Print the thirteen cards (pages 1 to 3) on card stock, one set per table of four, and cut. Print the Project Chain sheet (page 4) and the "would I like this" self-check (page 5) one per student.
Every pay figure is a typical yearly range for the United States, rounded, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (bls.gov/ooh) or, for the two jobs the handbook does not list separately, from job listings. Every one is marked; the numbers move every year. Pay in the New York City area is usually higher than the national figure.
Pages 1 to 3: The thirteen career cards
Each card: the job in one plain sentence, what they did on the Okafor room, a day in the life, the path, the pay range, and where they work most.
Card 1: Architect
Picture line: a drafting pen and a rolled plan
In one sentence: designs buildings and the spaces inside them, and signs the plans so the town will let them be built.
On the Okafor room: drew the wider door and the new bathroom next door, checked that the walls could take it, and stamped the plan.
A day in the life: morning on the computer drawing plans; a site visit at noon to see the framing; afternoon meeting with the family about the budget.
Path: a five-year college degree in architecture, then about three years of paid work under a licensed architect, then a licensing exam. College degree.
Pay range: about $70,000 to $130,000 a year; median about $95,000.
Works most: an office, with site visits.
Card 2: Interior designer
Picture line: a paint chip fan and a floor plan
In one sentence: plans how a room works and looks: the layout, the furniture, the color, the light, and the finishes, for a client.
On the Okafor room: did what you did in Project 04, for pay: the client brief, the scale plan, the budget, the furniture, the color, the pitch.
A day in the life: a client meeting in the morning; measuring a room at noon; picking fabric and lights at a showroom; drawing the plan and pricing it in the afternoon.
Path: usually a two- or four-year degree in interior design; in New York, a state certification exam (NCIDQ) to use the title "certified interior designer." Some start as a designer's assistant. College degree, mostly.
Pay range: about $40,000 to $100,000; median about $62,000.
Works most: an office and clients' homes.
Card 3: General contractor
Picture line: a hard hat and a clipboard
In one sentence: runs the whole job: hires the trades, orders the materials, keeps the schedule and the budget, and answers to the client.
On the Okafor room: hired the electrician, the plumber, and the painter; ordered the door; made sure the job finished in three weeks.
A day in the life: on the site by 7; calls to suppliers; a walk-through with the client; paperwork and permits at night.
Path: most start in a trade (carpentry is common) through a high school CTE program and an apprenticeship, then years on the job, then a contractor's license from the county. Some have a construction management degree. Apprenticeship or trade school, then experience.
Pay range: about $60,000 to $160,000; construction managers' median about $105,000. Many own their business.
Works most: the job site.
Card 4: Electrician
Picture line: a wire and a switch
In one sentence: installs and repairs the wiring, outlets, switches, and lights that make a building work, safely and to code.
On the Okafor room: ran the new outlet by the bed, moved the light switch to 42 inches so he can reach it, and wired the night lights on the path.
A day in the life: a rough-in on a new house in the morning (wires in the open walls); a service call in the afternoon (a breaker that keeps tripping); reading the code book for a tricky job.
Path: a high school CTE electrical program, then a four- to five-year paid apprenticeship (about 8,000 hours on the job plus classes), then a journeyman license. Apprenticeship. Paid from day one.
Pay range: about $40,000 to $105,000; median about $62,000. Union electricians in the New York area often earn more.
Works most: job sites and clients' homes.
Card 5: Plumber
Picture line: a wrench and a pipe
In one sentence: installs and repairs the pipes that bring water in and take waste out, plus fixtures like sinks, toilets, and showers.
On the Okafor room: moved the shower drain and installed the walk-in shower with a grab bar next door.
A day in the life: a new bathroom rough-in; an emergency call for a burst pipe; a water heater swap.
Path: high school CTE, then a four- to five-year paid apprenticeship, then a license. Apprenticeship.
Pay range: about $40,000 to $105,000; median about $63,000.
Works most: job sites and clients' homes.
Card 6: HVAC technician
Picture line: a thermostat
In one sentence: installs and repairs heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC).
On the Okafor room: sized the new heat and air for the room and added a vent so the bathroom does not grow mold.
A day in the life: a furnace tune-up in the morning; an air conditioner install in the afternoon; in a heat wave, ten calls a day.
Path: a six-month to two-year trade school program or a high school CTE program, then a paid apprenticeship of two to five years, plus an EPA certification to handle refrigerants. Trade school or apprenticeship.
Pay range: about $37,000 to $90,000; median about $60,000.
