Lesson Plan

School Counselor: Farline Pean

Lesson Plan Title: “When I Grow Up”

X Single Classroom Lesson
 Unit of Classroom Lessons: Lesson ___1_ of _1____
 Small-Group Session Lessons: Lesson _____ of _____
Target Audience: 4th grade

Evidence Base:
X Best Practice (commonly used and believed to be of high quality)
 Action Research (individual investigates own practice to improve content/delivery)
 Research-Informed (a review of research provides foundation for content/delivery)
 Evidence-Based (highest level of evidence, results published in peer-reviewed journal)

ASCA Student Standards Targeted: Student Learning Objectives:

Identify 1–2 student standards relevant for this
targeted group and goal:
(Best practice = select one)
M&B# Mindsets & Behaviors Statement
M6. Understanding that postsecondary
education and lifelong learning are
necessary for long-term success.
B-SMS 5. Perseverance to achieve long- and
short-term goals.
For each of the selected student standards, write or
select 1–2 learning objectives
Student Learning Objectives
Student(s) will explore future career goals for the
jobs they are most interested in and create a “Note
to Self” booklet as a message to their 5th-grade
selves, preparing them for post-secondary plans.

Materials:
Students will need:
 Elementary Interest Assessment: “Career Interest Explorer Assessment for Elementary Students”
 Presentation slides
 Video: Exploring Careers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2345VNkAyY
 Construction paper
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  Writing utensils (Markers and Pencils)
 Exit Ticket (KWL Chart)

Describe how you will:

Introduce Lesson The school counselor will introduce herself to the class before presenting
Topic/Focus: the lesson. Then, the school counselor will state the rules and guidelines,
which are that all students must participate in preparing a career plan for
when they reach 5th grade, they must respect each other’s choices and
opinions, and students who would like to speak must raise their hand
and wait until they are chosen to speak.
The school counselor will then explain the goals of the lesson plan to the
students, to support students in discovering their interests and life goals,
help 4th graders explore and select a career that best fits their character
and interests, and encourage students to achieve the goals they set their
mind to, preparing them for higher education.
Then, the school counselor will give each student a paper copy of the
Career Interest Explorer Assessment for Elementary Students as the pre-
assessment. This data will help the school counselor support students in
narrowing their interests and exploring careers that align with their
personalities.
Afterward, the lesson's objective will be presented, and one student will
volunteer to read the objective out loud before the counselor presents
the lesson to the 4th graders.
Communicate the The school counselor will communicate the lesson objective verbally and
Lesson Objective: visually with the slides. After the volunteer student reads the objective
out loud to their peers, the school counselor will ask the students if they
understand the mission of the objective. Then, the school counselor will
use the presentation slides to inform students of the importance of
career exploration and why the school counselor is encouraging 4th
graders to discover their career interests. The school counselor will also
inform the 4th-grade students of different resources they can utilize to
access research on the career that interests them the most.

Teach Content: The school counselor will play a YouTube video, “Exploring Careers,”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2345VNkAyY, to give the students
more insights on careers they might be interested in pursuing. Then, the
school counselor will encourage students to openly discuss a job that
stood out to them in the video. Students will be taught how to use their
interests and narrow down the jobs they are most interested in.
After the open discussion about what the students comprehended from
the video, the school counselor will encourage students to work in pairs
of two and create their own “Note to Self” booklet for their 5th-grade
selves with construction paper, markers, and pencils. In the booklet,
students will draw and write how they envision their everyday lives when
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 they get their dream jobs. The school counselor will ask students if they
understand the activity that needs to be completed.
Practice Content: Students will be able to use the paper copy of the Career Interest
Explorer Assessment for Elementary Students to select the jobs that they
are most interested in and use the video presented “Exploring Careers”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2345VNkAyY
to help them narrow their skills and personality traits related to their
potential career choices. This gives students the opportunity to use their
critical thinking skills to explore career they envision themselves
establishing in the future. The school counselor will remind students to
focus on their personal interests while they create a “Note to Self”
booklet to prepare them for select a career decision by 5th grade and
determine the career path they would like to explore in their future.

Summarize/Close: The school counselor will end the lesson by asking students if they
selected 1-2 career choices they would like to explore in their future.
Then, the counselor will distribute the KWL chart as an exit ticket/ post-
assessment. Students will be asked to write what they knew about
career the career choices they selected, what they would like to know
about career choice and what they learned from the lesson regarding
career exploration and their career choice on the KWL chart. The school
counselor will then ask a few students to share what they learned from
the lesson before the bell rings and collect the sheets at the end of class.

