Career Research Project

A journey in self-discovery to set your pathway for your future

A WebQuest for High School Students

This WebQuest was collaboratively designed by Tina Hohlfeld and Joan Shal for ninth grade students enrolled in Language and Western Literature at Wissahickon High School. It is based on learning objectives included in the English Standards, Technology Standards, and Guidance Standards of Wissahickon School District.

---

---

INTRODUCTION

What do you want to with your life? In order to make good choices for yourself while in high school, you need to consider your desires for your future. Successful people match their personal abilities, values, and interests with the attributes of their chosen career. They have a personal mission for their life that they follow.

---

TASK

Research a career that is of interest to you. Based on your findings, you will write a paper using MLA documentation and create a web site. Please look at the time-line for the dates.

---

PROCESS

Step 1: Discover who you are. Participate in an on-line interactive self-assessment temperament test.

Take the Keirsey Temperament Sorter on-line test.  Open Journal 1 and follow the directions to save the your Temperament Results Page to your disk for future use. Do you agree or disagree with the results of your Temperament test? Add your Temperament to our Class Spreadsheet. These results will be used to make small groups to discuss your results.

Step 2: Next read about what the letters mean to help you verify your Sub Variant. What are your four letters and your Sub Variant? Add your Sub Variant to our Class Spreadsheet. Share your findings with someone who knows you well.   Give examples from your life experiences of how you fit each letter of your Sub Variant. Discuss how you interact with friends, parents, teachers, and other students. What are your strengths and limitations?  Add this information to your Journal 3.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR RESULTS
What Do Those Letters Represent...?
What the Letters Mean
The Sixteen Roles of Temperament
What is Temperament
The Four Temperaments

Step 3: Find out what is important to you. Participate in the Work Values Exercise (printed inventory). Copy your five top values into Journal 2.

VALUES INVENTORY
Work Values Exercise (printed inventory)

Step 4: Find your dreams. Participate in the careers inventory. What are your top three preferred work environments? Add your top preferred work environment to our Class Spreadsheet. With someone with the same top preferred work environment, review careers that match your results. Identify a career direction you might like to pursue. Add information to your Journal 4 about your top three work environments and careers you find interesting. Did your find the inventory accurate? By tomorrow you must choose a career to research through the web, books, magazines, and one interview.

CAREER INTEREST INVENTORY
the career key

UNDERSTANDING RESULTS
Holland's Six Work Environments
Holland's Six Personality Types
Career Briefs
Careers by Temperament
Career Interests of the Temperaments

Step 5: Create an outline for your paper in class. You will use this organizer to collect information from your research. Create a list of interview questions to use to research your career and submit a copy of your interview questions to your teacher.

INTERVIEWING
Information Interviewing
Interview Questions

Step 6: As you find your sources use MLA style to create your bibliography. At least one book, one magazine, and one interview must be included in your bibliography.

WRITING ASSISTANCE
EasyBib.com
MLA Style
MLA Bibliographic Style--A Brief Guide
Research Paper Guide

CAREERS RESEARCH
Occupational Exploration
2002-03 The Occupational Outlook Handbook
Career Exploration
O*NET Online

Step 7: Start your research. Make note cards for information found in each source. Use a new card for each topic on your outline.

NOTE CARD ASSISTANCE
Preparing to Take Notes
How Not to Plagiarize

Step 8: Write a research paper. State your thesis; organize your notes to follow your outline; write your first draft; revise your draft; write your final copy in MS Word.

WRITING ASSISTANCE
Logical Steps to Writing a Paper
Research Paper Guide

RESEARCH PAPER RUBRIC
Research Paper Rubric

Step 9: Create a web site on your chosen career. Copy your paper into MS FrontPage. Add graphics and hyperlinks. Be sure to use the file name you have been given when you save your page.

WEB PAGE ASSISTANCE
FrontPage 2000 Tutorial
Google Image Search
The Clip Art Gallery

WEB PAGE RUBRIC
Web Page Rubric

BEFORE YOU POST YOUR WEB
Before You Post
Permission to Link or Post

---

RESOURCES

Self-knowledge

ON-LINE TESTS
Keirsey Temperament Sorter
the career key

CAREER INFORMATION
Occupational Exploration
2002-03 The Occupational Outlook Handbook
Career Exploration
O*NET Online

Product Resources

RESEARCH PAPER ASSISTANCE
EasyBib.com
MLA Style
MLA Bibliographic Style--A Brief Guide
Logical Steps to Writing a Paper
Research Paper Guide

WEB PAGE ASSISTANCE
FrontPage 2000 Tutorial
Google Image Search
The Clip Art Gallery
Before You Post
Permission to Link or Post

Work Sheets

Journal 1
Journal 2
Journal 3
Journal 4
Class Spreadsheet
Logical Steps to Writing a Paper
Outline
Timeline
Bibliography
Research Paper Rubric
Web Page Rubric

Results

Career Projects

---

EVALUATION

Please complete the Self-assessment Rubric about the following criteria:

Did the on-line Keirsey Temperament Sorter test accurately depict your temperament type?

Did the values inventory help you identify your core values?

Did the Career Key help you identify an occupation you are interested in?

Did you write a Career Report?

Did you create a Career Web Page?

Could you write another research paper?

Could you create a web page?

Have you improved your technology skills?

Rate the value of this WebQuest.

Please give suggestions for improving the activities of this project.

---

CONCLUSION

You have learned more about your personal strengths, limitations, interests, and values. You used this information to choose a career to research. You wrote a formal report and created a web page. Because of this information that you have learned about yourself, you will be able to make better decisions for your future.