Lesson Plan Template

Teacher: / Lauren Migun
Grade/Subject: / Geometry 9-11
Course Unit: / Cross-Curricular Enrichment
Lesson Title: / Exploring Engineering

LESSON OVERVIEW

/ Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, problem, or community link

In this lesson, students will explore various career fields (specifically various types of engineering). They will answer questions to help them find their passion and use that to consider what career field they may want to pursue. Students will draw a connection between what the content in Geometry and the job descriptions of several different types of engineers. They will also draw a connection between engineering careers and the power grid.

STANDARDS

/ Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies.

Although this lesson does not directly align with state standards, this lesson allows students to explore potential career field, which could directly impact their future. As teachers, our hope is to send our students out into the world as prepared as possible. I believe this lesson will allow my students to grow both academically and creatively. It will teach them how to research potential career fields and what questions they will want to consider when the time comes to make this decision.

OBJECTIVE

/ Clear, Specific, and Measurable – NOT ACTIVITIES
Student-friendly

Students will make a plan for their future career and create connections between what they are learning in Geometry, the power grid, and this career field.

INTRODUCTION / Should Include: Any prior knowledge that the students need to complete the lesson, approximately how long the lesson is predicted to take (Ex. 1 Day or 2 Days), and a short summary of the entire lesson plan.

Prior Knowledge: Some exposure to geometry concepts will be needed for the “Connection to Geometry” piece of the graphic. However, no specific prior knowledge is necessary.

Length of Lesson: The lesson should last approximately one class period, or 60-90 minutes depending on time allotted for research.

Summary: This lesson will be an extension activity in which students are able to explore possible future careers. They will look specifically at engineering but also will be able to answer questions about their own passions and talents.

MATERIALS LIST / A bullet list of materials.
The materials need to be specific and include quantities

Access to Internet

Reading Materials: Is There an Engineer in You? by Celeste Baine (Chapter 1)

Organizational Chart of Engineering Types

Worksheet for Guiding Questions

Reflection (on the back of guiding questions)

Pencil/Pen

Highlighter (if possible)

RESOURCES / Should Include: A bullet list of any links to videos, names of worksheets, names of projects, names of PowerPoints, links to online articles, links to interactive websites, names of reading materials, etc (All worksheets, PowerPoints, projects, and reading materials should be attached to the back of the lesson plan).
Specify whether they will be used before, during, or after the lesson.

Before:

Reading Materials and Highlighter

Is There an Engineer in You? by Celeste Baine (Chapter 1)

During:

Organizational Chart of Engineering Types

Worksheet for Guiding Questions

Pencil/Pen

After:

Reflection (on the back of guiding questions)

Pencil/Pen

ACTIVATING STRATEGY / Motivator / Hook
An Essential Question encourages students to put forth more effort when faced with complex, open-ended, challenging, meaningful and authentic questions.

How do you figure out what career to choose? How to do you research the career that you want? How do you make the most-informed decision possible when choosing a career path?

INSTRUCTION / Step-By-Step Procedures – Sequence
Discover / Explain – Direct Instruction
Modeling Expectations – “I Do”
Questioning / Encourages Higher Order Thinking
Grouping Strategies
Differentiated Instructional Strategies to Provide Intervention & Extension

Grouping Strategies:

For the purposes of this activity, students will be working independently. However, they will have access to shoulder partners that they may ask for help as needed. They will also be able to (and are encouraged to) discuss their findings to further develop their communication and collaboration skills.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies and Extensions:

The teacher will walk around and assist with any issues or concerns. This will help ensure that all students meet the objectives of this lesson. For an extension, students could reach out to someone in their career field and interview them. This would need to be monitored by the teacher to ensure that appropriate questions are asked and that adults who are contacted have appropriate conduct with minors.

Step-By-Step Procedures:

Students will read the reading materials (Is There an Engineer in You? by Celeste Baine (Chapter 1) at the start of class or the night before as homework.

Teacher will guide discussion about the activating strategy questions.

“How do you figure out what career to choose? How to do you research the career that you want? How do you make the most-informed decision possible when choosing a career path?”

Students will discuss their thoughts, opinions, and beliefs about this question. They will cite the book when possible for support.

Teacher will distribute the Types of Engineering graphic/worksheet and prep students for how to do research for each of the engineering types listed on the graphic.

Students will complete the worksheet individually. However, they will be allowed to check answers and discuss with their shoulder partners.

Teacher will walk around to assist and answer questions.

Students will turn in their graphic when it is completed. Then they will begin working on the guided questions for finding their passion/career. They will answer each of the guiding questions to help them discover what careers they might enjoy. They will be allowed to research if needed.

