Lesson 5

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Matching Careers with My Interests, Skills, and Values

In this lesson, students continue to evaluate their interests, skills, and values. Students begin by considering the many different types of careers they already know about. They evaluate their strengths by completing a multiple intelligences assessment and use an online tool to help them identify potential career interests. Students explore a range of potentially appropriate careers and think about how their interests, skills, and values impact their career options and interests.

Make It Local  | The San Francisco version of Plan Ahead includes the use of a proprietary college and career website at several points in the course, beginning in this lesson. Here, with the Open version, consider taking that class time for your students to explore college and career websites or resources you feel will be helpful to them as they begin to explore options for career and postsecondary degrees or certifications. For ideas, re-visit Teacher Resource 1.1, Guide: Plan Ahead.

Advance Preparation

–   Students will need computers with Internet access throughout this lesson, and specifically in Class Periods 3, 4, and 6.

–   Some students will have taken the ACT Explore assessment or similar assessments in middle school. If possible, obtain the results of these assessments so that students can compare them with the results of their other assessments.

This lesson is expected to take 6 class periods.

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Lesson Framework

Learning Objectives

Each student will:

–   Describe the six general fields that categorize careers

–   Describe the 16 career clusters used by many organizations to classify careers within the six general fields

–   Summarize information gleaned from taking informal questionnaires regarding personal interests, skills, and values

–   Determine which careers to explore based on the self-assessment questionnaires

Academic Standards

–   Develop an awareness of personal abilities, skills, interests and motivations (ASCA National Standards, C:A1.3)

–   Pursue and develop competency in areas of interest (ASCA National Standards, C:A1.8)

–   Develop hobbies and vocational interests (ASCA National Standards, C:A1.9)

–   Use assessment results in educational planning (ASCA National Standards, A:B2.2)

–   Develop skills to locate, evaluate and interpret career information (ASCA National Standards, C:A1.2)

–   Learn about the variety of traditional and nontraditional occupations (ASCA National Standards, C:A1.1)

–   Identify values, attitudes and beliefs (ASCA National Standards, PS:A1.2)

21^st Century Skills

This lesson focuses on the following 21^st century skills:

–   Technological literacy: Students demonstrate comfort with technology used in college and careers

–   Communication skills: Students demonstrate listening, speaking, reading, writing, presenting, and non-verbal communication that clearly demonstrates their skills and knowledge

–   Critical and creative thinking, reasoning, and solution seeking: Students demonstrate skills that help them acquire knowledge, comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, think dialectically and about their thinking (meta-cognition)

Assessment

ASSESSMENT PRODUCT	MEANS OF ASSESSMENT
Graphic organizer on career recommendations (Student Resource 5.7, portfolio component)	Assessment Criteria: Career Recommendations Graphic Organizer (Teacher Resource 5.2)

–   Basic understanding of personal interests and values

–   Grasp of the relationship between work and one’s values and interests

–   Familiarity with the Internet and basic web navigation skills

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Instructional Materials

Teacher Resources

–   Teacher Resource 5.1, Presentation: The 16 Career Clusters (separate PowerPoint file)

–   Teacher Resource 5.2, Assessment Criteria: Career Recommendations Graphic Organizer

–   Teacher Resource 5.3, Key Vocabulary: Matching Careers with My Interests, Skills, and Values

–   Teacher Resource 5.4, Bibliography: Matching Careers with My Interests, Skills, and Values

Student Resources

–   Student Resource 5.1, Example: Alphabetical Taxonomy

–   Student Resource 5.2, Worksheet: Career and Occupation Taxonomy

–   Student Resource 5.3, Reading: The 16 Career Clusters

–   Student Resource 5.4, Survey: How Am I Smart?

–   Student Resource 5.5, Guide: How Am I Smart?

–   Student Resource 5.6, Reading: Using Multiple Intelligences

–   Student Resource 5.7, Graphic Organizer: Career Recommendations

Equipment and Supplies

–   Whiteboard or blackboard

–   Chart paper or large poster board

–   LCD projector and computer for PowerPoint presentation

–   Computers with Internet access and a printer

–   Sticky notes (at least four per student)

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Lesson Steps

CLASS PERIOD 1

INSTRUCTION

–   Tell students that the work they have done so far in this course has broadened their knowledge of various kinds of careers and has also expanded their vocabulary regarding careers. They will now have a chance to pull together all the different words they can think of that relate to careers by completing a career taxonomy.

