue
individuality
informal
inspiration board
iridescent
kente cloth
kimono
knitting
knock-offs
line
market trend
mass market
Matthew Williamson
merchandising
modesty
nylon
orange
organza
Parsons
patterns
Phillip Lim
Photoshop
Polyvore.com
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
43
power dressing
preppy
primary colors
Project Runway
proportion
punk
rational
red (message it sends when worn)
red wedding dress
rhythm
runway
satin
seam
secondary colors
shape
silk
sketch
slipstitch
spandex
tailor
tattoo
tea length
texture
tint
Tommy Hilfiger
trunk show
tweed
uniform
unity
violet
Vogue
wearable technology
yellow
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Film, Photography, Music
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
accompaniment
actor
AFI
agent
Alfred Hitchcock
allegro
ambient light
angel of view
animation
Ansel Adams
anthem
archetype
balance
black-listing
blockbuster
blooper
blue screen
B-movie
Bollywood
burning in
cameo
candid
catharsis
cautionary tale
cel
censorship
CGI
character
chyron
cliffhanger
clincher
cold open
composite
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
cropping
cyberpunk
dark comedy
decrescendo
depth of field
director
discovery shot
dissolve
documentary
dolly
double exposure
duet
dystopia
editor
film finance
filter
fish-eye lens
focus group
foreground
foreshadowing
genre
gimp
glass shot
hero/heroine
hymn
improvisation
indie film
magic hour
miniature sets
mockumentary
money shot
motif
Oscar
pan
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
44
parody
Paul Simon
photo essay
photo journalism
Photoshop
point-of-view
portrait
post-production
pyrotechnics
ratings system
requiem mass
rhapsody
scene
script
sepia
soft focus
sonata
spoiler
spoof
stop motion
storyboard
superimposed
symbolism
theme
turnaround
vertigo effect
vignette
voice over
waltz
wide angel lens
working title
writer
zoom
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Forensic Science & Law
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
a priori
abate
accessory to the crime
accomplice
acquit
adoption
alibi
anatomy
arson
autopsy
bail bond
ballistics
bar exam
bias
Bill of Rights
blood spatter
blood type
bribery
Brown V. Board of Ed.
burglary
case
chain of custody
child abuse
CIA
composite drawing
confess
consent
conspiracy
Constitution
contempt of court
conviction
crime
crime of passion
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
custody
cyanide
cyber bullying
damages
deduction
defamation of character
defense
discrimination
district attorney
DNA
domestic violence
double jeopardy
duress
equality
ethics
evidence
eyewitness
FBI
felony
fiber analysis
Fingerprint
first degree murder
fraud
gene
guilty
infer
judge
jury
justice
Lawyer
Locard Principle
luminol
malice
manslaughter
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
45
Medgar Evers
Miranda Rights
misdemeanor
modus operandi
naked eye
paralegal
pathology
peace
pirating
Plessy V. Ferguson
polygraph
power of attorney
predict
premeditation
prosecutor
punitive
ransom
Salem Witch Trials
self-defense
serology
statute of limitations
stenographer
subpoena
sue
surveillance camera
theft
tort law
toxicology
trace evidence
treason
vandalism
war
will
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Astrophysics & Outer Space
1. absolute magnitude
2. absolute zero
3. acceleration
4. airglow
5. albedo
6. Angstrom unit
7. annular
8. apastron
9. aphelion
10. apogee
11. aerolite
12. asteroid
13. astrology
14. astronomical unit
15. astrophysics
16. atmosphere
17. atom
18. aurora
19. axis
20. background radiation
21. barycentre
22. binary star
23. black hole
24. bolide
25. bolometer
26. celestial sphere
27. Cepheid
28. Stephen Hawking
29. chromosphere
30. circumpolar star
31. clusters
32. color index
33. N. deGrasse Tyson
34. comet
35. conjunction
36. constellation
37. corona
38. coronagraph
39. cosmic rays
Part II Section 1 Lessons
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
cosmology
day
density
direct motion
diurnal motion
Earthshine
ecosphere
electron
element
equinox
escape velocity
exosphere
flares (solar flares)
galaxy
gamma ray
geocentric
geophysics
gibbous
HI region
HII region
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Hubble Constant
inferior planets
ionosphere
Kelvin
Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Kirkwood gaps
light year
lunation
magnetosphere
mass
meteor
meteorite
meteoroids
micrometeorites
Milky Way
minor planet
molecule
multiple star
nadir
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
nebula
neutrino
neutron star
nova
oblate spheroid
occultation
opposition
orbit
ozone
parallax
parsec
penumbra
periastron
perigee
perihelion
perturbations
phases
photosphere
planet
planetary nebula
100. precession
46
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Early Childhood Education
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
21st century skills
achievement gap
adaptive technology
ADHD
assessment
at-risk student
attachment disorder
autism
autonomy
AYP
Babinski reflex
benchmarks
bilingual education
bonding
child abuse
child neglect
child observation
classroom management
cognitive
CPS
curriculum
democracy
Depth of Knowledge
developmental
developmental interaction
differentiate
Dignity for All Students Act
discipline
dropout prevention
emotional development
empathy
enrichment
environment
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
Erik Erikson
ESL
extrinsic motivation
failure to thrive
Geoffrey Canada
gifted
Harry Harlow
heredity
IEP
indirect guidance
initiative
inquiry-based learning
International Baccalaureate
intervention
intrinsic motivation
Jaime Escalante
Jean Piaget
justice
lesson plan
magnet school
mandated reporter
Maria Montessori
Michelle Rhee
motor skills
multidisciplinary
multiple intelligence
NCLB
nurture
oppositional defiant disorder
physical development
planning time
play
professionalism
project-based learning
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
47
qualitative research
Race to the Top
Rafe Esquith
Ron Clark
rooting reflex
rubric
schemata
self actualization
self control
self-talk
separation anxiety
Shaken Baby Syndrome
school in need of improvement
social development
standardized test
standardized test
STEM education
student teacher
talent development
Teach for America
teacher retention
teacher unions
team teaching
temper tantrum
tenure
thematic units
time-out
toddlers
transition time
trauma
trust
verbal abuse
year-round education
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Counseling & Psychology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
Abraham Maslow
active listening
addiction
affect
alien hand syndrome
altruism
amnesia
anger management
anxiety
attachment disorder
aversion
bipolar
bond
brain injury
bystander apathy
Capgras syndrome
cerebellum
cognition
cope
criminally insane
crowd psychology
defense mechanism
dementia
denial
depression
derealization
dissociate
dream analysis
DSM
ego
empathy
Erik Erikson
friendships
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
goals
grief
group therapy
guidance
Haldol
hallucination
hippocampus
id
ink blot
insomnia
introverted
intuition
IQ
learning
Little Albert experiment
lobotomy
memory
mental health
Milgram obedience experiment
mob behavior
motivation
Münchausen by proxy syndrome
neurobiology
non-conformist
nurture
object permanence
obsessive-compulsive
oppositional
optimist
outpatient treatment
over-medicated
pacify
panic
paranoia
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
48
passive
Pavlov’s dogs
Paxil
perception
personality
phobia
projecting
psychiatrist
psychologist
psychosis
psychotropic
regression
residential treatment
schizophrenic
self-conscious
self-esteem
self-injury
Sigmund Freud
social work
society
Stanford prison experiment
Stockholm syndrome
stress
structuralism
subconscious
suicide
superego
temperament
temporal lobes
therapist
trauma
violence
withdraw
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Life Sciences
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
adaption
agriculture
air quality
alternative energy
amphibian
anatomy
anemia
animal testing
atmosphere
avian influenza
biochemistry
biology
biosphere
camouflage
canine
carbon dioxide
classification
cloning
conservation
cycad
dairy science
debarking
deciduous
diversity of life
DNA
drought
endangered
EPA
erode
euthanize
evolution
experiment
extinct
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
feline
genetic engineering
genetically modified
gestation
global warming
greenhouse gasses
grooming
ground water
habitat
heartworm
homeostasis
hydroponics
hypothesis
igneous rock
impermeable
indigenous
innate
instinct
invasive
invertebrate
Jane Goodall
jaundice
larva
mad cow disease
mammal
marine
marsupial
Mesoprocta hypsodus
methane
microbe
microorganism
migration
native
nitrous oxide
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
49
nocturnal
ocean floor
oxygen
ozone layer
parasite
PETA
phenotype
physiology
plankton
poaching
pollution
predator
rainforest
recycle
reptile
scientific method
six kingdoms
social animal
soil
sonar
species
specimen
Temple Grandin
theory
unicellular
vapor
vertebrate
vet tech
veterinarian
West Nile Virus
wetland
whaling
wind powered
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Creative Writing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
adage
agent
alliteration
allusion
analogy
Animal Farm
antonym
audience
Banned books
bibliography
blog
brainstorming
Caldecott Medal
character
choppy
climax
comic book
concept map
conflict
constructive critic
descriptive
descriptive details
diary
draft
drama
dystopia
edit
elaborate
engaging
enigma
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
epics
e-reader
exposition
fairy tale
falling action
fan-fiction
fiction
final copy
genre
ghost writer
grammar
graphic novel
historical fiction
hyperbole
illustrator
imagery
Informative
inspiration
irony
J.K. Rowling
journalism
literature
longhand
Lord of the Flies
Mark Twain
meme
metaphor
mood
myths
narrative
netiquette
Newbury Award
non-fiction
paradox
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
50
personification
persuasive
plot
point of view
political cartoon
psychological thriller
publisher
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ray Bradbury
references
repetitious
revise
rising action
Roald Dahl
Robert Frost
romance novel
science fiction
script
setting
short story
simile
slam poetry
stream of consciousness
symbolism
Teen Ink
textbook
theme
thesaurus
tone
urban legend
WEBook.com
William Shakespeare
writer’s block
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Medicine
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
911
abuse
activity therapy
acute
adaptive device
addiction
advance directives
afebrile
ageism
AIDS
Alzheimer’s disease
AMA
amputation
anatomy
anemia
anesthesia
antibiotic
antigens
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
apnea
aseptic
asthma
bacteria
bedside manner
Ben Carson
blood pressure
blood types
bloodborne pathogens
cataracts
CDC
childbed fever
circulatory system
CNA
Part II Section 1 Lessons
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
compassion
concussion
confidentiality
CPR
dehydration
diagnose
disease
DNA
dyspnea
ectopic pregnancy
EKG
empathy
epidemic
etiology
fever
Florence Nightingale
gastric ulcer
genetics
heart
Hippocratic oath
HIV
hospice
hydrophobia
hypothermia
ichythyosis
influenza
insomnia
intravenous
jaundice
lactose intolerance
limbic system
medical records
mental illness
microorganism
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
51
midwife
migraine
nervous system
neurologist
nurse practitioner
nursing care plan
nutrition
objective data
obstetrician
oncologist
palpation
pandemic
pediatrician
pharmacology
physiology
preeclampsia
prophylaxis
pulse
RBC
respiration
sepsis
STD
subjective data
suture
symptoms
tachycardia
tuberculosis
tumor
ultrasound
vaccine
vital signs
white-coat hypertension
X-ray
Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
APPENDIX D
Rubric for Informational Article Review
0
Poor spelling and
grammar,
incomplete
sentences. No
organization to
the writing.
One paragraph
with few
sentences.
1
Incomplete
sentences,
significant
grammatical
errors. Lacks
flow.
Two paragraphs
and/or has very
few sentences per
paragraph.
2
Complete
sentences, few
grammatical
errors. Lacks
flow.
3
Complete
sentences,
correct
grammar. Lacks
flow.
4
Complete
sentences, logical
flow, correct
grammar.
Three paragraphs,
all less than five
sentences.
Three paragraphs,
each with a
minimum of five
sentences.
Mindfulness
Review is
superficial, lacks
reflective thought
or in-depth
analysis of own
thoughts or
feelings.
Review shows
some signs of
careful thought
but was clearly
rushed or not
carefully enough
considered.
Review is
thoughtful and
reflective but
does not share
what student
already knows,
wonders about, or
questions.
Technical
Information
Ideas in the
article are not
adequately
reviewed.
Student
misinterprets
what was read.
Some ideas in the
article are not
adequately
reviewed. Student
misinterprets
some of what was
read.
Review
adequately
describes the
main ideas in the
article.
Three
paragraphs,
some with less
than five
sentences.
Review is
thoughtful,
reflective, and
discusses
student’s
understanding
but does not
probe or
consider new
questions.
Review
adequately
describes the
main ideas and
how they apply
to the student’s
chosen career.
Format
Length
Part II Section 2 Lessons
Review is
thoughtful,
reflective, and
discusses
student’s
understanding
and questions.
