Below is a four-week unit focusing on job skills. The unit addresses both transition and English-Language Arts Common Core standards. The unit is intended for students that are in high school in grades 9-12. In week one the students will take surveys for job interests, learning modality, and personality traits. They will then use this information to select a job that interests them and fill out a job application. In week two students will write a personal resume. In week three students will write and revise a cover letter for their application and resume. In week four students will complete a mock interview. Embedded throughout the unit students will be working on learning vocabulary that is relevant and related to qualities needed in the work place.
Learning Activities
WEEK 1
Learning Objective:
Student will understand the definition of the vocabulary word consistent as it is related to job skills.
Student will identify jobs that they would be interested in post-school.
Student will complete sample job applications.
Common Core Standard:
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will complete interest surveys and career assessments to identify careers of interest.
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will complete sample job applications with 80% accuracy on teacher developed rating rubrics.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
WEEK 1
Day 1
Teacher Directed
Present a KWL chart and ask students what they know about having a job. Focus on the K part of the chart. Once that is done ask students what they would like to know about having a job. Focus on the W part of the chart. Also ask students if they think what they have learned in their English classes will help them in their job, and if so how; put this information on the K part. Next ask them if they have any questions about how their English courses have helped them, or could help them in the future; put this on he W part of the chart.
Tell students that you are going to be spending the next few weeks talking about job skills and what it means to be a good employee, as well as getting prepared for applying for a job and going on a job interview.
Tell students that there are many key attributes employers are looking for when they hire someone and that we will be spending the next few weeks focusing on some of those attributes.
Go over the different components of the unit as well as the points of each assignment; the job application, resume, cover letter and mock interview. Answer any questions they may have.
Use a graphic organizer to introduce the word consistent; the Frayer model graphic organizer would work well for this activity. On the Frayer model have the word consistent in the middle and the dictionary definition already presented in the upper left-hand corner. Discuss the definition together as a group. Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer. Have them fill out the word in the middle and the dictionary definition.
Practice
Put students into pairs and have them discuss what the word means to them. As a pair have students come up with their own definition of the word. Have the students write that definition in the upper right hand box. Discuss the different definitions as a class.
Still working in pairs have students illustrate the word in the lower left hand box; they can use a picture, graph or symbolic representation.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners benefit from cooperative learning activities that are embedded in the lesson. They could also use their computers to look up the word and access picture clues and representations.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achievers benefit from many of the same instructional strategies as ELL learners. They too benefit from cooperative learning and picture representations.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students would benefit from writing a sentence using the word and sharing it with their partner. These students could also be paired up with other students that are struggling and tutor them.
Assessment
Informal: Listening to the discussion of students about the word and looking at their Frayer model.
Day 2
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students and ask them if there is anything that we could add to the chart, or any questions that can be answered.
Tell students that today they will be taking an interest survey to give them an idea of what kinds of job they would like in the future. Students will be taking a survey like the one found at; http://yourfreecareertest.com/
Go over the test with them. Complete the first few questions as an example for the students before they try on their own.
Explain to students that the type of person they are will also have an impact on what type of career they should pursue. To find out what type of personality traits they have they will be taking the Jung Personality Type test on http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp Ask students to save the results to their computers.
Lastly, explain to students that they will also be taking a learning modality quiz on http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-assessment Talk to students about how they learn is important information to know when they enter the work force because they will need to learn how to do new jobs.
Review that students will be completing:
Practice
Give each students a copy of the job interest survey and have them work independently to complete it.
Once they are done with the survey have them go to the personality website and complete what kind of learner they are.
After completing the Jung’s Personality Survey have students then take the Learning Modality Survey and save the results.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners may need extra assistance reading and understanding the questions in the surveys. Extra time and attention from the teacher or a high-achieving student could help them as needed.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-Achieving learners may need extra assistance reading and understanding the questions in the surveys. Extra time and attention from the teacher or a high-achieving student could help them as needed.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High-Achieving learners could be paired up with lower-achieving students to help them understand the questions.
Assessment
Informal assessment done through observation.
Day 3
Teacher Directed
Review KWL chart to see if any new information can be added.
Tell students that today they will be working on analyzing the results from their assessments and putting them into a graphic organizer.
The graphic organizer has three big bubbles with lines coming off of them. In each of the big bubbles ask students to put the main thing they learned about themselves in each survey. On the lines next to each bubble ask students to think of two details about themselves that support that idea.
Practice
Give each student a graphic organizer. Model how to put the information into the graphic organizer. For example, if their Learning Modality survey said that they are mainly a tactile a learner they would put tactile in the middle of the circle and then two details such as enjoy doing projects, and working with my hands, on the two lines.
Have students get into pairs, have the students discuss their findings on each of the surveys they completed. (If they feel uncomfortable sharing, have them work with a paraprofessional if they are available. If a paraprofessional is unavailable the student can review the information with the teacher, or work individually and write down a few notes about what they have found.) Give students 5 minutes to discuss.
Once they have discussed their results with one another ask students to now work independently to fill out their own graphic organizer.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students may need more modeling and assistance reading and analyzing their results due to the unfamiliar vocabulary. They can work with a partner, teacher, or high achiever.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achieving students may need more modeling and assistance reading and analyzing their results due to the unfamiliar vocabulary. They can work with a partner, teacher, or high achiever.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students can be partnered with low achieving or ELL students to help them understand the vocabulary and analyze their results.
Assessment
Informal assessment based on observations of students and their discussions.
Formal assessment based on their completed graphic organizer.
Day 4
Teacher Directed
Review KWL chart to see if any new information can be added.
Tell students that after completing their graphic organizer of the information they gained from their surveys, today they will be thinking of three jobs that they would be interested in doing. From those jobs they will be filling out job applications that reflect those interests.
Discuss as a class the different types of jobs they can think of, as they are coming up with ideas write them down on the whiteboard. Once job ideas are up on the board discuss as a class the types of skills a person would need to complete those jobs. For example, a nurse would need to like science and math, as well as be caring.
Explain to students that enjoying their job has a direct impact on how well they will perform their job and also how likely it will be that the job will be long term. These are important considerations when picking a job, or a career. Review the word consistent with the students and ask why they think that might be an important quality in an employee.
Go over a blank job application and show students what is expected in each section. Then show them a completed application and ask them to think about how they will fill out their applications. Have the students notice that the type of information on the job application is directly related to the type of job the person wants to get.
Practice
Have students work in pairs to discuss their graphic organizers and come up with three jobs they think they would be a good fit for. Have students write those three jobs down on their graphic organizer.
Individually have students look up those jobs on their computers to gain more information about what those jobs entail. Ask them to write down one detail about each job under it on their graphic organizer.
Give students a blank job application and have them pick one of the three jobs they have listed that they would like the most. Have them fill out a job application based on that information.
Differentiation ELL
Students may have difficulty filling out the application and understanding all the components, as well as directions. They can work with a partner, paraprofessional, or high achiever to complete the application.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Students may have difficulty filling out the application and understanding all the components, as well as directions. They can work with a partner, paraprofessional, or high achiever to complete the application.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achievers can be paired with students that are struggling to help them fill out the application. Or they can work with each-other to discuss job types and ways they could make their application better so employers would want to hire them.
