Unit Title: Responsibilities of A Working Citizen
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject Area: Business; ELA;
Vocational Education
Length of Time: Taken as a whole, designed as a
one-semester course.
Authored by: Mary Farber and Kathy Smith
School
Address: Herkimer High School, 801 West German Street, Herkimer, NY 13350
School Phone/Fax: 866-1770/2234
INITIATING ACTIVITY
This can vary depending on class dynamics, facilities, and availability of technology, but the use of the following essential question forms the basis for the initiating activity. For example, this activity can be done with pairs of students interviewing each other, and then sharing the results orally, or in writing. The activity can be done in a whole class discussion. The exact management and methodology will depend on the teacher’s decision.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Overview: This unit is designed to align and integrate the study of
computer applications with the acquisition of vocational knowledge and academic knowledge. Students are asked to use basic computer applications in such areas as wordprocessing, database, spreadsheet, desktop publishing, and presentation capabilities to demonstrate the knowledge that they acquire about themselves as potential employees, their new perspectives on the workplace, and their understanding of how academic knowledge is used in the workplace.
NYS Standards for Career Development and Occupational Studies
National Standards for Business Education
Achievement Standards
Links to Other Standards:
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
Standard 6: Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship; and the avenues of participation in American civic life.
Standard 6: Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.
Standard 3: Students will understand and be able to manage their personal and community resources
Modifications for Students with Special Needs
Individual modifications for students will be dependent on the Individualized Education Plans (IEP), teacher recommendations group dynamics, the demands of the work experience, and various other factors that will come into play in implementing and managing this curriculum. It is recommended that assessment modifications to accompany the NYS standards be done in consideration of the above-listed factors and the NYSED document entitled "The Alternate Standards for Students with Severe Disabilities" The following steps may need to be considered for special needs students: have an aide accompany them on the work experience; monitor them more often; be sure that the work site is handicapped accessible; and, be sure that the demands of the work experience are appropriate for the students.
Curriculum Objectives:
2. To promote business education as a viable avenue for acquiring and utilizing a full education in preparation for responsible, productive citizenship
Instructional Objectives:
Students will learn:
1. To maintain personal and family health and stability
2. To balance and maintain personal finances including taxes
3. To understand how media helps the working citizen remain informed about current events
4. To understand how current events can impact the working citizen
7. To initiate and develop student understanding of an effective work ethic through modeling in the work force
8. To promote student understanding of the connection between staying in school and being successful
9. To maintain skills needed for lifelong learning
10. To acquire skills necessary for exploration of various career pathways
11. To help students acquire skills and a knowledge-base necessary for successfully entering the job force and maintaining employment.
The curriculum described herein will be used primarily in the following courses:
Basic computer applications will be employed as a means to career exploration and academic integration, specifically instruction and utilization of:
Wordprocessing
Data Base
Spreadsheets
Desktop Publishing
Graphics
Presentation Software
Communications
Methods, such as:
To exemplify, helping students to focus on these questions:
TASK: Students make an individual listing and class db; worksheet to be supplied with appropriate db fields (name, age, hobbies, skills, personal qualities, career dream) students will share with each other; class discussion of topics such as job opportunities, competition, geographic factors, career outlooks, etc.
TASK: Using the GIS software students will research themselves in relation to careers
TASK: Complete Self-Assessment Test Worksheet
TASK: Interview three people: one faculty member; one relative; one person in a chosen career field
II. Career Exploration Packet
For this section, you will use available CD’s, the Internet, Occupations Outlooks Handbook, and media (newspaper and magazine articles) as approved by your teacher
TASK: Keeping in mind what you’ve learned about yourself (the kind of person you are, the things you like, and what you’re good at), research three careers that you’ve been thinking about for yourself, and two careers you discovered through your research; or think you can only dream about: total of 5.
TASK: Report back on these careers by creating a database with the following fields: career name, earning potential, training/college, time of preparation, indoor/outdoor, people/non-people, travel, possible advancements, employment potential
TASK: Create a poster, using available graphics and desktop publishing, on the career that seems the best for you, you’re most suited for, fits your expectations/aptitudes/personality; what you really would like to pursue as your job
TASK: In detail research the career on your poster, the one that seems the best for you, and create a Powerpoint presentation that details this career. You will present this to the class in a 3 to 5 minute presentation.
TASK: In your journal, explain what steps you need to take during and after high school to prepare yourself for that career that seems most suited to you. Your writing should contain information about what you need to do now, and what you need to do later. This should be approximately two pages long. For example, what schools will offer the best preparation for this career?
TASK: Construct a database on the availability of programs to prepare you for the career. For example, research ten different institutions from which you may obtain a degree, license, certification, or training for the job that seems most suited to you. Your database should contain the following fields: name of institution, cost per year, program offered, location, length of program, type of program, etc.