Review
adequately
describes the
main ideas and
how they apply to
the student’s
chosen career. It
demonstrates how
new information
is incorporated
into what the
student already
knows from other
sources.
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APPENDIX E
Resources for Discipline-Specific Reading
Magazines
When a student can read at an adult level and has a very specific interest, the NY Times online is a great resource.
Another wonderful resource is Time Magazine online. If you can get a subscription to Time, you’ll find everything
you need. Students who are not able to read at this level can use Time for Kids. Also recommend is a subscription to
New Scientist, which is at an adult level, but the writing is so good it really hooks students.
http://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp5558.html?campaignId=3HYHY
https://subscription.time.com/storefront/subscribe-to-time/site/td-mvmutliaa0413.html?link=1002098
https://subscription.timeforkids.com/storefront/subscribe-to-time-for-kids/site/tksy1314onlineoffer0213.html?link=1005015
https://subscribe.newscientist.com
Books
Here are some that work well.
Culinary Arts, Nutrition & Wellness
1. The War on Hunger (In a Perfect World) by Ron Fridell (not easy to get)
2. The Secret Life of Food by Crespo & Staudenmaier
3. Fitness Training for Girls: A Teen Girl's Guide to Resistance Training, Cardiovascular
Conditioning and Nutrition by Katrina Gaede, et al.
4. What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio, Peter Menzel
5. Urban Farms by Sarah C. Rich, Matthew Benson
Engineering & Technology
1. It's All Connected: A Comprehensive Guide to Global Issues and Sustainable Solutions by
Benjamin Wheeler, Gilda Wheeler, Wendy Church
2. Harnessing Power from the Sun (Energy Revolution) by Niki Walker
3. What Went Wrong: Investigating the Worst Man-made and Natural Disasters by William
Hayes, Editors of Popular Mechanics
4. Strong Force: The Story of Shirley Ann Jackson by Diane O'Connell (physics)
5. The Longitude Prize by Joan Dash
6. Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, Steve Sheinkin
7. Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women, Catherine Thimmesh
8. Mistakes That Worked - Charlotte Jones (appropriate for low-level readers)
9. The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth, Kathleen Krull (appropriate for very
low level readers)
10. Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart, Candace Fleming
Fashion Design & Textiles
1. Fashion Design by Sue Jones (some content is inappropriate because clothing is too revealing)
2. Fashion Design Drawing Course by Tatham & Seaman
3. Power Dressing: First Ladies, Women Politicians and Fashion by Robb Young
4. Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the
Way) by Sue Macy (sections on fashion and its connection to women’s rights)
5. Culture to Catwalk: How World Cultures Influence Fashion by Kristin Knox
Film, Photography & Music
1. Master Shots: 100 Advanced Camera Techniques to Get an Expensive Look on Your LowBudget Movie by Christopher Kenworthy
2. Digital Filmmaking for Teens by Pete Shaner, Gerald Everett Jones
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3. Click: The Ultimate Photography Guide for Generation Now by Charlie Styr, Maria Wakem
4. Becoming a Digital Designer: A Guide to Careers in Web, Video, Broadcast, Game and
Animation Design by Steven Heller, David Womack
5. Producing with Passion: Making Films That Change the World by Dorothy Fadiman, Tony
Levelle
Forensic Science & Law
1. Teens Take It to Court: Young People Who Challenged the Law-and Changed Your Life by
Thomas A. Jacobs J.D. (some content may be considered controversial)
2. The Mississippi Burning Civil Rights Murder Conspiracy Trial: A Headline Court Case (Headline
Court Cases) by Harvey Fireside
3. Criminal Psychology and Personality Profiling (Forensics: the Science of Crime-Solving) by Joan
Esherick
4. Toe Tagged: True Stories from the Morgue (24/7: Science Behind the Scenes: Forensic Files) by
Jaime Joyce
5. Bone Detective: The Story of Forensic Anthropologist Diane France by Lorraine Jean Hopping
6. Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer (direct link to 7th
grade social studies curriculum)
Life Science:
1. Marine Biology (Real Kids, Real Science Books) by Ellen Doris, Len Rubenstein
2. Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster by Allen Anderson, et al
3. Space Rocks: The Story of Planetary Geologist Adriana Ocampo by Lorraine Jean Hopping
4. Gorilla Mountain: The Story of Wildlife Biologist Amy Vedder by Rene Ebersole
5. Forecast Earth: The Story of Climate Scientist Inez Fung by Renee Skelton
6. Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy
Stewart
7. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
8. The Race to Save the Lord God Bird by Phillip Hoose
9. Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy
Montgomery
10. The Elephant Scientist (Scientists in the Field Series) by Caitlin O'Connell
11. Peterson First Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America by Roger
Tory Peterson
12. Peterson First Guide to Urban Wildlife by Sarah B. Landry
13. Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion (Scientists in the Field Series)
by Loree Griffin Burns
Business & Finance
1. How a Depression Works (Real World Economics) by Jason Porterfield
2. The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your
Parents Ever Dreamed Of by David Gardner, Tom Gardner
3. Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929: A Wall Street Journal Book for Children
by Karen Blumenthal
Architecture & Interior Design
1. Bed in a Tree: and Other Amazing Hotels from Around the World by Bettina Kowalewski
2. Becoming an Interior Designer: A Guide to Careers in Design by Christine M. Piotrowski
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3. Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael
Bayer, et al.
4. Modern Cabin by Michelle Kodis
Medicine
1. When Plague Strikes: The Black Death, Smallpox, AIDS by James Cross Giblin, David Frampton
2. Gene Hunter: The Story of Neuropsychologist Nancy Wexler by Adele Glimm
3. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Psychology
1. Psych 101: Psychology Facts, Basics, Statistics, Tests, and More! by Paul Kleinman
2. Hope and Healing: A Caregiver's Guide to Helping Young Children Affected by Trauma by
Kathleen F. Rice, Betsy M. Groves
3. The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook for Kids: Help for Children to Cope with Stress,
Anxiety, and Transitions (Instant Help) by Lawrence Shapiro
4. Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Development Disorders of Infancy and Early
Childhood: DC:0-3R by Zero to Three
Education
1. The GIANT Encyclopedia of Lesson Plans for Children 3 to 6: More Than 250 Lesson Plans
Created by Teachers by Kathy Charner
2. Understanding How Young Children Learn: Bringing the Science of Child Development to the
Classroom by Wendy L. Ostroff
3. Hope and Healing: A Caregiver's Guide to Helping Young Children Affected by Trauma by
Kathleen F. Rice, Betsy M. Groves
4. There Are No Shortcuts by Rafe Esquith
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APPENDIX F
Sample Project Ideas Based on Career Interest
Not every student’s interests will fit into one of these predesigned categories, but teachers have designed projects for
students with less common interests, including philosophy, logging, sociology, and oil rigging. Once you become
comfortable with some of the projects, you can develop your own projects and/or find exciting ones that teachers
have shared online.
Architecture & Interior Design:
PROJECT 1: Scale Drawing and Room Design
Have students create a scale drawing of the classroom and a plan to rearrange the furniture, supplies etc. to create a
user-friendly layout. Perhaps the students could actually rearrange the room. Students could also research color to
determine what colors the classroom walls should be painted to improve the learning environment. To incorporate
the theme of Global Awareness (21st century skills), you can suggest arranging the room using the principles of feng
shui.
MATERIALS NEEDED: graph paper, measuring tape, pencils, paint color swatches, Internet access, calculators
PROJECT 2: Design a Dome www.tryengineering.org:
Assume the school has been given a grant to design a dome on the roof. Students are given specific design
specifications and are told to propose an idea to the school for use of the dome.
Have students do some research and reading on domes before beginning the hands-on project.
a. 2010 collapse of the Minnesota Metrodome’s snow-laden inflatable roof
b. Spaceship Earth dome at Disney’s Epcot Center
The Geodesic Dome
Many structures require framing to provide shape and strength before an outer shell is created. A good example is
the geodesic dome. A geodesic dome is a spherical or partial spherical shell structure or lattice shell based on a
network of great circles (geodesics) lying on the surface of a sphere. The geodesics intersect to form triangular
elements that have local triangular rigidity and also distribute the stress across the entire structure. Walther
Bauersfeld was a German engineer, employed by the Zeiss Corporation, who, on a suggestion by the German
astronomer Max Wolf, started work on the first projection planetarium during 1912.
Bauersfeld completed the first planetarium, known as the Zeiss I model, during 1923, which is considered the first
geodesic dome derived from the icosahedron, more than 20 years before Buckminster Fuller reinvented and
popularized this design. Although Fuller was not the original inventor, he developed the intrinsic mathematics of the
dome, thereby allowing popularization of the idea -- for which he received a U.S. patent in 1954. Spaceship Earth at
the Epcot Center, Walt Disney World, Florida, is a geodesic sphere.
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Uses of Domes
Geodesic domes have been used as the basis of many buildings and structures, including collapsible camping tents.
The National Science Foundation on the website cited above shows the deconstruction of a geodesic dome which,
for about three decades, sheltered polar researchers and support crews who lived at the bottom of the world. The
dome, spanning 164 feet and topping out at about 52 feet high, was dedicated in January 1975. It shielded a
collection of buildings that housed scientists and support personnel year-round from wind and snow. The structure
far outlived its projected expiration date.
MATERIALS NEEDED: cardboard, wooden dowels, tape, foil, construction paper, tissue paper, glue, string,
rubber bands, wire, Popsicle sticks, paper cups, straws, pipe cleaners, paper clips, screen, fabric
Procedure:
1. As part of a team of architects, you must build a dome to hold 120 grams of coins, candy, or
other materials. The structure must be at least 14 cm tall measured from the apex of the dome
to the bottom. Think about the different ways you can use the materials to construct the dome’s
structure. You can add a skin or shell out of different materials, or have the frame be the full
product.
2. Draw a diagram of your planned dome and list the parts you might need. You can adjust this
later.
3. Construct your dome using the materials list. You may request additional materials during the
construction process or trade materials with other student teams.
4. Suspend your dome on strings provided by the teacher and score your own work using form
available on website cited above.
5. Place dome on a table and load the top with 120 grams (4.23 ounces) of candy, pennies, or
other weights. Since U.S. pennies minted after 1982 weigh 2.5 grams, put 48 pennies one by one
on the dome until it collapses.
6. Additional note: You can also design what you think the school would benefit from having on
inside the dome (greenhouse, swimming pool, etc.),
Other Structures with Interesting Framing
Another interesting framing and construction project was the Statue of Liberty in New York. Alexandre Gustave
Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal
framework that allows the statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. He produced a 94-ft-high
wrought-iron square skeleton that supports a secondary iron frame which carries a system of flat wrought iron bars.
The bars support the copper plates that form the statue's exterior skin. It has proved to be an excellent frame
structure - in a 50-mph wind, the monument only moves about 3 inches!
Fashion Design
PROJECT 1: Outfit Design
Have students design an outfit based on a subject they are currently learning about in school (examples:
the Salem witch trials, global warming/climate change). Students will use ratio/scale to create three
sizes of their design: one on 8 ½ X 11 paper, one on 11 X 17 paper, and one on a size of their choosing
where the student can focus on one aspect of the design (e.g., hat, shirt). NOTE: Prints on fabric can be
hard to tackle unless the student can simplify the pattern and figure out the scale.
MATERIALS NEEDED: tracing paper, fashion model drawing (encourage students with advanced skills to draw
their own model using correct scale), colored pencils, several sizes of paper
PROJECT 2: Hand Sewing Techniques
Students use basic hand sewing techniques to create the fashion they designed in Project 1.
MATERIALS NEEDED: needle and thread (or machine for students who have basic knowledge of sewing),
