During my recent subbing stint with 6th
graders, I was left to create lesson plans for a group who only
wanted school to be over. As I always do, I checked my calendar
resources. Fortunately the school calendar listed a Career Day
involving parent participation. I didn't know any of the parents so I
was left with no choice, but to create some activities for the class!
Since the class was comfortable with
“morning sheets” I created a matching sheet with job titles
listed down the left side and job descriptions on the right side.
(There is a sample of the matching sheet attached.) I also stirred
things up by rearranging their desks into a double horseshoe so that
we could have group discussions. I allowed them to refer to classroom
dictionaries and to each other for matches. When they did ask for
help, I tried only to give them hints about the jobs. Unfortunately
all the dictionaries in the classroom were not of equal quality so a
lot of sharing had to occur. When a sufficient amount of time had
elapsed, a group discussion of the 24 jobs took place. I tried to get
them to understand connections to real life situations. For example,
during the discussion for entomologist, I asked them why it would be
important to be an expert on insects----bees as pollinators for our
food source, bugs as a source of food for pets, etc.
Taped up pages of want ads from the
local STAR News at the front of the classroom. Asked them to think
about what jobs are available and what skills were needed to perform
those jobs. Left this activity up as a free choice activity during
lunch and breaks. Class discussions will return to these pages later.
Next I spread out an assortment of
magazines---POPULAR MECHANICS, POPULAR SCIENCE, OUR STATE, SOUTHERN
LIVING. There were enough magazines so that each student could pick
two. The class was given time to peruse the periodicals and look for
articles about jobs that might interest them. Next each student was
asked to share with the class an occupation of interest found in one
of the magazines and tell what they might need to do to get that kind
of job. These particular periodicals were great because they had a
lot of pictures showing people doing various jobs currently or in the
future. Even some of the advertising in the magazines was helpful to
illustrate or prompt a student to think about a career choice.
The next activity involved information
that I had found online from the Michigan Council of Women in
Technology. I shared that Information Technology jobs were good jobs
for the future and that not many women are presently working in this
field. The premise of this type of work is that “computers are
dumb, and they need humans in order to operate!” As soon as 2020,
it is believed that there will be 1.4 million IT jobs available. IT
jobs are considered more stable and offer better pay. At the present
time only 18% of computing and IT science degrees go to women and
companies are looking for women with this type expertise.(1)
I also pointed out that IT companies are looking for creative
people---types who think outside the box! I shared an interview
technique used by many companies that tries to determine how creative
a thinker an applicant is. A job interviewer will hand an applicant a
ballpoint pen and ask him to name or list all the possible uses for
the pen. The job interviewer is looking for creative people who are
not afraid to “take the pen apart.” I shared the story of the
surgeon who saved someone by using the case from a ballpoint pen
during an emergency tracheotomy.
After the IT discussion I presented
them with a challenge. I asked them to create something from a
cardboard box, a pencil, and duct tape. I supplied boxes of various
sizes and shapes, they all had pencils and I provided rolls of duct
tape to be shared. Each student picked one box. They also had to
name their creation and give a little spiel about it to the class. A
secret ballot was held for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
place and prizes (giant Tootsie Rolls from the Dollar Store) were
awarded. The variety of ideas was amazing----very simple to quite
complex, very quick to quite time consuming, and very typical to
quite unusual. Pictures of the “challenge” creations are attached
to this blog.
The last task before going home was to
list an occupation of interest that could be illustrated to the class
the next day by way of a demonstration, a picture, a story, a prop,
etc. The list included vet, gymnast, marine biologist, singer,
dancer, basketball player, travel agent, football player, skate crew,
engineer, paleontologist, and “velociraptor!” The next day the
students brought in basketballs, footballs, Legos, stuffed animals,
choreographed skits, songs, skate boards, fossils, and a toy dinosaur
robot. The presentations were spread out over the day because of
other Career Day activities. The presentations were generally gender
typical with the girls being the singers and the dancers and the boys
being the ball players and the skate boarders.
On Career Day the 6th
graders did join the 7th and 8th graders to
complete a packet called CAREER DAY PREPARATION ACTIVITIES from the
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. The students were also
visited by a parent who owns her own recording label and performs, a
parent who is a chemist and tests water, and a parent who is retired
military and works as a warden. Other special activities included
watching episodes of DIRTY JOBS hosted by creator, Mike
Rowe---collecting alligator eggs (my husband watches SWAMP PEOPLE so
I had a little background to share), collecting kelp and feeding it
to abalone (I had been to a similar California pier/restaurant where
the sea lions perch under the glass top tables), and creating special
effects make-up.
Career Day seemed an enjoyable
experience considering it was the last in-class activity before the
last day of school. The remaining week included an all day Field
Trip, Field Day outside, an Awards Ceremony, and Graduation.
(1)
According to “How do we get girls to code? Initiatives seek
answers” by Hayley Tsukayama at THE WASHINGTON POST, Google is
launching an all-star group initiative aimed at getting girls excited
about computer science and coding. The initiative, called “Made
with Code,” will invite teenage girls to start projects in its
“Blockly” visual programming editor. STAR News, Sunday, June 22,
2014
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