K-5 Growing Career Awareness

"Goal setting helps kids (and adults) take charge of their own learning and desires in life. It helps them see agency and choice in learning while also promoting working hard and developing a life-long skill." Goal setting is a vital part of career development. January is a perfect time to engage your students in a fun literacy based goal setting activity.

Featured Book: Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao, by Kat Zhang

Activity Resources:

• Grades K-5 New Year’s Resolutions & Goals Lesson Plan
• “My New Year’s Resolution Chart” Worksheets (differentiated)
• Vocabulary Cards for “resolution”, “goal”, and “achieve”

"In this lesson, students will be celebrating the New Year by learning about resolutions and goals. First, students will learn different goal-setting vocabulary. Then, the class will read Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao and chart the main character’s goal. After, students will brainstorm their own goal and fill out their own New Year’s Resolutions Chart. Last, the class will share their New Year’s Resolutions and Goals with each other in a Community Circle!"

-Lesson developed by: Kaitlin Kamalei Brandon

Each month I will share information highlighting a specific target and connecting activities to the targets.

🎯 Target 1: Career Zones

Familiarize students and families with the Michigan Career Zones and provide opportunities for career discovery.

Michigan Six Career Zones:

1. Arts and Communications - The Creative Path

2. Business, Management, Marketing, & Technology - The Business Path

3. Engineering/Manufacturing & Industrial Technology - The Building & Fixing Path

4. Health Sciences - The Health Path

5. Human Services - The Helping Path

6. Natural Resources & Agriscience - The Nature Path

Career Zone Book List: Beechnau School Librarian & 2nd grade teacher, Jessica Zayaz has curated a career zone book list that can be used to build awareness about the career zones in the classroom. This book list was recently presented at the state wide MASL (Michigan Association of School Librarians) Conference as an example of best practice. Thank you Jessica for creating and sharing this valuable resource!

Tying the New Year's goal-setting activity (listed above) to K-5 career awareness and the six career zones is an excellent way to make the learning relevant and future-focused.

1. Pre-Reading & Vocabulary Connection

During the introduction of the vocabulary (resolution, goal, achieve), explicitly link the terms to careers.

• Ask: "What kind of jobs require people to set goals?" (Nearly all of them!)

• Discuss: "Why is achieving a goal important if you are a chef? Or a builder? Or a doctor?"

• Vocabulary Card Enhancement: Add a small picture or example of a career (e.g., a scientist working on a new discovery) to the "achieve" card.

2. Connection to Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao

Amy's goal is to make the "perfect bao." This is a tangible example of a goal in a skill-based setting.

• Career Zone Identification (K-2 Focus):

  • After charting Amy's goal, ask: "What job is Amy practicing for?" (A chef or baker).

  • Discuss: "What Career Zone does a chef belong to?" (This is a great discussion! It fits best in Arts & Communication or perhaps Business & Finance if she opens her own restaurant).

  • Introduce a simple career/job: Briefly mention other jobs that involve creating things (e.g., an artist, a toy maker).

• Goal Setting for Career Success (3-5 Focus):

  • Discuss: What steps did Amy have to take to get closer to her goal? (Practicing, watching, getting help, trying again).

  • Tie to Career Skills: "These steps are the skills and habits needed to succeed in any job!" Explain that a great engineer, doctor, or teacher all have to practice and learn from mistakes just like Amy.

3. Student Goal Brainstorming & Chart Activity

This is where the 6 Career Zones can be mapped directly onto the student goals.

A. Categorizing Goals:

Before students fill out their charts, introduce a simple concept of goal types and connect them to the Career Zones.

B. Chart Enhancement:

Modify the "My New Year's Resolution Chart" worksheet to include a small Career Connection box.

• Question to add: "What kind of job might need this skill?"

  • If the goal is: "I will learn to multiply." Answer: "A cashier, an engineer, a banker."

  • If the goal is: "I will learn to dribble a basketball." Answer: "A coach, a physical therapist, a professional athlete."

4. Community Circle Sharing

As students share their goals, facilitate a discussion about the career connections.

• The Follow-Up Question: After a student shares their goal, ask the class: "Which of the 6 Career Zones might a grown-up who has this skill work in?"

• Example:

  • Student: "My goal is to save my allowance for a new book."

  • Teacher/Class: "That's a goal about money and planning! That connects to the Business & Finance zone, where people are accountants, bankers, and store owners."

By consistently making these small, intentional connections throughout the lesson, you reinforce the idea that the skills they are learning right now (setting goals, hard work, practice) are the foundational skills for any future career they choose.

