College and Career Readiness Activities

Lesson #1: What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?

ASCA standard: C:B1: Acquire Career Information
C:B1.3 Demonstrate knowledge of the career-planning process
C:B1.4 Know the various ways in which occupations can be classified
ASCA standard: PS:B1: Self-Knowledge Application
PS:B1.9 Identify long- and short-term goals
NY Learning Standard: Career Development and Occupational Studies
Standard 1Career Development-Students will be knowledgeable about the world of
work, explore career options, and relate personal skills, aptitudes, and abilities to future
career decisions.
NOSCA Component: 4.College and Career Exploration and Selection Processes
Provide early and ongoing exposure to experiences and information necessary to make
informed decisions when selecting a college or career that connects to academic
preparation and future aspirations.
Grade level: 2-5
Time needed: 45 minutes
Purpose: In this activity students will become aware of the many types of jobs that exist by
thinking about the people they know. As a class, students will chart the jobs of people they
know and the work these people do. Students will share what they would like to be when
they grow up and why they have made the choice they have.
Objectives: Students will be able to:
Identify a variety of jobs that they have seen.
Recognize the work done in various jobs.
Share the types of jobs they might like to do when they grow up.
Materials:
Board or flip chart
Pre-developed matrix for group discussion
Activity:
1. Before you begin this lesson, put the following chart on the board or flip chart:
PERSON

JOB

Example: Mrs.
Fisher

School Counselor

Does this person

make something?
(A good) What?
No

Does this person

help others? (A
service) How?
Yes, offers
counseling services
to students

2. Establish the focus for the lesson by asking the students to think silently about the
following questions. The thinking process allows students to begin to process their
thought patterns. Dont ask for oral responses. Observe students faces. When you
think they have given the question sufficient thought, move to the next question.
Encourage the students to remember their thoughts and answers because they will
need that information later in the lesson. The questions are:
Have you thought about what job you would like to have when you grow
up?
What job or type of work would that be?
Have you thought about why you want to do that particular job?
Do you know anyone who has that particular job?
3. Tell students to take a minute and think (no talking allowed) about the people they
know their parents, grandparents, other relatives, parents of their friends,
neighbors, etc. What kind of jobs do these people have?
4. Move to the empty chart on the board or flip chart. Explain the chart by walking the
students through the columns of the chart and explaining that you would like the
student to tell you about a person they know, the job that person does, and whether
this person makes a product or helps other people. As the example on the chart in
Step 1 indicates, you can use yourself as the first example.
5. Encourage but do not require every student to contribute to the chart. Once you
have about 7-10 responses, ask the students to count how many people will make
things and how many people will help others. Make the notation at the bottom of
the appropriate column. This helps to reinforce math skills within the lesson. Ask
for a show of hands as to which column has the most and which column has the
least. You may also want to introduce the terms products and services as labels
for each of the columns.
6. Ask the students if they still remember their thoughts and answers to the three
questions you asked at the beginning of the lesson.
7. Tell the students that you are going to ask for volunteers to tell everyone what they
want to be when they grow up. Explain that as they share their choices, you will
make a list of the jobs. It is not necessary to list the students names, just the job
titles. Again, do not require that every student participate.

8. Bring closure to the lesson by asking students to look back at the two charts and
look at all the different jobs that are listed. Remind the students that there are many
job opportunities for them as they grow.
Assessment Criteria:
Could the students identify jobs of people they know?
Could students express themselves about what they would like to do when they
grow up?

Adapted from: http://powertolearn.com/teachers/lesson_activities/index.shtm

Lesson #2: Interests and Jobs

ASCA standard: C:A1: Develop Career Awareness
C:A1.3 Develop an awareness of personal abilities, skills, interests, and motivations
ASCA standard: C:B1: Acquire Career Information
C:B1.2 Identify personal skills, interests, and abilities and relate them to current
career choices
NY Learning Standard: Career Development and Occupational Studies
Standard 2Integrated Learning-Students will demonstrate how academic knowledge
and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.
NOSCA Component: 4.College and Career Exploration and Selection Processes
Provide early and ongoing exposure to experiences and information necessary to make
informed decisions when selecting a college or career that connects to academic
preparation and future aspirations.
Grade Level: 3-5
Time needed: 45 minutes
Objectives:
Students will be able to recognize career choices and how different interests and
abilities influence them.
Students will gain additional knowledge about their own personal interests and
strengths.
Materials:
Pencils
Worksheet
Whiteboard
Activity:
1. Begin the lesson by having a discussion with the students about interests and
abilities. You may want to ask, If you are interested in something, what does that
mean? Name some things that interest you. What are abilities? Does everyone have
the same interests and abilities? (You can write down what the childrens
responses are on the whiteboard)
2. Tell the students that people usually choose jobs according to their interests and
abilities. A good example of this is: someone who likes to build things may become a
carpenter or someone who is interested in taking pictures may get a job as a
photographer.
3. Ask the students some engaging questions to get a good discussion going. An
example question might be, Do you think a person who prefers to be alone and
does not like to children should get a job at Disney World? Why or Why not?
4. At this point, as the discussion is coming to an end, the worksheet should be passed
out to each student. Read over the worksheet with the class and explain to them that
on each worksheet there are several situations about interests and abilities of

different people. They are supposed to select the person they feel is best first the job
according to their interests and abilities.
5. Students may work on this worksheet individually or in small groups of 2-3
6. After students have had about 10 minutes to complete the worksheet, the class
should come back together to discuss what they chose for each answer. Ask the
students what they learned about choosing a job based on interests and abilities and
remind them that people usually enjoy work that is interesting to them.

