Life Skills Arcade Middle school Family and Consumer Sciences, grades 6 to 8

Handout 2.21

Handout 2.21: Career Cluster Walk Posters and Match Sheet

Unit
Unit 2: Me, My Goals, My Money
Handout
2.21

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Two parts. Part A is the sixteen posters: print each section on one sheet of card stock, one poster per page, and tape them around the room in number order before class. Print the eight posters marked FACS-RELATED on a different color. Part B is the match sheet, one per student.

Interest letters use the six letters from the Lesson 2.2 interest quiz (each student has two): R (Realistic: builds, fixes, works with hands and tools), I (Investigative: studies, solves, asks why), A (Artistic: creates, designs, performs), S (Social: helps, teaches, cares for people), E (Enterprising: leads, sells, persuades, starts things), C (Conventional: organizes, tracks, follows systems, works with data).


Part A: The sixteen posters

What this cluster is: growing, raising, catching, and processing food and plants; caring for animals; managing land, water, and forests.

Three jobs:

  • Veterinarian (cares for animals; a doctor's degree)
  • Food scientist (tests and improves the food in packages; a four-year degree)
  • Farm or greenhouse manager (runs the growing; on-the-job training or a two-year degree)

Interest letters that often fit: R, I

Image: a row of green plants in a field with a barn behind them.

Poster 2: Architecture and Construction

What this cluster is: designing, building, fixing, and maintaining buildings, roads, and bridges.

Three jobs:

  • Electrician (wires buildings; apprenticeship)
  • Architect (designs buildings; a four-year degree plus more)
  • Carpenter (builds with wood; apprenticeship or on-the-job training)

Interest letters that often fit: R, C, I

Image: a house frame under construction with a hard hat on a beam.

What this cluster is: creating, designing, performing, writing, filming, and publishing.

Three jobs:

  • Graphic designer (designs logos, menus, packages; a two-year or four-year degree)
  • Video editor (cuts and builds videos; a certificate or on-the-job training)
  • Fashion designer (designs clothing; a two-year or four-year degree)

Interest letters that often fit: A, E

Image: a camera, a paintbrush, and a microphone in a row.

What this cluster is: planning, organizing, and running a business or an office so it works.

Three jobs:

  • Restaurant or store manager (runs the place and the staff; on-the-job training or a two-year degree)
  • Human resources specialist (hires and supports workers; a four-year degree)
  • Office administrator (keeps the schedule, the files, and the supplies; a certificate or on-the-job training)

Interest letters that often fit: E, C

Image: a desk with a laptop, a calendar, and a coffee cup.

What this cluster is: teaching, coaching, and helping people of every age learn.

Three jobs:

  • Teacher (a four-year degree plus a state certificate)
  • Preschool teacher (a two-year degree or a certificate)
  • Athletic coach or fitness instructor (a certificate; some jobs need a degree)

Interest letters that often fit: S, A

Image: a whiteboard with a lesson on it and a hand raised.

Poster 6: Finance

What this cluster is: managing money for people and businesses: banking, insurance, investing, and taxes.

Three jobs:

  • Bank teller (handles deposits and questions; on-the-job training)
  • Accountant (keeps and checks the books; a four-year degree)
  • Financial advisor (helps people plan and invest; a four-year degree plus licenses)

Interest letters that often fit: C, E

Image: a calculator on top of a bank statement.

Poster 7: Government and Public Administration

What this cluster is: running towns, states, and the country: planning, records, elections, and services.

Three jobs:

  • City planner (decides where parks, roads, and buildings go; a four-year degree plus more)
  • Postal worker (sorts and delivers mail; on-the-job training)
  • Town clerk (keeps records, licenses, and meeting notes; on-the-job training or a two-year degree)

Interest letters that often fit: E, S, C

Image: a town hall with a flag in front.

What this cluster is: caring for people's health: treating, testing, and preventing illness.

Three jobs:

  • Registered nurse (a two-year or four-year degree plus a license)
  • Dental hygienist (cleans teeth and checks gums; a two-year degree plus a license)
  • Registered dietitian (plans food for health; a four-year degree plus more and a license)

Interest letters that often fit: I, S

Image: a stethoscope and a clipboard.

What this cluster is: restaurants, hotels, travel, events, and recreation: taking care of guests.

Three jobs:

  • Chef (runs a kitchen; a certificate, culinary school, or years of on-the-job training)
  • Hotel front desk manager (runs check-in and the guest experience; on-the-job training or a two-year degree)
  • Event planner (plans weddings, parties, and conferences; on-the-job training or a four-year degree)

Interest letters that often fit: E, S, R

Image: a chef's hat next to a hotel key card.

