Lesson Plan Template

School Counselor: Amanda Szaraz Date: TBD

Activity: Connecting Education Level with Careers
Adapted From: https://www.okcareertech.org/educators/career-and-academic-
connections/career-development-resources/middle-school-career-development-
lessons
Grade(s): 8
School Counseling Program Goal(s) addressed:
College and Career: Develop career program about career assessment and
exploration
ASCA Student Standards or ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors standards
addressed:
M 4. Understanding that postsecondary education and life-long learning are
necessary for long-term career success

B-LS 9. Gather evidence and consider multiple perspectives to make informed

decisions

B-SMS 4. Demonstrate ability to delay immediate gratification for long-term

rewards

B-SS 2. Create positive and supportive relationships with other students

Learning Objective(s):

1. Students will identify:

a. At least five jobs that require no more schooling
b. At least five jobs for which you must graduate from high school
c. At least ten jobs for which vocational or two-year training is required
d. At least ten jobs for which a college education is required
e. At least ten jobs for which more education beyond a college degree is
required
2. Students will calculate and determine the “worth” of each additional year of
schooling in terms of occupational salaries.

Materials:
1. Computers/internet
2. Graph paper or poster board
3. Markers
4. Calculators
5. Blank paper for pre- and post- tests
Procedure:
1. Pre-test will be given, asking each student to identify three careers that
interest them, along with their corresponding education levels and salaries.
2. Divide the class into two teams of four to six students.
3. Ask each team to use online resources (such as O*NET OnLine and the
Occupational Outlook Handbook) to find the salary and employment outlook for
the following areas:
a. At least five jobs that require no more schooling
b. At least five jobs for which you must graduate from high school
c. At least ten jobs for which vocational or two-year training is required
d. At least ten jobs for which a college education is required
e. At least ten jobs for which more education beyond a college degree is
required
4. Ask the teams to develop comparisons based on their findings. Is there a
relationship between earnings and education or between the employment
outlook and salary?
5. Have teams make charts of their findings, including how much each additional
year of schooling is worth in terms of salary.
6. Have each team briefly present charts to the class.
7. Post-test will be given, asking each student to identify three careers that
interest them, along with their corresponding education levels and salaries.

Plan for Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated on the completeness of their research, the accuracy of
the comparison chart, and the accuracy of the “worth” of each year of education,
as well as team participation. Evaluation will also be determined on follow up
lessons regarding college and careers and how well students retain the
understanding of the correlation between occupations and corresponding salaries
with levels of educational attainment.

Process Data:
100% of 8th grade students will participate in a 50-minute lesson on connecting
careers and corresponding salaries with various education levels. Process the
learned information from students about how this knowledge may affect their
goals regarding their desired levels of education.

Perception Data:
Between the pre- and post- tests, there will be an increase in correct information
regarding desirable careers. After the lesson, 90% of students will recognize and
identify at least three careers that interest them, along with their corresponding
salaries and education levels. Students will learn the importance of higher
education in terms of its correlation with typically higher salaries. Students will
begin to develop a personal vision of their education level goals based on their
desired career paths.

Outcome Data:
The percentage of 8th grade students performing at ELA PAARC levels 4 and 5 will
increase from a total of 52.9% (44.3% level 4, 8.6% level 5) to 65%, a 23%
increase.

The percentage of 8th grade students performing at math PAARC levels 4 and 5
will increase from a total of 34.7% (33.3% level 4, 1.4% level 5) to 45%, a 30%
increase.

Follow Up:
Follow up with students in one month and have another lesson going more in-
depth into specific careers that interest students. In this lesson, students will
explore other aspects of their desired careers, such as work conditions, hours,
and job security.

ASCA National Model Domain: Career

This lesson is intended to address the college and career readiness of Pritzker’s
8th grade students. By giving students the opportunity to explore the realities of
their desired career paths (in terms of salaries and levels of education needed),
students will hopefully realize the importance of their academics and seek to
improve their achievement so that they are on the right track for college.

Data on Pritzker’s 8th graders’ performance on the PAARC (Partnership for

Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) assessment was retrieved
from Pritzker’s 2018 School Report Card. Overall scores on this examination
determine each student’s Performance Level, which describe how well the
students met expectations for their grade levels. There are five Performance
Levels:

Level 1: Did not yet meet expectations

Level 2: Partially met expectations
Level 3: Approached expectations
Level 4: Met expectations
Level 5: Exceeded expectations

Students who perform at levels 4 and 5 have met or exceeded expectations,

demonstrating readiness for the next grade level. This is an indication that they
are on track for college and careers. The percentage of Pritzker’s 8th grade
students currently performing at ELA PAARC levels 4 and 5 is a total of 52.9%
(44.3% level 4, 8.6% level 5). The percentage of Pritzker’s 8 th grade students
currently performing at math PAARC levels 4 and 5 is a total of 34.7% (33.3%
level 4, 1.4% level 5). Though these results are not necessarily lower than the
results of both the district and state, there is much need for improvement.

By exposing the importance of continued education after high school, students

may be more motivated to apply themselves to their academics. This, in turn,
would increase their college readiness, which would reflect in their PAARC scores.
This specific lesson aims to address this need for more Pritzker 8th grade students
to be on track for college, which can be expressed by more students meeting or
exceeding expectations on the PAARC assessment.