material of student’s choice (can be unusual, such as recycled objects), small mannequin model (can be purchased
from Store Supply Warehouse for $6-8 each http://www.storesupply.com/pc-14140-1259-shapely-womans-formsblack-70217.aspx?source=2&sku=70217&gclid=CI_TnpagxLkCFbFQOgodIRkACg)
Education
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PROJECT 1: Classroom Observation
Students observe a student (preferably in an elementary school classroom). Have students read about child
development at the age they will observe before going into the classroom. Students fill out an observation sheet (as
they would do for a college student-teacher experience). Forms can be found online and adapted by the student.
They also work nicely for psychology student projects. Obviously, not all of the information can be shared (ex: if the
student is on medication). An example of a classroom observation form that focuses on individual student behavior
can be found at: http://cornbeltcoop.k12.sd.us/PRINTABLE%20PDF/Classroom%20Observations%5B1%5D.pdf
MATERIALS NEEDED: classroom observation form (adapted for use), Child Development: Early Stages
Through Age 12 by Celia Anita Decker (or similar text)
PROJECT 2: Classroom Assistance
Students offer assistance to a teacher for a minimum of three days, preferably in an elementary school classroom).
They can do this at the same time as FACS is taking place or go after their school day ends. Students should keep a
journal of their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and interactions with students. Cooperating teacher should provide
feedback to the student at the end of the volunteering time. Consider assigning “The Ron Clark Story” (rated PG) for
homework (or a similar movie about teaching in difficult situations). Students can note connections between the
challenges the movie presents and the challenges observed in the classroom.
MATERIALS NEEDED: prompts (if teacher chooses) for journal responses (ex: Is there ample room for students
to move around the classroom? is the classroom set up to allow for cooperative learning?), “The Ron Clark Story”
video
Business & Finance
PROJECT 1: Business Plan/Proposal
In this project aligned with NYS 7th grade ELA curriculum (A Long Walk to Water), students investigate
organizations that help provide water-wells to developing countries and create a business plan/proposal to start their
own partner organization. The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (www.nfteconnect.org) provides sample
templates for business plans, lesson plans, and curriculum support and resources for this project. Teachers can join
for free. Collaboration between the students and the ELA teacher would provide an excellent interdisciplinary
perspective.
MATERIALS NEEDED: business plan template, Internet access
PROJECT 2: Online Stock Market Game
Utah Education Network: http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=25375
This lesson is directly linked to the 7th grade math CC standards. Students first read about stocks and the stock
market before beginning the hands on component of this project. They then view the PowerPoint presentation
(online) and solve the associated math problems on the worksheet.
Once complete, students participate in an online stock market game. Free games include: “Wall Street Survivor” and
“Young Money Stock Market Game.” Students keep journals about their experiences playing the game. Journals can
be guided by prompts or open-ended.
MATERIALS NEEDED: I'm A Shareholder Kit: The Basics About Stock by Rick Roman, Erin Roman (or similar
text), computer with PowerPoint, calculators, Stocks and Purchases worksheet, Internet access
Medicine
PROJECT 1: Epidemics
Students read and review a book about epidemics. They complete the lab experiment provided by Flinn Science (or
similar experiment) to discover how an epidemic starts and if it can be stopped. Students simulate the movement of
a deadly pathogen as they become “world travelers.” How easily will it travel internationally from one city to
another when students simply shake hands? (If you prefer, get a kit from Science Kit that simulates the transmission
of HIV.) Once students finish the lab, have them complete the mathematical probability of the transmission of the
disease from one person to another. Students may need the assistance of their math teacher for this component.
Mathematical Probability of Transmission
If 40% of your patients have been infected by an epidemic, what is the probability that it will take at
least four medical interventions to find one that works? To simulate the question, we could take the 10
digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) and let 40% of them represent those medical interventions that
could save your patients. So let’s say that we let the digits 0, 1, 2, 3 represent working interventions and
the remainder of the digits (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) represent the 60% of the possible interventions that will not
work.
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We want to find the probability that it will take at least four medical interventions to find one that
works. Thus, we want to find the probability that we do not get a working intervention in the first three
random picks. In other words, we want to find the probability that we do not generate a 0, 1, 2, or 3
within the first three picks.
NOTE: The TI-73 and TI-83/84 graphing calculators can be excellent tools to use in the simulation of the
example. Prior to using the random features of the calculator, it is important to seed each calculator
with its own “random number seed” so that all calculator results are not the same---based upon the fact
that they all come from the factory with the same seed number. To do this, type any five or six digit
number into the calculator, push the STO button and then the MATH key over to PRB, then rand, and
ENTER twice. Make sure each calculator has a different seed number. Now to generate random digits,
you push the MATH button, scroll over to PRB at the top and then go down and highlight r and Int and
press ENTER.
Since we want to generate three random digits and then determine whether or not any are working
interventions, type the following after the command randInt (0, 9, 3) meaning we want the calculator to
randomly generate digits from 0 to 9 and we want it to generate three of these. Press ENTER to see the
three digits generated. Look at the digits and record whether or not “working intervention” was found in
the first three randomly generated numbers. In other words, does the set of three numbers include at
least one of 0, 1, 2, or 3? If so, we found a working intervention in less than four trials. Press ENTER
again and you will see another set of numbers. Keep pressing ENTER and record the results for at least
50 times. (Or, if you’re working in a team, you can do this five times each and then combine results for a
total of 150-200 trials.)
Numbers
generated
9,1,3
8,5,3
8,6,2
0,7,4
2,6,8
8,6,5
7,7,3
Type A
(0,1,2,3)
within first
three trials
X
X
X
X
X
Not a working
intervention
within first three
trials
X
X
This lesson plan was adapted by one written by Linda Bridges, a secondary AMSTI mathematics specialist at the
University of Alabama Huntsville.
MATERIALS NEEDED: Epidemics and Plagues (Kingfisher Knowledge Series) by Richard Walker,
http://www.flinnsci.com/store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=19195 (This lab kit can be purchased for
approximately $50 but will last for 150 students) and black light
OR
https://www.wardsci.com/store/catalog/product.jsp?catalog_number=4528300 “And the Band Played On” (rated
PG-13) for homework, TI-73 or TI-83/84 calculators (normally needed for 7th grade math class).
PROJECT 2: Suturing:
Students are presented with a “patient” who has been injured and learn to provide appropriate suturing to close a
wound. Buy chicken with bone still in it and cut a deep slice through the skin and meat of the chicken. The cut
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should go deep – almost to the bone. The chicken is then the patient that needs to be sutured. Students should follow
online instructions on YouTube (several good choices available, including one that shows suturing into a banana,
but watch out for graphic ones that show real surgeries or people doing at-home surgery). Have the student journal
about the experience.
MATERIALS NEEDED: chicken, latex gloves, medical masks (about $5 for 50 on Amazon), student suturing kits
(around $15 on Amazon), black thread, YouTube access
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Psychology
PROJECT 1: Client Diagnosis
Students are given a client chart and have to make a diagnosis based on presenting symptoms and the information
shared by the client. Two client charts follow or you can develop your own. Students use the Internet to research
potential diagnoses and then consult with you to determine if they are correct. Once they have a correct diagnosis,
students create a care plan to assist the client in dealing with the issues raised in the chart. Student journal about the
research process, potential diagnosis, and any wrong diagnoses they made.
Client: Adam, 6 years old. Adam has been referred for your diagnosis and psychological services in May, nearing
the end of his kindergarten year in public school. Adam often loses his temper, screams at his teacher, and refuses to
follow school rules. Adam does not get along well with his classmates. He seems to be delighted when he breaks a
rule. This week Adam was suspended from school. He and another student got into an argument over a ball. When
the other student would not give Adam the ball, Adam picked up a pencil and stabbed the student in the hand. Adam
said, “It’s her fault that I did that with the pencil. I wouldn’t have done it if she hadn’t made me mad, so really, I
don’t know why I’m the one in trouble.” Adam’s parents are very worried. They say he acts this way at home too,
and they worry about how he treats his younger brother, who is 4.
Client: Jessica, 1 year old. Jessica has recently been removed from her home, where she was neglected. This child
presents with unusual behavior. She appears to be withdrawn and seems unaware of others when they are in the
room. When people approach her to pick her up, she does not reach out to them. She does not play with the toys
offered to her by her new foster parents. They notice that she is often rocking herself and patting her own hair. When
an older child (3) tried to play peek-a-boo with Jessica, she did not engage in any play.
MATERIALS NEEDED: Internet access
PROJECT 2: Mental Health Survey
Students pick a mental health issue facing teenagers (stress, for example) and research to find the percentage of
teens who say they are “stressed”. Then, they randomly sample 25 students in 7th grade and ask them to rate
themselves on a scale of 0 – 10 about how “stressed” they feel. Based on the findings, they infer the level of stress in
their 7th grade class as a whole. Does their answer mimic the research found online or is the class experiencing
higher levels than average? If it is, students design a way to combat the level being experienced by their peers. What
can the school do? Friends do? Communities do? If peers are experiencing lower levels than average teens, why do
they think that is so?
MATERIALS NEEDED: Internet access
Nutrition & Wellness/Culinary Arts
PROJECT 1: Food Art
Create a piece of food art that is big enough to feed the class. Have students review types of food art online and
books of instructions (e.g., How to Garnish by Harvey Rosen and Edible Art: Tricks & Tools for Master
Centerpieces from Carved Vegetables by Narahenapitage Sumith Premalal de Costa) and YouTube videos that give
inspiration about how to create food art. If a student has a particular interest in dietetics, the food art can also be a
healthy treat. Students show their mathematical computations and equations when determining the amount of
ingredients they will need to serve the class.
MATERIALS NEEDED: books, Internet access, foods (will vary based on project design), carving knife
PROJECT 2: Wedding Cake
Create a wedding cake for a couple from another country. Students research weddings in other countries (21 st
century theme: Global Awareness). India and China, for example, have distinctive weddings. This is a great
opportunity for students to experiment with fondant, piping, edible glitter, and the like (the cake should serve all
students in the course).
MATERIALS NEEDED: Internet access, cake decorating tools, food items, cake topper
Life Science
PROJECT 1: Dissection
Students follow the lab directions in a kit to dissect a starfish, identify the parts, and explain what each part does.
Have students observe the correct technique on the Internet after they read the directions. If you have a student who
is fascinated by or highly advanced in science, you can choose a more challenging animal or organs. Students
journal about the experience.
MATERIALS NEEDED: starfish dissection kit (two-student dissection kits can be found at:
http://www.carolina.com/young-scientist-preserved-dissection-kits/young-scientists-starfish-dissectionkit/226015.pr), Dissecting Set, General Biology, Molded Plastic Case from Carolina, which has a better set of
dissection tools (reusable) than the starfish comes with Internet access
