wow.fya.org.au 1 · PDF fileW A i i 4 WOW Teacher Toolkit SECTION 1: This section of the WOW...

wow.fya.org.au 1

The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) is the only

national independent non-profit organisation dedicated

to all young people in Australia. Delivering a range of

initiatives (co)designed with young people, together

we deliver change across Australia.

Find out more at fya.org.au

Supported by:

The Careers Learning initiative is a partnership between the Victorian

Government and the Foundation for Young Australians to support young

people to learn about world of work and to build workplace skills.

SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION 1

What is WOW? 1

Why take part? 2

Further information and support 2

How to use this toolkit 2

WOW program structure 3

SECTION 2 – PROJECT BASED LEARNING 4

What is project based learning? 4

Why use a project based learning approach? 4

How does project based learning work in WOW? 5

What does a presentation look like? 5

What skills do I need to facilitate WOW? 5

SECTION 3 – MAPPING TO AUSVELS 6

Strand – Physical, personal and social learning 6

Strand – Interdisciplinary learning 12

Strand – Discipline-based learning 16

SECTION 4 – OVERVIEW OF MODULES 20

Module 1 – WOW orientation 20

Module 2 – Insights into me 21

Module 3 – I’ve got the skills 22

Module 4 – Communication for success 24

Module 5 – In school networking event 26

INTRODUCTION ACTIVITY – THE WORLD OF WHAT? 28

LESSON 1 – WHAT’S MY TYPE? 30

LESSON 2 – CHARACTER GROWTH 36

LESSON 3 – ME AND THE WORLD OF WORK 42

LESSON 4 – THE FIRST CAREERS CONVERSATION 48

LESSON 5 – THE ART OF SELF PROMOTION 54

LESSON 6 – “WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU SAYING?” 58

LESSON 7 – FAKE IT ‘TILL YOU MAKE IT! 64

LESSON 8 – IN SCHOOL NETWORKING EVENT 70

4 WOW Teacher Toolkit

SECTION 1:

This section of the WOW Teacher Toolkit provides an overview of the program and outlines

how you can use this toolkit to help run WOW at your school.

This program is brought to you by the Foundation

for Young Australians (FYA), in partnership with the

Victorian Government (Department of Human Services’

Community and Economic Participation Branch).

This year WOW will be piloted in Australian schools.

We appreciate your willingness to be involved in

the early stage of the program’s development.

What is WOW?

WOW stands for Worlds of Work. Since 2008, the

Foundation for Young Australians has successfully

delivered the WOW program to Year 10 students across

Australia. Now, it’s time for all students in Years 7-9

to access meaningful and engaging careers learning.

We’re excited to invite your school to pilot the program

in your junior school during in 2015!

WOW is a careers learning program that is run by teachers

in their classrooms. It seeks to connect students in Years

7-9 with the world of work by providing activities that

facilitate meaningful and developmentally-appropriate

careers exploration.

The program is made up of a series of modules that link student

learning to real world experiences. The modules can be mixed

and matched so that teachers have the flexibility to adapt the

content to their school setting and the needs of students.

Throughout the course of the program, students develop

the skills required for successful work exploration, and

are provided with opportunities to put these skills into

practice through activities where they participate in

careers conversations and develop real connections

to the world of work.

The program aims to enable students to:

> Understand themselves in the context of work

> Explore the meaning and purpose of employability

skills, as well as provide opportunities to demonstrate

and practice these skills

> Research and understand current and future industry

trends, with a specific focus on the concept of growing

vs shrinking industries

> Engage with the world of work through the direct

engagement in careers conversations with people in

relevant industries.

In addition to this, WOW engages parents and carers

in careers learning activities and information.

wow.fya.org.au 1

Figure 1 – WOW objectives Figure 2 – WOW program framework including potential sequence of modules.

1. Understanding ‘self’

in the context of work

2. Learn and practice

employability skills

Objectives

3. Gain insights into the

current and future

world of work

4. Participating in

career connections

5. Engage parents

in careers learning

My connection to the world of work

Student journey through WOW

The world of work in my community

Descriptions

School organised networking event

Developing self-

awareness; an

understanding of

personal attributes,

skills and capabilities.

Understanding how

learning in everyday

Learning and

practicing

employability

skills, such as

communication,

project management, financial literacy,

Developing an

awareness of the

current world of work,

and exploring the

increasingly complex

Having opportunities

to connect with

employers and

other significant

adults to have career

Increasing awareness

of parents as a source

of careers information

and engaging them

early in careers

Intro to

WOW

Insights

into me

Communication for success

Discovering our future world

of work

Planning your networking

event

Student organised networking event

life is relevent to the

world of work.

digital literacy and

creativity.

future world of work. conversations. learning activities. My first

job

Modules can be delivered in any order

Core WOW modules

Why take part?

