Writing an Essay (Career Needs and Wants), Study notes of Technical English

Download Writing an Essay (Career Needs and Wants) and more Study notes Technical English in PDF only on Docsity! Writing an Essay (Career Needs and Wants) Objectives • Students will identify the structure of a five paragraph essay. • Students will write a five paragraph essay about their career needs and wants. • Students will analyze their career needs and wants and how they impact their career decisions. Time frame to Complete 2-3 hours The lesson can be done over one or two class periods. Five Paragraph Essay examples on day one. Career Needs and Wants essay on day two. Standard(s) Addressed in Lesson Convey Ideas in Writing Benchmark(s) Addressed in Lesson W.4.3; W.4.4; W.4.5; W.4.11; W.4.12; W.4.19 Materials • Career Needs and Wants Activity • Scissors • Five Paragraph Essay Outline • Getting My GED sample essay Activities Warm –up: Quick write Describe someone you know who is either happy or unhappy in his/her career. Explain how you know this person is happy or unhappy. Discuss some things that make people happy. Relate this to having a career. The essay writing activity today will be about Career Needs and Wants. Help students define a career. A career can be defined as a way of living, an occupation, a profession. A career may be a series of jobs over time. A career may or may not involve salary. People want and need different things from their careers Step 1: Pass out the Career Needs and Wants Activity Students cut apart the career needs and wants. They stack them with the most important on top and the least important on the bottom. Discuss their top choices. Have them share reasons why these things were important. What is on the bottom of their pile? Why are these items less important? The discussion will give them additional ideas and specific examples for their essay. Do they have additional career wants and needs that were not related to the categories on the handout? Step 2: Review the five paragraph essay Use the handout “Five Paragraph Essay Outline” and the “Getting My GED” sample essay. As an alternative this pre-teaching could be done at an earlier time so students are ready to begin their essays after the activity. Step 3: Students will write an essay about their career needs and wants A career can be defined as a way of living, an occupation, a profession. A career may or may not involve salary. People want and need different things from their careers. In your essay, identify your most important career needs and wants. Explain how and why these things are important to you. Step 4: Help students set up their introductory paragraph They may use prompts from the topic. They may choose to identify a specific career and relate their needs and wants to a career; however, they do not have to choose a specific career for this essay. Explain how the topics from the activity are broad categories and can be used as the subtopics for the paragraphs in the body of their essay. They will develop these subtopics with examples and details in the body of the essay. Step 5: Have students complete their essays Step 6: Ask them if this information is useful to them to make career decisions. Why or why not? After writing about their career needs and wants did anyone change their mind about the most important things. Explain how writing can help us clarify our thinking. Assessment/Evidence Completed essay for students’ portfolios Adaptations for Beginning Students Students can write one paragraph about their most important career needs and wants. Adaptations for Advanced Students Students can research a specific occupation and relate their career needs and wants to information about a specific occupation. Now you need three supporting paragraphs on the three examples you gave in the introduction paragraph. • Second paragraph will explain how the GED will help you get a better job. • Third paragraph will be about being an example to your children. • Fourth paragraph is how getting a GED improves your chances of attending college Your last paragraph will be your closing paragraph. In this paragraph you will restate your topic, restate your three examples, and summarize your essay. Introductory Paragraph General Topic Sentence: reasons to get GED 1. Subtopic One: better job 2. Subtopic Two: example to the children 3. Subtopic Three: enter college (Transition) 1st Supporting Paragraph Restate Subtopic: better job Supporting Details: better pay, more spending power, buy a new car 2nd Supporting Paragraph Restate Subtopic: example for my children Supporting Details: inspire them to complete school, can help with homework, teach them value of education 3rd Supporting Paragraph Restate Subtopic: college Supporting Details: better career, income power will increase, professional growth potential Closing or Summary Paragraph Restate your topic and subtopics, summarize. Getting My GED There are many reasons why I want to obtain my GED. The first reason for obtaining my GED is to help me secure a better job. It is very difficult to find a good paying job without a high school diploma. The second reason is my children. Getting my high school diploma will be an example to my children; they will learn how important it is to stay in school. And the third reason is college. I have always wanted to attend college. With a GED diploma my opportunities for a college degree and a better job will increase, not to mention becoming an example for my children. In today’s world you need a high school diploma in order to get a better job. Many companies will not even call for an interview if they see you do not possess a high school education. The opportunities for a better job will increase once you obtain a high school diploma. Another reason for obtaining my diploma is my children. I want to be an example to them. I want to be able to help with their homework. In addition, by me obtaining a high school diploma, they will learn the value of an education. I will also be an example to them if I can get into college. Not only will I expand my knowledge by learning but also my potential for an even better job and pay. I will also pave the way for them to attempt the same. A college degree opens many doors for a person looking for a job. Going back to school and getting my high school diploma is very important to me. There are many reasons why I want to get my GED. I want a better job so I can better my life and the lives of my children. I also want to be an example to my children and help them with their own school years. College is very important and I want to set the example. Again, there are many reasons why I want to get my GED. I am determined to get my diploma and when I get it; my children and I will celebrate that moment together.