Data Collection Plan – For multiple lessons in a unit, complete this section only once for the unit.
Participation Data Plan:
Anticipated number 25 students
of students:
Planned length of 40 minutes
lesson(s):
ASCA Student Standards Data Plan:
For each lesson/unit/small group, school counselors will administer pre-/post-assessment aligned with the selected
ASCA Student Standards and student learning objectives.
Pre-/Post-Assessment items are:
1. Students will be physically given a paper copy of the Career Interest Explorer Assessment for
Elementary Students. The paper copy allows the school counselor to keep track of students'
initial responses regarding their interests in their career options and gather data for their
following grade-level responses.
2. The KWL chart post-assessment will be given physically for students to complete after the
lesson and activity. With this exit ticket/post-assessment, the school counselor will observe if
students understood the lesson presented to the class and take notes on what information
needs to be inputted into the lesson plan for the next career exploration presentation for

Updated, June 2021

fourth graders.
Outcome Data Plan: (choose one and describe specific data point to compare)
Examples:
Achievement: School counselor will compare reading levels of students before and after delivery of lesson.
Attendance: School counselor will compare number of absences last year to this year.
Discipline: School counselor will compare total number of disciplinary reports for peer-on-peer conflict first quarter
with second quarter
X Achievement (describe): The school counselor will compare the pre- and post-assessment
results to identify and observe which 4th grade students understood the importance of the
career exploration lesson plan and adjust the lesson plan and presentation for which students
require further assistance to understanding the lesson goal.
 Attendance (describe):

 Discipline (describe):

Follow-Up Plans
Explain your plan for students who missed the lesson.
The school counselor will have an individual session with 4th grade students who missed the
lesson plan and use the pre- assessment to help students navigate their interests and
determine their career decision and explain the reason behind career exploration. Then, school
counselor will give students the materials to create a “Note to Self” booklet for their 5 th grade
selves.
Explain your plan for students who did not demonstrate mastery on the pre-/post-assessment
of student standards (M&B)/student learning objectives.
For students who did not demonstrate mastery on the pre-/post- assessment of the student
learning objective, the school counselor will create a small group career exploration lesson to
guide 4th grade individuals to vocally state what they find challenging about developing their
career and discovering their interests. Then, school counselor will provide the 4 th grade
students with resources and research tools such as informational videos and books focused on
career choices to help them understand the goals behind the career exploration lesson and
their career choice by utilizing the KWL chart/ post-assessment.

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 Rationale

Early Career Exploration Lesson plans for fourth graders are an ideal time to introduce

career concepts as children think about their future and introduce essential life skills like

communication, problem-solving, and adaptability. According to Edwin (2018), a job

exploration course at the elementary school level can be used by school counselors to assist kids

in developing their careers and to start the lifelong process of preparing them for success in the

workplace. The school counseling department aims to support fourth-grade students to focus on

connecting education to future careers that can boost students' motivation to excel in school,

leading them to explore different ideas to prepare them for setting ideal career plans by 5 th grade

while guiding fourth-grade students into thinking about their future. Activities for early career

exploration can assist elementary grade school students in "connecting the dots" between their

self-concept, schooling, and numerous job paths, enhancing their academic success (Yavuz,

2022). School counselors aim to prepare fourth-grade students by providing resources and

opportunities to guide elementary students in exploring their strengths and interests when

developing career goals.

Career planning helps young students explore many professions, promotes inclusivity

and diversity, and breaks gender stereotypes in career choices. Research shows that students'

attitudes toward scientists, engineers, and technologists were primarily gender stereotyped, with

engineers being the most stereotypical (Luo,2023). Additionally, school counselors

implementing goal setting to fourth graders foster a sense of direction and purpose that

encourages students to work toward their dreams and aspirations. This career exploration lesson

will help fourth-grade students develop critical decision-making skills. Likewise, this lesson will

enable students to make enlightened choices about their future, prepare them for future goals,

and lay the foundation for their future success and personal development.
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 References

Career Interest Explorer Assessment for Elementary Students. (n.d.).

https://www.cfnc.org/media/0xtdpcig/career-interest-explorer-elementary.pdf

Edwin, M., & Prescod, D. (2018). Fostering Elementary Career Exploration with an Interactive,
Technology-Based Career Development Unit. Journal of School Counseling, 16(13), n13.

KWL Chart Template. (n.d.). Education World. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from
https://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/kwl_nov2002.doc

Luo, T., & So, W. W. M. (2023). Elementary students’ perceptions of STEM

professionals. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 33(4), 1369
1388.

N. (2018, January 31). #Futuready: Exploring Careers. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2345VNkAyY

Yavuz, O. (2022). The Career Development Needs of Elementary School Students. International
Journal on New Trends in Education & their Implications (IJONTE), 13(2).

Updated, June 2021