LEARN NC

CareerStart lessons: Grade eight

1.3 Teen job search

By Andrea Fedon, Gail Frank, and Cindy Neininger

Provided by CareerStart

Essential question: How can critical thinking and analysis help you come to an understanding of what jobs are right for you?

Learning outcomes

Students will use writing to draw connections between their abilities and careers in which they are interested.

Teacher planning

Materials needed

  • Student computers with internet access or classified job listings from the local newspaper (for each student)
  • Job search worksheet

Time required for lesson

One class period

Activities

  1. Tell students they will research jobs that are available for teens, and their task is to find three jobs they find interesting and would like to pursue.
  2. Hand out the job search worksheet, and tell students they must fill out the worksheet for each of the jobs they select.
  3. Have students use the internet or the classified ads from the paper to find local jobs available for teens. One helpful website is MyFirstPaycheck.com, which lets students search by location and category. Students may also search the online classified ads on the websites of local newspapers.
  4. Have students identify three jobs they are interested in and fill out the job search worksheet.
  5. After completing the worksheet, have students write an expressive writing response detailing the skills, talents, or experiences they have that would help them in these particular career fields. Students should weigh the requirements of each of the three jobs they selected and determine the one for which they are most qualified, using supporting details from the job ads.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: The learner will use language to express individual perspectives through analysis of personal, social, cultural, and historical issues.
    • Objective 1.02: Analyze expressive materials that are read, heard, and viewed by:
      • monitoring comprehension for understanding of what is read, heard, and/or viewed.
      • reviewing the characteristics of expressive works.
      • determining the importance of literary effects on the reader/viewer/listener.
      • making connections between works, self and related topics.
      • drawing inferences.
      • generating a learning log or journal.
      • maintaining an annotated list of works that are read or viewed, including personal reactions.
      • taking an active role in and/or leading formal/informal book/media talks.