EL Civics

Level 5 Employment Possibilities

STEM: Good Jobs Now and for the Future

Vocabulary, Reading, Interpreting Charts

ONE: Please carefully scan the article from the U.S. Department of Commerce about STEM jobs. We will be reading it more in depth after we learn some relevant vocabulary.

TWO: Relevant Vocabulary - The words and phrases we will practice here are good to know for any general academic or scientific report.

Read each sentence taken from the article. Copy the words in bold font. Your teacher will review the definitions for each word or phrase in bold font.

  1. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers drive our nation’s innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries.

______,______

  1. STEM workers play a keep role in the sustained growth and stability of the U.S. economy, and are a critical component to helping the U.S. win the future.

______

  1. STEM workers command higher wages, earning 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts.

______

  1. There is less consensus about whether to include other positions such as educators, managers, technicians, health-care professionals or social scientists.

______

  1. Parallel to our list of TESM occupations, we also identify a set of STEM undergraduate degree fields that span computer science and mathematics, engineering, and life and physical sciences.

engineering, and life and physical sciences.also identify a set of STEM undergraduate degree fields that span computer science ______, ______

  1. Although STEM employment currently makes up only a small fractionof total U.S. employment, STEM employment grew rapidly from 2000 to 2010.

______

  1. STEM jobs are projected to grow at a fast pace relative to other occupations. From 2008 to 2018, STEM jobs are expected to grow 17 percent.

______, ______

  1. Workers in STEM occupations also earn more on average than their counterparts in other jobs, regardless of their educational attainment.

______, ______

  1. The STEM earnings differential is greatest for those with a high school diploma or less in comparison to their counterparts in a non-STEM field.

______, ______

  1. When examining the relationship between STEM education and STEM jobs, the following patterns emerge.

______

  1. STEM degrees also open the door to many other career opportunities.

______

  1. In math, there is a strong pipeline into education jobs, as one-fifth of math majors go on to work in education.

______

  1. Appendix Table 1: Detailed STEM occupations and Standard Occupational Classification codes

______

THREE: Definitions - Match the words/phrases above to the correct definitions. – ANSWER KEY

Item / Answer / Words or Phrases / Definitions
1. / innovation / a. / compared with
2. / competitiveness / b. / success in reaching a particular level
3. / counterpart / c. / thought that something will happen
4. / open the door to (s/t) / d. / an opinion that everyone in a group accepts
5. / consensus / e. / planned to happen in the future
6. / parallel to / f. / a part at the end of a book or article containing additional information
7. / span / g. / provide an opportunity for something to happen
8. / a small fraction of / h. / someone in a similar job in a different place
9. / are projected to / i. / degree of difference between wages
10. / are expected to / j. / include a number of things
11. / regardless of / k. / a strong connection leading to
12. / attainment / l. / being the same as something else
13. / earnings differential / m. / without being affected by different situations
14. / in comparison to / n. / new idea or method
15. / a critical component / o. / ability to be more successful than others
16. / the following patterns emerge / p. / a very small amount of (something)
17. / a strong pipeline into / q. / these facts appear to regularly show (something)
18. / appendix / r. / a key part of a system

FOUR: Comprehension Questions – Read each question. Skim and read the article carefully to find the correct answer. Mark or highlight where you found each answer on your copy of the article.

  1. What fields are included in the report’s definition of STEM jobs?

______

  1. In which category of STEM jobs do we find the largest group of employment?

______

  1. What is the comparison of pay rates for those with graduate degrees working in STEM jobs versus those working in non-STEM jobs?

______

  1. What are the average hourly earnings for people with high school diplomas or less for those with STEM occupations compared with those with non-STEM occupations?

With STEM jobs: __$______With non-STEM jobs: __$______

  1. Is there a link between college degrees and STEM jobs?

______

  1. Do STEM degrees open the door to other career opportunities? If so, please provide an example.

______

  1. True or False? STEM workers do not earn significantly more money than their non-STEM counterparts.
  1. True or False? Unemployment rates in STEM occupations is lower than in non-STEM occupations.(Look at Figure 3 on page 5)
  1. True or False? More than 68 percent of STEM workers have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
  1. True or False? It is difficult to find career opportunities in STEM jobs if you have a high school diploma, some college, or an associate degree.
  1. Provide 3 examples of STEM occupations. (Look at the appendix.)

Example 1: ______

Example 2: ______

Example 3: ______

  1. (Create your own question for your classmates here.)

______

FOR TEACHERS ONLY

THREE: Definitions - Match the words/phrases above to the correct definitions. – ANSWER KEY

Item / Key / Words or Phrases / Definitions
1. / n. / innovation / a. / compared with
2. / o. / competitiveness / b. / success in reaching a particular level
3. / h. / counterpart / c. / thought that something will happen
4. / g. / open the door to (s/t) / d. / an opinion that everyone in a group accepts
5. / d. / consensus / e. / planned to happen in the future
6. / l. / parallel to / f. / a part at the end of a book or articlecontaining additional information
7. / j. / span / g. / provide an opportunity for something tohappen
8. / p. / a small fraction of / h. / someone in a similar job in a different place
9. / d. / are projected to / i. / degree of difference between wages
10. / c. / are expected to / j. / include a number of things
11. / m. / regardless of / k. / a strong connection leading to
12. / b. / attainment / l. / being the same as something else
13. / i. / earnings differential / m. / without being affected by differentsituations
14. / a. / in comparison to / n. / new idea or method
15. / r. / a critical component / o. / ability to be more successful than others
16. / q. / the following patterns emerge / p. / a very small amount of (something)
17. / k. / a strong pipeline into / q. / these facts appear to regularly show (something)
18. / f. / appendix / r. / a key part of a system

1