1st Grade Career Cluster Awareness

Unit Summary

In first grade, students are making the transition from learning about building character to career awareness. According to the Georgia Department of Education, elementary school counselors should focus on the following tasks:

  • Teaching students about different kinds of work
  • Helping students learn about goal setting and decision making
  • Helping students learn what it means to be a good worker

This unit will begin with students learning what a career is and how careers are grouped together based on similar tasks or job functions. In addition, the school counselor will introduce the first 3 career clusters: (a) Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, (b) Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics, and (c) Law, Public Safety, and Security.

Curriculum-Framing Questions

  • Essential Question
    Who am I?

“By answering this question, students learn about themselves and become aware of the world of work. During the earlier grades, students begin to think about the concept of work/vocation and the numerous work opportunities available in their future. Students take required career-related assessments during the middle grades to assist with identifying personal strengths and weaknesses as well as likes and dislikes. At the elementary level, it is important that students are exposed to all career options, especially those considered to be nontraditional.”

(from the Georgia Dept. of Education website

  • Unit Questions
    Whatis a career?

What kind of knowledge and skills do adults need for each career cluster?

What factors influence the career that a person chooses?

  • Content Questions
    What careers are found in the “Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources” cluster?

What careers are found in the “Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics” cluster?

What careers are found in the “Law, Public Safety, and Security” cluster?

Assessment Processes

Learn how a variety of assessmentsand activities are used to: (a) develop a sense of self and areas of interest, (b) develop and acquire positive attitudes, and (c) develop a sense of career awareness and the relationship with academics and personal interests.

Instructional Procedures

Specific Activities

  1. What is a career? (powerpoint)
  2. The school counselor will show the students the “What is a career?” powerpoint presentation. The presentation specifically defines the term career in “kid-friendly” language and gives examples of careers. It also explains in a simple way that in order to do a career people need education, training, and guidance to do a good job.
  3. Career Cluster Series (website)
  4. From Glencoe
  5. The school counselor will display the above website on the ActivBoard, so that each student can get specific information about the 3 career clusters covered in this unit.
  6. Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
  7. Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
  8. Law, Public Safety, and Security
  9. Paws in Jobland (interactive website)
  10. The lesson will wrap up with students going up to the ActivBoard and clicking on each of the 3 career clusters on the Paws in Jobland website.
  11. Paws (the dog) describes each career and the specific jobs in that cluster.
  12. Students then get to do a matching activity where they match the job description to the specific job.

Standards

Career Cluster/Guidance 1st GRADE / NCDG
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources / CM3.K4 (NCDG)
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics / CM3.K4 (NCDG)
Law, Public Safety, and Security / CM3.K4 (NCDG)
The activities below, when coupled with the cluster activities, represent a comprehensive elementary career development program. (from HB 713)
Step 1, Step 2, Step 3 ED1.K1
Cooperating Crayons PS1.K3; PS2.K2
Tools of the Trade ED1.K1; CM3.K1; PS4.K1

From GA Dept. of Education website

Prerequisite Skills

  • Students may need mini-lessons on using the ActivBoardand understanding PowerPoint.

Differentiated Instruction—students in special education or resource classes will be given extra assistance with these concepts in their classroom. Many of the lessons taught in Guidance (or Specials) are reinforced within the general teacher’s classroom.

Resource Student

  • Provide additional adult assistance
  • Allow extra work time
  • Make task modifications as needed

Gifted Student

  • Pair these students with resource students and English Language Learner students to help them understand the powerpoint and websites used in this Unit.

English Language Learner

  • Ask the ELL teacher to support instruction
  • Ask the ELL teacher to help students translate basic terms into an English/first language glossary, explain difficult concepts, and help the student complete assignments and conduct research
  • Pair the student with other common first language speakers who have greater English proficiency for tasks that require reading and writing
  • Adapt assignments
  • Allow more time as necessary