Adapted from: The Student Development Program of Orange County Public Schools

Interests and Abilities Worksheet

Name: _________________________________________ Date: _______________________
Directions: Circle the job that you feel best fits the interests and abilities of the person
in each scenario.
1. Kelly likes being outdoors. He has always enjoyed studying plants, and learning how
to care for them. Johnny likes to go into the forest and learn about different kinds of
trees. He thinks protecting the environment is extremely important. Which job
might be best for Kelly?
A. Race Car Driver

B. Zoo Keeper

C. Forester

2. Noa has a dog, three cats, several fish, and two hamsters for pets. Noa always takes
very good care of her pets. She feeds them, plays with them, and gives them
vitamins, and water without having to be reminded by her parents. Which job would
be best for Noa?
A. Secretary

B. Veterinarian

C. Teacher

3. Math and science are Jons favorite subjects in school. He can always figure out
difficult math problems. His science projects are interesting and very detailed. He
especially likes learning about germs and the human body. Which job might be best
for Jon?
A. Doctor
B. Carpenter
C. Postman
4. Reading is Shaynas favorite hobby. She has over two hundred books in her own
collection. She likes to arrange her books in alphabetical order on her bookshelf. She
loves to learn about new authors. What job would be best for Shayna?
A. Chef

B. Nurse

C. Librarian

5. Jason really enjoys helping his parents cook. He loves searching through cookbooks
for new recipes. Jason is already well known by friends and family for his delicious
cookies and pies. What job do you think would best fit Jason?
A. Mechanic

B. Chef

C. Astronaut

Lesson #3: The Many Sides of Me

ASCA standard: A:B2: Plan to Achieve Goals
A:B2.1 Establish challenging academic goals in elementary, middle/jr. high and high
school
ASCA standard: A:C1: Relate School to Life Experiences
A:C1.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the value of lifelong learning as essential
to seeking, obtaining, and maintaining life goals.
NY Learning Standard: English Language Arts
Standard 1 Language for Information and Understanding Students will listen, speak, read,
and write for information and understanding.
NY Learning Standard: Career Development and Occupational Studies
Standard 3a- Students will demonstrate mastery of the foundational skills and
competencies essential for success in the workplace.
NOSCA Component: 4.College and Career Exploration and Selection Processes
Provide early and ongoing exposure to experiences and information necessary to make
informed decisions when selecting a college or career that connects to academic
preparation and future aspirations.
Grade level: 3-5
Time needed: 45 minutes
Objectives:
Students will learn basic goal-setting techniques.
Students will be asked to consider necessary actions to meet their goals.
Students will identify differences between short-and long-term goals.
Materials:
8.5 x 11 paper
Pens
Whiteboard/chalkboard with questions listed on it
Activity:
Pass out blank paper to each student and ask them to fold the paper in half two
times. (To create four areas on the paper)
Tell students that they are going to set some goals for personal improvement.
Discuss with the class what they think the meaning of the world goal is and why it is
important to set reachable goals.
In the upper left hand corner of the paper ask the students to write on goal for
improving a current friendship.
In this same corner have the students complete the following sentences: (write
them on the whiteboard or chalkboard) I will improve my friendship by
______________________. I will start working on my goal __________________________ (time

frame). I might need help from ________________________. I will know I have improved
when ____________________________________________________________________.
In the upper right hand corner have students write one goal for improving a
relationship with someone in their family and answer the above questions,
substituting in family for friendship.
In the lower left hand corner have students a goal for improving in one of the core
subjects in school (i.e.: math, ELA, social studies) Again using the same questions,
but modify friendship to school work.
In the lower right hand corner have students write something that they already
feel they do well. Write the following questions on the whiteboard or chalkboard
and have the students answer on their sheet:
1. How did I learn to do this thing well?
2. How much time did it take to learn?
3. Did I need help while learning?
4. Did I have to work hard?
5. Was it worth my effort?
Each sheet should be collected by the counselor and read over. During the follow up
lesson, goal sheets will be passed back out to each student to use as a reference.

Follow up: In approximately two months, counselor should do a follow-up lesson that
involves the same four boxes, but in each box should be how much progress, if any, has
been made towards each goal that was set in the previous lesson. Students will be asked to
share out loud, if they are comfortable, about what they did to work towards their goals.

Adapted from: Tucson Unified School District Comprehensive Competency Based Guidance
Lesson Plan