Assessment
Informal assessments based on student discussion and observation.
Formal assessment based on the completed job graphic organizer and completed job application.
Day 5
Teacher Directed
Review KWL chart to see if any new information can be added, or any questions could be answered. Review the vocabulary word consistent.
Tell students that today they will be putting all the information they gathered throughout the week together to begin making their job portfolio. They will also be writing a paragraph telling about what they learned throughout the week about themselves and the type of job they want.
Show students and go over outline to use as a graphic organizer for their paragraph.
I. Topic Sentence- Type of Job
a. Detail 1- Learning Style help in that job.
b. Detail 2- Personality Type help in that job.
c. Detail 3- Why you would be good at the job.
II. Concluding Sentence – Why should an employer hire you.
Ask students to try and use the vocabulary word consistent in their paragraphs.
Practice
Model how to complete the graphic organizer with your information.
Either give students a piece of paper to write their graphic organizer or give them an electronic copy to work on with their computers.
Ask students to fill out their graphic organizers and then have them checked by either you or a paraprofessional before they begin writing their paragraph. Once it is checked they can write their paragraph.
Once students are done with their paragraph have them put all their documents into a folder to keep for the unit.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students could use extra support filling out their outlines. If outlines are difficult for them to complete an alternate graphic organizer they are more comfortable with could be used. Support from paraprofessionals, the teacher, or high achieving students would also be beneficial.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-achieving students could use extra support filling out their outlines. If outlines are difficult for them to complete an alternate graphic organizer they are more comfortable with could be used. Support from paraprofessionals, the teacher, or high achieving students would also be beneficial.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students could expand on their paragraph and add more details. They could share their paragraphs with others and ask for feedback then edit their paragraphs. These students could also work with ELL or low-achieving students to help support them in completing their graphic organizers and paragraphs.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observations and discussions.
Formal assessment would be the completed mock job application and reflection paragraph.
WEEK 2
Learning Objective:
Student will understand the definition of the vocabulary word respectful as it is related to job skills.
Student will complete a resume.
Transition Goal:
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will complete a personal resume with 80% accuracy on teacher developed rating rubrics.
Common Core Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
WEEK 2
Day 1
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Tell students that this week you will be taking what they learned last week and writing a resume. Explain to students that resumes are important because they give the employer a snapshot of their information, past work experiences, and related skills.
Using key vocabulary words is important when writing a resume. It is also important to know what skills employers are looking for when they are hiring. Tell students this week we will also be discussing these things as well.
Use a graphic organizer to introduce the word respectful; the Frayer model graphic organizer would work well for this activity. On the Frayer model have the word consistent in the middle and the dictionary definition already presented in the upper left-hand corner. Discuss the definition together as a group. Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer. Have them fill out the word in the middle and the dictionary definition.
Practice
Put students into pairs and have them discuss what the word means to them. As a pair have students come up with their own definition of the word. Have the students write that definition in the upper right hand box. Discuss the different definitions as a class.
Still working in pairs have students illustrate the word in the lower left hand box; they can use a picture, graph or symbolic representation.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners benefit from cooperative learning activities that are embedded in the lesson. They could also use their computers to look up the word and access picture clues and representations.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achievers benefit from many of the same instructional strategies as ELL learners. They too benefit from cooperative learning and picture representations.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students would benefit from writing a sentence using the word and sharing it with their partner. These students could also be paired up with other students that are struggling and tutor them.
Assessment
Informal: Listening to the discussion of students about the word and looking at their Frayer model.
Day 2
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart and the vocabulary words consistent and respectful.
Tell students that today they will be reading articles about what employers want in an employee. There are three different articles that all discuss different attributes employers are looking for.
Hand out the three articles to the students. Read each of these articles aloud while students follow along; this gives them a good idea of what the articles are about before they read them in pairs.
Articles:
‘The 10 Skills Employers Most Want In 20-Something Employees’, by S. Adams
‘What do Employers Want from their Employees’, by AJE Recruiting Specialist
‘What Employers Want: 5 more skills to cultivate’, by Andrea Kay, Gannett
Discuss the articles as a class. Ask students if they have any questions about them; especially the vocabulary.
Practice
Have students get into pairs and re-read the articles; give every pair of students a different article. Tell students they will be sharing the details of their article with the class. Ask them to highlight any important information they may want to share with the class. Give students 15 minutes to complete this task.
When students are done come back together as a class and have them discuss their articles.
Differentiation ELL
Students may need help with the complex vocabulary in the articles. Working in pairs should help them understand, but paraprofessional support and picture support for unknown vocabulary would also be beneficial.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Students may need help with the complex vocabulary in the articles. Working in pairs should help them understand, but paraprofessional support and picture support for unknown vocabulary would also be beneficial.
Differentiation High-Achievers
These students could be paired with low-achieving or ELL students to help them comprehend the articles.
Assessment
Informal assessment through discussion, observation, student presentations, and highlighted articles.
Day 3
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart and the vocabulary words consistent and respectful.
Review what was learned in the articles yesterday about what employers want in their employees. Talk to students about those skills employers want to see and discuss what that would look like in the work place.
Tell students they will be reviewing sample resumes today and then start writing their own tomorrow.
Show students a few sample resumes for different types of jobs. Go over the parts with the students showing them each component and how different resumes highlight different areas.
Practice
Have students work in pairs and give them a few more resumes to look at and review.
When they are done with that ask them to research the type of resume that would be best for the type of job they would like to apply for. They can use their Chromebook to research.
When students are done with that have them come back as a class and discuss what they found.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students could be paired with a high achieving student for this activity to help them with the vocabulary and to research the correct type of resume.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-achieving students could be paired with a high achieving student for this activity to help them with the vocabulary and to research the correct type of resume.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High-achieving students could be paired with ELL or low-achieving students to help them with the vocabulary. They could also be paired with one another and asked to analyze the difference between different resumes and why they think there might be different formats for different jobs.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observations and discussions.
Day 4
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart and the vocabulary words consistent and respectful.
Review the different types of resumes for the different job types and why different jobs have different types of resumes.
Tell students that today they will be starting their own resumes based on the type of job they would like to apply for.
Show students how to fill out a resume on the board, either a paper copy or one through a word document.
Practice
Have students work on finding the correct resume for their job type and start completing a resume for that job.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners may need extra support filling out the correct information in the correct areas. They also may have a difficult time using correct sentence structure and punctuation in their resume. Extra support from the teacher, or paraprofessional would help these students.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-achieving learners may need extra support filling out the correct information in the correct areas. They also may have a difficult time using correct sentence structure and punctuation in their resume. Extra support from the teacher, or paraprofessional would help these students. These students may also need extra support locating the correct resume.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High-achieving students could research alternate resumes for the same job type and analyze which one would be better and why.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussions.
Day 5
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart and the vocabulary words consistent and respectful.
