FFA Career Path Research Project: English and Science Integration
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FFA Career Path Research Project: English and Science Integration

Grade 8EnglishScience3 days
This project integrates English and Science for 8th graders through the exploration of FFA career paths. Students research a chosen career, investigating its educational requirements, connection to science, societal and environmental impact, and daily tasks. The project culminates in a portfolio showcasing their findings and reflections on how the career aligns with their interests and contributes to a sustainable world, utilizing a career quiz and 'day in the life' simulations to deepen understanding and future career planning.
Career PathFFAScience IntegrationEducationSkillsDaily LifeFuture Planning
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can learning about the education, science, impact, daily life, and work environment of a job help you plan for the future and make the world better?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What schooling or training do you need for this job?
  • How does this job use science?
  • How does this job help or hurt people and the planet?
  • What does someone do every day in this job?
  • Where and how does someone work in this job?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Research a career path using a career quiz.
  • Identify the educational requirements, skills, and training needed for the chosen career.
  • Connect the career to science concepts.
  • Analyze the potential impacts of the career on society and the environment.
  • Describe the typical tasks, responsibilities, and working conditions of the career.
  • Reflect on how the career informs their future and contributes to a sustainable world

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Career Case Files

Present students with a series of mysterious case files, each outlining a real-world problem that requires expertise from a specific science-related career within FFA. Students analyze the clues, propose solutions based on their initial understanding, and match the case to a potential career path, driving them to investigate further.

Future Innovation Challenge

Challenge students to design a futuristic solution to a pressing global issue (e.g., food security, climate change) using science and technology related to FFA. They must then pitch their innovation to a panel of 'investors' (teachers, community members) representing different career perspectives, prompting them to consider the skills and knowledge needed for such roles.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Education and Skills Investigator

Students will investigate the educational requirements, necessary skills, and training programs for their selected career.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Research the educational requirements (degrees, certifications) for the chosen career.
2. Identify the key skills needed to succeed in the career.
3. Find available training programs, internships, or apprenticeships related to the career.
4. Compile the findings into a structured outline.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA detailed outline of the educational path, required skills, and available training resources for the chosen career.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal: Identify the educational requirements, skills, and training needed for the chosen career. Standard Alignment: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.2 - Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
Activity 2

A Day in the Life Simulation

Students will create a day-in-the-life narrative or visual representation that illustrates the typical tasks, responsibilities, and working conditions of their chosen career.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Interview a professional in the chosen career or research the daily tasks and responsibilities.
2. Describe the typical working conditions and environment.
3. Create a narrative, storyboard, or video showcasing a day in the life.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA detailed narrative, storyboard, or video depicting a typical day in the life of someone in the chosen career.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal: Describe the typical tasks, responsibilities, and working conditions of the career. Standard Alignment: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.3 - Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
Activity 3

Career Discovery Quiz

Students will start by taking a career quiz on FFA.org to identify potential career paths that align with their interests and skills.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Take the career quiz on FFA.org.
2. Summarize the quiz results, noting the top career matches.
3. Write a brief reflection on why these careers might be a good fit based on initial understanding.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA summarized report of the career quiz results, including potential career matches and initial reflections.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal: Research a career path using a career quiz. Standard Alignment: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.7 - Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

FFA Career Exploration Portfolio Rubric

Category 1

Education and Skills Investigation

This category assesses the student's investigation into the educational requirements, skills, and training needed for their chosen career.
Criterion 1

Research Quality

Accuracy and thoroughness of researched information regarding educational requirements, skills, and training programs.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates exceptional and comprehensive research, providing accurate details on educational requirements, skills, and training programs, exceeding expectations with additional relevant information.

Proficient
3 Points

Demonstrates thorough and accurate research, providing detailed information on educational requirements, skills, and training programs.

Developing
2 Points

Shows emerging research skills, providing some information on educational requirements, skills, and training programs, but may lack detail or contain minor inaccuracies.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows limited research, providing minimal or inaccurate information on educational requirements, skills, and training programs.

Criterion 2

Outline Organization

Clarity, organization, and structure of the outline.

Exemplary
4 Points

Presents information in an exceptionally clear, logical, and well-organized outline that enhances understanding and demonstrates advanced synthesis of information.

Proficient
3 Points

Presents information in a clear, logical, and well-organized outline.

Developing
2 Points

Presents information in an outline that is somewhat organized but may lack clarity or logical flow in some areas.