–   Start by explaining the terms job, or occupation, and career. Though they are sometimes used interchangeably, they have different meanings. A job is a period of employment in your life—it is an activity you do for money or income. An occupation is the same thing as a job. A career is something you build throughout your lifetime. A series of jobs can lead to a long-term career if you decide to focus on a particular field in your employment choices. Some people change careers over the course of their lives (e.g., an investment banker who becomes a teacher), but they usually start with a certain work goal in mind. Career planning, which students will be doing in this lesson, is when you look ahead and think about where you want to go and how you can get there.

–   To understand what a taxonomy is and how it works, have students look at Student Resource 5.1, Example: Alphabetical Taxonomy. In this case, the taxonomy is a place to collect words describing different colors; point out that the words are organized according to what letter they begin with. If students were to continue working with this taxonomy, they would think of colors not on the list and write them in the row that corresponds with the first letter of that color. For example, if they thought of the word purple, they would write it in the row for words beginning with P, where “pink” and “periwinkle” are already listed. To make sure students understand how a taxonomy works, ask volunteers to think of some colors and say in what row they would write the names of those colors.

–   Distribute Student Resource 5.2, Worksheet: Career and Occupation Taxonomy. As the title suggests, the students will develop an alphabetical list of all of the words they can think of that relate to careers and jobs.

–   Have students begin independently by thinking of words that might belong under the general heading of “careers.” For example, if the word teaching comes to mind, the student would write the word teaching in the row labeled with the letter T.

–   Have students work independently for about five minutes, writing as many words as they can think of that relate directly to what they know about or associate with careers. They may write more than one word for each letter, and they should not worry about finding a word for every letter.

–   Now organize students in pairs. Ask them to collaborate by sharing words in order to build their taxonomies. For example, if one student has written farming and the other has not, the second student would add farming to his or her taxonomy.

–   If time allows, after five minutes, have students leave their taxonomies on their desks and walk around the room to view each other’s lists. They should note new words from their peers’ lists to add to their own taxonomies.

–   Give students a couple of minutes to add the words they collected to their taxonomies. Then, have them put an asterisk next to those words that name one or two careers they think sound like fun or that they might like to explore.

–   Invite students to share some of the words that were easy to come up with, as well as words from peers’ lists that they hadn’t thought of themselves. Also call on several volunteers to share the careers they starred.

–   Finally, explain that researchers have come up with ways to categorize careers based on what different careers have in common. Organizing careers in this way can be helpful in deciding which ones to investigate. Specifically, some researchers have developed a system to organize careers into six general career fields and 16 different career clusters. Tell students that they will be learning more about the 16 career clusters and the six general career fields the clusters belong to in the next activity.

 

DIFFERENTIATION Allow students with limited English skills to complete a bilingual taxonomy in both English and in their primary language. As an extension, provide them with a bilingual dictionary and ask them to translate the primary language words they wrote into English and then rewrite them in the correct place on their taxonomy. Career education and career counseling exist in varying stages of implementation throughout the world. Students may have examples of career exploration or career counseling from other cultures. Did their parents have any counseling or career development in deciding upon their careers?

 

STEP 2, PRESENTATION THE 16 CAREER CLUSTERS

30 minutes

INSTRUCTION

–   Have students view the presentation (or read Student Resource 5.3). Tell students to listen (or look when reading) for words that they’d like to add to their taxonomies. In particular, they can add words related to the career clusters that they find appealing.

–   Give students a chance to add to their taxonomies throughout the presentation by stopping frequently and asking students which words they added.

–   Once the new words have been exhausted, tell students to put this taxonomy in their notebooks and enter it into their table of contents.

–   After the presentation, ask for student volunteers to share a couple of new words they added to their taxonomies. Invite the rest of the class to make sure they have those terms written down as well.

–   Conclude by explaining that, in this lesson, students will be using different assessment tools to add to their understanding of their interests, skills, and values.

DIFFERENTIATION Depending on the English skill level of your students, have the Career Clusters diagram or the entire presentation translated into the students’ primary language(s). This type of instructional activity can benefit from a strategy known as “Preview/View/Review.” Before teaching this part of the lesson, make arrangements for English learners to “preview” the information in their primary language(s) via oral summary, a short reading, a film clip, or by having the reading translated into their primary language(s). Next, have them view or read the presentation in English along with the rest of the class. When the presentation is over, group English learners homogeneously so that they can review the content in their primary language. This strategy allows students to fully comprehend the content and still introduces them to new vocabulary and concepts in English.

