Career Quest Lesson Plan Career Quest: Your Future Map
Lesson Plan • High School Juniors
Duration 30 MIN
OBJECTIVE
Students will identify at least two potential career interests and one actionable step towards exploring each interest.
PREPARATION
Review the Career Quest Slide Deck .
Print copies of My Career Compass Worksheet , Warm-Up , and Cool-Down for each student.
Familiarize yourself with discussion prompts and teacher script.
Ensure projector/screen is functional.
MATERIALS
Career Quest Slide Deck
My Career Compass Worksheet
Warm-Up & Cool-Down Sheets
Pens/Pencils
Why this matters
"Understanding career options early empowers students to make informed decisions about their academic and extracurricular paths, directly impacting their future success and satisfaction."
Instructional Steps
5min
Warm-Up: Dream Job Snapshot
Distribute the Dream Job Snapshot Warm-Up .
Students jot down a dream job and one reason why.
Facilitate a brief class share-out (1-2 students).
5min
Introduction & Big Picture
Use Slide Deck and Teacher Script .
Explain the importance of career exploration for juniors.
Emphasize: Exploration, not final decisions.
9min
Exploring Possibilities
Facilitate Think-Pair-Share activities for Interests, Skills, and Values.
Students reflect individually, share with a partner, then briefly with the class.
Introduce various career pathways (college, trade, military, etc.).
2min
Career Connections Game
Lead a rapid-fire game: students connect an interest/skill to a specific career pathway verbally.
6min
Individual Reflection: My Career Compass
Distribute My Career Compass Worksheet .
Students identify 2-3 careers and initial exploration steps.
Teacher circulates to offer support.
3min
Cool-Down: One Step Forward
Students share one new idea or next step from their sheet.
Collect worksheets for review (optional).
Career Quest Presentation Slides The Journey Begins
Career Quest
Your Future Map
Navigating Your Path to Success!
Junior Year: Strategic Planning Session
What Makes YOU Tick?
Interests
What do you love doing or learning about?
Subjects
Which classes do you genuinely enjoy?
Think About...
Activities that make you lose track of time.
Think • Pair • Share
1
Think
What are your top 3 interests?
2
Pair
Turn to your partner and share your thoughts.
3
Share
Who found something in common?
Your Superpowers
"What are you good at? What comes naturally to you?"
Skills developed in school/hobbies
Problems you enjoy solving
What people ask you for help with
Talent Scouting
Skills aren't just academic! Maybe you're a great communicator, a visual artist, or a natural problem solver.
Think • Pair • Share
1
Think
What are your top skills/talents?
2
Pair
Share your 'superpowers' with your partner.
3
Share
Highlight a partner's superpower!
Your Inner Compass
What's important to you in life and work?
Helping Others
Creativity
High Salary
Work-Life Balance
"Values are the bridge between a job and a career that makes you happy."
Think • Pair • Share
1
Think
What are your top 3 work values?
2
Pair
Share your values with your partner.
3
Share
Any values you both share?
Pathways to Possibilities
College Degrees
Vocational Schools
Military Service
Apprenticeships
Direct Employment
"There's no single 'right' path—only the one that leads to YOUR goal."
Career Connections
Quick Match Game
How do your interests, skills, or values connect to a career pathway?
Career Quest Teacher Script Teacher Script
Career Quest: Your Future Map
Junior Year
Strategic Exploration
Warm-Up: Dream Job Snapshot (5 minutes)
Instructions
Students use the Warm-Up sheet to jot down a dream job and why it appeals to them.
"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! To kick things off today, I want you to take just one minute to quietly think about and jot down a 'dream job' or career you've thought about, even if it feels silly or far-fetched. Then, write down just one reason why that job appeals to you. Don't overthink it!"
Pause for 1 minute. Circulate to ensure participation.
"Alright, who'd like to bravely share their 'dream job' and one reason why? Just one or two volunteers."
Introduction & Big Picture (5 minutes)
Visual Cue
Slide 1: Title
"Excellent! Thanks for sharing those initial ideas. Today, we're going on a 'Career Quest' to start mapping out your future. You're high school juniors, and while it might feel early to think about careers, now is actually the perfect time to start exploring possibilities. This isn't about making a final decision today, but about opening your minds, understanding yourselves better, and seeing all the exciting paths available."
"Our goal today is to help you identify a couple of potential career interests and brainstorm some actionable steps you can take to explore them further. This journey of exploration will help you make more informed choices about your classes, activities, and what you might do after high school. It's about empowering you to shape your future!"
Exploring Possibilities (9 minutes)
Visual Cue
Slides 2-3: Interests
"So, how do we even begin to figure out what careers might be a good fit? A great starting point is looking inward. We're going to do a quick 'Think-Pair-Share' for each of the next few slides... Let's start with your interests. What subjects in school do you genuinely enjoy? What hobbies or activities outside of school make you lose track of time? Take about 30 seconds to think quietly about this."
...Continue through Slide 3 (Pair/Share cycle)...
Visual Cue
Slides 4-5: Skills
"Excellent. Let's move to our 'superpowers' – your skills and talents! What are you good at? What do people often ask for your help with? Take 30 seconds to think quietly."
...Continue through Slide 5 (Pair/Share cycle)...
Visual Cue
Slides 6-7: Values
"Finally, let's consider your values. What's truly important to you in life? Do you want a job that helps people, offers creativity, high salary, or flexibility? Take 30 seconds to think quietly about this."
Dream Job Snapshot Warm Up Dream Job Snapshot
Warm-Up Activity • Career Quest
Name
Date
Instructions: Take a minute to think about a dream job or career you've imagined, even if it feels far-fetched! Jot it down below, along with one quick reason why it appeals to you.
My Dream Job/Career:
One reason why it appeals to me:
Starting the journey...
My Career Compass Worksheet My Career Compass
Navigating Your Future Map
Student Name
Date
1
Part 1: Reflecting on YOU
Take a moment to reflect on our discussion. What did you learn about your interests, skills, and values that might point you towards certain careers?
My Top 3 Interests
What do you love doing or learning about?
My Top 3 Skills
What are you good at? What comes easy?
My Top 3 Values
What is important to you in a job/life?
2
Part 2: Exploring Career Paths
Based on your reflections, identify 2-3 potential career interests. These are just possibilities you'd like to explore further.
Career Interest #1
Potential Career Name
Why it interests me (connects to YOU)
One initial step to learn more
(e.g., research online, talk to a professional, look into a class)
Career Interest #2
Potential Career Name
Why it interests me (connects to YOU)
One initial step to learn more
Career Interest #3 (Optional)
Potential Career Name
Why it interests me (connects to YOU)
One initial step to learn more
"Your map will change, and that's okay. The goal is to keep moving."
One Step Forward Cool Down One Step Forward
Cool-Down Activity • Career Quest
Name
Date
Instructions: To wrap up our career exploration today, think about one new idea you learned or one specific 'next step' you plan to take to learn more about a career that interests you. It can be a very small step!
My one new idea or next step is:
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