This is a unique and exciting opportunity for students that

enables them to achieve the objectives shown in Figure 1.

The WOW program framework (Figure 2, page 3) depicts

how each of the modules relates to the objectives.

In the long term, the program aspires to contribute

towards systemic change within the education system

and economy. The WOW vision is that:

> Australia has a careers education framework that

provides comprehensive, consistent, high quality

careers education in every school

> Careers education is informed by Australia’s competitive

strengths in the future

> Young people make better choices about study and work

> Adults are well equipped to provide guidance and

support to young people

Further information and support

If you require further information please do not hesitate

to contact WOW Program Manager, Samantha Brooks:

Samantha Brooks

Foundation for Young Australians

GPO Box 239 Melbourne Victoria 3001

Phone: 03 9604 6244 Fax: 03 9670 2272

Email: [email protected]

How to use this toolkit

This toolkit is a step-by-step guide of how to deliver

WOW in your school. The learning modules and

associated resources have been designed to provide

a high level of flexibility so that you can tailor the

program to fit your school context. You have been

provided with the following:

> An overview of each module and its lessons

> Teacher’s Notes detailing the content and

recommended delivery for each lesson

> A Student Workbook

> Online content for delivery, including videos, PowerPoint

slides and instructions that accompany each lesson is

available at wow.fya.org.au

We hope this program will provide a fun and practical

way to engage your students in careers learning.

WOW program structure:

Throughout WOW, students will explore and

then present their findings on an inquiry question:

“What does it take to succeed in life and work?”

Here’s how:

The WOW program’s content falls under two separate phases:

> “My connection to the world of work” takes students on

a journey of self-discovery through a careers lens.

> “The world of work in my community” directly

connects students and industry through meaningful,

relevant and engaging structured activities.

Each phase of WOW features one or more learning

modules, within which sit the WOW lessons.

Each of the WOW lessons is organised like this*:

> The Hook is an important activity that aims to hook

your students in! It will pique their interest and start

a conversation about the lesson content.

> The Inquiry Question is the next focus of each lesson,

and provides your students with an opportunity to start

thinking critically about the lesson content.

> The Lesson Activities give students a space wherein

they can explore their understanding of the concepts

covered in each lesson. The activities are experiential

and encourage exploration, research, creativity and

lively discussion.

> The Reflection Activity is an essential inclusion

for each lesson — it allows students to cement their

understanding, and contemplate the personal meaning

that they have created throughout the lesson.

> Each lesson also suggests time for Project Work —

this is where students spend time ideating, developing

and refining their understanding of what it takes to

succeed in life and work. The activities will culminate

in a final presentation on the topic to an audience

of classmates, staff, parents and carers as well as

members of local industry.

> The Parent Connection for each lesson is critical — it

provides an avenue through which parents and carers

can meaningfully engage with their children’s careers

learning. The activities aren’t usually a huge ask — they

just encourage organic interaction between students

and the adults in their life with a specific focus on careers.

*Each lesson has a time indication, this can be reduced

or extended according to your students’ needs.

2 WOW Teacher Toolkit wow.fya.org.au 3

mailto:[email protected]

SECTION 2:

What is project based learning?

Project based learning (PBL), is a student-driven, teacher

facilitated learning approach.

It allows students to drive their own learning through

personal engagement through a central inquiry question.

The question for WOW is “What does it take to succeed

in the world of life and work?”

Structure in PBL can be provided by building in such

strategies as a project plan, timelines, key activities and

milestones with key outcomes. The WOW curriculum

provides this structure.

The teacher’s role in PBL is to facilitate the learning journey

by providing structure, teaching skills where required in a

timely manner, asking insightful questions to help students

make decisions and develop understandings. In this way

teachers are supporting students to become motivated

and independent thinkers and learners.

Students present a project at the end of the unit,

in which they show what they now think/know, why

they think/know that and how they came to that

discovery. For WOW, students are asked to make links

and contextualise their learning into their future school/

career pathway.

Why use a project based learning approach

> Engagement: PBL can engage students in learning and

so provide the intrinsic motivation to drive their own

learning. Some pillars of engagement in PBL are:

> Meaning: students can find personal meaning through

connecting their interests and passions with the key

content. The students need to have connected with

why it is important for them to need to know more

about the content.