 

CLASS PERIOD 2

INSTRUCTION

–   Begin class by asking: how do you know if a person is smart? Take a few suggestions. Students are likely to say “because somebody does well in school” or “by what kind of job they have.” Acknowledge that doing well in school or having a specific type of job can be one way to tell if a person is intelligent. But there are lots of very smart people who didn’t do well in school.

–   Ask students: could you build a computer from scratch? Could you fix your mom’s car if it broke down? Could you play basketball in the NBA? Could you play in the band for Beyonce or be a back-up dancer on Lady Gaga’s latest tour? It takes a certain kind of intelligence to do those things well, too—not necessarily “school” intelligence, but intelligence all the same.

–   Distribute Student Resource 5.4 and review it with students. Explain that the psychologist Dr. Howard Gardner came up with the Theory of Multiple Intelligences because he felt that the common ways we assess how smart someone is, like an IQ test, are not always very accurate. He felt that there were other types of intelligence that those tests didn’t capture or pay attention to.

–   Ask students to complete the assessment to evaluate the ways in which they are smart. Reassure them that everyone is smart in some way.

–   When students complete the assessment, ask them to raise their hands. Give each student a copy of Student Resource 5.5 as they finish, and ask them to read over the description for their top one or two types of intelligence.

 

DIFFERENTIATION For students with limited English, consider creating a vocabulary list in advance that translates some of the most common terms into students’ primary language(s). If you have a large number of students with very limited English, you may wish to have both the survey and the guide translated into students’ primary language(s). This exercise relies on some abstract language that can be more difficult for English learners to understand.

 

STEP 4, DISCUSSION MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

25 minutes

INSTRUCTION

–   Ask students to form groups based on their strongest type of intelligence (the type they scored highest in on the survey). If students are “tied” between two types of intelligence, ask them to choose one for this activity. Assign each group to a separate area of the classroom.

–   Ask students to read over the questions posted on the board. Explain that they should discuss the first two questions in their groups. Let students know that they will need to share their answers, so they should make notes as necessary for them to remember what their group mates said. Point out that even though students are grouped with people who share one of their intelligences, they aren’t all going to have the same answers. However, they will probably have some things in common with their group mates.

–   When students are ready to discuss the third question (about using their intelligences to help them succeed in school), distribute copies of Student Resource 5.6. Explain that this resource helps them think about how to answer this question. Point out that the answer to this question is not “I’m only going to take classes that I’m smart in.” Instead, the goal should be to develop study habits that take advantage of their strengths to help them in classes that are harder for them. Point out the examples at the end of the reading and encourage students to use those to help them come up with their own ideas.

–   Give students time to discuss the questions with their groups. When 5–10 minutes remain in class, call on a volunteer from each group to share their group’s response to one of the questions. If possible, ask students to focus their answers primarily on the third question.

–   Tell students that they will need to refer back to this information later in the course. Put Student Resource 5.4, Survey: How Am I Smart? Student Resource 5.5, Guide: How Am I Smart? and Student Resource 5.6 Reading: Using Multiple Intelligences in their paper portfolios or make arrangements to store digital versions.

 

DIFFERENTIATION If possible, group English learners in homogeneous groups with others who speak the same primary language. Allow students to discuss the questions in their primary language, but emphasize that they will need to report to the rest of the class in English.

 

CLASS PERIOD 3

–   At the start of class, assign every student to a computer. Review any rules or guidelines for computer usage at your school (for example, rules about accessing other websites, etc.).

–   Explain that students are going to take an online “interest profiler,” a tool to help them think about things they might enjoy doing. Based on the results, they will get suggestions for possible careers that could be a fit for them. Remind students that, just like the values and Multiple Intelligences assessments they did on paper, this is just a starting point—a suggestion for them to think about.

–   Explain that this survey will give them a score for which sets of skills they are most interested in. The sets of skills are placed in these categories: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. Explain what these terms mean from the perspective of this website, according to the description provided on the site. This will help students to understand their results, although you should assume that students will ask more questions about terminology once they get to that point.

–   Guide students to the My Next Move website ( http://www.mynextmove.org/ ). If possible, project the page at the front of the room or display it on an interactive whiteboard to make sure that students can recognize what the page looks like. Ask students to click the “Start” button under “Tell Us What You Like to Do.” Ask students to read the introduction to the Interest Profiler. As students read this, circulate through the classroom to make sure students are on the right page(s). Point out that the Introduction will require them to hit the “Next” button a few times so that they get a full understanding of the profiler before they start answering questions. Also make sure to emphasize the fact that students can choose “Unsure” if they do not know if they would enjoy a task or not. Also emphasize that students need to focus on whether or not they would enjoy a task, not how much money they think they could make. Let students know they will have an opportunity later on to consider how much money a particular job might bring in.

