Discovering Your Career Interests — Lesson Plan and Activity

Career · Lesson Plan

Discovering Your Career Interests

How do you know what you want to do? This self-discovery lesson helps students surface their interests, figure out which careers excite them, and identify their own learning style — visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. By connecting what they enjoy and how they learn to possible careers, students take a concrete first step in career exploration.

Grades 6–10 Lesson Plan 45–60 minutes Free Lesson

Lesson at a glance

Topic
Career
Grade Level
Grades 6–10
Resource Type
Lesson + Worksheet
Estimated Time
45–60 minutes
Format
Lesson + activity
Materials
Printable lesson, activity sheet, whiteboard

Learning objectives

  • Identify personal interests
  • Determine careers that seem exciting and why
  • Determine their primary learning style
  • Examine careers across different areas
  • Connect interests and learning style to career options

What you’ll need

  • Printed lesson and activity sheet (one per student)
  • Pencils
  • Optional: career-research access
  • Whiteboard

Vocabulary

Interest
Something you enjoy doing or learning about.
Learning style
The way you take in information most effectively.
Visual learner
Someone who learns best by seeing.
Auditory learner
Someone who learns best by hearing.
Kinesthetic learner
Someone who learns best by doing.
Career exploration
Investigating possible careers to find a good fit.

Lesson plan

Estimated time: one 45–60 minute class period.

Lesson sequence

  1. Interests (12 min). Students write what they like to do and why, and which careers seem exciting.
  2. Learning style (15 min). Students complete the learning-style chart and tally visual / auditory / kinesthetic responses.
  3. Connect (13 min). Discuss how interests and learning style point toward certain careers.
  4. Explore (10 min). Students name careers across different areas to look into further.

Assessment

Assess the completed activity sheet for thoughtful self-reflection and a determined learning style.

Discussion questions

  • What activities are you most interested in, and why?
  • What kind of career sounds exciting to you?
  • What is your primary learning style?
  • How might your learning style affect the careers you’d enjoy?
  • What careers would you like to explore further?

Printable Lesson & Activity

Discovering Your Career Interests — Lesson & Activity

A printable career self-discovery activity: students explore their interests and determine their learning style to find careers that fit.

Download PDF

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