The Value of Work
This activity aims to help students recognize and categorize different types of work, such as chores, volunteering, internships, apprenticeships, and paid employment.
Review
Vocabulary list is arranged from foundational to more detailed. Feel free to modify the vocabulary list to meet the student’s needs.
Personal Work: These daily living tasks are activities you do to care for yourself. Examples might be washing your clothes, cleaning dishes, cooking, making your bed, brushing your teeth, shower or bath, haircare, pet care, and more.
Volunteering: Helping others by giving your time or effort or skills without being paid to make a difference in your community.
Apprenticeships: A way to learn a job or trade by working with experienced professionals. You participate in hands-on-learning (learn by doing the actual work) while also taking some classes. These help you learn skills needed to work and build connections with others.
Internship: A temporary position where you gain experience in a specific field while still in school, or just starting a career. It typically involves working on real projects and may or may not be paid.
Paid Work: When you do a job and get money for it. Examples might be working at a store and earning money for your time there doing job tasks.
Discuss
While most people would prefer paid work, there are times when volunteering or personal work is valuable or important. Let’s discuss how!
- Chores at home and personal tasks help keep you healthy and build or strengthen your skills. These skills can help you when looking for work or if you want to live independently. What type of chores or tasks are your responsible for at home? How might these skills help you in a job?
- Helping a friend or volunteering in your community is a way to help others and a way to contribute. There is also a personal satisfaction, helping others makes us feel good and proud of ourselves. Have you ever volunteered? What kind of tasks did you complete? What skills did you use?
Extending the Conversation
Work like chores, personal tasks, volunteering, internships, and apprenticeships, help us learn and build specific skills that will help us in our jobs and careers in the future.
Through all of the work examples, you are still gaining skills!
- What is some volunteering or personal tasks you currently do?
- Is there a chore or volunteer opportunity you want to try to build skills and relationships?
- How can you see an internship or apprenticeship being helpful for a career?