Career Exploration Activities and Lesson: Connecting School and Work

Description

Support your students’ understanding of how school connects to their future with this meaningful and interactive career exploration lesson! This resource helps K-2 learners recognize how the skills they’re building today (like reading, solving problems, and working with others) can help them succeed in future careers.

By linking classroom learning to real-world jobs, this lesson strengthens career awareness and brings your college and career readiness curriculum to life in a developmentally appropriate way.

Here’s what’s inside:

• Slideshow to guide instruction and introduce how school skills are used in different jobs
• “Name That Skill!” interactive game where students guess careers based on school skills used
• Whole group practice activity connecting classroom skills to real-life job requirements
• Small group or partner carousel activity matching jobs with school skills and reflecting on job preferences
• Creative individual map activity where students illustrate their dream job and choose school skill “stamps” to show how they’ll get there
• Closing circle reflection questions that help students connect their present learning to future goals