Tell students today they will be completing their resumes. Once they are done they will have it peer edited to make any corrections needed before their final draft. Final drafts need to be done on their Chromebook for future reference.
Practice
Model how to edit the resumes. Show students to be looking for spelling, missing sections, or punctuation errors.
Allow students to finish their resumes and time for editing and revising if needed.
Have students share their finished resumes with you on their shared drive.
Differentiation ELL
The same support offered yesterday with help filling out the resume correctly and understanding unknown vocabulary words. They also may need more assistance with the editing and revision section through support from the teacher, paraprofessional or high achieving students.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
The same support offered yesterday with help filling out the resume correctly and understanding unknown vocabulary words. They also may need more assistance with the editing and revision section through support from the teacher, paraprofessional or high achieving students.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High-achieving students could finish their resume and then change the font, or formatting to make it more personal and to stand out. They could then teach others in the class how to do that with their resumes.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observations and discussions.
Formal assessment through completed resume.
WEEK 3
Learning Objective:
Student will understand the definition of the vocabulary word dependable as it is related to job skills.
Student will complete a cover letter.
Transition Goal:
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will complete a cover letter for their job application with 80% accuracy on teacher developed rating rubrics.
Common Core Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.5
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
WEEK 3
Day 1
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review with students what they have learned about applying for a job and completing a resume. Reemphasize that these are important components of getting a job; especially one you want.
Tell students that this week you will be learning how to write a cover letter for your resume and job application. A cover letter is a short letter that goes on top of your resume and application to introduce yourself and express your interest in the job. It is your first impression before you meet the employer and it is important that it is written well and looks professional.
Review the vocabulary words learned before; consistent and respectful. Review why these are good qualities to have in an employee.
Use a graphic organizer to introduce the word dependable; the Frayer model graphic organizer would work well for this activity. On the Frayer model have the word consistent in the middle and the dictionary definition already presented in the upper left-hand corner. Discuss the definition together as a group. Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer. Have them fill out the word in the middle and the dictionary definition.
Practice
Put students into pairs and have them discuss what the word means to them. As a pair have students come up with their own definition of the word. Have the students write that definition in the upper right hand box. Discuss the different definitions as a class.
Still working in pairs have students illustrate the word in the lower left hand box; they can use a picture, graph or symbolic representation.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners benefit from cooperative learning activities that are embedded in the lesson. They could also use their computers to look up the word and access picture clues and representations.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achievers benefit from many of the same instructional strategies as ELL learners. They too benefit from cooperative learning and picture representations.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students would benefit from writing a sentence using the word and sharing it with their partner. These students could also be paired up with other students that are struggling and tutor them.
Assessment
Informal: Listening to the discussion of students about the word and looking at their Frayer model.
Day 2
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart to see if the class wants to add anything, or answer any questions. Review the vocabulary words consistent, respectful and dependable.
Tell students today you will be viewing sample cover letters for different jobs. They will be learning about what makes a good cover letter and what components need to be included in their letters.
Go over a letter as a class and discuss the components. Draw students’ attention to the greeting and closing, as well as the structure of the letter. They are very different than writing an essay.
Use a letter like the one found on: http://www.careerfaqs.com.au/careers/sample-resumes-and-cover-letters/high-school-student-cover-letter/
Practice
Have students work in pairs to evaluate different cover letters. Give students at least three different ones to view and compare. Some can be found on: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/resumes-cover-letters-high-30847.html?tab=3#tabs
As pairs have them come up with at least 5 things they noticed to share with the rest of the class. Give students at least 10 minutes to complete this task.
Come back together and discuss what the students noticed about the different cover letters.
Differentiation ELL
Pairing students with a high achieving student to get more support with the vocabulary would benefit these students.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Pairing students with a high achieving student to get more support with the vocabulary would benefit these students.
Differentiation High-Achievers
Pairing these students with lower achieving students would benefit both students; they would act as a tutor.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Day 3
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart to see if the class wants to add anything, or answer any questions. Review the vocabulary words consistent, respectful and dependable.
Tell students that today you will be teaching them how to use the Step-up to Writing graphic organizer for paragraph writing. This is a graphic organizer the district has used for many years and the students should be familiar with them.
(If students would rather use the outline organizer used in week one they will have that option.)
Go over the graphic organizer on the board. The top line is for the topic, the stars are for the supporting details and the circles are for the information about those details.
Show students how to take the information from their surveys, resumes and job applications and put it into their graphic organizers. They need to focus on their qualities and abilities.
Practice
Give students a graphic organizer and ask them to complete it independently. If they need assistance roam the room and if necessary, pull a small group to give them more support and scaffold the task.
Differentiation ELL
Students may need more picture or graphic support to understand how to fill out the graphic organizer completely.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
These students may have more difficulty pulling information from their surveys, applications and resumes and need extra support completing their graphic organizer. They can work in small groups with the teacher or paraprofessional. Students may need more picture or graphic support to understand how to fill out the graphic organizer completely.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students can work with lower achieving students to help them complete their graphic organizers. These students can also add more details and support for those details than what is required. They can also be encouraged to use the vocabulary words learned in their writing.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Formal assessment through completion of their graphic organizer.
Day 4
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart to see if the class wants to add anything, or answer any questions. Review the vocabulary words consistent, respectful and dependable.
Review with the class how to use their graphic organizers to complete a well written and organized paragraph. Review with the class what employers are looking for and why a cover letter is important.
Review the rubric you will be using to score their cover letters and answer any questions students may have.
Practice
Model for students how to format their letters correctly.
Model for students how to take the information from their graphic organizers and write a paragraph. Show them how to take the first line and create a topic sentence, then three good supporting detail sentences with support and finally a concluding sentence.
Ask students to then write their rough drafts of their letters independently. Ask them to complete these letters on their Chromebook.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners may need more support understanding how to use their graphic organizer and transfer those notes into complete sentences. Extra support through small group instruction can help these students complete the task.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achieving learners may need more support understanding how to use their graphic organizer and transfer those notes into complete sentences. Extra support through small group instruction can help these students complete the task. These students also may need assistance understanding paragraph structure and coming up with vocabulary words to express themselves completely.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students can be asked to add more details and use a variety of different vocabulary words in their letters.
Assessment
Informal assessment through discussion and observation.
Formal assessment through the completion of their graphic organizers and rough drafts of their cover letters.
Day 5
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart to see if the class wants to add anything, or answer any questions. Review the vocabulary words consistent, respectful and dependable.
Review the purpose of a cover letter and how they should have completed their rough drafts yesterday using their graphic organizers.
Talk to students about the importance of having a rough draft then editing your work before writing a final draft.
Tell students that today they will be editing and revising their letters and writing their final drafts. This is a lot to get done in one day, but if they don’t finish they can have time next week.
Go over the rubric you will be grading the letter from with the students again so they are aware of the expectations.
Teach students the SCAN acronym for revising writing work. Have this as a poster or slide to have up during the lesson and the rest of the day while students are working.
S= Does it make sense?