> Connection: PBL opens many opportunities for

learning opportunities through connecting to the

real world. Students are excited by seeking out actual

stories and experiences from other people and places,

reflecting, analysing and creating new understanding

(action research). Students make connections with real-

world situations, and can begin to place themselves/

empathise with the situation.

> Working with the community: Engaging with learning

outside the classroom broadens the awareness and

concept of learning (from something that is only done

in class), and it has students using and developing

skills and competencies, such as communication,

collaboration and planning and organising.

> Voice and choice: PBL allows the learner to direct their

learning. They make choices on aspects of their inquiry

that connect to their interests and passions, how they

find out the information, who they would like to talk

to, how they would like to present their findings, etc.

Students are asked to formulate their own personal

questions, conduct interviews and communicate their

own responses to the over-arching inquiry question.

> Public presentation: In whatever form the

presentation of learning takes, the authenticity of the

project is overt because the message and the intent of

final outcome of the project, is that their perspective

on the key content is important for the community to

hear. For WOW, the audience may be other teachers,

parents, community business people, who through

hearing how the young people are thinking/ feeling/

knowing, are better able to support them, create or

modify current situations within their remit.

How does project based learning work in WOW?

The project for WOW is a presentation given by the

students at the end of modules, either by themselves

or in small teams, to the central inquiry question “What

does it take to succeed in the world of life and work?”

Each WOW module, provides a structure to this central

question, by breaking down this inquiry question

sequentially, into smaller questions for each module.

The WOW modules all have the same format, which

supports the teacher to facilitate the inquiry questions,

lead participatory activities for exploration of concepts

and knowledge, facilitate learning through reflection,

and then allow for students to construct their personal

understanding into creative project work.

By the end of the modules completed, students can

refine and compile their project investigations into

their presentations.

What does a presentation look like?

A presentation can be an exhibition night, YouTube

videos, slide show presentations, idea generation/

prototype focus groups...

The presentation idea should be decided upon in

collaboration with the school and the students. Some

student projects may, by their nature or due to the

student’s talents, take on a different form than the others.

What skills do I need to facilitate WOW?

The WOW curriculum provides a comprehensive teacher

notes. The most important thing is being clear on what

‘hat’ you are wearing during your facilitation of the program.

> Student engagement hat: “Have I engaged the students,

by helping them find personal meaning, connecting them

to purpose and outcome of the presentation, supported

them by giving them the choice and challenge?” (Good

questioning, discussions, idea generation, experiential

learning activities and de-briefs)

> Project management hat: “What stages of the project

are we up to, what needs to be done, how can I support

the students to make connections to past and future

tasks, what is the milestone for the students (output),

how much time can I give for completion?” (Planning

and organising, clear set-ups, time management,

defining roles)

> Skills training hat: “What skills will the students be

using today, how can I teach the skill in a practical

way with students seeing the relevance?” (Practical

activities, practice, group work, reflection)

> Check-in: “What are the agreements we need to make as

a class to support how we operate together to support

this type of learning? Are we succeeding, do we need to

change the agreements? STOP/re-focus: Looks like we

are off track – what is happening? How can we fix this?”

(Making agreements, scanning the room for engagement,

participation, listening, asking for solutions from the group)

> General: Celebrate success, acknowledge effort,

normalise times of uncertainty, promote open-

mindedness and appreciation of diversity amongst the

class, highlight our ability to learn from each other.

Some extra reading on PBL and related topics:

> The Buck Institute for Education (although based in USA)

is an excellent source of information and tools for Project

Based Learning in your classroom: http://bie.org/

> 8 Essentials for Project-Based Learning (by BIE):

http://bie.org/object/document/8_essentials_for_

project_based_learning

> Project Based Learning: Explained.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8

> Another US-Based Organisation, Edutopia, has a wealth

of information and tools about PBL and other education

topics: http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning


http://bie.org/



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8

http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning

SECTION 3:

This section of the WOW Teacher Toolkit maps the program against key elements of the

Australian Victorian Essential Learning Standards (AusVELS) for Years 8 and 9, in order to

demonstrate the relevance and utility of the program in achieving required learning outcomes.

CURRICULUM MAPPING

The following tables show how each of the WOW modules relate to the AusVELS curriculum for Year 8 and Year 9.

STRAND – PHYSICAL, PERSONAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING

Domain: Personal learning

Year 8 Module

Communi-

Key elements of the Standards: Insights I’ve got cation for Networking

Dimension Students... into me the skills! success event

The individual

learner

…monitor their progress as learners. ✓ ✓ ✓

…identify their strengths and weaknesses ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

and take actions to address their weaknesses.


Domain: Personal learning

…identify a variety of learning habits ✓ ✓

and adopt those which assist their learning.