Beginning
1 Points

Presents information in a disorganized and unclear outline that is difficult to follow.

Criterion 3

Career Connection

Depth of understanding and connection to the chosen career path.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the educational path, skills, and training resources, making insightful connections to the chosen career and its future impact.

Proficient
3 Points

Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the educational path, skills, and training resources, connecting them effectively to the chosen career.

Developing
2 Points

Shows an emerging understanding of the educational path, skills, and training resources, with some connection to the chosen career.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows a limited understanding of the educational path, skills, and training resources, with minimal connection to the chosen career.

Category 2

Day in the Life Simulation

This category evaluates the student's ability to simulate a day in the life of a professional, demonstrating understanding of the career's daily tasks and working conditions.
Criterion 1

Day-in-the-Life Depiction

Creativity and detail in depicting a day in the life of a professional in the chosen career.

Exemplary
4 Points

Presents an exceptionally creative, detailed, and engaging narrative, storyboard, or video that vividly captures a day in the life, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the career.

Proficient
3 Points

Presents a detailed and engaging narrative, storyboard, or video that effectively captures a day in the life.

Developing
2 Points

Presents a narrative, storyboard, or video that attempts to capture a day in the life but may lack detail or engagement.

Beginning
1 Points

Presents an incomplete or underdeveloped narrative, storyboard, or video that fails to capture a day in the life effectively.

Criterion 2

Realism and Accuracy

Accuracy and realism in portraying typical tasks, responsibilities, and working conditions.

Exemplary
4 Points

Accurately and realistically portrays typical tasks, responsibilities, and working conditions, exceeding expectations with insightful observations and attention to detail.

Proficient
3 Points

Accurately and realistically portrays typical tasks, responsibilities, and working conditions.

Developing
2 Points

Attempts to portray typical tasks, responsibilities, and working conditions but may contain some inaccuracies or lack realism.

Beginning
1 Points

Fails to accurately or realistically portray typical tasks, responsibilities, and working conditions.

Criterion 3

Presentation Impact

Overall impact and engagement of the presentation.

Exemplary
4 Points

Creates an exceptionally impactful and engaging presentation that captivates the audience and effectively conveys the realities of the chosen career.

Proficient
3 Points

Creates an engaging presentation that effectively conveys the realities of the chosen career.

Developing
2 Points

Creates a presentation that attempts to convey the realities of the chosen career but may lack engagement or impact.

Beginning
1 Points

Creates a presentation that fails to effectively convey the realities of the chosen career.

Category 3

Career Discovery and Reflection

This category assesses the student's ability to interpret the results of a career quiz and reflect on potential career matches.
Criterion 1

Quiz Summary

Completeness and accuracy of the career quiz results summary.

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides an exceptionally complete and accurate summary of the career quiz results, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the career matches.

Proficient
3 Points

Provides a complete and accurate summary of the career quiz results.

Developing
2 Points

Provides a summary of the career quiz results that may be incomplete or contain minor inaccuracies.

Beginning
1 Points

Provides an incomplete or inaccurate summary of the career quiz results.

Criterion 2

Career Reflection

Depth and insightfulness of the reflection on why the careers might be a good fit.

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides a highly insightful and reflective analysis of why the suggested careers are a good fit, demonstrating a deep understanding of personal interests and skills.

Proficient
3 Points

Provides a thoughtful and reflective analysis of why the suggested careers are a good fit.

Developing
2 Points

Provides a basic reflection on why the suggested careers might be a good fit, but may lack depth or insight.

Beginning
1 Points

Provides a superficial or minimal reflection on why the suggested careers might be a good fit.

Criterion 3

Personal Connection

Connection between quiz results, personal interests, and potential career paths.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates an exceptional connection between quiz results, personal interests, and potential career paths, articulating a clear vision for future career exploration.

Proficient
3 Points

Demonstrates a strong connection between quiz results, personal interests, and potential career paths.

Developing
2 Points

Shows some connection between quiz results, personal interests, and potential career paths, but the connection may be weak or unclear.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows little to no connection between quiz results, personal interests, and potential career paths.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

How has your understanding of your chosen career path evolved throughout this project?

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Question 2

To what extent do you feel this career aligns with your personal interests and skills?

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Question 3

In what ways can this career contribute to making the world a better place?

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Question 4

After completing this project, how has your perspective on your future career goals changed?

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Question 5

What was the most surprising or unexpected thing you learned about this career?

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