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Introducing the Career Zones through Academics
Introducing the Career Zones through Academics
During the early grade levels students become familiar with careers through learning that connects classroom instruction to future work.
Embedding Career Awareness into the core curriculum is suggested best practice. By incorporating engaging activities into your daily lessons, students are able to broaden their knowledge about career options. They can even be tied to Common Core Standards.
When a student can make the school-career connection, they become a more engaged student in your classroom.
Additional K-5th Grade Career Awareness Building Options:
Additional K-5th Grade Career Awareness Building Options:
Activities
Activities
Suggested Activities:
Begin Introducing the 6 Career Zones: K-1 Career Zones Presentation or 2-5 Career Zones Presentation
Bag-O-Jobs Activity- Instruct the students that one-by-one, they will come up and pick out a “tool” from the “Bag-O-Jobs.” Once the student picks out a tool, ask the students to identify what jobs use that tool. Encourage students to think of multiple jobs in the community.
Career Charades: Make a list of occupations that would be easy to act out. Ask different students to come and pull out a name of a career and act it out.
Read Aloud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3GViCamOxk When I Grow Up, By Al Yankovic (read aloud, 6 minutes) Reviews a number of different career options for kids to consider.
No-Prep Activity: The Participation Chain - https://everydayspeech.com/blog-posts/no-prep-social-skills-sel-activity/teaching-participation-engaging-in-group-activities-for-elementary-students/
Career Day Activity Pack (2nd-5th)
Career Bingo (K-3)
Exercise Your Mind-Elementary Student Workbook
Career Jeopardy - interactive games to learn about different careers and their job tasks.
Career Readiness At Home Activities-Printable (K-6)
Community Helper Resources/Activities
What Shoes Will You Wear Activity & Idea Book/Teacher Pay Teachers PDF's
Projects
Projects
Suggested Projects:
Writing Project: My First Resume - Task students with creating their first resume using proper formatting and simple headings such as jobs they like to do at home, awards from school or other extracurricular activities and special skills they might have.
Art Project: Invite students to create a career self-portrait.
Redraw/Draw Careers - Non-traditional Careers: Inspiring the Future- Redraw the Balance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv8VZVP5csA
BeeKeeper Project-https://www.definedstem.com/elearning-beekeeper-project-grades-k-2/
Explore Career Options-5th grade
Career Days-4th Grade Reeths-Puffer Elementary Teachers, Jessica Radecki & Lisa Bignell, piloted a Career Days Project in 2021 & 2022 with their students. They connected with the MAISD K-5 Career Specialist to obtain resources, Career Zone information and connected with a few employers/community partners to develop videos that highlighted careers within each zone.
Example of Career Day Slide Show-highlighting each zone and having students explore each zone
Career Days Project-Students created presentations based on their interests in a particular career zone/career. These were then presented to their classmates. Teachers tied this project to a Technology Standard.
If you are interested in developing something like this for your class or building, please connect with MAISD K-5 Career Specialist-
Michelle Kuck: mkuck@muskegonisd.org
Lessons
Lessons
Suggested Lessons:
K-5 Career Focused Lessons-McKeesport Area School District Career Readiness Lessons
1st-5th Career Awareness and Exploration Lessons-Georgia Department of Education
Career Awareness: What I Want To Be-To expose students to various jobs and careers within the six Michigan Career Zones.
Career Awareness: Careers That Serve the Community-(K-1st) Students will explain the importance of community workers, and identify the jobs of people within the community.
Career Development Lesson Plans K-12 Nebraska Department of Education
Career Awareness: What I Want To Be-To expose students to various jobs and careers within the six Michigan Career Zones.
Career Exploration: What I Want To Be-Questions students can answer to help guide their career choices.
K-5 Career Focused Lessons-McKeesport Area School District Career Readiness Lessons
Career Development Lesson Plans K-12 Nebraska Department of Education
Career Units K-5-Karen Gannon Griffith (examples, may need permission to reproduce)
Career Awareness Lessons 3rd Grade-PHEAA (Pennsylvania HIgher Education Assistance Agency
Career Awareness Lessons 5th Grade-PHEAA (Pennsylvania HIgher Education Assistance Agency
Online Resources
Online Resources
Tinker Cad-A free and secure website with design software and lessons
Teach Engineering-Teach Engineering! Free teacher resource site with student lessons, STEM lessons and videos.
Hour of Code- (All grades)
Energy Kids--This site provides great information about energy, careers in energy, and fun games and activities, such as science fair experiments, for students to see and learn from. A teacher's guide is provided for guiding students on this site. (1st-5th)
National Geographic Explorer Classroom-live interactive sessions that connect young people with National Geographic Explorers
PBS Learning Media-Free PBS Learning Media – Engineering, Career related, Self-paced lessons, Videos, Projects
KnowItAll-features a wide assortment of over 8,700 media assets, created by South Carolina ETV with a variety of partners for preK-12.
Explore Nearpod -K-12 interactive lessons, videos, and formative assessments. Built for distance learning, hybrid, and school-based settings
Amyz.org-Montcalm Community College has assembled a website with 3 free personality tests to help connect your interests to career options.
Kahoot Online Quizzes-Search to find career awareness, career, jobs & profession quizzes. Few Examples: Jobs and Profession, Different People in Your Local Community, Careers Unit
U.S. Labor Bureau of Statistics K-12 Resources/Classroom Activities
ONET-Career Research
Your MAISD Career Specialists can help you further connect with:
Career focused activities/projects
Career awareness/exploration opportunities
Employers for Project Based Learning (PBL) or classroom speakers
Field trips
Additional Resources to help connect classroom work to real-world work
Michelle Kuck-MAISD K-5 Career Specialist
mkuck@muskegonisd.org/office 231-767-3626
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