Developed by:  Melody Moscript

Level:  6-8

My Qualities: Which Careers?

Standards

Learning 
Expectations
This activity will help students acquire competencies which relate to the following standards:
 

4.0  Career Awareness and Employment Readiness Skills
5.0  Career Information and Career Goals
6.0  Knowledge and Skills to Achieve Career Goals
 

The student will:
 

4.1  demonstrate awareness of personal abilities, work habits, skills, and interests
4.2  locate, evaluate, and utilize skills to interret career information based on interests
4.4  explore and relate personal interests and hobbies to career options
5.2  use technology and other resources to research and obtain career information
6.1  demonstrate how interests, abilities and achievement relate to personal, social, 
educational and career goals
 

General
Approach

 In this activity, students will first complete a worksheet relating to personal qualities and skills. Then students will use this information to complete an on-line activity relating their skills to various careers.

Activity Steps
  • Give each student a copy of the worksheet My Special Qualities and Skills.
  • Instruct students to work in pairs to complete the worksheet; they may help each other with ideas.
  • When worksheets are completed, lead students in discussion.
      • One way we choose a career is to consider what interests us and what we can do well. We would probably be very unhappy doing work that was boring or that we didn't know how to do. Some people even figure out ways to make their hobby into a career. So, it is very important to begin now to be aware of what your unique qualities and skills are, so that you can make the most of them.
  • Allow students to share some of their qualities and skills, and then pose questions:
    • Did you learn anything new about yourself?
    • Do you think a boss would want to hire you when looking at your qualities and skills? Why or why not?
    • How can we find out about some careers where your qualities and skills are necessary?
  • Explain that one way is to begin exploring in the career groups, or clusters.
  • Instruct students to open the www site http://mapping-your-future.org
  • Ask students to research at least 2 careers in the Careership clusters that match their talents and skills.The careers  can be from two different clusters. 
  • Students should take notes and prepare an oral report on why they might choose either of these careers, including a summary of how their qualities and skills match with those of the career description.
      •  

Time Required

 This activity will take a minimum of  a one-hour class period to complete the worksheet and on-line research. The reports will take another class period to prepare.

Resources Needed
1 worksheet for each student. Navigate the site as follows to reach the PDF worksheet:
Under Resources, navigate to Career Activity Files. Choose Career Exploration Activities- Middle Grades. The worksheet is pages 35-36 there.

 
 
 


 

Performance
Indicators

 Students will be able to report on 2 careers of interest after completing a worksheet on qualities and skills and researching careers on a web site.