Works most: clients' homes and buildings.
Card 7: Real estate agent
Picture line: a house key
In one sentence: helps people buy, sell, or rent homes, and gets paid a percentage of the sale.
On the Okafor room: sold the family this house two years ago, and will list it someday with "accessible first-floor bedroom and bath" as a selling point.
A day in the life: showings on the weekend; phone calls and paperwork on weekdays; an open house; a closing at a lawyer's office.
Path: a 77-hour course in New York, a state exam, and a license; no degree required. License after a course. Pay depends on sales.
Pay range: about $30,000 to $130,000; median about $55,000. Commission, so it varies a lot.
Works most: clients' homes and an office.
Card 8: Property manager
Picture line: a building with many windows
In one sentence: runs a building or a set of rentals for the owner: tenants, repairs, rent, and rules.
On the Okafor room: if the family rented, the property manager would approve the wider door and hire the contractor.
A day in the life: a tenant's leak at 8 a.m.; a walk-through of an empty apartment; rent records; a call with the owner about the roof.
Path: experience in rentals or an office, often a real estate license; some have a business degree. License and experience.
Pay range: about $40,000 to $115,000; median about $65,000.
Works most: an office and the buildings.
Card 9: Home inspector
Picture line: a flashlight and a checklist
In one sentence: checks a house top to bottom before a sale, or checks finished work against the building code, for the buyer or the town.
On the Okafor room: checked that the new outlet was wired right, the door was framed right, and the shower drained right. Works for the buyer or the town, not the contractor.
A day in the life: two or three inspections, each two to three hours in an attic, a basement, and a crawl space; a written report with photos.
Path: in New York, a 140-hour course plus 40 hours of supervised inspections, then a state exam and license; many are former contractors. License after a course and experience.
Pay range: about $45,000 to $105,000; construction and building inspectors' median about $70,000.
Works most: other people's houses.
Card 10: Energy auditor
Picture line: a house with arrows showing heat leaking out
In one sentence: tests a home to find where it wastes energy (drafts, thin insulation, old appliances) and tells the owner what to fix first.
On the Okafor room: ran a blower-door test, found the leak around the old window, and recommended the sealing and the LED bulbs. The family's heating bill dropped.
A day in the life: one or two home visits with a blower door and a thermal camera; a report with the savings for each fix; a call with the utility company's rebate office.
Path: a certification course (BPI or RESNET, a few weeks) plus experience; some come from HVAC or construction. Certification after a course.
Pay range: about $45,000 to $80,000 (from job listings; the handbook does not list this job separately).
Works most: clients' homes.
Card 11: Landscape designer
Picture line: a tree and a path
In one sentence: designs the outside: yards, paths, ramps, plantings, and drainage, so the outside works as well as the inside.
On the Okafor room: designed the ramp from the driveway to the door at the right slope, with a handrail, and moved the plantings so the walker has a clear path.
A day in the life: a site visit with a tape measure; a plan on paper or a computer; a morning with the crew when the ramp is poured.
Path: a landscape architect has a college degree and a license (that is who stamps the ramp plan); a landscape designer may learn through a two-year program or on a crew. College degree for the architect; trade or two-year program for the designer.
Pay range: about $50,000 to $120,000; landscape architects' median about $80,000.
Works most: outside, and an office.
Card 12: Furniture maker
Picture line: a saw and a chair
In one sentence: builds furniture from wood and other materials, by hand and with machines, often to a customer's measurements.
On the Okafor room: built the bed frame at 22 inches high with a solid side rail he can push up from, because no store sold one at that height.
A day in the life: cutting and joining in a shop; sanding and finishing; delivering and fitting a piece in a customer's home.
Path: high school CTE woodworking, then a shop apprenticeship or a two-year program; many are self-employed. Apprenticeship or trade school.
Pay range: about $30,000 to $65,000; woodworkers' median about $42,000. Custom makers who own a shop can earn more.
Works most: a workshop.
Card 13: Sustainability consultant
Picture line: a leaf on a blueprint
In one sentence: advises builders, businesses, and towns on how to use less energy, water, and material, and how to prove it (green building certifications).
On the Okafor room: picked the low-VOC paint, the LED lighting plan, and the insulation for the whole renovation, and filed the paperwork for the utility rebate.
A day in the life: a plan review with an architect; a site visit to check the insulation before the walls close; a report on a building's energy use; a training for a company's staff.
Path: usually a college degree (environmental science, engineering, architecture, or business) plus a green building credential (LEED is the common one). College degree.