–   Once students have read the introduction, ask them to begin the Interest Profiler. Ask students to raise their hands if they have a question or when they have finished the profiler and are on their “results” page. The results page says “Here are your Interest Profiler results” at the top and shows a bar graph with the results.

–   When students reach their results page, have them explore the six interest categories (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional). Also have students print out their results, making sure to put their name on the results page before printing it. If a printer is not available, ask students to copy down their results into their notebooks. Make sure students write down the six categories and their score for each one, because they will need this information for other activities in this lesson.

–   If you have some students who complete the profiler very quickly, ask them to stay on the results page. You may have them use their printed results to make some predictions—what kinds of careers do they think would suit someone with their interests? You can also have these students compare their Interest Profile results to their multiple intelligences survey results and/or their values assessment results from Lesson 4. How do their results from the three surveys match up? Are the results consistent? If so, what is the overall picture students are forming of themselves, their interests, and their priorities? Does that picture sound right? If the results are not consistent, what are the differences? You may also wish to have these students circulate through the room, answering questions from their peers.

–   Once several students have printed their results page, ask them to move on and read the Introduction to Job Zones. Explain that students will have an opportunity to explore all the different Job Zones before this activity is over. Have students begin by selecting Job Zone 1, Little or No Preparation. Point out that if students went into the working world right now, they would probably be in this Job Zone. That’s appropriate, because they are still early in their high school careers. Students should begin looking at Job Zone 1, and then they can look through the other zones. Let students know that in the next class period they will use a graphic organizer to really explore some of the careers recommended for them; right now they have an opportunity to get familiar with how the site works, what a job profile looks like, and what kinds of jobs are recommended for them.

–   You may need to repeat the process of reviewing the Job Zones with other groups of students as they complete the Interest Profiler. The focus should on getting all students through the Interest Profiler and having them print their results before the end of the class period. If you have students who finish their work early, you may wish to have them explain the Job Zones to their peers. At the end of the class period, you may wish to collect the results pages to make sure students don’t lose them—if they lose the printed results page, they will have to retake the Interest Profile, which will make it harder for them to complete the rest of the lesson in a timely manner.

 

DIFFERENTIATION Keep in mind that the Interest Profiler may be extremely difficult for English learners to complete. Depending on the needs of your students, consider one or more of the following approaches: –   Have a translator available to help students work through the profiler. This could be a bilingual student, another teacher, or a parent volunteer. –   Provide students with a vocabulary list that offers translations of key concepts or terms students will encounter as they take the profiler. –   Allow additional time for students to work through the profiler by scheduling another class period in the computer lab or making arrangements for students to work in the lab at lunch or after school.

 

CLASS PERIOD 4

INSTRUCTION

–   Assign students to a computer and distribute copies of Student Resource 5.7. If you collected the printed Interest Profiler results, give those back to students, and ask them to get out their values survey from Lesson 4 and the multiple intelligences survey they did earlier in this lesson.

–   Explain that this graphic organizer (Student Resource 5.7) will help students to begin to familiarize themselves with some of the careers their Interest Profiler results suggested would be a good fit for them.

–   Tell students that they will need to work through the following steps, using the graphic organizer for guidance. First, they will need to re-enter their profiler results to the My Next Move website. Next, they will need to do some basic research on a range of different jobs that could be a fit for them. Then they will need to choose one job to do a more detailed analysis on, a job that really interests them.

–   Review the assessment criteria provided at the end of the resource and answer any questions. Let students know that they will only have this class period to complete this organizer, so they need to use their time efficiently.

–   If possible, project the page at the front of the room or display it on an interactive whiteboard to make sure that students can recognize what the page looks like. Walk students through the process for re-entering their Interest Profiler results, following the steps listed on the student resource. Ask students to raise their hands when they are back at their results page so that you can evaluate which students might be having more difficulty following the directions.

–   Once all students are back at their list of careers, ask them to begin working on the “Reviewing the Job Zones” section of the graphic organizer. Emphasize that students need to choose one job from every zone, even if some of the careers aren’t very appealing to them. Explain that the purpose of this step is to get them thinking about the range of careers that are available to them, not to have them choose one yet. It is also to show them how the choice of jobs is linked to the amount of education required.