TASK: Write a journal entry in which you describe which training program/college would be best for you. Think in terms of everything you’ve learned about yourself, the career, and the program. This should be approximately two pages.
TASK: Create a timeline using the software package Timeliner to show the plan for their career. Students could start with when they were born and go to where they see them selves in ten years. The purpose for this project is to see where their lives are going and what they will have to do to reach their goals.
TASK: Create a spreadsheet of the careers you researched, with the salaries, create a graph from this showing the differences in pay scale; print this.
TASK: In your journal, write at least one page in response to the following questions. Your writing will be assessed based on the conventions of standard written English, as well as the content you provide.
III. Career Discovery----Looking at the Realities
Students will spend time for five weeks on the job, shadowing someone in a related career.
TASK: Write a letter of request to each of the prospective employers who may host you at their workplaces; include a brief resume of information about yourself; worksheet on resumes to be handed out
TASK: Keep a journal of events of the job; Include what did the professionals do in terms of their responsibilities, how did this person react and carry out his/her duties, what did the student like and dislike; could you see yourself going to do this job everyday, 8-10 hours a day for the next 20 years; information about how this person is maintaining their personal wellness and fitness; how did general knowledge presented in classes help prepare for this career. You will work on this journal whenever you meet in class.
TASK: The planned intent is that students will be on the job for three days, and back in class for the fourth, doing their journals over on WP, and discussing how things are going with other classmates. Each student is expected to discuss their experiences for 3 to 5 minutes, and to write about their experiences in their journals, kept electronically.
TASK: Obtain an application from the place of employment where you will be doing your visitations. Neatly fill out this application and go over it with the person in charge of hiring. Take notes on what you are told about whether or not you could be hired at this place, and what you are told about how you answered the questions on the application. Write a journal entry of at least one page discussing your experience with the application.
Suggested Websites and Resources for Career Exploration
Occupations Outlooks Handbook, available on CD
Other CD’s available
Magazines
Classifieds from newspapers
WEBSITES
NYS Labor Department
http://www.labor.state.ny.us/trends.htm
http://www.labor.state.ny.us/CareerZone
Career Exploration Website
http://www.jobprofiles.com/listings.htm
http://www.jobprofiles.com/aboutjp.htmhttp://www.nysed.gov/workforce
Career Mosaic
http://www.careermosaic.com/ OR NERIC.ORG
www.jobhujnter.com
Career Path
College Financial Aid Information Page
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/FinAid/finaid.html
School To Work
www.mohost.moric.org/stw/
Boldface Jobs, the Ultimate Employment Resource
Jobs America---the Career Fair Professionals
Find Jobs and Employees
Jobs in Government
http://www.jobsingovernment.com/
Environmental Jobs and Careers
The Computer Jobs Store—The Employment Web Site for Technology Professionals
Jobs On-Line Home Page
GORP—Great Outdoor Recreation Pages---National Parks, Forests, Wilderness
http://www.gorp.com/default.htm
Hot Jobs
Professional Materials
TASK: Now that you’ve explored various careers, and spent time in the workplace for 5 weeks, make a list of things you’re learning in school that you can use on the job; add this to your electronic journal, and keep the list going for another 2 weeks. How will this influence your study habits? How does your general knowledge, or cultural literacy play into this career? Answer these questions in your journal in at least one page of writing.
To compete for a job against other candidates, you will have to demonstrate knowledge and skills in your field, but moreover, you’ll need a general understanding of basic concepts (history, writing, reading, math, sciences, for example) and skills that allow you to work effectively on the job and with the other employees.
TASK: Take a topic from each of your four core subjects (English, social studies, math, and science) and from another elective class you’re now taking, research each topic and demonstrate your knowledge through one of the computer applications that you have already learned this semester. (wp, db, ss, publishing, graphics, presentation, communication) Making a decision about which computer application is important. Not every topic will lend itself to wp for example, or to db. You must be careful about this. Please note: There may be opportunities to use these materials that you develop for extra credit in your content area classes. You will have to speak with your teachers about what you might investigate and what credit you could earn.
ASSESSMENT
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Focus Skills/Qualities
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Beginning 1 |
Almost 2 |
Competent 3 |
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1. The student demonstrates knowledge of the computer application. |
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2. The student has selected the appropriate computer application. |
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3. The work is neat. |
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4. Student demonstrated knowledge of the topic |
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5. Work is organized and presented in a logical, coherent fashion.
Appropriately designed form; searchable; produces accurate reports
Designed for ease of use; demonstrates the ability to write appropriate formulas, and manage mathematical formulas for correct computation; produces accurate reports.
Correct grammar and punctuation; format is neat and appropriate; shows creativity with content
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6. Work was submitted on time. |
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7. It is work the student can be proud of. |
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Teachers implementing this curriculum may with to develop rubrics for individual tasks as deemed appropriate for instructional purposes. The rubric shown above is designed to be used at the end of the curriculum, which would last approximately one semester.