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PROJECT 2: Scientific Inquiry
This lesson was first published by the Georgia Aquarium:
http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/media/pdf/edu/UnderseaInvestigatorsTG12-13.pdf
The process of scientific inquiry starts with a question. From there, the inquiry can take many different
paths, but the underlying function is usually observation. This project has two parts.
1. Students become comfortable with the process of scientific inquiry (questioning, observation,
data analysis, and conclusions) using candy. Students follow a process of data collection and,
apply this knowledge to estimate the qualities of a new bag by applying their data on weight,
percentages of colors, and mathematical averages.
2. Students investigate dolphin life history and earn to associate dolphin tracking and porpoising
behavior. They then apply graphing and mapping skills to dolphin research.
MATERIALS NEEDED: graph paper, small bags (one per student) of small round multi-colored candies, one large
bag of the same candy, copies of candy data collection sheet #1, a copy of data for each student, collection sheet #1,
data collection sheet #2 for each student, white sheets of paper, Popsicle sticks, scales, animal worksheets: Dolphin
Fin Identification, Tracking (in color if possible)
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Law & Forensic Science
PROJECT 1: Extracting Human DNA
Have students read excerpts from Guilty by a Hair!: Real-Life DNA Matches! by Anna Prokos and then conduct the
following experiment (from NOVA Science):
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/education/activities/2809_genome.html
MATERIALS NEEDED: copy of "See Your DNA" student handouts (PDF or HTML), 2 teaspoons 0.9% salt
water (2 teaspoons table salt in one quart/liter of water), disposable paper or plastic cup, large test tube (or any clear
tube that can be sealed with a rubber or cork stopper), 1 teaspoon 25% mild detergent or dishwashing soap, (1
volume detergent or soap + 3 volumes water), 2 teaspoons 95% ethanol, chilled on ice, small clear tube with seal,
slide of cheek cells stained with methylene blue (useful but not necessary)
PROJECT 2: Bag of Bones
Students have been called to a crime scene by the police to collect evidence and make inferences
about what happened. Students record which bones have been found at the scene and their size and
then create several hypotheses about what happened.
MATERIALS NEEDED: bones, such as “Anatomical Chart Co. Bags of Bones Item #: BONES1” Amazon
($44)
Film, Photography & Music
PROJECT 1: Artistic Representation of Text
Have students pick a fiction book they are reading in ELA (either in class or outside reading). They pick a line (or
set of lines) from the book and create a song (musicians), a photo story (photographers), or a short (three minutes
max) film (filmmakers) centered on the lines from the text. The song, photo story, or film should convey the
meaning and emotion of the lines.
MATERIALS NEEDED: fiction book, camera (still and film), online access to music making programs (Jam
Studio offers a free trial), Windows Movie Maker (or similar program)
PROJECT 2: Documenting Career Choices
Students create an informational video (photo story book or music video) to introduce 6 th graders to Career
Academies or career choices. Video should highlight great work from their peers, include peer interviews, and
encourage 6th graders to reflect carefully on their interests. This project should be used as an introduction to 6 th
graders as they choose career paths for 7th grade.
MATERIALS NEEDED: cameras (still and film), digital music (may require purchase), Windows Movie Maker
(or similar program)
Engineering & Technology
PROJECT 1: Alternative Energy
Have students research solar, wind, or water energy and its current use. Brainpop is a good resource for a quick
lesson; there are also many books about these topics, probably available in your school library. Based on the source
that students find most promising, have them build one of the following (kits available on Amazon):
a. solar car (read reviews carefully)
b. wind-powered light (Green Science Windmill Generator by Toysmith is easy and inexpensive)
c. hydropowered clock
Many companies sell alternative energy kits that address all of these topics.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
MATERIALS: Internet access, alternative energy experiment kit
PROJECT 2: Circuit Board Design
Have students research circuit design and then complete the Snap Circuits Kit experiments.
MATERIALS: Electrical Engineering and the Science of Circuits by James Bow, Snap Circuit Kit by Elenco
(on Amazon - cheapest one-project set sells for $18, “green energy” set is about $60, teacher set is just
over $100, as well as many others)
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APPENDIX G
Small Group Project Rubric
Pride in Work
Background
Research and
Reading
(Critical
Thinking)
Teamwork
Questioning
(Creative
Thinking)
Time
Management
1
Project is sloppy,
incomplete, and
lacks creativity in
the presentation.
Student/group
does not
understand and
cannot explain the
background ideas
and technical
information
behind the project.
Students report (or
grading student
observed)
bickering,
distraction,
exclusion or
members of other
negative group
behaviors.
2
Project is sloppy
and lacks in
creativity but is
complete.
Student/group
struggles to
explain the
background ideas
and technical
information used
to carry out the
project.
Students report
(or grading
student observed)
that one person
took leadership
while others were
disengaged.
3
Project is neat and
complete but lacks
creativity.
4
Project is neat, complete,
and highly creative.
It is clear that the
student/group
understands the
theories, ideas and
technical information
related to this project.
Significant work was done
outside of class to
understand fully the
theories, ideas, and technical
information related to this
project.
Students report (or
grading student
observed) inclusion,
sharing of ideas, and
all students using
their talents and
interest to create a
quality project.
Students do not
have questions
about their own
work and how it
applies to the
discipline. No
creativity or
unique spin was
evident in the
project.
Students did not
manage time
independently
well enough to
complete the
project.
Students ask
questions about
their own work
and how it applies
to the discipline.
No creativity or
unique spin was
evident in the
project.
Students ask
questions about their
own work and how it
applies to the
discipline. They
added something
unique to the project
(not directly from
teacher or kit
instructions).
Students struggled to
manage time
independently but
sought assistance
from the teacher.
Students report (or grading
student observed) inclusion,
sharing of ideas, and all
students actively engaged
and using their talents and
interest to create a quality
project. Students seem
passionate about the work
and understand how their
collective effort made the
project better than it would
have been if done alone.
Students ask questions about
their own work and how it
applies to the discipline.
They added something
unique to their project and
can make connections to
what they have learned and
what they might do for a
final student-designed
project.
Students managed time well
enough to complete the
assignment without any
problems.
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Students struggled
to manage time
independently and
did not seek
assistance from
the teacher.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Appendix H
Journal Entry Rubric
Pride in work
1
Journal is sloppy
and incomplete.
Technical
Understanding
of the Project
Student does not
explain the
background ideas
and technical
information
behind the project.
Questioning
(Creative
Thinking)
Student does not
have questions
about the work
and how it applies
to the discipline.
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2
Journal is sloppy
and lacks in
creative and
critical thinking
but is complete.
Student struggles
to explain the
background ideas
and technical
information used
to carry out the
project.
3
Journal is neat and
complete but lacks
evidence of critical
and creative thinking.
4
Journal is neat, complete,
and shows high levels of
critical and creative
thinking.
It is clear that the
student understands
the theories, ideas
and technical
information related to
this project.
Student asks
questions about
their own work
and how it applies
to the discipline.
Student asks
questions about their
own work and how it
applies to the
discipline.
Student did significant work
outside of class to
understand fully the
theories, ideas, and
technical information
related to this project.
Student skillfully uses the
language of the discipline in
his/her writing.
Students ask questions
about their own work and
how it applies to the
discipline. They can make
connections to what they
have learned from this
project and what they might
do for a final studentdesigned project.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
APPENDIX I
Examples of Big Projects (Type III) Designed by Students
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A group of future architects held a series of business meetings, proposed the redesign of the school
library, requested money from the Parent-Teacher-Student Association to do the actual redesign,
and then spent the year working to carry it out.
Three students conducted sociology experiments on the bystander effect, made a film about it, and
presented it to the rest of 7th grade as part of a message about community.
Two students built a magnificent catapult and invited 4th grade students to catapult objects.
A student developed a new religion and shared his book of ideas with peers.
A student completed a 10th grade chemistry experiment completely independently and could
explain (to a peer and a high school chemistry teacher) what happened and why.
Two students built towering cakes that they gave as gifts.
Three students raised money to help an organization that protects endangered animals.
Many have student-taught in the pre-K and kindergarten classrooms, and one assisted the district’s
occupational therapist with kindergarten screenings.
A group of six made a working hovercraft and offered 4th graders rides on it.
A group of five designed and implemented an after-school intramural basketball club for 4th and 5th
grades.
Five individual students designed and created garments and had the courage to wear them to
school.
Many students have entered discipline-specific contests (architecture, film, music).
Future doctors have organized teams to participate in local AIDS Walk and the March of Dimes walk.
Several groups have planned after-school classes and invited professionals in to chat with students
(one recent class was in maternal/child health care).
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Research Paper: Making an Impact
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Lesson Length: 4 to 6 weeks
Unit Overview: Students gain an understanding of research and critical reading through writing a basic research
paper about a person who has made a positive impact on the world and on the student’s career choice. Students
make relevant connections between that person and their own potential contributions to the career field that might
impact the world in some constructive way. In response to students’ prior knowledge of researching and writing a
research paper, the teacher should create mini-lessons to help them through the process. This unit addresses two
Common Core Shifts (4 and 5): text-based answers and writing from sources. Students are required to use textual
evidence from multiple sources to support their assertions about how the person they researched influenced the
world in a positive way.
NYS Common Core Learning Standards Addressed:
 W.7.4-Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
 W.7.5-With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed
by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and
audience have been addressed.
 W.7.7-Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating
additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
 W.7.8-Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively;
assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of
others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
 W.7.9-Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
 L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
 L.7.2 Demonstrate command of the standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when
writing.
 L.7.2a Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.
 L.7.2b Spell correctly.
Learning Outcomes:
 Students will understand how to conduct research and find credible sources.
 Students will be able to integrate research using proper MLA citing principles.
 Students will make connections to a well-known person in their career field, identify ways he or
she has positively influenced the world, and describe how they too might use their talents to
have a positively influence.
Relevance/Rationale:
 This unit will equip students with the necessary skills to evaluate the credibility of sources. This
will transfer to their world outside of school, because they will have the knowledge to view
different media types critically and come to sound conclusions based on their credibility.

