Elementary career studies require a cross-curricular, interdisciplinary approach to help students to cultivate a sense of self, identify areas of interest, gain a sense of career awareness and understand the relationship between academics and future careers. The focus in the early grades is on career awareness and exploration – not career choice.
Kentucky Academic Standards for Career Studies
The Kentucky Academic Standards for Career Studies outline the minimum content standards Kentucky students should learn within each grade-band.
Career Cluster Resources
Organized by career clusters, the Delaware Career Resource Network offers lesson plans, activities and other resources for integrating career studies in grades K-5.
Career Cluster Activities
The Virginia Career View provides interactive games, activities and other resources for integrating career studies in grades K-5.
Career Exploration e-Coloring Book
Children become aware of the world of careers as early as preschool. Even through simple life experiences, the world of work is all around us. We encourage teachers, advisers, counselors, and parents to use this resource as a fun way to introduce career choices. The coloring pages in this e-book are intended to be fun for children Pre-K to 3rd grade.
Career Exploration Book List
Open the world of possibilities with these career-related texts. Provide opportunities for students to explore careers through read alouds, classroom libraries and independent reading. Combine these texts with activities related to each career cluster to begin to develop career awareness and connect academics to the real-world.
Career Exploration Activities
Exploratory Activities introduce students to the
skills, topics and vocabulary related to careers within each of the 16 career
clusters. These optional activities do not constitute a curriculum, but they
support career exploration within the context of a career studies program that
spans K-5. Resources progress by grade level from kindergarten to 5th
grade and may be modified to meet student needs.