C= Is it connected to my belief?
A= Can you add more?
N= Note errors?
Go over the letter you wrote for an example as you show students how to go through this process. Explain to them that often times we don’t see mistakes in our own work, so we will be working on peer-editing our paragraphs instead. Remind students to remain respectful of others work.
Practice
Have students get into pairs. Ask students to switch papers and peer edit their partners with the highlighting tool. After they have completed peer editing each-others papers, have them discuss what changes they would make and why. Give students 10 minutes to complete this task.
Once students are done they can begin making the changes on their letters and create their final drafts. Ask students to share the document with you for you to view.
Differentiation ELL
These students could be paired with a high achieving student to ensure that they wrote their letter correctly with correct grammar and punctuation.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
These students could be paired with a high achieving student to ensure that they wrote their letter correctly with correct grammar and punctuation.
Differentiation High-Achievers
If these students are first paired with low achieving student’s, they will then need to be paired with another high achieving student for peer-editing. They can also be asked to add more detail and support to their letters.
Assessment
Informal assessment through discussion and observation.
Formal assessment through a completed cover letter.
WEEK 4
Learning Objective:
Student will understand the definition of the vocabulary word cooperative as it is related to job skills.
Student will participate in a mock interview.
Transition Goal:
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will participate in three mock job interviews and earn a satisfactory rating of communication skills, interpersonal skills, professionalism and enthusiasm based on a teacher created rubric.
Common Core Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
WEEK 4
Day 1
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful and dependable.
Review what has been learned over the last few weeks with the surveys, job application, resume and cover letter. Tell students that there is one last important step to getting a job; the interview. This week is going to be focused on learning interview skills, the types of questions that are asked and finally perform a mock interview.
Use a graphic organizer to introduce the word cooperative; the Frayer model graphic organizer would work well for this activity. On the Frayer model have the word consistent in the middle and the dictionary definition already presented in the upper left-hand corner. Discuss the definition together as a group. Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer. Have them fill out the word in the middle and the dictionary definition.
Practice
Put students into pairs and have them discuss what the word means to them. As a pair have students come up with their own definition of the word. Have the students write that definition in the upper right hand box. Discuss the different definitions as a class.
Still working in pairs have students illustrate the word in the lower left hand box; they can use a picture, graph or symbolic representation.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners benefit from cooperative learning activities that are embedded in the lesson. They could also use their computers to look up the word and access picture clues and representations.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achievers benefit from many of the same instructional strategies as ELL learners. They too benefit from cooperative learning and picture representations.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students would benefit from writing a sentence using the word and sharing it with their partner. These students could also be paired up with other students that are struggling and tutor them.
Assessment
Informal: Listening to the discussion of students about the word and looking at their Frayer model.
Day 2
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful, dependable and cooperative.
Ask students if they have any idea about what types of questions are asked during an interview. Write these on a chart to be left up for the entire week. Discuss the types of questions that employers might ask and ask students why the employers might be asking those types of questions; to find out what type of employee you will be, will you be there long term, etc.
Tell students there are a lot of sample interview questions that you can find on the internet. Go over the website with students; http://www.everydayinterviewtips.com/15-possible-questions-for-high-school-student-job-interviews/
Tell students this is only a sample of the types of questions they might be asked. Tell them they will be coming up with their own questions to ask in the mock interview on Friday. (The partners do not need to have the same questions.) They will give their questions to a peer and the peer will ask them their own questions. This will give them time to prepare and not be nervous during the interview.
Show the students how you use information from the surveys, job resume, and cover letter to support the answer to a few questions. Model the process.
Practice
Have students work in pairs and come up with 10 questions they think would be the best interview questions and why.
Have the students type these questions into a document on their Chromebooks so they are saved and can be shared.
Once each partner has their list of questions. They will spend time typing the answers to the questions using information that they have gathered over the last 3 weeks.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students may need extra support with the vocabulary used in different questions. Picture support, or peer support would be beneficial for these students. They also may need help answering questions in complete sentences and being coherent.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-achieving students may need extra support with the vocabulary used in different questions. Picture support, or peer support would be beneficial for these students. They also may need help answering questions in complete sentences and being coherent. These students may benefit from being paired with a high achiever.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students could be paired with a low achieving student. They could also be asked to come up with more questions, or more details in their answers.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Formal assessment through a list of questions and answers.
Day 3
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful, dependable and cooperative.
Review the types of questions that are asked during an interview and discuss with students to see if they have any questions.
Tell students that today you are going to be discussing tips on how to present yourself well during an interview. Ask students what they think might be important to do during an interview; write these ideas on the board, etc; dress well, not chew gum, come on time, etc.
Review the website; http://jobsearch.about.com/od/justforstudents/fl/interview-tips-high-school-students.htm with students and discuss the tips on the website.
Practice
Have students get into pairs and discuss what they have learned. Have them research a minimum of 3 more websites about interviewing tips to share with the rest of the class. Give students 10 minutes to complete this task then have them share their websites and why they think they are good sites to visit.
When they are done with this give them time if needed to finish their questions and answers.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students may need extra support finding and understanding websites. This can be done through partnering them with a high-achieving student, or working in a small group with the teacher or paraprofessional.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achieving students may need extra support finding and understanding websites. This can be done through partnering them with a high-achieving student, or working in a small group with the teacher or paraprofessional.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students can be asked to work with ELL or low achieving students. They can also be asked to research more websites and then present them to the class with an analysis of why they are good sites to visit.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Day 4
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful, dependable and cooperative.
Go over the mock interview rubric with the students so they are aware of how they will be graded tomorrow.
Model how the mock interview will look like for the students. Have them pay attention to things like body language, tone of voice, and clarity of answers, etc.
Practice
Have students pair up and practice their interviews in preparation for tomorrow.
Differentiation ELL
These students may need support and scaffolding with the communication skills needed for an interview. They can be paired with another student that is strong in these skills, or be in a small group with other students that need to work on the same skill.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
These students may need support and scaffolding with the communication skills needed for an interview. They can be paired with another student that is strong in these skills, or be in a small group with other students that need to work on the same skill.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achievers and good communicators could act as models through this process for other students. They can go around and help others and offer support and model good communication skills.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Day 5
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart. Review the entire chart and tell students this is the last day of this unit on Job Skills.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful, dependable and cooperative.
Review the mock interview rubric with students and ask if they have any questions before you begin.
Model how you would like the mock interview to run. The most efficient would be for everyone to share their questions with one another and then rotate through the roles one by one.
Practice
Have students perform the mock interviews.
Differentiation ELL
These students may be too nervous and can be asked fewer questions; maybe 5 instead of the 10 required for other students. They may also be given support throughout the interview from the teacher or paraprofessional.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
These students may be too nervous and can be asked fewer questions; maybe 5 instead of the 10 required for other students. They may also be given support throughout the interview from the teacher or paraprofessional.
Differentiation High-Achievers
These students could go first and act as models for the rest of the students. They could also act as motivators or coaches for students that struggle.
Assessment
Formal assessment through the completed mock interview.