Year 9 Module

Communi-

Managing

personal learning

…explain how their ideas have changed

to develop and refine their content knowledge

and understanding.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Dimension

The individual

Key elements of the Standards:

Students...

…demonstrate flexible use of multiple

Insights

into me

I’ve got

the skills!

cation for

success

Networking

event

…determine learning improvement goals. ✓ ✓

…set realistic short and long-term learning goals. ✓ ✓

learner learning strategies to complete a set task.

…self-assess work performance against set

achievement criteria.

✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…complete short, extended and group tasks within set

timeframes.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…understand that enquiry and research may

challenge their own and others’ values and beliefs.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…initiate and complete some tasks independently. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…review the effectiveness of the management of tasks. ✓ ✓

…develop and use criteria to evaluate their work. ✓

Managing

personal learning

…demonstrate knowledge of a range

of coping strategies for managing learning.

...demonstrate self-directed time management

with a focus on task requirements.

✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓



Domain: Interpersonal development


Domain: Interpersonal development

Year 8 Module Year 9 Module

Communi-

Communi-

Key elements of the Standards: Insights I’ve got cation for Networking Key elements of the Standards: Insights I’ve got cation for Networking

Dimension Students... into me the skills! success event Dimension Students... into me the skills! success event

Building social

relationships

…demonstrate respect for the individuality

of others in local, national and global contexts.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Building social

relationships

…show empathy in monitoring and responding

to the behaviour of other in diverse social contexts.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…empathise with others in local,

national and global contexts.

✓ ✓ ✓

…are aware of appropriate behaviour when

in diverse social contexts.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…acknowledge the diversity of individuals ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Working in teams …select and use appropriate strategies ✓ ✓

to effectively manage individual conflict.

…understand the relationship between values,

beliefs and accepted social practices.

…show knowledge and skills in the employment

of a range of strategies for managing difference

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…assist others in resolution processes. ✓ in social relationships.

…accept responsibility as a team member. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…support other members to share information. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…explore the ideas of others. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…work cooperatively to achieve a ✓ ✓

shared purpose within a realistic timeframe.

Working in teams …demonstrate assertiveness and self-efficacy skills

to articulate personal attributes when allocating roles.

…use strategies for motivating group members

and working towards task completion.

…demonstrate engagement of all team members

in group processes.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓

…reflect on individual and team outcomes. ✓

…act to improve their own and the team’s performance. ✓

…monitor and evaluate group processes

and task performance.

✓ ✓ ✓




Domain: Civics and citizenship

Year 8 Module

Communi-



Community

engagement

…present points of view on contemporary

✓ issues using appropriate supporting evidence.

…propose possible solutions to problems. ✓ ✓

…use democratic processes when working in groups

✓ on class and community projects.

…participate in school and community events to

✓ contribute to contribute to action on community issues.

Year 9 Module

Communi-



Civic knowledge

and understanding

…investigate an international issue from a global

perspective which includes examination of the role ✓ ✓

of global organisations and the role of Australia.

Working in teams …develop, based on research evidence, an action

✓ plan to address a social or environmental issue.

…demonstrate responsibility for aspects of a citizenship

✓ activity in the school or local community.


STRAND – INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING

Domain: Thinking processes


Domain: Thinking processes


Communi-

Communi-



Reasoning,

processing

…use a range of question types.

✓

✓

✓

✓

Reasoning,

processing

…select information from a variety of sources.

✓

✓

and enquiry …locate and select relevant information from varied sources. ✓ ✓

…use a range of appropriate strategies ✓ ✓

of reasoning and analysis.

and inquiry …use information-technology skills in

problem-solving activities that involve more variables.

…synthesise information when

considering various perspectives.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Creativity …complete activities focusing on problem solving

and decision making which involve an increasing number of

variables and solutions.

✓ Creativity …use a range of self-selected creative thinking strategies

when engaging with complex and novel ideas.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

...apply creative thinking strategies. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…explore possibilities and generate multiple options, ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Reflection,

evaluation and

meta-cognition

…understand their own and others’ viewpoint following

analysis of those perspectives.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

problem definitions and solutions.

…modify and evaluate their thinking strategies. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…describe and explain changes that may occur

in their ideas and beliefs over time.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓



Domain: Communication


Domain: Communication


Communi-

Communi-



Listening, viewing

and responding

…modify their verbal and non-verbal

responses to suit certain audiences.

Listening, viewing

✓ ✓ and responding

…engage in ongoing discussion about factors

✓ ✓ that influence interpretation of presentations.

