LEARN NC

CareerStart lessons: Grade eight

1.6 Defining career vocabulary

By Andrea Fedon, Gail Frank, and Cindy Neininger

Provided by CareerStart

Essential question: How can your knowledge of the conventions of grammar and language usage help you understand new career vocabulary?

Learning outcomes

Students will become familiar with vocabulary terms related to careers.

Teacher planning

Materials needed

  • Vocabulary list (also available under critical vocabulary below)
  • Paper
  • Pens
  • Dictionaries (print or online)
  • Additional (optional) materials may include colored pencils, computers with PowerPoint software, and computers with internet access

Time required for lesson

30 minutes

Activities

  1. Activating strategy: Write various common professions on the board. Then ask students about specific vocabulary used in jobs. Make a list of these words and their meanings to share with the class. The students should understand that each profession has specific vocabulary associated with it.
  2. Divide the class into groups and give each group the list of vocabulary words (without the definitions). Explain to students that each group will teach vocabulary words to the other groups.
  3. Have students work in their groups to divide the word list among the group members and decide on the strategy to use to present their vocabulary definitions. Students can choose any strategy to teach their vocabulary. Teaching strategies might include: PowerPoint presentations, illustrations, analogies, crossword puzzles, synonyms/antonyms, acting/charades.
  4. Have students use reference sources to find definitions for the vocabulary words.
  5. Have the students teach the vocabulary words to the other groups.

Extension

Have students ask their parents or other adults about specific vocabulary used in their jobs. Students should make a list of the words and their meanings to share with their groups.

Critical vocabulary

apprentice
a person who works for a more experienced person in order to learn a trade
aptitude
ability that is innate or acquired; talent; intelligence
benefits
1. something that promotes or enhances well-being; an advantage.
2. a payment made or an entitlement available in accordance with a wage agreement, an insurance policy, or a public assistance program.
career
an occupation or profession, usually requiring special training
cooperation
working together to achieve a common objective
development
the process of growing, expanding, or improving
employee
one who works for another, usually for wages or a salary
enterprise
a bold, difficult, or momentous project or undertaking
entrepreneur
one who organizes and manages a business or enterprise
entry-level job
a job requiring little skill or knowledge, sometimes with the potential for advancement as skills and knowledge are acquired
foresight
insight gained by looking to the future, or the ability to consider the future
incentive
monetary or other reward offered as motivation
income
the amount of money or its equivalent received during a period of time in exchange for labor or services
labor
1. activity undertaken for economic gain.
2. physical or mental exertion.
manager
one who handles, controls, or directs an enterprise or institution
market
1. the business of buying and selling a specific item.
2. current price or value
productivity
measurement of the ability to bring about a desired or required result
reliability
the ability to be dependable
responsibility
a duty or obligation
service worker
one who works in the service sector (the part of economy that deals with selling intangible products rather than physical products)
skill
a developed talent or ability
specialization
concentration in one area; expertise
standard of living
the level of subsistence and comfort in everyday life enjoyed by a community, class, or individual
wage
a payment to a worker for labor or services
workplace
a person’s place of employment

North Carolina curriculum alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 8

  • Goal 6: The learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage.
    • Objective 6.01: Model an understanding of conventional written and spoken expression by:
      • using a variety of sentence types, punctuating properly, and avoiding fragments and run-ons.
      • using subject-verb agreement and verb tense that are appropriate for the meaning of the sentence.
      • applying the parts of speech to clarify language usage.
      • using pronouns correctly, including clear antecedents and case.
      • using phrases and clauses correctly, including proper punctuation (e.g. prepositional phrases, appositives, dependent and independent clauses.)
      • determining the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words using context clues, a dictionary, a glossary, a thesaurus, and/or structural analysis (roots, prefixes, suffixes) of words.
      • extending vocabulary knowledge by learning and using new words.
      • evaluating the use and power of dialects in standard/nonstandard English usage.
      • applying correct language conventions and usage during formal oral presentations.