Career Crossroads: Navigating the Path to Purpose

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.4.4 List the skills, abilities, and talents needed for careers in the Arts, A/V Technology & Communication career cluster.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000.400.4.5 Identify the level of training and education required for careers in the Arts, A/V Technology & Communication career cluster.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000.400.4.6 Research a career in Arts, A/V Technology and Communication career cluster and present findings to the class.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.5.4 List the skills, abilities, and talents needed for careers in the Business Management & Administration career cluster.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.5.5 Identify the level of training and education required for careers in the Business Management & Administration career cluster.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.5.6 Research a career in the Business Management & Administration career cluster and present findings to the class.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.10.4 List the skills, abilities, and talents needed for careers in the Health Science career cluster.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.10.5 Identify the level of training and education required for careers in the Health Science career cluster.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.10.6 Research a career in the Health Science career cluster and present findings to the class.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.17.4 List the skills, abilities, and talents needed for careers in Engineering & Technology Education.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.17.5 Identify the level of training and education required for careers in Engineering & Technology Education.

  CTE-ADDL.68.8000400.17.6 Research a career in Engineering & Technology Education and present findings to the class.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Career Crossroadss: Navigating the Path to Purpose.” See CPALMS resource ID#214715.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students will practice soft skills including but not limited to critical thinking, problem-solving, researching, and decision making skills. They will also communicate with their peers, work in teams to collaborate on the career cluster selected and provide feedback on their research to foster students' success.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • List the skills, abilities, and talents essential for pursuing careers within the Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science career clusters.
  • Identify and evaluate the level of training and education necessary to pursue various careers within the Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science career clusters.
  • Conduct research on a chosen career within the Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science career clusters.
  • Gather relevant and paraphrase information, and present their findings effectively to the class, demonstrating comprehension of the career's requirements and opportunities.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • The career clusters for Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science.
  • The skills and qualifications needed for the various roles within each career cluster.
  • Conduct research using reliable resources.
  • Paraphrase information

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • How do you think the level of training and education varies among different careers within the Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science career clusters?
  • How might the demand for certain skills and qualifications change as technology continues to evolve within each industry?
  • What transferable skills might be valuable across multiple careers in each cluster?
  • Reflecting on what you know about careers in the Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science career clusters, what skills, abilities, and talents do you think are crucial for success in these fields?

• Procedure

  
  

  To introduce the lesson:

  Begin by discussing the concept of career clusters and why it’s important for students to explore different options before making decisions about their future careers. Provide discussion on the importance of understanding the skills, abilities, and education required for different career paths.

  Explain that the lesson for today will focus on exploring various career clusters and identifying the specific requirements for success in each cluster.

  Briefly discuss the types of jobs and industries associated with each cluster.

  Provide the case study, “Career Crossroads: Navigating the Path to Purpose,” (see CPALMS Resource ID# 214715). During the case study students will focus on the 4 career clusters mentioned that Jamie is interested in: Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science. Students will be able to discuss and answer what skills are generally required for the career cluster that Jamie is interested in.

  Discussion/comprehension questions:

  • Why is it important to have a clear understanding of the skills and education needed for careers in the Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science career clusters before pursuing them?
  • As you prepare for the workforce, what steps will you take to further explore and narrow down your career option?
  • What skills and qualifications are typically required for the job roles within each career cluster?

  Student-centered and integrated activity:

  The overall activity serves as a hands-on, experiential learning opportunity that enriches students’ understanding of course content by connecting it to real-world contexts and personal aspiration. It empowers students to take ownership of their learning and future trajectories, fostering deeper engagement and retention of course material.

  Pair students or put in small groups of 2-4 to conduct research on one career cluster. Providing students with a research guide.

  • Assign each group a different career cluster and apply to the case study.
  • Encourage collaboration and discussion within groups as students share their research findings and insight with each other.
  • Monitor student progress and assist students with completing their guides, clarifying any misconceptions as needed. The activity will integrate research and creativity skills, which are often emphasized in the curriculum. Students will practice gathering and paraphrasing information, analyzing data, and effectively communicating their findings, reinforcing key skills taught in the course.

  Student focus and expectation during research:

  • Research a career in Arts, Engineering, Business, or Health Science career cluster and present their findings.
  • List the skills, abilities, and talents needed for a career in the Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science career cluster.
  • Identify the level of training and education required for a career in the Arts, Engineering, Business, and Health Science career cluster.

  Through researching and analyzing different career clusters, students will engage in critical thinking and problem-solving. They will evaluate and paraphrase information, make connections between different concepts, and synthesize their understanding to create meaningful representations of career pathways.

  • Bring the class back together to review students' research. Give students time to reflect on their personal interests, strengths, and values in relations to the career cluster they have explored. Student will then complete the "Research Guided Question" worksheet to reflect on their dream job and expectations and skills required.
  • Allow each group to share their findings to the class, followed by Q&A session for classmate to ask questions and provide feedback.
  • Clarify any misconceptions or thoughts on students research.
  • Encourage constructive feedback and discussion among students, fostering a supportive and collaborative learning environment.

  To bring the lesson to a close:

  Summarize the key points of the lesson and emphasize the importance of exploring different career options before making decisions about their future.

  Encourage students to continue exploring and learning about different career clusters as they progress through their academic and professional journeys.

  Have students reflect on the following questions:

  • What did you learn during the lesson? How does this influence your thoughts about your own future career path?
  • What is the job outlook for the job roles within each career cluster?
  • Based on your exploration and research, which career clusters align most closely with your interest, skills, and values?
  • How do you envision your future career path within your chosen cluster?

  Instruct the students to set specific goals for future exploration or research based on their interests and findings from the lesson.

  Encourage students to consider scheduling informational interviews, job shadowing experiences, or future research to learn more about their potential career cluster

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Students may need additional time to complete the research, this lesson can be extended over additional days as needed.
  • Provide students with resources such as weblinks, books, articles, and career exploration tools to conclude research on various career clusters.
  • Take time to reflect on the effectiveness of the lesson and identify any areas for improvement or adjustment in future iterations.
  • Assign students a reflective writing assignment or journal prompt to further explore their thoughts and feelings about their career exploration journey.