Career Cluster Resources from Nebraska
Career Clusters Lessons
1. Mission APA: Agricultural Pizza Adventure
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career Cluster
In this lesson students will learn about the diversity of the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career Cluster by creating a new pizza product, product package, and commercial in the form of a skit. They will discuss the scope of the industry and explore the variety of careers through a series of sketches.
2. Explore the Arts!
Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications Career Cluster
Students will explore the career cluster of Arts, Audio/Visual Technology, and Communications while learning key concepts of exploring careers through use of community resources such as exploratory interview, job shadowing, internship, apprenticeship, service learning, mentoring, and cooperative program.
3. Back to the Future
Information Technology Career Cluster
In this lesson students will investigate the role of technology in society, the information technology career cluster and pathways, and entrance requirements for post secondary options. Students will assess their current skill level in information technology application.
4. How do I Want to Travel?
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
In this lesson students will explore the Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics Career Cluster by researching different types of transportation and designing their own mode of transportation. Students will use the Universal Systems Model in understanding transportation systems.
5. Habitat for Humanity House Presentation
Architecture and Construction Career Cluster
In this lesson students will get first hand knowledge from a guest speaker on what it takes to build a structure from design to finish They will then be given an opportunity to design a home for habitat for Humanity and build a model of it taking it through the entire process that would be completed by an architecture firm. this will include drawing floor plans and presenting their design to the client (class). It will require them to use both visual and oral communication skills.
6. What is the DOT?
Manufacturing Career Cluster
In this lesson students will discover careers and pathways in the Manufacturing Career Cluster, identify Foundation Knowledge and Skills needed in this cluster, create a list of print resources which would be helpful in researching career information, and practice working with a team member while constructing a file card car.
7. Designing with S.T.E.M.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Career Cluster
In this lesson students will begin by receiving information on the design process, its components and its relationship to many other problem solving processes. They will then have the opportunity to implement the design process. After completing the designing process on their own, students will be taught how it relates to most careers in the STEM cluster. Students will create a profile on that career by researching it on the internet. Note-taking versus plagiarism will be discussed before the research begins. Students will present their profiles to the class.
8. What is My Role?
Health Science Career Cluster
In this lesson students will research the health science career cluster, review Foundation Knowledge and Skills, investigate career opportunities in the health science cluster, interview school organization sponsors and officers to investigate skills developed within these organizations, prepare and present role play situations to display well developed foundation knowledge and skills needed in the Health Science Career Cluster.
9. What's Right? What's Wrong?
Law, Public Safety, and Security Career Cluster
In this lesson students will think about ethics and legal responsibilities and how the law affects them. They will be introduced to the definition of ethics and legal responsibilities and will participate in discussions about examples of positive and negative behaviors on the job and the impact of those actions on one's job and in other areas of their lives. They will identify an example ethical or legal responsibility problem for an assigned cluster and decide how to respond to a situation with feedback from the class and teacher. Students will evaluate their own skills in the area of ehtics and legal responsibilities by completing the CALS assessment. Students will then explore the Law, Public Safety, and Security Career Cluster. They will be using phone books to locate individuals/businesses/agencies that practice the Career Specialties of the Cluster. Students will make a visual representation of the cluster for display.
10. There Ought to Be a Law
Government and Public Administration Career Cluster
In this lesson students will be introduced to the Government and Public Administration Cluster and review the Pathways and Foundation, Knowledge, and Skills associated with the cluster. Students will view the videos, sample learning plan, and school and community extended learning activities that lead to a preparation for a career in this cluster through the use of NebraskaCareerConnections, as well as become familiar with the military as an option for training after high school. A concentration on the Employability and Career Development section will be discussed and evaluated.
11. Human Needs: Met Through the Human Services Cluster
Human Services Career Cluster
In this lesson students will explore the Human Services Career Cluster by looking closer at the pathways and career specialties and identifying the human needs that the pathways meet. They will be using phone books to locate individuals, businesses, and agencies that practice the career specialties of this cluster. Student groups will write public service announcements for the pathways in the Human Services Cluster.
12. Education: Looking Beyond the Classroom
Education and Training Career Cluster
In this lesson students will learn about the Education and Training Career Cluster by brainstorming all the different people who work in the various aspects of schools. They will use teamwork and critical thinking to gather information to design a new school.
13. Exploring My Market
Marketing, Sales, and Service Career Cluster
In this lesson students will utilize the NCE Model to identify careers and pathways in the Marketing Cluster, discover a variety of extended learning opportunities within the school and their community, and identify the Foundation, Knowledge and Skills necessary in the Marketing Career Cluster.
14. Takin' Care of Business
Business, Management, and Administration Career Cluster
In this lesson students will identify the Foundation, Knowledge and Skills concept of safety, health, and the environment in this cluster through an optional guest speaker and help wanted advertisements.
15. Vacation Time!
Hospitality and Tourism Career Cluster
In this lesson students will use their creativity to create a trial brochure for their hometown. They should be able to discuss information on housing, transportation, attractions, dining and temperature. Students will discuss the many careers that would have gone into making the brochure in real life, as well as the careers that are needed for someone to enjoy their vacation.
16. Show Me the Money!
Finance Career Cluster
In this lesson students will explore the Finance Career Cluster by looking at trends. They will transfer work trends learning to their own career cluster.
Nebraska:
Lesson Plans Guidelines and Resources
http://www.education.ne.gov/NCE/c4c/LPGuidelines.html
Introductory Lessons
1. Welcome Career Explorers
In this lesson students will learn why career exploration is important and fun by planning their personal career roadmap, researching careers, and discussing the differences between a job and a career
2. Piecing Together the Cluster Model
In this lesson students will move around the room to depict the organizational framework of the Nebraska Career Education Career Cluster Model. Students will be guided in discussion to understand the difference between Foundation Knowledge and Skills, career fields, and career clusters. Students will also be guided to understand that as they are representing a piece of the model there are people who work in careers found in the different fields and clusters on the model and that those people use Foundation Knowledge and Skills in those careers.
3. Career Cluster Word Map Activity
In this lesson students will obtain information about the key descriptions and definitions of a career cluster. Students will study the composition of a career cluster and then draw a picture representing what they know about career cluster composition. This activity can be used with teaching any of the sixteen career clusters.
4. CALS Assessment
In this lesson students will be introduced to the Career and Life Skills (CALS) Assessment. Students will be assessed separately throughout the career exploration class in the nine Foundation Knowledge and Skills sections and will complete their self assessment by the end of the course.
Concluding Lessons
1. Interest Test
In this lesson students will be introduced to the concept of interest testing and how the use of such assessments can help them narrow their Career Cluster choices. Students will complete the Kuder Career Search with Person Match and interpret their results , identifying three clusters of high interest and any person matches that are of interest to them.
2. Personal Learning Plan
In this lesson students will use various resources to develop a PLP that shows their choice of Career Field and Career Clusters, course selections for at least grades 9-12, and activities they wish to participate in.
3. Where Do I Go From Here?
In this lesson students will create a small book to demonstrate what they would like to do in their future.