Students will be assigned a discussion board reflection, in which students will express their thoughts about the lesson overall and their potential future careers.

CLOSURE / Reflection / Wrap-Up
Summarizing, Reminding, Reflecting, Restating, Connecting

The closure for this lesson will take the form of a discussion board, which will force the students to reflect as well as predict their future. They will use the knowledge they gained during this lesson (both about themselves and the career field) to type up a summary of their thoughts.

Discussion Board:

Now that you have considered each of the previous questions, what career do you see yourself pursuing? Why do you think this will be the path you choose? What will you need to major in during college? Will you need graduate school? What will be your approximate salary when you start your career? What factors could impact your decision about your career along the way? Answer several of these questions and make predictions about your future career field. Summarize your thoughts about the discoveries you made today.

CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS

This activity has the potential to span all curriculums due to the open-endedness of the questions. The engineering concepts and power grid concepts connect to physics, science, and career exploration.

ASSESSMENT /
EVALUATION / Students show evidence of proficiency through a variety of assessments. Aligned with the Lesson Objective
Formative / Summative
Performance-Based / Rubric
Formal / Informal

Formative/Informal: Teacher will use the discussion before the activity begins to identify any areas of weakness or misconceptions. The teacher will also assess how comfortable students feel researching each of the identified types of engineering. If necessary, the teacher may model how to research effectively.

Formative/Formal: The two worksheets will be used as formative/formal assessments. They will show mastery of the material as well as identify any gaps or misunderstandings. It will also give the teacher a chance to see what career fields the students are interested in for further lesson planning. This will further allow for lessons to be tailored to student wants and needs.

Summative/Formal: The discussion board will demonstrate what knowledge students have gained and will allow them to choose their own career path. They will explain why they chose this career and begin planning the steps that will need to take place to ensure that their dreams come true.

CITATIONS / Any websites that were used to gather information.

Engineering Your Future

http://futuresinengineering.org/index.php

Visualizing the Grid

http://www.npr.org/2009/04/24/110997398/visualizing-the-u-s-electric-grid

27 Questions to Find Your Passion

http://liveyourlegend.net/

Is There an Engineer in You? by Celeste Baine (Chapter 1)

NOTES: / Purchasing information for non-typical items
Tips & Tricks that may help

This activity can be adapted to fit any type of engineering. The questions are intended to get students thinking about their future and their potential major in college. Many students are not prepared to make a decision about college or career when they leave high school, so the intention is to get them excited and prepared for this decision-making process.

Students will likely need help researching careers and making connections to Geometry and the power grid. You may want to spend time showing students how to find credible sources and preparing them to answer these types of career questions. The teacher may decide to model the researching process for one of the given engineering fields listed. The teacher should also try to ensure that answers to the “connections” sections are in depth and not basic/simple associations. This might best be accomplished by demonstrating appropriate and inappropriate answers for this section of the chart.


Career Exploration

Before deciding the career that you might want to pursue, consider the following questions about yourself.

1.  What are you good at? (Think about your gifts, your passions, what comes easily to you, and what others say you are good at.)

2.  What locations are you comfortable living in?

3.  How much control do you need over your own time? (Consider travel policies, full time vs. part time, flexibility in schedule, etc.)

4.  Are you introverted or extroverted? (Are you comfortable public speaking? Are you comfortable socializing with new people?)

5.  How much money do you really need? (Pick a lifestyle vs. a job title.)

6.  What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Once you have an idea of what you might want to do, answer the following questions.

1.  What is the outlook of this career over time?

2.  Is there potential for promotions within the career field?

3.  Are you choosing this career to please somebody else?

4.  Can I afford to get the training I need?

5.  Do I have an escape plan? (Often people become burnt out in their first career field. Are there skills or talents that you plan to possess in the event that you decide to change careers?)

6.  Are you ready to fight for it? (How much do you want this? Are you willing and prepared to make yourself competitive in the job market? How will you do this?)

7.  What are you willing to give up to make this career happen? (This could be social life, monetary compensation, etc.)

8.  How long will it take you to reach your end goal?


Discussion Board

Now that you have considered each of the previous questions, what career do you see yourself pursuing? Why do you think this will be the path you choose? What will you need to major in during college? Will you need graduate school? What will be your approximate salary when you start your career? What factors could impact your decision about your career along the way? Answer several of these questions and make predictions about your future career field. Summarize your thoughts about the discoveries you made today.

TYPE / OVERALL JOB DESCRIPTION / 3 DAILY TASKS / CONNECTION TO GEOMETRY / CONNECTION TO POWER GRID
Aerospace
Bioengineering
Chemical
Civil
Computer
Electrical
Industrial
Manufacturing
Mechanical
Nuclear