Career Project Ideas for Elementary Students
Although elementary school students do not have to make any life-changing career decisions, it is beneficial for these pupils to begin to think about what job might be appropriate for them. Even though adulthood seems like a long way off for these children, in truth, they will be ready to enter the workforce in a mere 10 years. To prepare them to make career decisions, elementary teachers can get them thinking about potential occupations with career-related activities.
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Paper Bag Career Costume
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Excite young children about the career-exploration process by engaging in the creation of a paper bag career costume. To prepare for this activity, gather paper grocery sacks. Cut each sack up the back and across the bottom. Cut a hole for the child's head in the bottom of the sack and arm holes on the sides.
When students arrive in class, give them each a prepared bag. Ask the child to decorate the uncut front of the sack to create a costume that represents a career in which they are interested. For example, if a student wants to be a doctor, he may draw a stethoscope hanging from the neck of the costume and a name tag that features his name followed by an "MD."
Once students have decorated their bags, allow them to put on their newly created costumes and explain their costume decoration choices to the class one at a time.
Job Cartoon
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Older elementary students can reflect on the different activities that different professionals complete in the course of their job by drawing a job cartoon. To prepare for this activity, create a cartoon sheet by placing four equal-sized squares on a sheet of paper. Make enough copies of this template for each student to have one.
When students arrive in class, give them the templates. Ask each student to select a career and write that job across the top of the page. Next, ask the students to think of four things that someone who works in that industry will have to do as a part of their job. You may want to allow students access to print or online resources so that they can research their careers and more effectively select job tasks.
Ask students to fill each square with one task that a person working in their selected jobs might do. For example, if a student selected police officer, he could fill his squares with writing a ticket, directing traffic, arresting someone and guarding a jail cell. Place student cartoons on a bulletin board or classroom wall upon completion.
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Career of the Week
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Study careers all year long by featuring a career of the week in your classroom. Set up a section of classroom wall or bulletin board space on which to feature your weekly career. Each week, print out a picture of a person in a different occupation and some information about that selected job. Place the information in the designated area. At the end of the week, give students index cards and ask them to explain whether or not they would be interested in the featured career and why they feel as they do. At the end of the year, ask students to select one of the featured careers to study in greater detail.
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References
- Photo Credit career street white image by pdesign from Fotolia.com