–   Allow students to work through the “Reviewing the Job Zones” and “Which Career Really Interests Me?” sections at their own pace. Circulate through the classroom, answering questions and keeping students on task.

–   If a printer is available, you may wish to have students print the job profile from the job they do their detailed analysis of. However, students should write down enough information on their graphic organizer that you can read it without referring to the printed profile.

–   At the end of the class period, collect the graphic organizers if you are concerned that students might lose or forget them. Let students know they will continue to use these organizers in the next class period.

 

DIFFERENTIATION It will be particularly important for English learners to have assistance working through the graphic organizer and re-entering their results. Consider pairing English learners with a student who is fluent in English and have them work together to re-enter their profiler results. It may also be helpful to try to match English learners with a partner who shares similar interests, since they can work together on some of their graphic organizer.

 

CLASS PERIOD 5

INSTRUCTION

–   At the start of class, redistribute students’ graphic organizers. Also give each student four sticky notes.

–   Ask students to look at the four sheets of chart paper posted around the room. Explain that this is an opportunity for them to share some of what they learned about one of the jobs that might be a good fit for them.

–   Instruct students to write down one detail on each sticky note, using their graphic organizer to help them. Students should write down details for the job they did their detailed analysis of. For example, if a student did a detailed analysis of the job of Secondary School Teacher, they would write “Secondary School Teacher” on one sticky note. On the next note, they would write down one or more of the key personality traits for someone in that job, such as “helping people, leadership, self-control.” On the next note, they would write down one or more skills, such as “talking to others, explaining things, problem solving.” On the last note, they would write down the educational requirements for the job, such as, “bachelor’s or master’s degree.”

–   Give students a few minutes to fill out their sticky notes. Ask them to post their notes on the appropriate sheet of chart paper.

–   Once the notes are posted, have students return to their seats. Bring the “Job Title” chart paper to the front of the room and review the posted jobs with the class. If you notice a job title is especially popular, consider asking students to raise their hands if they chose that job. If you notice any really unusual jobs, you may wish to ask the student who posted it to raise his hand and explain a little bit about what the job does.

–   Next, review the “Educational Requirements” chart paper. Ask students to raise their hands if they chose a job that required just a high school diploma (no additional training). Then ask students to raise their hands if they chose a job that required an associate’s degree. Repeat the process for jobs that require a bachelor’s degree, and jobs that require more than a bachelor’s degree. You may need to briefly review some of these terms with students, who may not know what a bachelor’s degree is or how it differs from an associate’s degree. Ask students: were they surprised by how much preparation some jobs required? Let students know that in a later lesson they will be learning more about the different types of degrees and post–high school educational programs they can pursue.

–   Then, review the “Personality” chart paper. Review some of the most common personality traits posted. Choose one trait and ask students to raise their hands if they posted that trait. Call on a few of those students and ask them: what job profile were you working on? Guide students to realize that jobs that seem really different from each other may appeal to people with certain personality traits.

 

STEP 8, DISCUSSION HARD SKILLS AND SOFT SKILLS

25 minutes

INSTRUCTION

–   Bring the “Skills” chart paper to the front of the classroom.

–   Write the words “Hard Skills” and “Soft Skills” on the board. Ask students if they’ve ever heard these terms. Explain that both terms refer to types of skills that you use in a work environment. Ask students: can anyone guess what a hard skill is? What a soft skill is? Reassure students that they are just guessing—they are not expected to know this yet.

–   To help them determine the difference, say, “A teacher needs certain hard skills. Hard skills for teaching include things like how to write a lesson or how to manage a classroom. A teacher also needs certain soft skills. Soft skills for teaching include things like being patient or being a good listener.” Based on that, ask students to guess again—what is the difference between hard skills and soft skills?

–   Guide students to recognize that hard skills tend to be things that can be evaluated or graded. A student teacher might write a lesson plan and turn it in for a grade; teachers get evaluated by having someone come in and watch them manage the classroom. These are measurable things. Soft skills, on the other hand, tend to be harder to measure, but just as important. It’s hard to measure if somebody is a good listener, but having that skill can be the difference between succeeding or failing at a career.

–   Ask for a few volunteers to name an example they can think of a hard skill for a specific job. Possible answers include: how to cook a meal (for a chef), how to build a room onto a house (for a contractor or construction worker), which medicine to prescribe to treat a disease (for a doctor), or how to play a particular sport (for a professional athlete).