Pay range: about $55,000 to $110,000 (from job listings; the handbook does not list this job separately).
Works most: an office, with site visits.
Page 4: The Project Chain sheet
Name: ______________________ Date: __________
Part 1: The chain
Grandpa Okafor's room is being built for real. Write the job that does each step.
| Step | Who does it |
|---|---|
| Draws the wider door and the new bathroom and stamps the plan | |
| Plans the room's layout, furniture, color, and light for the family | |
| Runs the job, hires the trades, keeps the schedule and the budget | |
| Wires the outlet by the bed and moves the switch to 42 inches | |
| Moves the shower drain and installs the walk-in shower | |
| Sizes the heat and air and vents the bathroom | |
| Checks the finished work against the code for the buyer or the town | |
| Tests where the house leaks heat and recommends the fixes | |
| Picks the low-VOC paint and the LED plan and files the rebate | |
| Designs the ramp and the clear path outside | |
| Builds the bed at 22 inches high because no store sells one | |
| Sold the family the house and will list it someday | |
| Would approve the work if the family rented |
Part 2: Sort the thirteen cards
By path (write the card numbers):
- College degree: ______________________
- Apprenticeship or trade school after high school CTE: ______________________
- License or certification after a course and experience: ______________________
By where they work most:
- Mostly an office: ______________________
- Mostly a job site or a workshop: ______________________
- Mostly clients' homes: ______________________
Part 3: Compare three careers
| Career 1: ______ | Career 2: ______ | Career 3: ______ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they do (one sentence) | |||
| A day in the life (one thing) | |||
| The path (degree / apprenticeship or trade / license after a course) | |||
| Pay range | |||
| One thing I would like about it | |||
| One thing I would not like |
Word bank: job (iş / trabalho / trabajo), build (inşa etmek / construir / construir), fix (tamir etmek / consertar / arreglar), draw (çizmek / desenhar / dibujar), sell (satmak / vender / vender), check (kontrol etmek / verificar / revisar).
Part 4: Predict the 2045 house
Two facts about who lives in houses:
- The share of people in the United States aged 65 and over is rising, and it is projected to keep rising.
- The average household has fewer people in it than it did fifty years ago.
Two technologies already going into new houses:
- Sensors and controls: a thermostat that learns your schedule, a leak sensor under the sink, a lock and a camera on a phone.
- Heat pumps with better insulation, and modular building, where rooms are built in a factory and trucked to the lot.
Pick one fact: ______________________ Pick one technology: ______________________
One thing a house designed in 2045 will have that mine does not, and why:
One thing that house will not need any more, and why:
Sentence frames: "By 2045 a house will have ___ because ___." "A house will not need ___ any more because ___."
Grade 8 stretch: which of the thirteen careers gains work because of your prediction, and which one loses it? ______________________
Page 5: "Would I like this?" self-check
Name: ______________________
Rate each line 1 (no), 2 (a little), 3 (yes), 4 (a lot). Use what you actually did in Project 04.
| Statement | 1 to 4 | Careers this points to |
|---|---|---|
| I liked measuring and drawing the plan to scale | architect, interior designer, landscape designer | |
| I liked building the model with my hands | furniture maker, electrician, plumber, HVAC, contractor | |
| I liked the budget and the trade-offs | contractor, property manager, real estate agent, sustainability consultant | |
| I liked pitching to the client and answering the question | real estate agent, interior designer, contractor | |
| I liked finding the green choice | energy auditor, sustainability consultant | |
| I liked finding the safety feature and checking the paths | home inspector, electrician, architect | |
| I like being outside | landscape designer, contractor, energy auditor | |
| I like fixing things that are broken | electrician, plumber, HVAC, home inspector | |
| I like working mostly alone | furniture maker, energy auditor, home inspector | |
| I like working with people all day | real estate agent, interior designer, property manager | |
| I want to be in charge of the whole job | contractor, property manager, architect | |
| I want to be paid while I learn instead of paying for school | electrician, plumber, HVAC, furniture maker, contractor |
My two careers
Career 1: ______________________ My fit rating (1 to 4): ______ Evidence from Project 04: "I rated it ______ because in the project I ______________________________."
Career 2: ______________________ My fit rating (1 to 4): ______ Evidence from Project 04: "I rated it ______ because in the project I ______________________________."
One CTE program near me that leads to one of these (from the teacher): ______________________
Exit line (tear off)
The career I fit best is ______________________ because in the project I ______________________. The path to it is ______________________.