Career research and writing
In this lesson for grade seven, students will learn about a career that interests them and then share what they learned in peer groups. Students will then write a letter to the Better Business Bureau stating why they should be given an internship in their chosen career.
A lesson plan for grades 6–8 English Language Arts and Guidance
Provided by CareerStart
Learning outcomes
Students will gain experience with persuasive writing by writing letters stating their case as internship applicants.
Teacher preparation
Time required for lesson
Approximately 60 minutes
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Paper
- Computers with internet access to access the Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Optional: If you don’t have access to computers, you may print overviews of the careers discussed in this lesson and hand them out to students.
Activities
- Have each student choose a career he or she finds interesting from the following list of links to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. You may choose to limit the career options or use all of the following:
- Have each student read about his or her selected career.
- Jigsaw activity: Put students into groups based on their chosen careers. For example, all the students who chose “Athletic Trainers” would be in one group. These are “expert” groups. Have the students in each expert group brainstorm a list of important facts about their career.
- Then put students into groups in which each student has a different career. In these new groups, have students report to the other group members the information they discussed in their expert groups. This ends the jigsaw activity.
- Have students choose a partner with the same career, and introduce the following writing prompt:
The Better Business Bureau is recruiting two middle school students to be interns for the jobs of their choice. Based on your career discussion, write a letter to the chairman stating which job you would select and why both of you would be the best candidates for the job.
- Explain to the students that they should write this letter together. (For example, one student can write the introduction and the other can write the next paragraph, etc.)
- Have students hand in their letters for correction. If time permits, you may have the students peer edit the letters and then determine which two students should get the internship.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 7
- Goal 3: The learner will refine the understanding and use of argument.
- Objective 3.03: Create arguments that evaluate by:
- understand the importance of establishing a firm judgment.
- justifying the judgment with logical, relevant reasons, clear examples, and supporting details.
- creating an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context.
- Objective 3.03: Create arguments that evaluate by:
Guidance (2001)
Grade 6–8
- Goal 4: Acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.
- Objective 4.01: Develop skills to locate, evaluate, and interpret career information.
- Objective 4.04: Pursue and develop competency in areas of interest.