Learning Activities
WEEK 1
Learning Objective:
Student will understand the definition of the vocabulary word consistent as it is related to job skills.
Student will identify jobs that they would be interested in post-school.
Student will complete sample job applications.
Common Core Standard:
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will complete interest surveys and career assessments to identify careers of interest.
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will complete sample job applications with 80% accuracy on teacher developed rating rubrics.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
WEEK 1
Day 1
Teacher Directed
Present a KWL chart and ask students what they know about having a job. Focus on the K part of the chart. Once that is done ask students what they would like to know about having a job. Focus on the W part of the chart. Also ask students if they think what they have learned in their English classes will help them in their job, and if so how; put this information on the K part. Next ask them if they have any questions about how their English courses have helped them, or could help them in the future; put this on he W part of the chart.
Tell students that you are going to be spending the next few weeks talking about job skills and what it means to be a good employee, as well as getting prepared for applying for a job and going on a job interview.
Tell students that there are many key attributes employers are looking for when they hire someone and that we will be spending the next few weeks focusing on some of those attributes.
Go over the different components of the unit as well as the points of each assignment; the job application, resume, cover letter and mock interview. Answer any questions they may have.
Use a graphic organizer to introduce the word consistent; the Frayer model graphic organizer would work well for this activity. On the Frayer model have the word consistent in the middle and the dictionary definition already presented in the upper left-hand corner. Discuss the definition together as a group. Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer. Have them fill out the word in the middle and the dictionary definition.
Practice
Put students into pairs and have them discuss what the word means to them. As a pair have students come up with their own definition of the word. Have the students write that definition in the upper right hand box. Discuss the different definitions as a class.
Still working in pairs have students illustrate the word in the lower left hand box; they can use a picture, graph or symbolic representation.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners benefit from cooperative learning activities that are embedded in the lesson. They could also use their computers to look up the word and access picture clues and representations.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achievers benefit from many of the same instructional strategies as ELL learners. They too benefit from cooperative learning and picture representations.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students would benefit from writing a sentence using the word and sharing it with their partner. These students could also be paired up with other students that are struggling and tutor them.
Assessment
Informal: Listening to the discussion of students about the word and looking at their Frayer model.
Day 2
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students and ask them if there is anything that we could add to the chart, or any questions that can be answered.
Tell students that today they will be taking an interest survey to give them an idea of what kinds of job they would like in the future. Students will be taking a survey like the one found at; http://yourfreecareertest.com/
Go over the test with them. Complete the first few questions as an example for the students before they try on their own.
Explain to students that the type of person they are will also have an impact on what type of career they should pursue. To find out what type of personality traits they have they will be taking the Jung Personality Type test on http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp Ask students to save the results to their computers.
Lastly, explain to students that they will also be taking a learning modality quiz on http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-assessment Talk to students about how they learn is important information to know when they enter the work force because they will need to learn how to do new jobs.
Review that students will be completing:
- Job Interest Survey
- Jung’s Personality Type Survey
- Learning Modality Survey
Practice
Give each students a copy of the job interest survey and have them work independently to complete it.
Once they are done with the survey have them go to the personality website and complete what kind of learner they are.
After completing the Jung’s Personality Survey have students then take the Learning Modality Survey and save the results.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners may need extra assistance reading and understanding the questions in the surveys. Extra time and attention from the teacher or a high-achieving student could help them as needed.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-Achieving learners may need extra assistance reading and understanding the questions in the surveys. Extra time and attention from the teacher or a high-achieving student could help them as needed.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High-Achieving learners could be paired up with lower-achieving students to help them understand the questions.
Assessment
Informal assessment done through observation.
Day 3
Teacher Directed
Review KWL chart to see if any new information can be added.
Tell students that today they will be working on analyzing the results from their assessments and putting them into a graphic organizer.
The graphic organizer has three big bubbles with lines coming off of them. In each of the big bubbles ask students to put the main thing they learned about themselves in each survey. On the lines next to each bubble ask students to think of two details about themselves that support that idea.
Practice
Give each student a graphic organizer. Model how to put the information into the graphic organizer. For example, if their Learning Modality survey said that they are mainly a tactile a learner they would put tactile in the middle of the circle and then two details such as enjoy doing projects, and working with my hands, on the two lines.
Have students get into pairs, have the students discuss their findings on each of the surveys they completed. (If they feel uncomfortable sharing, have them work with a paraprofessional if they are available. If a paraprofessional is unavailable the student can review the information with the teacher, or work individually and write down a few notes about what they have found.) Give students 5 minutes to discuss.
Once they have discussed their results with one another ask students to now work independently to fill out their own graphic organizer.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students may need more modeling and assistance reading and analyzing their results due to the unfamiliar vocabulary. They can work with a partner, teacher, or high achiever.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achieving students may need more modeling and assistance reading and analyzing their results due to the unfamiliar vocabulary. They can work with a partner, teacher, or high achiever.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students can be partnered with low achieving or ELL students to help them understand the vocabulary and analyze their results.
Assessment
Informal assessment based on observations of students and their discussions.
Formal assessment based on their completed graphic organizer.
Day 4
Teacher Directed
Review KWL chart to see if any new information can be added.
Tell students that after completing their graphic organizer of the information they gained from their surveys, today they will be thinking of three jobs that they would be interested in doing. From those jobs they will be filling out job applications that reflect those interests.
Discuss as a class the different types of jobs they can think of, as they are coming up with ideas write them down on the whiteboard. Once job ideas are up on the board discuss as a class the types of skills a person would need to complete those jobs. For example, a nurse would need to like science and math, as well as be caring.
Explain to students that enjoying their job has a direct impact on how well they will perform their job and also how likely it will be that the job will be long term. These are important considerations when picking a job, or a career. Review the word consistent with the students and ask why they think that might be an important quality in an employee.
Go over a blank job application and show students what is expected in each section. Then show them a completed application and ask them to think about how they will fill out their applications. Have the students notice that the type of information on the job application is directly related to the type of job the person wants to get.
Practice
Have students work in pairs to discuss their graphic organizers and come up with three jobs they think they would be a good fit for. Have students write those three jobs down on their graphic organizer.
Individually have students look up those jobs on their computers to gain more information about what those jobs entail. Ask them to write down one detail about each job under it on their graphic organizer.
Give students a blank job application and have them pick one of the three jobs they have listed that they would like the most. Have them fill out a job application based on that information.
Differentiation ELL
Students may have difficulty filling out the application and understanding all the components, as well as directions. They can work with a partner, paraprofessional, or high achiever to complete the application.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Students may have difficulty filling out the application and understanding all the components, as well as directions. They can work with a partner, paraprofessional, or high achiever to complete the application.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achievers can be paired with students that are struggling to help them fill out the application. Or they can work with each-other to discuss job types and ways they could make their application better so employers would want to hire them.
Assessment
Informal assessments based on student discussion and observation.
Formal assessment based on the completed job graphic organizer and completed job application.