–   When you feel confident that students understand the concept of hard skills, turn your attention to the posted “Skills” chart paper. Read aloud some of the skills listed and ask students: are these hard skills or soft skills? Keep in mind that most of the skills described on the My Next Move website are soft skills; the website lists some hard skills under “knowledge” or “technology.”

–   Emphasize that students should not panic if they lack some of the skills—hard skills or soft skills—that they need for a particular job. Most people don’t have all the skills they need when they’re still early in their high school careers. What the students should do is start thinking about ways to develop the skills they do need, which is something they will continue to think about as this course progresses. Let students know that in the next class period they will be introduced to one of the tools they will be able to use to help them make plans to develop the skills they need and to get the education they need to eventually have the career they want.

–   At the end of the class period, collect the graphic organizers and assess using Teacher Resource 5.2, Assessment Criteria: Career Recommendations Graphic Organizer. Have students place their work in their portfolios.

 

DIFFERENTIATION Hard skills and soft skills can be difficult concepts for English learners to grasp. You may wish to prepare a written explanation of the difference between hard skills and soft skills and have that explanation translated into students’ primary language(s). That may make it easier for English learners to follow the discussion.

 

CLASS PERIOD 6

INSTRUCTION

Make It Local  | Use this time for students to explore college and career resources that you think will be helpful to them. If your school or program makes use of a specific service or website, now is a good time to use it; If students struggled to complete their graphic organizers, consider returning the organizers and allowing additional time for students to finish the assignment.

 

STEP 10, REFLECTION WHAT I’VE LEARNED

10 minutes

INSTRUCTION

–   Post the prompts. Ask students to read them. Give them a few minutes to look over their materials from this lesson and make notes in their notebook.

–   Ask students to share their thoughts with a neighbor. Call on volunteers to share with the rest of the class.

–   Conclude the lesson by explaining that in future lessons they will get the opportunity to do more research on careers as they learn about the ways to conduct effective online research.

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Extensions

Enrichment

–   The Big Future website (run by the College Board) contains an extensive list of career profiles ( https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/majors-careers ) that link future career possibilities to students’ current high school curriculum. Have students read the profile “Athletes” ( https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/careers/sports-fitness-athletes   ) and discuss the pros and cons of a career traditionally considered to be “risky.”

–   Encourage students to learn more about careers by visiting the following sites and watching career videos:

· Junior Achievement Student Center, Job Videos http://studentcenter.ja.org/Careers/JobVideos/Pages/default.aspx

· Inside Jobs, Choose Your Career

http://www.insidejobs.com/

· Road Trip Nation

http://roadtripnation.com/explore/interests.php

–   Provide students with a three-way Venn diagram. Ask students to use the diagram to compare their results from the three different surveys/assessments (the values assessment, the multiple intelligences survey, and the interests inventory). Encourage students to look for overlap in their results—for example, do all three inventories suggest that the student thrives in an environment that is very logical and organized? If students complete this step, have them include the results of the diagram in their final assessment product for the lesson.

Cross-Curricular Integration

–   English/Language Arts: Have students discuss the flexibility of the English language by viewing or reading the palindromic message, “Lost Generation,” by Jonathan Reed, found online at MetaCafe ( http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2383646/lost_generation/ ) and reproduced in text form on a number of blogs (search: Lost Generation + text). What do students think the message of this palindrome is? If they were to construct a personal message that flips what they can’t or won’t do over to be what they can and will do, what would it convey? Encourage students to try writing a short palindrome that captures what they value or aspire to achieve.

–   Math: Conduct research into how mathematics is integral to creating inventories. Students can explore data gathering, sampling, and elementary statistics to see how they shape the final product.

–   History: In a notebook reflection, have students consider past professions they may have learned about in world history, such as a scribe, minstrel, troubadour, or blacksmith. What historical changes rendered these professions obsolete? What careers of today do they think might not exist tomorrow?

–   Visual and Performing Arts: Writers, actors, painters, photographers, and musicians are often discouraged from pursuing their passions professionally for economic reasons. Divide students into small groups and assign each one of the following questions to discuss and share out to the class:

· If artists know they might not make a lot of money, why do you think some people still choose to be artists?

· Do you think how much money a job pays is a reflection of how important it is, or how much a society values it?

· Why do you think those who “make it big” in arts and entertainment are often compensated in the millions while others in their fields often struggle to make a decent living?

· What values do you think are most important for actors, writers, and others in the arts?

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