Check out: K-2nd Career Town and the 3rd-5th Xello experience.

If you interested about starting Xello Elementary in your classroom, building, or district; let's connect and I can share how districts are engaging in this work

• Schedule Meeting
• mkuck@muskegonisd.org
  
• 231-767-3626

Xello Mission: Goal Setting: Xello often includes a pre-built mission on goal setting (often recommended for Grade 4), which can serve as a great digital introduction or reinforcement. Students can add to their goals in Xello at any time in grades 3-5.

At the recent Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL) conference, I had the pleasure of co-presenting with Lindsay Pulsipher (Muskegon Area Promise Student Engagement Specialist & Certified Librarian) on the vital role librarians play in fostering career development within their schools. Our session emphasized how librarians can serve as a bridge between classroom curriculum and future-readiness by providing curated resources, hosting Career Zone speakers, and leading hands-on awareness activities. We highlighted inspiring local successes from Muskegon County, such as Jessica Zayaz (Ravenna - Beechnau Elementary), who bridged her dual roles as librarian and teacher to curate a specialized Career Zone Book List that integrates career awareness directly into classroom literacy and provided examples of "How Libraries Can Support Career Awareness & Career Zones" Additionally, we shared the impactful work of Wendy Hoekstra (Library Teacher, Cardinal Elementary), who implemented the KickStart to Career Connection Activity with her 2nd-grade students. By helping students earn incentives for their college savings accounts while exploring career paths, Wendy perfectly captured the heart of our mission: helping students build a "new kind of literacy—career literacy." (Wendy's Testimonial)

Ultimately, librarians serve as a school's superheroes, tirelessly supporting career awareness and providing the essential resources that empower both students and staff to bridge the gap between the classroom and the career.

Recently, North Muskegon Elementary, Bunker Elementary, Reeths-Puffer Elementary and Shoreline Elementary won books for their school as a part of the school library book giveaway during last spring's STEAM Along the Lakeshore event held at the MCC STEM LAB & Hackley Park. The books were made possible by a generous donation from the Muskegon Farm Bureau.

Carol Distel, from W. Mi Works & the Council Lead for the Agribusiness Talent Council, and presented the books to these schools. The books support many of the units studied within the schools throughout the year.

Congratulations to these schools!

Resources to Support Building Career Awareness:

Career Zone Activities: Activities in each newsletter highlight careers in each of the six Career Zones and are filled with activities that support career awareness. You can use the activities in the classroom or send home to families to further explore.

Build A Business! activities highlight careers in the Business Path.

BECOME A BUILDER! activities highlight careers in the Building & Fixing Path.

Helpers in Our Community! activities highlight careers in the Helping Path.

Let's Be Creative! activities highlight careers in the Creative Path.

Become an AG-explorer! activities highlight careers in the Nature Path.

Become a Healthcare Hero! activities highlight careers in the Health Path.

MeL Resources

Michigan has adopted six career zones, which are ideally introduced to students and families in the early childhood and elementary school years. You can look under Career Zone in the eBook K-8 Collection.

Muskegon County Bar Association Law Day 3rd-5th Grade Art Contest

Grand Teton National Park Snow Desk K-5 Experiences - fun interactive virtual experiences for K-5 students. Park Rangers broadcast LIVE to classrooms at the base of the Teton Range. Rangers will talk with students about animal adaptations, snow science, the water cycle and more.

Financial Literacy Resources

Coin Classroom - several fun activities to support coin identification.

Resources to Support Career Awareness Activities or Field Trips:

Muskegon Farmer's Market Field Trips!

Bring your students to the Muskegon Farmers Market for a Kids Power of Produce (POP) Field Trip! Your class will enjoy hands-on activities that teach healthy eating, where food comes from, and even get tokens to shop with our farmers. It’s a fun, interactive way to connect classroom lessons with real-world learning—while creating future healthy eaters and market shoppers! To Learn More & Register.

Nature Awaits 4th Grade Field Trips - Michigan State Parks!

Nature Awaits offers a new opportunity for children to experience Michigan outdoors. All 4th grade classrooms are eligible for a Free field trip to select state parks to support their learning!

To Learn More & Register.

Events and Activities to Share with Families:

Hackley Public Library - Lego Education Wednesdays Activity

Muskegon Art Museum - Calendar of Events

Muskegon Museum of Art - Super Saturday STEAM activities

Muskegon Lakeshore Museum - Calendar of Events

Grand Rapids Children's Museum - Exhibits

Grand Rapids Public Museum - Exhibits

CCR Professional Development:

Counselors -