What this cluster is: helping people and families with their needs: counseling, child care, elder care, community programs.

Three jobs:

  • Child care director (runs a day care or preschool center; a two-year or four-year degree)
  • Social worker (helps families get what they need; a four-year degree plus more)
  • Home health aide (cares for people at home; a certificate)

Interest letters that often fit: S, E

Image: two hands, one large and one small, holding.

Poster 11: Information Technology

What this cluster is: computers, networks, apps, and keeping data safe.

Three jobs:

  • Software developer (builds apps and programs; a four-year degree, or a certificate plus a strong portfolio)
  • IT support specialist (fixes computer problems for a company; a certificate or a two-year degree)
  • Cybersecurity analyst (protects systems from attacks; a four-year degree or certifications)

Interest letters that often fit: I, C, R

Image: a laptop with a lock on the screen.

Poster 12: Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security

What this cluster is: keeping people safe and the law working: police, fire, courts, and security.

Three jobs:

  • Firefighter (a certificate and an academy; some need a two-year degree)
  • Paralegal (helps lawyers prepare cases; a two-year degree or a certificate)
  • Police officer (a police academy; some departments need college credits)

Interest letters that often fit: R, S, E

Image: a fire helmet and a set of scales.

Poster 13: Manufacturing

What this cluster is: making things in factories and shops, from cars to cereal, and checking that they are made right.

Three jobs:

  • Machinist (cuts and shapes metal parts; apprenticeship or a certificate)
  • Quality control inspector (checks that products meet the standard; on-the-job training)
  • Food production supervisor (runs a line in a food plant; on-the-job training or a two-year degree)

Interest letters that often fit: R, C

Image: a factory line with boxes moving on a belt.

What this cluster is: getting people to know about and buy products and services: ads, brands, sales, and social media.

Three jobs:

  • Social media manager (runs a brand's accounts; a four-year degree or a strong portfolio)
  • Retail sales associate (helps customers and sells; on-the-job training)
  • Market researcher (studies what customers want; a four-year degree)

Interest letters that often fit: E, A

Image: a phone screen with a store's post and a shopping bag.

Poster 15: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

What this cluster is: researching, testing, designing, and calculating: the science and engineering behind everything else.

Three jobs:

  • Mechanical engineer (designs machines; a four-year degree)
  • Lab technician (runs tests in a lab; a two-year degree or a certificate)
  • Statistician (works with numbers and data; a four-year degree plus more)

Interest letters that often fit: I, R

Image: a beaker, a gear, and a graph.

Poster 16: Transportation, Distribution and Logistics

What this cluster is: moving people and things by road, rail, air, and sea, and running the warehouses in between.

Three jobs:

  • Truck driver (a commercial driver's license; a few weeks of training)
  • Airline pilot (flight school and licenses; many need a four-year degree)
  • Warehouse or logistics manager (runs shipping and storage; on-the-job training or a two-year degree)

Interest letters that often fit: R, C, E

Image: a truck, a train, and a plane.


Part B: Match sheet

Name: ______________________ Date: __________ Period: ______

My two letters from the Lesson 2.2 interest quiz: ______ ______

Directions: Walk to each poster. Read the name and the three jobs. Compare the poster's interest letters to your own two letters. Mark Yes, Maybe, or No, and write a two-word reason. Circle the FACS-related posters (they are on a different color).

#ClusterInterest letters on the posterYes / Maybe / NoTwo-word reason
1Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesR, I
2Architecture and ConstructionR, C, I
3Arts, A/V Technology and CommunicationsA, E
4Business Management and AdministrationE, C
5Education and TrainingS, A
6FinanceC, E
7Government and Public AdministrationE, S, C
8Health ScienceI, S
9Hospitality and TourismE, S, R
10Human ServicesS, E
11Information TechnologyI, C, R
12Law, Public Safety, Corrections and SecurityR, S, E
13ManufacturingR, C
14MarketingE, A
15Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsI, R
16Transportation, Distribution and LogisticsR, C, E

My top three

Directions: From your Yes column, pick three. For each, write one sentence that names an interest or a strength from Topic 2.1 (your values list, your strengths, or your quiz letters). Circle any of your three that are FACS-related.

Sentence starter: "I chose ___ because I like ___."

  1. Cluster # ____ ______________________________. Why: ________________________________________
  2. Cluster # ____ ______________________________. Why: ________________________________________
  3. Cluster # ____ ______________________________. Why: ________________________________________

How many of my top three are FACS-related? ______

Partner's suggestion, one job from a poster that fits my number one: ______________________

Exit card

  1. My top three clusters: ____, ____, ____
  2. One job from a poster I did not know existed: ______________________
  3. One cluster my quiz pointed to that I marked No, and why: ________________________________
  • * *