Grade 9
Identity

The ninth grade workshop will be devoted to addressing each of the School-to-Career competencies on a weekly (if possible) basis. Competencies have been arranged in a progressive order. The activities listed below are available for purchase from individual publishers. A listing of all of the materials and the publishers appears at the end of the grade 9 segment of this document.

Workshop Contents

Workshop 1: Identify and Solve Problems

Workshop 2: Interacting with Others

Workshop 3: Taking Responsibility for Career and Life Choices

Workshop 4: Acting Professionally

Workshop 5: Communication and Literacy

Workshop 6: Organize and Analyze Information

Workshop 7: Completing Entire Activities

Workshop 8: Using Technology

Workshop 9: Understanding All Aspects of Industry

Grade 9 - Identity

The ninth grade workshops will be devoted to addressing each of the School-to-Career competencies on a weekly (if possible) basis. Competencies have been arranged in a progressive order. In addition, the transition Language Arts classes may be the perfect opportunity to launch these activities. The activities listed below are available for purchase from individual publishers. A listing of all of the materials and the publishers appears at the end of the grade 9 segment of this document.

Timetable:

  • Have a Grade 9 assembly to provide each student an overview of the College and Career Center.
  • Introduction of school counselors and support staff.
  • Brief videotape or Powerpoint presentation of the College and Career Center.

Workshop 1 - Identify and Solve Problems

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses.
Knowing your learning styles.
Learning how to develop skills for career/college.

  • Activity: "Me Poster" Frank Schaffer/Good Apple Publications
  • Activity: "Personal Coat of Arms" Life Planning Education Curriculum Pages 35-37
  • Activity: "Personal Learning Style Inventory" Pub. Center for New Discoveries in Learning
  • Activity: "Identifying Your Passions" pages 29-30, and "Work Values Survey" Pages 31-37 Career Choices

Workshop 2 - Interacting with Others:

Interacting with students, teachers, school counselors
Managing stress and conflict
Respecting diversity
Negotiating skills
Cooperative learning in the College and Career Center
Internship or community service

  • Activity: "Defining Success Survey" Career Choices Pages 18,19
  • Activity: Meet and introduce your classmate. Pair students up. Each student has to find out five facts about their partner and share it with the group in an open forum.
    Five questions to ask:
    1. What is your name?
    2. What is your favorite subject in school? Why?
    3. What is your favorite food?
    4. What is your favorite movie?
    5. What are your plans for the future?
  • Activity: Guest speakers from the student mediation program and mental health counselors.
  • Activity: Cooperative learning exercise in class. Classroom survey and data analysis.
  • Activity: Investigation of Community Service opportunities in the Boston area. (Material from 1010 Mass. Ave.)

Workshop 3 - Taking Responsibility for Career and Life Choices

Developing a Personal Growth Plan
Become familiar with attendance and graduation requirements.
Familiarity with MCAS and its implications.
Working Papers- Why do I need them?*
Getting a job. What kinds of jobs can I get as a freshman?*

  • Activity: Chapter 4 Life Planning Education- "What are my goals for myself?" Pages 95 -106 Selected from these activities:
    "Short-term Goals- My Contract" Pages 95-97
    "My Life: Past and Future" Pages 98-100
    "My Ten year Class Reunion" Pages 101-102
    "Making A Dream Come True" Pages 103-105
    "Life Plans" Pages 106-108
  • Activity: Discussion of MCAS and its relationship to the promotional requirements.
  • Activity: The employment coordinator of your school can discuss the working papers and jobs section.

Workshop 4 - Acting Professionally

Attendance and appearance
Accepting direction and criticism
Flexibility and maintaining self control
Using appropriate language and behavior
Respecting confidentiality
The job interview.*
Being responsible using for College and Career Centers (making appointments, proper passes, and proper behavior).
Not using the internet for personal use.

  • Activity: Signing and returning of the acceptable use policy. Review in class.
  • Activity: Review the BPS attendance policy and its ramifications.
  • Activity: Random student attendance check.
  • Activity: Reinforcement of concepts outlined in student planners.
  • Activity: Dress for Success. Have students designate a day for that workshop where they will come to school dressed as potential job seekers. Random prizes for those who participate.
  • Activity: Confidentiality. Secrets exercise. Start a story at both ends of the classroom. Each student passes it along until everyone has heard and repeated it. Compare the differences between the real story and the verbal story.
  • Activity: Life Planning Education "Application for Employment" pages 270 - 273
  • Activity: Life Planning Education "Interview Guidelines" pages 274 - 277
  • Done by employment counselor at the school.

Workshop 5 - Communication and Literacy

Following written and spoken directions
Taking notes on how to use software available in College and Career Center
Incorporating student planners with College and Career Center use

  • Activity: Life Planning Education Chapter 10 - Good Communication
    "How To Make A Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich." Pages 284 + 285
    "Non-Verbal Communication" Page 290
    "Are You Listening?" Pages 292, 293

Workshop 6 - Organize and Analyze Information

Keep Personal Growth Plan up-to-date
Keeping all materials in one location in College and Career Center
Learning to use career materials on computer and hard copies to search out careers.

  • Activity: Use Academic Planner to demonstrate theme of organizing information.

Workshop 7 - Completing Entire Activities

Initiating and completing projects
Time management

  • Activity: View video on time management. Review print material on subject.
  • Activity: Using academic planner to demonstrate the effectiveness of proper time management.

Workshop 8 - Using Technology

Basic Computer Literacy.
Becoming experienced enough to use software and Internet in the College and Career Center.

  • Activity: Complete a technology checklist/survey for students.

    • Word processing exercise: Writing a friendly letter on the computer. Begin writing a resume.

  • Activity: Brief orientation on the College and Career Center computers.
  • Activity: Life Planning Education Chapter 9- Employment Pages 262, 267 "Practice Resume Writing"

Workshop 9 - Understanding All Aspects of Industry

Using the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)

  • Activity: Scavenger hunt using DOT. Using the Internet to search out information on careers.
  • Activity: Use EXPAN software career inventory. Investigate jobs on EXPAN Job outlook for the 21st Century. Use Internet to investigate future employment opportunities.

Weekly activities include:

  • Presentation of the theme (competency) of the workshop over the intercom on Monday. Weekly theme sheets to be passed out to all 9th grade students for incorporation into their student planners or a loose-leaf notebook. The theme sheet will include a brief description of the competency and what students are expected to do during the course of the workshop to reinforce their understanding of the competency and its relevance to their education and to their future.
  • Short video clip, which in some way reflects the competency being discussed for the workshop. Such clips could come from existing movies or could be filmed from short scripts.
  • In-class cross-curricular activity. These activities would include readings, surveys, art projects, skits, speakers, general discussions, etc.
  • On Friday of the week of the workshop, each student will be given a follow-up activity. A mini-quiz will be given to test their comprehension of the theme of the workshop. In addition, each student will be given a competency checklist, which will document their participation and be stored in their planners or notebooks. Later in the day, two students could be called to the guidance office for planner perusal. If students are up-to-date, then a small reward could be given.

Materials:
Career Choices Published by Academic Innovations
Life Planning Education Published by Advocates for Youth, Washington, D.C.
Careers Without College Series Published by Peterson's
Career Skills Library SeriesFerguson's Publishing Company
Personal Learning Styles Inventory Center for New Discoveries in Learning
All About Me Poster Frank Schaffer Publishing Company

To order:
Life Planning Education, Use enclosed form.

** Worksheet: What is your Personal Learning Style?