Day 5
Teacher Directed
Review KWL chart to see if any new information can be added, or any questions could be answered. Review the vocabulary word consistent.
Tell students that today they will be putting all the information they gathered throughout the week together to begin making their job portfolio. They will also be writing a paragraph telling about what they learned throughout the week about themselves and the type of job they want.
Show students and go over outline to use as a graphic organizer for their paragraph.
I. Topic Sentence- Type of Job
a. Detail 1- Learning Style help in that job.
b. Detail 2- Personality Type help in that job.
c. Detail 3- Why you would be good at the job.
II. Concluding Sentence – Why should an employer hire you.
Ask students to try and use the vocabulary word consistent in their paragraphs.
Practice
Model how to complete the graphic organizer with your information.
Either give students a piece of paper to write their graphic organizer or give them an electronic copy to work on with their computers.
Ask students to fill out their graphic organizers and then have them checked by either you or a paraprofessional before they begin writing their paragraph. Once it is checked they can write their paragraph.
Once students are done with their paragraph have them put all their documents into a folder to keep for the unit.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students could use extra support filling out their outlines. If outlines are difficult for them to complete an alternate graphic organizer they are more comfortable with could be used. Support from paraprofessionals, the teacher, or high achieving students would also be beneficial.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-achieving students could use extra support filling out their outlines. If outlines are difficult for them to complete an alternate graphic organizer they are more comfortable with could be used. Support from paraprofessionals, the teacher, or high achieving students would also be beneficial.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students could expand on their paragraph and add more details. They could share their paragraphs with others and ask for feedback then edit their paragraphs. These students could also work with ELL or low-achieving students to help support them in completing their graphic organizers and paragraphs.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observations and discussions.
Formal assessment would be the completed mock job application and reflection paragraph.
WEEK 2
Learning Objective:
Student will understand the definition of the vocabulary word respectful as it is related to job skills.
Student will complete a resume.
Transition Goal:
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will complete a personal resume with 80% accuracy on teacher developed rating rubrics.
Common Core Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
WEEK 2
Day 1
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Tell students that this week you will be taking what they learned last week and writing a resume. Explain to students that resumes are important because they give the employer a snapshot of their information, past work experiences, and related skills.
Using key vocabulary words is important when writing a resume. It is also important to know what skills employers are looking for when they are hiring. Tell students this week we will also be discussing these things as well.
Use a graphic organizer to introduce the word respectful; the Frayer model graphic organizer would work well for this activity. On the Frayer model have the word consistent in the middle and the dictionary definition already presented in the upper left-hand corner. Discuss the definition together as a group. Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer. Have them fill out the word in the middle and the dictionary definition.
Practice
Put students into pairs and have them discuss what the word means to them. As a pair have students come up with their own definition of the word. Have the students write that definition in the upper right hand box. Discuss the different definitions as a class.
Still working in pairs have students illustrate the word in the lower left hand box; they can use a picture, graph or symbolic representation.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners benefit from cooperative learning activities that are embedded in the lesson. They could also use their computers to look up the word and access picture clues and representations.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achievers benefit from many of the same instructional strategies as ELL learners. They too benefit from cooperative learning and picture representations.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students would benefit from writing a sentence using the word and sharing it with their partner. These students could also be paired up with other students that are struggling and tutor them.
Assessment
Informal: Listening to the discussion of students about the word and looking at their Frayer model.
Day 2
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart and the vocabulary words consistent and respectful.
Tell students that today they will be reading articles about what employers want in an employee. There are three different articles that all discuss different attributes employers are looking for.
Hand out the three articles to the students. Read each of these articles aloud while students follow along; this gives them a good idea of what the articles are about before they read them in pairs.
Articles:
‘The 10 Skills Employers Most Want In 20-Something Employees’, by S. Adams
‘What do Employers Want from their Employees’, by AJE Recruiting Specialist
‘What Employers Want: 5 more skills to cultivate’, by Andrea Kay, Gannett
Discuss the articles as a class. Ask students if they have any questions about them; especially the vocabulary.
Practice
Have students get into pairs and re-read the articles; give every pair of students a different article. Tell students they will be sharing the details of their article with the class. Ask them to highlight any important information they may want to share with the class. Give students 15 minutes to complete this task.
When students are done come back together as a class and have them discuss their articles.
Differentiation ELL
Students may need help with the complex vocabulary in the articles. Working in pairs should help them understand, but paraprofessional support and picture support for unknown vocabulary would also be beneficial.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Students may need help with the complex vocabulary in the articles. Working in pairs should help them understand, but paraprofessional support and picture support for unknown vocabulary would also be beneficial.
Differentiation High-Achievers
These students could be paired with low-achieving or ELL students to help them comprehend the articles.
Assessment
Informal assessment through discussion, observation, student presentations, and highlighted articles.
Day 3
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart and the vocabulary words consistent and respectful.
Review what was learned in the articles yesterday about what employers want in their employees. Talk to students about those skills employers want to see and discuss what that would look like in the work place.
Tell students they will be reviewing sample resumes today and then start writing their own tomorrow.
Show students a few sample resumes for different types of jobs. Go over the parts with the students showing them each component and how different resumes highlight different areas.
Practice
Have students work in pairs and give them a few more resumes to look at and review.
When they are done with that ask them to research the type of resume that would be best for the type of job they would like to apply for. They can use their Chromebook to research.
When students are done with that have them come back as a class and discuss what they found.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students could be paired with a high achieving student for this activity to help them with the vocabulary and to research the correct type of resume.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-achieving students could be paired with a high achieving student for this activity to help them with the vocabulary and to research the correct type of resume.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High-achieving students could be paired with ELL or low-achieving students to help them with the vocabulary. They could also be paired with one another and asked to analyze the difference between different resumes and why they think there might be different formats for different jobs.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observations and discussions.
Day 4
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart and the vocabulary words consistent and respectful.
Review the different types of resumes for the different job types and why different jobs have different types of resumes.
Tell students that today they will be starting their own resumes based on the type of job they would like to apply for.
Show students how to fill out a resume on the board, either a paper copy or one through a word document.
Practice
Have students work on finding the correct resume for their job type and start completing a resume for that job.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners may need extra support filling out the correct information in the correct areas. They also may have a difficult time using correct sentence structure and punctuation in their resume. Extra support from the teacher, or paraprofessional would help these students.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-achieving learners may need extra support filling out the correct information in the correct areas. They also may have a difficult time using correct sentence structure and punctuation in their resume. Extra support from the teacher, or paraprofessional would help these students. These students may also need extra support locating the correct resume.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High-achieving students could research alternate resumes for the same job type and analyze which one would be better and why.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussions.
Day 5
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart and the vocabulary words consistent and respectful.
Tell students today they will be completing their resumes. Once they are done they will have it peer edited to make any corrections needed before their final draft. Final drafts need to be done on their Chromebook for future reference.
Practice
Model how to edit the resumes. Show students to be looking for spelling, missing sections, or punctuation errors.
Allow students to finish their resumes and time for editing and revising if needed.
Have students share their finished resumes with you on their shared drive.
