LESSON ONE: The Job Search
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Students answer five reflective questions and write a paragraph explaining a career choice.
Access to the Internet and/or a career interest inventory program is needed for this activity. A media center might be a good option so that students can easily examine print materials.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS ADDRESSED
R3C: Use details from the text(s) to analyze and evaluate the author's use of information and logic to express his or her ideas through word choice
LESSON MATERIALS
§ Materials
o “From Man to Boy” by John R. Coleman from The Art of Work: An Anthology of Workplace Literature, 1996
o Career interest inventory
o Two career information sources
§ Handouts provided
o Five reflective questions scoring guide
o Job Search Comparison, Nonfiction Text Analysis
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. Teacher reads aloud “From Man to Boy” by John R. Coleman from The Art of Work: An Anthology of Workplace Literature, 1996. If the reading selection is not available, the teacher may omit the reading portion of this lesson. Students take a career interest inventory. The teacher could use career inventory information already on file in place of administering another inventory. Interest inventories are available online at: http://www.LiveCareer.com, http://www.psychtests.com/tests/alltests.html, http://www.advisorteam.com/temperament_sorter/register.asp?partid=1, http://www.humanmetrics.com/ http://www.cmi-lmi.com/kingdomality.html.
From this inventory, students select their top two career choices to research. Invite your school counselor to help introduce and administer this inventory.
2. Model/analyze information using the Job Search Comparison: Nonfiction Text Analysis graphic organizer. Model how to analyze the author’s use of information, logic, and word choice from career information sources (e.g., The Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/ ) and your own real life data (i.e., research the profession of teaching).
3. Direct questions for students by discussing R3C elements (e.g., author’s use of logic, audience appeal, faulty reasoning in display of nonfiction information).
a. Describe how the information is presented logically in these two sources.
b. What is meant by faulty reasoning and unfounded inferences?
c. From this information, what facts or ideas show accuracy of evidence?
d. How does word choice affect your understanding of the author’s intent?
e. What evidence can you find of the author using comprehensiveness of detail?
f. What could be combined to improve or change the organizational pattern of this resource?
g. Based on what you have learned, how could you justify your career choice to someone else?
4. Students locate two sources which contain information on their top career choices based on the interest inventory. Using the Job Search Comparison: Nonfiction Text Analysis graphic organizer provided, students transfer the information from their sources to analyze the data. Students complete two graphic organizers, one for each source. Students save information in the job portfolio system created by the teacher.
Various career information is available on-line at: http://www.jobs-matrix.com On the website, access job guide.
5. Formative assessment: Using information from the Job Search Comparison: Nonfiction Text Analysis graphic organizer, the students answer five reflective questions. After completing the questions, the students write a paragraph explaining which career choice best suits them. Students give two reasons why they feel the career is a good choice, using details from the reflective questions.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT Student Score Guide
Students answer five reflective questions and use the answers to write a paragraph.