Work in Action: How Jobs Shape Our Community
This activity aims to help students identify how employment impacts individuals and communities.
Discuss
We want to start thinking about the work we already know about around us. What jobs do people in our school do and what jobs do the people we live with do?
Let’s list these jobs out. It’s ok if you are not sure about the job that some people do, maybe you can describe what you do know about their work.
Interactive Opportunity
Schedule a walking or driving field trip around the school/ campus to identify jobs/careers that students may not know is a job.
Discuss
We have listed some jobs that we know of but I’m sure we can think of more. This can be other people in our lives like family, friends, or in our community (ex: sports, church, activities, etc.).
Let’s think about these people and list out more jobs or careers these people have.
Interactive Opportunity
Schedule a walking or driving field trip of nearby places in the community or pull up the streetview of the local community in digital maps (ex: Google Maps or MapQuest).
Discuss
We have a list of different jobs that we know people do in our school, home, and community. Jobs help our community in different ways.
How do some of these jobs help people in our community? (For example, a teacher helps others learn or cashiers help customers with purchases.)
[Note to Instructors: Ask “What do you see?” or “What do you think they do?” to help keep utilize your Google Map or walking tour field trip.]
Review
It can interesting to identify and list all of the different jobs and careers in our building, neighborhood, and community. Nearly everyone we encounter is working and helps make our community better or helps people in our community accomplish big and small tasks.
Extending the Conversation
If you already have some careers in mind, what jobs do they relate to? How does that job shape your community? Ask others how they see that career/job and how it impacts community.