This unit will give students the opportunity to think about how they will use their future career in proactive
way. It will also give them a chance to explore different paths in their chosen field, helping them to see the
value in their current and future education.
Activities/Tasks:
 Explore several people who made significant contributions to chosen career field.
 Create a thesis statement.
 Make an outline.
 Write the paper.
 Use MLA (Modern Language Association) works cited style.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:

The teacher should look for specific paragraphs in the research paper that discuss the impact of person
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
being researched, the career choice of the student, and the way the student hopes to make a positive impact
on the world. See ELA Research Paper Rubric attached.
Resources/Materials:
 Research packet
 Internet access
 Microsoft Word or a similar software OR writing utensil and paper
 Consider creating an online resource (such as livebinders.com or weebly.com) where you can
upload requirements and resources for students to access at school and at home; parents can
also have access in order to assist their child.
Comments: Students really enjoy this unit because it is authentic; they are able to explore a topic that they are
interested in and apply it to their own lives. It forces them to think about the future, and it sparks them to develop an
education plan that will help them achieve their goals. With that in mind, students understand the importance of their
education and find value in what they are learning.
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
APPENDIX
List of Possible People to Research
Because there are numerous people to research within each career area, it is a good idea to narrow down the list for
students to choose from. Below is a list of people that students might choose from.
Medicine & Forensics (including genetics):
Virginia Apgar
Clara Barton
Sara Bisel
Elizabeth Blackwell
Mary Breckenridge
Ben Carson
Marie Curie
Alec Jeffreys
Edmond Locard
Florence Nightingale
Cyril Wecht
Carl Wood
Social Sciences:
Geoffrey Canada (teacher)
Dorothea Dix (psychology)
Erik Erikson (psychology/child development)
Mahatma Gandhi (law, politics)
Nelson Mandela (law, politics)
Jean Piaget (psychology/child development)
Oliver Sacks (psychology/medicine)
Booker T. Washington (teacher)
Emma Willard (education)
Animal & Life Science:
Norman Borlaug (farming, activist)
Jimmy Carter (farming, former president)
Temple Grandin (animal science)
Jane Goodall (animal science)
Alan Rabinowitz (animal science)
Joel Salatin (farming, societal critic)
Eli Whitney (farming)
Applied Design:
JJ Abrams (film)
Louis Armstrong (music)
Tom Ford (fashion)
Antoni Gaudi (architect)
Frank Gehry (architect)
Alfred Hitchcock (film)
Marc Jacobs (fashion)
Betsey Johnson (fashion)
Stella McCartney (fashion)
Ang Lee (film)
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Spike Lee (film)
M. Night Shyamalan (film)
Mimar Sinan (architect)
Louis Henri Sullivan (architect)
Ludwig van Beethoven (music)
Frank Llyod Wright (architecture)
Engineering & Technology
Helen Augusta Blanchard
Isambard K. Brunel
Thomas Edison
Michael Faraday
Henry Ford
Bill Gates
Kate Gleason
Steve Jobs
Lewis Howard Latimer
Sergio Pininfarina
Nicola Tesla
Frank Whittle
Steve Wosniak
Liang Zhuge
Human Performance & Nutritional Science:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (sports)
Muhammad Ali (sports)
Magic Johnson (sports)
Michael Jordan (sports)
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (sports)
Sandy Koufax (sports)
Babe Ruth (sports)
Jim Thorpe (sports)
Julia Child (food)
Jamie Oliver (food)
William McCormick (nutrition)
Roger J. Williams (nutrition)
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
ELA Research Paper Rubric
Yes
No
Basic Requirement (3 pts. each)
1. Paper typed
2. Thesis clearly stated in intro and referenced in the conclusion
3. Correct documentation style used in text (in-text citations)
4. Citing evident
5. Minimum 3 sources
6. Works Cited/Bibliography or References accurate and correctly formatted
7. Paper meets minimum length standard (excluding title, works cited/bibliography/references)
8. Evidence of consistent and conscientious editing
9. Outline included
10. Paper is in protective sleeve
Points _________/30
Use of Sources
Skill application demonstrates use which represents 
Researched information appropriately documented
Enough outside information to clearly represent a research process
Demonstrates use of paraphrasing and quoting
Information connects to the thesis
Sources in Works Cited/Bibliography or References match sources cited within the text
5
4
3
2
_______/25
Content/Organization
Skill application demonstrates use which represents 
Introduction engaging and clearly defines thesis
Thesis identifies person and how they influenced their career and student
Explains how the person impacted the world and how the student hopes to do so
Text organization flows sensibly and smoothly
Mixture of personal voice interwoven with research (commentary)
Conclusion wraps paper up and explains why it is important to have a positive influence
5
4
3
2
_______/30
Mechanics/Usage/Spelling/Format
Skill application demonstrates use which represents 
Pagination (top right following last name)
12 point Times New Roman font and appropriate margins
Usage/Grammar
Correct paragraphing
Written in formal style
Evidence of revision
5
4
3
2
_______/30
Information Literacy
Skill application demonstrates use which represents 
Consistent format (MLA)
Evidence of thorough research (sources represent variety and types)
Documentation demonstrates conscientious application of citing ethics
Research information goes beyond surface information
5
4
3
________/20
Total Score: ________/135 Total Percentage: _________%
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
Health and Careers Project
Subject(s): Health Education
Lesson Length: 3 weeks
Lesson Overview: Students can choose to work individually or in small groups to carry out a project that
develops their understanding of a health topic through the perspective of their career choice/discipline.
Students apply knowledge gained in health class to these projects. Instruction is guided by questions,
discussions, and responses leading up to this project, such as:
 What does it mean to think like someone in your career/profession/discipline?
 Can they have a cultural/societal influence in other ways?
 How does someone use this profession/discipline to tackle a societal or cultural problem/issue
involving health?
 How can you use your profession/discipline to make an impact in society regarding health?
Students are given the freedom to explore their own ideas and questions for this project. Students create a
presentation on their project to share with peers and teacher.
Students who had changed their mind about their career choice/discipline can switch their Career
Academy in order to participate in this project. This helps to encourage student input into the unit,
because students feel a sense of investment when they have a say in what they are researching and
learning.
Common Core State Standard(s) Addressed:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1a Come to discussions prepared having read or researched material under study;
explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and
reflect on ideas under discussion.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1b Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and
deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1c Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and
comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1d Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted,
modifies their own views.
NYS Common Core Reading Standard 4: Determine the meaning of key terms and other domain-specific words
and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
NY State College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in
which development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
NYS Health Education Standards:
 Learning Standard 3: Students will understand the influences on culture, media, and technology in making
decisions about personal and community health issues. They will know about and use valid health
information, products, and services. Students will advocate for healthy families and communities.
 Health Skill: Advocacy - Identifies an audience and adapts the health message(s) and communication
technique(s) to the characteristics of the individual or group. (AD.I.7)
21st Century Skills:
 Communicate effectively through writing and speaking.
 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Use systems thinking, make judgments and decisions.
 Health literacy
Learning Outcomes:
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation

Creative thinking



Technology skills for media presentations
Apply knowledge from a career/discipline to understanding a health issue
Work cooperatively to accomplish a task (groups)
Relevance/Rationale:



Students look at a health topic through their “career lens” and apply knowledge they already
have regarding their career/discipline to a health topic.
Students understand the relationship between a health issue and their career choice.
Students devise solutions to real-world problems.
Activities/Tasks:



Brainstorming ideas and questions with peers
Doing research
Create and deliver a PowerPoint presentation
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:



Projects are teacher graded (Health and Careers Project Rubric attached)
Ticket Out the Door activities
Peer assessment of teamwork by members of the group
Resources/Materials:


Internet research
Access to PowerPoint or other presentation software
Comments: The NYS Health Education Curriculum is compacted so that there is a rigorous concentration on health
content knowledge with a weekly unit test for the first 3-4 weeks of the course followed by the Health and Careers
Project. Students should not be allowed to move on to the project if the teacher determines they have not mastered
the health content. Several samples of student work are attached to show how student input can shape the design of
this project.
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Peer Assessment
Health and Careers Project Rubric
Health and Careers Project
Circle what best describes your teammate’s performance in each area during this project.
Name of Team Member: ____________________________________
1. Listening to and communicating with group
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
2. Demonstrating ability to work effectively and respectfully with group
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
3. Sharing responsibility for collaborative work during presentation
Excellent
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Good
Fair
Poor
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Middle School Career Academies for College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Interdisciplinary Implementation
0
Format
Technical/Content
Information
Poor spelling
and grammar,
incomplete
sentences. No
sense of
organization to
the writing in
the
presentation.
Text copied and
pasted without
citing source(s).
Information is
not accurate
and/or there is
no connection
to the chosen
career.
1
2
3
4
Incomplete
sentences and
significant
grammatical
errors. Very
hard to
understand.
Complete
sentences with
few
grammatical
errors.
Somewhat hard
to understand.
Complete
sentences,
correct
grammar. Easy
to understand.
Complete
sentences,
logical flow,
correct
grammar. Easy
for all audience
members to
understand.
Some
information is
not accurate. A
few connections
are made to the
chosen career.
Information is
accurate and
some
connections are
made to the
chosen career.
Information is
accurate and
connections to
the chosen
career are
described.
Information is
accurate and
connections to
the chosen
career are
described.
Project
demonstrates
how new
information is
incorporated
into what has
been learned
already from
other sources.
Attempts to
develop,
implement, and
communicate
new ideas to
others but it is
not effective.
Develops,
implements,
and
communicates
new ideas to
others, but it is
inconsistent
throughout
project.
Develops,
implements,
and
communicates
new ideas to
others.
Develops,
implements, and
communicates
new ideas to
others
effectively.
If citations are
not accurate or
included, it’s an
automatic 0.
Creativity and
Innovation
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Does not
attempt to
develop,
implement, and
communicate
new ideas to
others.
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My Career in the Civil War Era and Beyond
Subject(s): Social Studies
Lesson Length: 3-4 weeks
Lesson Overview: Students explore the Civil War Era through the lens of their chosen career. Students understand
how knowledge evolves and how innovation occurs throughout history within all career disciplines. Students
imagine how their discipline might be called upon to create, innovate, or work in future conflicts or to keep peace.
NYS Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
Reading:
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting
details and ideas.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively,
as well as in words.
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
Writing:
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with
others.
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of
each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening:
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively,
and orally.
4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning
and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance
understanding of presentations.
Language:
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when
writing.
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective
choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for
reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence
in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or
expression.
Social Studies:
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
3. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and
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figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and
quantitatively, as well as in words.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as
well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare
the approaches the authors take.
Learning Outcomes:
 Students will be able to make connections on a personal level between Civil War Era careers and
their career choice.



Students will know detailed information about their career field as well as what life was like during the
Civil War, the challenges people faced, and the solutions attempted.
Students will reflect upon what they learned about the past and how it might affect them in their future
career.
Students will consider how innovative people in their career area might be called upon to deal with
conflicts in the future.
Relevance/Rationale:



Students will gain an understanding of how 21st century skills of creativity, innovation, and critical thinking
have been crucial to the evolution of thought in their chosen discipline/career.
Students will apply these skills in thinking about the future of their chosen discipline.
Students will consider how they can create influential change in a society during a time of conflict.
Activities/Tasks:



Students will create a PowerPoint, write a research paper, or give an oral presentation about the work and
influence of their career/discipline during the Civil War Era.
Students will be in charge of their own learning by using inquiry questions that they develop, along with
guided questions from teacher.
Students will use the library and computer lab, various level texts, and videos; take notes; and organize
research.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:

See Civil War Project Rubric attached.
Resources/Materials:
 Teacher provides instructional overview on the Civil War.
 Students will be provided with additional texts such as books, magazine articles, newspaper
articles, videos, and online research materials.
 Students will find and use research materials of their own.
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Civil War Project Rubric
0
1
2
3
4
Format
Poor spelling,
grammar, and
incomplete
sentences. No
sense of
organization.
Copied and
pasted without
citing source(s).
Incomplete
sentences,
significant
grammatical
errors. Very
hard to
understand.
Sources are not
cited,
Complete
sentences, few
grammatical
errors.
Somewhat hard
to understand.
Sources are
cited but not in
correct ELA
format.
Complete
sentences,
correct
grammar. Easy
to understand.
Sources are
cited using
correct ELA
format.
Complete
sentences,
logical flow,
correct
grammar. Easy
to understand.
Sources are
cited using
correct ELA
format.
Technical/Content
Information
Information is
not accurate.
There is no
connection to
career the
student has
chosen.
Some
information is
not accurate.
Very few
connections to
career the
student has
chosen.
Information is
accurate and
there are some
connections to
career that the
student has
chosen.
Information is
accurate and
describes how
it connects to
the career that
the student has
chosen.
Information is
accurate and
describes how it
connects to the
chosen career.
Project
demonstrates
how new
information is
incorporated
into what the
student has
learned from
other sources.
Personal
Reflection
There is no
personal
reflection.
Little personal
reflection.
Some attempt
at personal
reflection.
Personal
reflection is
developed and
an obvious
attempt to is
evident to
connect to
career choice
Personal
reflection is
thoroughly
developed,
contains strong
analysis and
thoughtful
career
connections.
Student shares
how innovative
people in the
career might be
called upon to
deal with future
conflicts.
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References for Students
"8 Unusual Civil War Weapons." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 09 Apr. 2013. Web. 05 June 2013.
Abel, E. (1995, March/April). Faithful Friends. Civil War Times Illustration, 34:1, 46-53.
Balsiger, David W., and Charles E. Sellier. (1977). The Lincoln Conspiracy. Los Angeles, CA: Schick Sunn Classic.
Print.
Bishop, Jim. The Day Lincoln Was Shot. New York: Harper, 1955. Print.
Bolotin, N. & Herb, A. (1995). For Home and Country: A Civil War Scrapbook. New York: Scholastic Inc.
Castel, A. (1994, May/June). “Mary Walker: Smaritan or Charlatan.” Civil War Times Illustration, 33:2, 4043.
Chorlian, M. (1999). Cobblestone: Children in the Civil War. New Hampshire: Cobblestone Publishing
Company.
Condes, M. (2002, December). “Army of Hoofbeats.” Cobblestone,23:9, 3-5.
Culpepper, M. (1991). Trials and Triumphs: The Women of the American Civil War. Michigan: Michigan
State University Press.
Dammann, G. (1983). A Pictorial Encyclopedia of Civil War Medical Instruments and Equipment.
Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company.
Dupuy, Trevor N., and Leonard Everett Fisher. (1961). The First Book of Civil War Naval Actions. New York: F.
Watts. Print.
Emert, P. (1995). Women in the Civil War: Warriors, Patriots, Nurses and Spies. Lowell, MA: Discovery
Enterprises Limited.
Engineers in the Civil War. Web. 05 June 2013.
Evans, Charles M. "The Confederate AirForce." Civil War Times, Oct. 1996: 61. Web.
Fort Ward Museum (2012). “Animal Mascots of the Civil War.” Retrieved From
http://alexandriava.gov/historic/fortward/default.aspx?id=40198
Foster, S. (1993). Amputations: Saved by the Saw. Atlas Editions USA.
Foster, S. (1993). Confederate General's Uniforms: From Drab to Dazzling. Atlas Editions USA.
Foster, S. (1993). Medications: Blue Mass and Quinine. Atlas Editions USA.
Foster, S. (1993). Zouave Uniforms: The French Connection. Atlas Editions USA.
Freedman, Russell. (1987). Lincoln: A Photobiography. New York, NY: Clarion. Print.
Gorsline, D. (1952). What People Wore: 1,800 Illustrations from Ancient Times to the Early Twentieth Century.
New York: Viking Press.
Harwell, R, (1959). Kate: The Journal of a Confederate Nurse. Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press.
Hayman, LeRoy. (1968). Death of Lincoln. Scholastic. Print.
Holzer, Harold. "Lincoln's Secret Arms Race." Civil War Times, Sept.-Oct. 1995: 32-38. Web.
January, Brendan. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Children's, 1998. Print.
Jepsen, Thomas C. "Crossed Wires." Civil War Times, Nov.-Dec. 1994: 57-60. Web.
Jorgensen, Peter. "The War's Most Dangerous Relics." Civil War Times Nov.-Dec. 1994: 42-46. Web.
Kauffman, Michael W. (2004). American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies. New York:
Random House. Print.
Kelly, K. (2011). “During the Civil War, Some Heroes Had Hooves.” America Comes Alive. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/search?q=during+the+civil+war+some+heros+had+hooves&ie=utf8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:
Lewis, Lloyd. The Assassination of Lincoln: History and Myth. Lincoln: University of Nebraska, 1994. Print.
Marten, J. (1999. December). “Orphans from the Civil War.” Cobblestone, 20:9, 31-33.
Marten, J. (1999. December). “The Freedom to Learn.” Cobblestone, 20:9, 14-15.
Mayers, A. (1994, Nov/Dec). “They Came to Watch.” Civil War Times Illustration, 34:6, 73-77.
McHale, John E. Dr. Samuel A. Mudd and the Lincoln Assassination. Parsippany, NJ: Dillon, 1994. Print.
McKnight, W. (1996). “Yankees in Kilts.” Civil War Times, 35, 42-48.
McMillen, S. (1990). Motherhood in the Old South. Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press.
Moore, K. (1994). If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War. New York: Scholastic Inc.
Murphy, J. (1990). The Boys' War. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.
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Oates, S. (1994, March/April). A Woman of Valor. Civil War Times Illustration, 33:1, 38-84.
O'Connor, B. (2013). “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Civil War.” Examiner. Retrieved from
http://www.examiner.com/article/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-and-the-civil-war
Perrin, P. (1995). The Underground Railroad: Life on the Road to Freedom. Lowell, MA: Discovery
Enterprises Limited.
Powles, James M. "The Ironclad That Never Was." Civil War Times, Dec. 1996: 66-70. Web.
Raab, Stephen S. "A Midnight Ride: A Young Telegrapher Carries an Urgent Message." Civil War Times, Mar.-Apr.
1994. Web.
Rybak, Bob. (1996). Life during the Civil War. Torrance, CA: Frank Schaffer Publications. Print.
Schimpky, D. & Kalman, B. (1995). Children's Clothing of the 1800s. New York: Crabtree Publishing
Company.
Stanchack, J. (2000). Civil War. New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc.
Stanchak, John E. (2000). Eyewitness Books Civil War. London: Dorling Kindersley Pub. Print.
“The Rebel Secret Service.” Civil War Times, Sept.-Oct. 1995: 18-22. Web.
Whitman, S. (1999, December). “Caring for the Wounded.” Cobblestone, 20:9, 22-23.
Wilson, Camilla. Civil War Spies: Behind Enemy Lines. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.
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Careers and Global Warming
Subject(s): General Science
Lesson Length: 2-3 weeks
Lesson Overview: Students will research their career and come up with ideas on how it can change or reduce global
warming. They might develop a product or create a marketing scheme that will have a positive impact on global
warming awareness in the world community. Students then design a PowerPoint presentation in which they describe
an original product, service, or idea on the topic of global warming and present it to an audience of peers.
Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
 Varies depending on student designed project
NYS Science Standards:
The Living Environment: Standard 4
 7.1e The environment may contain dangerous levels of substances (pollutants) that are harmful to
organisms. Therefore, the good of the health of the environment and individuals requires the
monitoring of soil, air, and water, and taking steps to keep them safe.


7.2 Describe the effects of environmental changes on humans and other populations.
7 2.d Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have resulted in major pollution of air, water,
and soil. Pollution has cumulative ecological effects such as acid rain, global warming, or ozone
depletion. The survival of living things on our planet depends on the conservation and protection of
Earth’s resources.
The Physical Environment: Standard 4
 2.2r Substances enter the atmosphere naturally and from human activity. Some of these substances
include dust from volcanic eruptions and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and
water vapor. These substances can affect weather, climate, and living things.
 4.1b Fossil fuels are considered non-renewable energy. Solar energy, wind, moving air, a biomass are
some examples of renewable energy resources.
Learning Outcomes:
 Describe global warming; name the greenhouses gases and explain how they naturally heat Earth.
 Compare and contrast the greenhouse effect to global warming.
 Identify some common human activities that are at the root cause of global warming and summarize how
they change the natural balance of the greenhouse effect (gases).
 Describe some prominent environmental issues resulting from global warming.
 Investigate ways their career area can lessen global warming or mitigate some of the negative
environmental issues that result.



Describe the career path you have chosen.
Identify, interpret, and explain the main job duties of your career choice.
Defend why you chose this career path.
Relevance/Rationale:



Students develop a sense of citizen responsibility to world issues caused by human activities.
Students make connections to future career choices and interests and educational gains.
Student makes text-self-world connections to independent responsibility as a citizen to make
contributions to society for local and world change.
Activities/Tasks:


Students investigate their career choices and global warming solutions, mainly through Internet
research.
Students produce PowerPoint slides that cite the sources used in a hyperlink to coincide with
each slide or group of slides by topic.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:

Student success will be measured through delivery of a PowerPoint presentation meeting
expectations provided in Global Warming Criteria and Timeline and using Careers and Global
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Warming Rubric (attached).
Resources/Materials:

Internet access, computer with PowerPoint, criteria sheet/rubric, projector for presentation
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Global Warming Criteria and Timeline
o
o
o
P-1. GLOBAL WARMING: THE SCIENCE
o What is global warming?
o What is the greenhouse effect?
o How is the greenhouse effect connected to global warming?
o How do human activities change the natural balance of the greenhouse effect?
o What are some of the environmental effects caused by global warming?
o What are some of the things that we are doing as a nation to decrease global warming?
P-2. CAREERoCHOICE:
INTRODUCE
P-3. CAREER CHOICE: IMPACT ON GLOBAL WARMING
What are
some of theIT
things we should be doing as a nation?
Describe your career choice.
o How can your career make an impact on global warming or global warming
awareness? (This is your research.)
What are the job duties of your career choice?
o What would you WANT to do if you were in this field? (This is your creative
Why did you choose this career area?
idea.)
P-4. CONCLUSION: REFLECTION
o Explain why and tell how your ideas would help.
o Reflect on and summarize the main points of your learning about global warming.
o Reflect and point out at least two things you would research further and tell why.
o
o Reflect on your career area. What do you like about it and what don’t you like about it?
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Careers and Global Warming Rubric
PowerPoint


Hyperlink ALL resources (text and graphics)
Research is rewritten using YOUR words
Points
Available
2
2
P-1 What is global warming - Close read done whole group
 Main title slide: Career and Global Warming (Name and P. #)
1
1
P-2 Title slide + graphics: Your Career
 Description of job duties
 Explanation of why you chose this career
1
2
1
P-3 Title slide + graphics: Global Warming Awareness/Impact
 Explain how career impacts/raises awareness of global warming
 Create idea(s) to impact/raise awareness of global warming
 Explain how your idea(s) would help
1
4
2
1
P-4 Title slide + graphics: Reflections
 Summary of learning during project
 Two things you would research about more and why
 Explain what you like about your career
 Explain what you don't like about your career
PowerPoint Total
1
2
2
1
Presentation
 Spoke loudly, s-l-o-w-l-y, and clearly
 Made eye contact, was friendly and interesting
 Slides attracted attention and include graphics
 Font size and color were readable on screen
Presentation Total
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Points
Earned
1
25
Points
Available
Points
Earned
2
2
2
2
8
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Endorsing a Candidate: Elections through the Career Academy Lens
Subject(s): Social Studies
Lesson Length: 3-4 weeks
Unit Overview: Students gain an understanding of research and critical reading through examining political policies
and beliefs of candidates running for office. Students make relevant connections between the people they are
researching and the political issues that are pertinent to their chosen career. For example, future educators might
explore policies related to early childhood education (e.g., Head Start) while future doctors might explore
candidates’ beliefs about universal health care. Students choose candidate to endorse based on policies related to
their career choice and create a poster or other display.
Common Core Learning Standards Addressed:
 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and
accurately.
 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and
relevant and sufficient evidence.
 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each
source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with
others.
 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames
(a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and
relevant and sufficient evidence.
NYS Social Studies Standards:
1. To understand the economic, social, and political trends that shaped the end of the 20 th century and point to the
21st century
2. To investigate problems and opportunities the United States faces in its immediate future
 Old and new problems must be addressed:
Violent crime and substance abuse
Protection of the environment
Growing number of elderly Americans
The continuing struggle for economic and social justice for all citizens
Balancing the ideals of national unity with growing cultural diversity
Civic and legal responsibilities of citizenship
Learning Outcomes:
 Students will understand how to conduct research and find credible sources
 Students will understand the election process and be able to analyze critically the policies and
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

beliefs of competing candidates
Students will be able to make connections to a candidate’s political belief and how those beliefs
might impact the work within their career choice.
Students will endorse one candidate over the other(s) based on the critical analysis of each candidate’s
policies and beliefs.
Relevance/Rationale:

Students learn what it means to be an informed participant in a democratic society.
Activities/Tasks:
 Students conduct online research about each candidate specific to the candidate’s
beliefs/policies that might influence that student’s chosen career.
 Students create a poster or other display endorsing one candidate over the other(s) based on
their beliefs/policies.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:
 See Endorsing a Candidate Rubric (attached).
Resources/Materials:
 Guiding research packet
 Access to a computer with Internet and Microsoft Word or similar software
 Poster/display boards or software for digital or online displays
 Markers, pictures found online, and other items to decorate the display
Comments: This is a 3-4 week project that involves numerous lessons that the teacher creates in response
to students’ prior knowledge of the election process.
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Endorsing a Candidate Rubric
Format of
Presentation
Technical
Information
Critical
Thinking
0
Poor spelling,
grammar and
incomplete
sentences. No
sense of
organization to
the writing.
Copied and
pasted without
citing source(s).
Ideas are not
accurate. There is
no connection to
career that the
student has
chosen.
1
Incomplete
sentences,
significant
grammatical
errors. Very hard
to understand.
Sources are not
cited.
2
Complete
sentences, few
grammatical
errors. Somewhat
hard to
understand.
Sources are cited
but not in correct
ELA format.
3
Complete
sentences, correct
grammar. Easy to
understand.
Sources are cited
using the correct
ELA format.
4
Complete
sentences, logical
flow, correct
grammar. Easy
for audience to
understand.
Sources are cited
using the correct
ELA format.
Some ideas are
not accurate. A
few connections
are made to
career that the
student has
chosen.
Ideas are accurate
and some
connections are
made to the
chosen career.
Ideas accurate
and describe how
they connect to
the chosen career.
There is no
critical thinking
applied to the
project. Student
does not endorse
a candidate.
Student endorses
a candidate based
on limited critical
thinking or
limited evidence.
Student endorses
a candidate but
does not share
significant
personal
reflection that
shows high levels
of critical
thinking.
Student endorses
a candidate and
shows personal
reflection but
does not show
high levels of
critical thinking.
Ideas are accurate
and describe how
they connect to
the chosen career
and how those
beliefs might
impact the work
in that career.
Student analyzes
and evaluate
evidence,
arguments, and
beliefs;
synthesizes/
makes
connections
between
information and
arguments; and
interpret
information and
draws
conclusions
based on the best
analysis.
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Art, Innovation & Social Change
Subject(s): Art
Unit Length: 10 weeks
Unit Overview:
Students will explore ways in which artists work with themes and use the arts to make societal changes. For
example listening to songs with social messages (ex. “War” by Edwin Starr, 1969, and “Same Love” by
Macklemore, 2013) and learning about various artists working with social themes (ex. Keith Haring's work
with charities and children to advance AIDS awareness; Picasso's “Guernica” as a way to inform the world
about the effects of aerial bombing in Spain). As a class we will investigate new developments or
innovative ideas people have come up with to solve various issues. Students will then brainstorm as a group
and research individually problems or issues that people in their chosen career discipline are currently
working to improve. Each student will propose an innovative product, business, or service that addresses
their chosen issue (ex: health/nutrition: developing new products to improve nutrition/reduce waste; law:
providing police officers new tools for safer law enforcement). Solutions can be as imaginative as the
student wants.
When students have identified a need and solution, they will use this as a theme in completing four separate
art projects for their business, product, or service: (1) a logo design, (2) an informational or inspirational
poster, (3) a promotional flyer that explains their problem/solution/product, and (4) an inspirational fine art
piece, which could be a painting, collage, sculpture, fabric art... student's choose and propose for approval.
Common Core Learning Standards Addressed:
 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly
and accurately.
 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and
collaborate with others.
Learning Outcomes:






Students will make works of art that explore different kinds of subject matter, topics,
themes, and metaphors.
Students will understand and use elements, organizational principles, and expressive
images to communicate their own ideas in works of art.
Students will understand and use elements, organizational principles, and expressive
images to communicate their own ideas and solutions in their work of art. Students will
use a variety of art materials, processes, mediums, and techniques, and use appropriate
technologies for creating and exhibiting visual art works.
Students will reflect on, interpret, and evaluate works of art, using the language of art
criticism.
Students will compare the ways in which a variety of ideas, themes, and concepts are
expressed through the visual arts with the ways they are expressed in other disciplines.
Students will explore art to understand the social, cultural, and environmental dimensions of
human society.
Relevance/Rationale:
 This unit allows students to understand that important changes and improvements in
society can be made by using art to spread ideas. The use of art to send powerful
messages has been a critical part of innovation and development throughout history.
 21st Century learners must think creatively by:
o using a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)
o creating new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical concepts)
o
elaborating, refining, analyzing, and evaluating their own ideas in order to improve and
maximize creative efforts
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Activities/Tasks:
 Students will explore other innovative solutions to issues in their career areas and those
of their peers as well
 Students will choose a problem and will read about and research that problem using
internet and other resources, guided by hand-outs from the teacher. These handouts
will be filled in by students to help focus their ideas, and will be shared back and forth
periodically to confirm the instructor's understanding of their ideas and grasp of the
projects.
 Students will write and sketch about ideas related to a solution to their chosen problem.
 Students will engage in draft activities focusing on the elements of art that will assist
them in the development of their final product.
 Students will create a final product that works to add a creative innovation in their
career field that addresses the problem they researched.
Formative Assessment Criteria for Success:
 Seven elements of art assignments (that incorporate the development of the innovative
idea or product)

Final product design and production
Resources/Materials:
 Guiding research packet
 Access to a computer with Internet and digital media software
 Art supplies as needed and based on student interest
Comment: This is a 10-week course that involves the study of art as a means of creating innovation and
change in this and other societies.
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Logo Design Rubric
Students self-assess, then teacher assesses. Both parties can add comments.
CATEGORY
Possible
Points
Compliance
Did you follow directions
completely and include all steps
to the process: at least 10 ideas
checked by teacher?
Completion
Is your project complete? Does it
list 3 guiding words on front to
focus the message/look? Is logo in
2 sizes?
Creativity
Does your logo appropriately
represent your
product/service/business? Does it
successfully covey the message or
image you desire? Is it simple?
Memorable? Versatile? Timeless
or trendy?
Craftsmanship:
Is your logo neat? Are the lines
straight, text readable, colors
clean? Is it properly
proportionally enlarged?
Classroom Behavior
Effort, listening, cooperating,
cleaning up after yourself, being
respectful to others, not wasting
time, etc.
1-20
Self
Grade
Teacher
Grade
Comments
1-20
1-20
1-20
1-20
TOTAL (100 possible points) =
Note: The teacher should modify the rubric for each project to reflect goals of the assignment.
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Tech Tools and Web Sites
There are many wonderful web sites and software programs that can enhance student learning. These are a
few of those students have found very useful:
Web Sites:
Tagxedo.com: Used to make language of the discipline art
ed.ted.com: Assigning students to listen to a TED talk on something they are interested in helps them to see
the qualities and characteristics of people who work in that field. It also introduces them to cutting edge
ideas in their chosen discipline.
www.newscientist.com: Need a subscription for this site but it gives access to all kinds of great articles in
all disciplines as they relate to science.
thenewboston.org: Online tutorials. Some require you to download other programs. Great for teaching
computer science, Adobe products, mathematics and science concepts.
Weebly.com: Basic web site design for students. Free.
www.nytimes.com: Allows limited access to non-fiction articles, already categorized by discipline.
www.code.org: Direct instruction to learn computer programming.
www.jamstudio.com: Students can experiment with writing and recording music. After a certain amount of
experimenting time, it requires a small fee for “saving” music.
http://remixer.clubcreate.com/v2/dubstep/launch.html: To mix music. Free but cannot save work.
Livebinders.com: Can be used to create student e-portfolios to keep track of work and also by teachers to
gather resources for projects.
Science is Awesome (Facebook page): This page shares very current articles relevant to all career paths.
www.brainpop.com: Simple and straightforward mini-lessons on basic concepts. Quiz and associated
activities are connected to the basic lecture. Subscription is required for most lessons; some are free.
www.prezi.com: A great site that can be used to organize ideas and develop creative presentations.
Deviantart.com: A social networking site in which people can publish their own artwork and explore others
work.
www.teenink.com: A writers and artists publication by teens and for teens. Also has information on
contests open to teens.
www.kidsplanet.org: Good for exploration of endangered animals.
https://readtapestry.com/: Great for writers. Also could be used as an interesting way to present ideas.
Software:
Google Sketch Up - architecture & interior design
Adobe Suite – filmmakers, photographers
Microsoft Movie Maker - filmmakers
Games:
Plague – physicians
Flower - game designers, psychologists
Part II Section 2 Lessons
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