Exciting Cards for Career Exploration in the FCS Classroom – 3 Different Industry Cards
I’m sure when you think of Family and Consumer Science, you think of all the ways we prepare our students for the real world, living independently, making smart and informed decisions, but are you also giving them insight to careers available within the FCS umbrella?
I have always had an interest in jobs. I knew good and well I wanted to be a teacher as early as kindergarten. My mom said she also knew because I was bossy, but I like to believe those are leadership skills!
Even though I have always been set on my career path, I still love learning about other jobs. What are the hours like? What days do they work? What schooling is needed? And so on.
Not every student enters our classroom with a clear path for college, attending technical school, let alone a career choice.
Career Exploration in FCS
That’s where Career Connections can help out our students. These career exploration cards are real interviews from real people.
That’s right. Real people and real interviews. Keep in mind that each one of us as teacher could be interviewed and would give similar, but still very different information.
The same goes for each career exploration card.
Some were able to start their job without traditional schooling and learned on the job.
Some went through years of college.
Each card contains the same questions to give students a better idea about a typical day in the life, schooling required, communication and leadership skills needed to be successful, and a few more.
Some cards are a bit more detailed than others, but that is to be expected when interviewing others.
There are two social worker cards, but each works in a different setting, which provides for different experiences.
The same for interior decorators. One works her business on the side while being formally trained in a completely different field, whereas the other one is a full-time designer.
Both are interesting and allow students to see possibilities for the career path.
It opened the eyes for one of my students to think she could follow her dreams of being in the medical field and having a design business as a side gig.
FCS Lesson Plan Idea
I like to use Career Connection cards at the end of my units. It usually takes most of the 49-minute class period for students to read through the cards and then complete a reflection form.
I try to save color printing for things I will laminate and reuse. I find these Career Connection cards to be worth printing in color and laminating. They will last for future semesters that way and still look nice.
Each industry has between 4-7 cards and I print one of each for each table.
Students share the cards at their table and read through them. Some cards are more popular than others. The great part about the cards is how some students show interest in some, but not others and vice versa.
Why add a reflection?
I add the reflection piece because I want to keep students thinking and writing. I want them to see writing doesn’t just happen in English or on standardized testing. It is a piece of communication and each one of these careers utilizes communication skills.
It’s a necessary life skill.
Career Connection Cards
If these career exploration cards sound like something you’d love to use in your classroom. You can find them over in my TPT store. Click the pictures below or you can find the bundle here.
Check out the FREE
"Why FACS?"
Digital and Print Escape Room
And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to read about this FREE digital and print escape room to start your semester in Family and Consumer Science. You can learn more and get it here.