Think Future Teaching Resources

Think Future Year 11 materials
Lesson plan 3: Take your interests further

Lesson plan 3: Take your interests further

Name of lesson / Take your interests further
Overview / Learners will be encouraged to identify ways in which their interests can help them to achieve their chosen career.
Learning outcomes / The overarching learning outcomes covered by this lesson are:
● LO3: Learn skills needed to transition themselves from school through various stages of their career
● LO4: Be aware of their own skills, attributes and interests and how that contributes to good career choices
Lesson objectives / By the end of this lesson, learners should:
● recognise new opportunities to take their interests further
● have a greater understanding of how taking their interests further will enhance their career prospects.
Icebreaker / Remind learners that in the last lesson they looked at different routes to getting the job they want. Tell learners that their interests can help them along their chosen route.
Ask each learner to write their name in the middle of a piece of paper. From there, they should draw a line or branch and, at the end of this line, write down one of their interests. They should then add smaller branches, coming out from that interest, describing what the interest shows about them in terms of skills, qualities and possible qualifications. Learners should repeat this process to build up a mind map of their interests and what those interests might say about them to an employer or admissions officer.
Ask learners how they think their interests will help them to get a job or a college/university place. Why would an employer or admissions officer value the skills and qualities (and possibly qualifications) that they have identified?
Ask learners to add additional branches from each interest, suggesting ways in which they could take their interests further so that they have even more to offer.
Information / Explain to the learners that they can use websites to take their interests further. For example, you can find online tutorials for virtually any topic, including:
● make-up techniques – www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo
● writing a blog – http://decor8blog.com/ecourses
● website coding – www.codecademy.com/#!/exercises/0
● playing an instrument – www.songmaster.com
● learning to drive – www.virtualdrivinglessons.com
Verification / Check that learners have understood the information by asking them to discuss with a partner their ideas for taking their interests further. Give each learner two minutes to speak, so that the whole discussion takes no more than five minutes.
Learners should then share their ideas in a class discussion. They might suggest: taking part in competitions; finding work experience; talking to people; mentoring; gaining additional qualifications; going to lectures; joining clubs; taking part in extra-curricular activities; volunteering; doing charity work, etc.
Learners should then complete Activity 3.1: Take your interests further.
Activity / Ask learners to research ways of taking their own interests further. They should add this information to the mind map they created in the ‘icebreaker’ activity.
Next, ask the learners to find out whether there are local opportunities to pursue an interest they enjoy and, if not, what else they could do in their spare time to take their interests further.
Learners should then complete Activity 3.2: Your personalised action plan, to plan ways in which they can take their main interest further. Once they have filled in the activity sheet, learners should add any relevant points to the After year 11 and Long-term goals sections of My Decisions. My Decisions can be found in a learner’s My Profile area on the Think Future website.
Differentiation: stretch and support / Stretch: learners could look at the Erasmus scheme, sandwich degree courses and gap years and, in pairs or threes, discuss how these opportunities can help with employability.
Support: learners may need help to identify and understand the skills and qualities shown through their interests.
Extra time available? / Learners can start to put their action plan into effect.
They can also look at case studies on the Think Future website to see how relevant experience can help them to gain employment.
Summary / Employers and college/university admissions officers value people who take their interests further. It shows commitment and a desire to develop new skills and qualities.
Taking an interest further can help you to stand out from the other applicants for a college/university place or job.
Resources required / ● Smartboard or whiteboard with projector
● Activity 3.1: Take your interests further (one copy per leaner)
● Activity sheet answers
● Activity 3.2: Your personalised action plan (one copy per learner)
● Computers with internet access for learners