Differentiation ELL
The same support offered yesterday with help filling out the resume correctly and understanding unknown vocabulary words. They also may need more assistance with the editing and revision section through support from the teacher, paraprofessional or high achieving students.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
The same support offered yesterday with help filling out the resume correctly and understanding unknown vocabulary words. They also may need more assistance with the editing and revision section through support from the teacher, paraprofessional or high achieving students.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High-achieving students could finish their resume and then change the font, or formatting to make it more personal and to stand out. They could then teach others in the class how to do that with their resumes.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observations and discussions.
Formal assessment through completed resume.
WEEK 3
Learning Objective:
Student will understand the definition of the vocabulary word dependable as it is related to job skills.
Student will complete a cover letter.
Transition Goal:
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will complete a cover letter for their job application with 80% accuracy on teacher developed rating rubrics.
Common Core Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.5
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
WEEK 3
Day 1
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review with students what they have learned about applying for a job and completing a resume. Reemphasize that these are important components of getting a job; especially one you want.
Tell students that this week you will be learning how to write a cover letter for your resume and job application. A cover letter is a short letter that goes on top of your resume and application to introduce yourself and express your interest in the job. It is your first impression before you meet the employer and it is important that it is written well and looks professional.
Review the vocabulary words learned before; consistent and respectful. Review why these are good qualities to have in an employee.
Use a graphic organizer to introduce the word dependable; the Frayer model graphic organizer would work well for this activity. On the Frayer model have the word consistent in the middle and the dictionary definition already presented in the upper left-hand corner. Discuss the definition together as a group. Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer. Have them fill out the word in the middle and the dictionary definition.
Practice
Put students into pairs and have them discuss what the word means to them. As a pair have students come up with their own definition of the word. Have the students write that definition in the upper right hand box. Discuss the different definitions as a class.
Still working in pairs have students illustrate the word in the lower left hand box; they can use a picture, graph or symbolic representation.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners benefit from cooperative learning activities that are embedded in the lesson. They could also use their computers to look up the word and access picture clues and representations.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achievers benefit from many of the same instructional strategies as ELL learners. They too benefit from cooperative learning and picture representations.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students would benefit from writing a sentence using the word and sharing it with their partner. These students could also be paired up with other students that are struggling and tutor them.
Assessment
Informal: Listening to the discussion of students about the word and looking at their Frayer model.
Day 2
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart to see if the class wants to add anything, or answer any questions. Review the vocabulary words consistent, respectful and dependable.
Tell students today you will be viewing sample cover letters for different jobs. They will be learning about what makes a good cover letter and what components need to be included in their letters.
Go over a letter as a class and discuss the components. Draw students’ attention to the greeting and closing, as well as the structure of the letter. They are very different than writing an essay.
Use a letter like the one found on: http://www.careerfaqs.com.au/careers/sample-resumes-and-cover-letters/high-school-student-cover-letter/
Practice
Have students work in pairs to evaluate different cover letters. Give students at least three different ones to view and compare. Some can be found on: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/resumes-cover-letters-high-30847.html?tab=3#tabs
As pairs have them come up with at least 5 things they noticed to share with the rest of the class. Give students at least 10 minutes to complete this task.
Come back together and discuss what the students noticed about the different cover letters.
Differentiation ELL
Pairing students with a high achieving student to get more support with the vocabulary would benefit these students.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Pairing students with a high achieving student to get more support with the vocabulary would benefit these students.
Differentiation High-Achievers
Pairing these students with lower achieving students would benefit both students; they would act as a tutor.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Day 3
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart to see if the class wants to add anything, or answer any questions. Review the vocabulary words consistent, respectful and dependable.
Tell students that today you will be teaching them how to use the Step-up to Writing graphic organizer for paragraph writing. This is a graphic organizer the district has used for many years and the students should be familiar with them.
(If students would rather use the outline organizer used in week one they will have that option.)
Go over the graphic organizer on the board. The top line is for the topic, the stars are for the supporting details and the circles are for the information about those details.
Show students how to take the information from their surveys, resumes and job applications and put it into their graphic organizers. They need to focus on their qualities and abilities.
Practice
Give students a graphic organizer and ask them to complete it independently. If they need assistance roam the room and if necessary, pull a small group to give them more support and scaffold the task.
Differentiation ELL
Students may need more picture or graphic support to understand how to fill out the graphic organizer completely.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
These students may have more difficulty pulling information from their surveys, applications and resumes and need extra support completing their graphic organizer. They can work in small groups with the teacher or paraprofessional. Students may need more picture or graphic support to understand how to fill out the graphic organizer completely.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students can work with lower achieving students to help them complete their graphic organizers. These students can also add more details and support for those details than what is required. They can also be encouraged to use the vocabulary words learned in their writing.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Formal assessment through completion of their graphic organizer.
Day 4
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart to see if the class wants to add anything, or answer any questions. Review the vocabulary words consistent, respectful and dependable.
Review with the class how to use their graphic organizers to complete a well written and organized paragraph. Review with the class what employers are looking for and why a cover letter is important.
Review the rubric you will be using to score their cover letters and answer any questions students may have.
Practice
Model for students how to format their letters correctly.
Model for students how to take the information from their graphic organizers and write a paragraph. Show them how to take the first line and create a topic sentence, then three good supporting detail sentences with support and finally a concluding sentence.
Ask students to then write their rough drafts of their letters independently. Ask them to complete these letters on their Chromebook.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners may need more support understanding how to use their graphic organizer and transfer those notes into complete sentences. Extra support through small group instruction can help these students complete the task.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achieving learners may need more support understanding how to use their graphic organizer and transfer those notes into complete sentences. Extra support through small group instruction can help these students complete the task. These students also may need assistance understanding paragraph structure and coming up with vocabulary words to express themselves completely.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students can be asked to add more details and use a variety of different vocabulary words in their letters.
Assessment
Informal assessment through discussion and observation.
Formal assessment through the completion of their graphic organizers and rough drafts of their cover letters.
Day 5
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart to see if the class wants to add anything, or answer any questions. Review the vocabulary words consistent, respectful and dependable.
Review the purpose of a cover letter and how they should have completed their rough drafts yesterday using their graphic organizers.
Talk to students about the importance of having a rough draft then editing your work before writing a final draft.
Tell students that today they will be editing and revising their letters and writing their final drafts. This is a lot to get done in one day, but if they don’t finish they can have time next week.
Go over the rubric you will be grading the letter from with the students again so they are aware of the expectations.
Teach students the SCAN acronym for revising writing work. Have this as a poster or slide to have up during the lesson and the rest of the day while students are working.
S= Does it make sense?
C= Is it connected to my belief?
A= Can you add more?
N= Note errors?
Go over the letter you wrote for an example as you show students how to go through this process. Explain to them that often times we don’t see mistakes in our own work, so we will be working on peer-editing our paragraphs instead. Remind students to remain respectful of others work.
