nwr: career lesson plan

hello! i need some help from the education people out there. i have to write a lesson plan that will 'advance student understanding of career development, exploration, and planning' for elementary school aged students.
i have never written a lesson plan before! i have to write this as part of my school counseling portfolio. anyone have any suggestions for activities or where to start? thanks

Well, every lesson starts with a motivation - a kind of a hook to grab their attention. If it's for elementary school kids, you can start with:

'what do you want to be when you grow up? Write down two choices.'

Have the kids call out occupations, and write them on the board. Then zero in on one: 'Okay, Jimmy wants to be a veterinarian. Can he show up at a vet's office tomorrow, and say 'I'm here! Where are the animals? I want to operate!'?? No?? Why not? What are some of the things he'll need to do first?' This well get them thinking about the training they'll need for certain careers - schooling, exams, etc. Have them write out a sample life plan for Jimmy and his vet career. Have them mention all the people who he can ask for help: his parents, his friends, neighborhood vets, teachers, etc. Then, have each kid do the same thing for themselves in one of the career paths they've chosen.

I teach high school, and this is just the first idea that came to my mind. I've never taught elementary school, and I'm not sure how the kids would respond, but try to adapt it for your needs. Good luck! Any more suggestions, feel free to ask.

you should include the standards that you are 'hitting' they can be found on the nysed website if you dont already have them

in the city, we use the
'connect, teach, active engagement, link' order for each lesson thats observed.

i know my administrators always love the think/pair/share as part of active engagement and differentiated groups. i dont know how you could fit that in though.

i teach 4th. fm if you have any questions, ill try to help! good luck~!