Practice
Have students get into pairs. Ask students to switch papers and peer edit their partners with the highlighting tool. After they have completed peer editing each-others papers, have them discuss what changes they would make and why. Give students 10 minutes to complete this task.
Once students are done they can begin making the changes on their letters and create their final drafts. Ask students to share the document with you for you to view.
Differentiation ELL
These students could be paired with a high achieving student to ensure that they wrote their letter correctly with correct grammar and punctuation.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
These students could be paired with a high achieving student to ensure that they wrote their letter correctly with correct grammar and punctuation.
Differentiation High-Achievers
If these students are first paired with low achieving student’s, they will then need to be paired with another high achieving student for peer-editing. They can also be asked to add more detail and support to their letters.
Assessment
Informal assessment through discussion and observation.
Formal assessment through a completed cover letter.
WEEK 4
Learning Objective:
Student will understand the definition of the vocabulary word cooperative as it is related to job skills.
Student will participate in a mock interview.
Transition Goal:
By xx/xx/xxxx, the student will participate in three mock job interviews and earn a satisfactory rating of communication skills, interpersonal skills, professionalism and enthusiasm based on a teacher created rubric.
Common Core Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
WEEK 4
Day 1
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful and dependable.
Review what has been learned over the last few weeks with the surveys, job application, resume and cover letter. Tell students that there is one last important step to getting a job; the interview. This week is going to be focused on learning interview skills, the types of questions that are asked and finally perform a mock interview.
Use a graphic organizer to introduce the word cooperative; the Frayer model graphic organizer would work well for this activity. On the Frayer model have the word consistent in the middle and the dictionary definition already presented in the upper left-hand corner. Discuss the definition together as a group. Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer. Have them fill out the word in the middle and the dictionary definition.
Practice
Put students into pairs and have them discuss what the word means to them. As a pair have students come up with their own definition of the word. Have the students write that definition in the upper right hand box. Discuss the different definitions as a class.
Still working in pairs have students illustrate the word in the lower left hand box; they can use a picture, graph or symbolic representation.
Differentiation ELL
ELL learners benefit from cooperative learning activities that are embedded in the lesson. They could also use their computers to look up the word and access picture clues and representations.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achievers benefit from many of the same instructional strategies as ELL learners. They too benefit from cooperative learning and picture representations.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students would benefit from writing a sentence using the word and sharing it with their partner. These students could also be paired up with other students that are struggling and tutor them.
Assessment
Informal: Listening to the discussion of students about the word and looking at their Frayer model.
Day 2
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful, dependable and cooperative.
Ask students if they have any idea about what types of questions are asked during an interview. Write these on a chart to be left up for the entire week. Discuss the types of questions that employers might ask and ask students why the employers might be asking those types of questions; to find out what type of employee you will be, will you be there long term, etc.
Tell students there are a lot of sample interview questions that you can find on the internet. Go over the website with students; http://www.everydayinterviewtips.com/15-possible-questions-for-high-school-student-job-interviews/
Tell students this is only a sample of the types of questions they might be asked. Tell them they will be coming up with their own questions to ask in the mock interview on Friday. (The partners do not need to have the same questions.) They will give their questions to a peer and the peer will ask them their own questions. This will give them time to prepare and not be nervous during the interview.
Show the students how you use information from the surveys, job resume, and cover letter to support the answer to a few questions. Model the process.
Practice
Have students work in pairs and come up with 10 questions they think would be the best interview questions and why.
Have the students type these questions into a document on their Chromebooks so they are saved and can be shared.
Once each partner has their list of questions. They will spend time typing the answers to the questions using information that they have gathered over the last 3 weeks.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students may need extra support with the vocabulary used in different questions. Picture support, or peer support would be beneficial for these students. They also may need help answering questions in complete sentences and being coherent.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low-achieving students may need extra support with the vocabulary used in different questions. Picture support, or peer support would be beneficial for these students. They also may need help answering questions in complete sentences and being coherent. These students may benefit from being paired with a high achiever.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students could be paired with a low achieving student. They could also be asked to come up with more questions, or more details in their answers.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Formal assessment through a list of questions and answers.
Day 3
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful, dependable and cooperative.
Review the types of questions that are asked during an interview and discuss with students to see if they have any questions.
Tell students that today you are going to be discussing tips on how to present yourself well during an interview. Ask students what they think might be important to do during an interview; write these ideas on the board, etc; dress well, not chew gum, come on time, etc.
Review the website; http://jobsearch.about.com/od/justforstudents/fl/interview-tips-high-school-students.htm with students and discuss the tips on the website.
Practice
Have students get into pairs and discuss what they have learned. Have them research a minimum of 3 more websites about interviewing tips to share with the rest of the class. Give students 10 minutes to complete this task then have them share their websites and why they think they are good sites to visit.
When they are done with this give them time if needed to finish their questions and answers.
Differentiation ELL
ELL students may need extra support finding and understanding websites. This can be done through partnering them with a high-achieving student, or working in a small group with the teacher or paraprofessional.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
Low achieving students may need extra support finding and understanding websites. This can be done through partnering them with a high-achieving student, or working in a small group with the teacher or paraprofessional.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achieving students can be asked to work with ELL or low achieving students. They can also be asked to research more websites and then present them to the class with an analysis of why they are good sites to visit.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Day 4
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful, dependable and cooperative.
Go over the mock interview rubric with the students so they are aware of how they will be graded tomorrow.
Model how the mock interview will look like for the students. Have them pay attention to things like body language, tone of voice, and clarity of answers, etc.
Practice
Have students pair up and practice their interviews in preparation for tomorrow.
Differentiation ELL
These students may need support and scaffolding with the communication skills needed for an interview. They can be paired with another student that is strong in these skills, or be in a small group with other students that need to work on the same skill.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
These students may need support and scaffolding with the communication skills needed for an interview. They can be paired with another student that is strong in these skills, or be in a small group with other students that need to work on the same skill.
Differentiation High-Achievers
High achievers and good communicators could act as models through this process for other students. They can go around and help others and offer support and model good communication skills.
Assessment
Informal assessment through observation and discussion.
Day 5
Teacher Directed
Review the KWL chart with students. Ask if they have any other questions or anything else they can add to the chart. Review the entire chart and tell students this is the last day of this unit on Job Skills.
Review the vocabulary with students, consistent, respectful, dependable and cooperative.
Review the mock interview rubric with students and ask if they have any questions before you begin.
Model how you would like the mock interview to run. The most efficient would be for everyone to share their questions with one another and then rotate through the roles one by one.
Practice
Have students perform the mock interviews.
Differentiation ELL
These students may be too nervous and can be asked fewer questions; maybe 5 instead of the 10 required for other students. They may also be given support throughout the interview from the teacher or paraprofessional.
Differentiation Low-Achievers
These students may be too nervous and can be asked fewer questions; maybe 5 instead of the 10 required for other students. They may also be given support throughout the interview from the teacher or paraprofessional.
Differentiation High-Achievers
These students could go first and act as models for the rest of the students. They could also act as motivators or coaches for students that struggle.
Assessment
Formal assessment through the completed mock interview.