…interpret complex information and evaluate

the effectiveness of its presentation.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…question and challenge key ideas in a variety of forms. ✓ ✓ ✓

…reflect on alternate responses to a variety

…use specialised language and symbols as appropriate to ✓ ✓

the context within which they are working.

of communication forms.

…knowledge of terminology, vocabulary, symbols and

✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ …consider their own and other’s points of view. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ codes specific to different learning domains.

…apply prior knowledge to new situations. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…challenge assumptions and justify ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

their own interpretations.

Presenting …use communication conventions, ✓ ✓

Presenting …experiment with different

presentation content and form.

…comment on the effectiveness of strategies

used by others in developing their presentations and

suggest alternatives.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓

forms and language appropriate to the subject.

…convey a clear message across a range of forms to meet

the needs of the context, purpose and audience.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…provide constructive feedback and reflection. ✓ ✓ ✓


wow.fya.org.au 17

STRAND – DISCIPLINE-BASED LEARNING

Domain: Economics

Year 8 Module

Communi-



Economic

knowledge and

understanding

…explain the nature of an economic problem. ✓

…explain how economic choices involve trade-offs ✓

that have both immediate and future consequences.

…explain key factors that influence

✓ the Australian economy.

…describe factors that affect choice of employment

✓ opportunities for current and future work.

…explain the relationship between education, training

and work opportunities.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Economic

reasoning and

interpretation

…analyse and interpret data. ✓

…form conclusions supported by evidence. ✓

…form and express opinions on economic issues that

interest and/or impact on them personally, ✓

or locally and/or nationally.

Year 9 Module

Communi-



Economic

knowledge and

understanding

…have a basic understanding of the direct effects of

✓ ✓ key economic decisions on the economy [and] society.

…identify possible career paths and opportunities. ✓ ✓ ✓

…are competent in the use of a broad range of

✓ generic job seeking skills and job interview techniques.

Economic

reasoning and

interpretation

…research and report on economic issues that include

accurate descriptions, relevant basic explanations, and ✓

conclusions supported by evidence.



Domain: English


Domain: English


Communi-

Communi-



Reading and

viewing

…interpret texts, questioning the reliability

of sources of ideas and information.

✓ ✓ ✓

Reading and

viewing

…evaluate and integrate ideas and information

from texts to form their own interpretations

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…select evidence from the text to show how

events, situations and people can be shown

from different viewpoints.

Writing …demonstrate how manipulating language features and

✓ ✓ images can create innovating texts.

…create texts that respond to issues interpreting and

✓ ✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓ Writing …create texts for different purposes. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ integrating ideas from other texts.

…take into account intended purposes

and the needs and interests of audiences.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Speaking and

listening

…use a variety of language features to create different

levels of meaning.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Speaking and

listening

…combine ideas, images and language features

to show how ideas can be expressed in new ways.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…manipulate language features and images

to create innovative texts.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…make presentations and contribute actively to class

discussions, using language patterns for effect.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

…make presentations and contribute actively

to class and group discussions.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓


Module focus

The activities within the Insights into Me module begin student exploration into the world of

work by starting with a topic to which they easily can relate: themselves. The activities seek

to increase student awareness of how their personalities impact their daily lives and potential

career choices as well as empower students to view their character traits as controllable

variables they may improve to help them obtain greater success in life and in the world of work.

Outcomes

Students will:

> Discover their own personality traits through a Myers-Briggs style assessment

> Reflect on their strengths and weaknesses within a set of 7 Key-To-Success

personality characteristics.

Program objective links

Understanding Insights into Parental

‘self’ in the Employability

the world Career

engagement in

context of work skills

of work connections

careers learning

✓ ✓ ✓

Approximate duration:

2x 60 minute sessions

Module focus

This module aims to reveal students’ interpretation of work and create a record of their

ideas. Students will also watch a short clip that introduces and sets up the WOW program.

Outcomes

Students will:

> Reflect on their current understandings of the world of work.

> Be introduced to the content of the WOW program.

WOW phase

“My Connection to the World of Work”




the world Career

engagement in


of work connections

careers learning

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓


30 minutes

What’s My Type?

Students will discover their

personality types through a

Myers-Briggs style assessment

> Students complete the 16 Personalities personality

test and find their personality type.

> Students reflect on their results and relate

them to their day-to-day activities. They will

make direct links between the results of the

assessment and the activities they enjoy to

enhance understanding of how the ‘self’ links to

the external world.

60 minutes

Key Words:

Introvert, extrovert

Resources:

Student Workbook

Computer with internet access

Character Growth

Students will reflect on their own

strengths and weaknesses and

engage in ongoing reflection to

facilitate character growth.

> Explore the seven key-to-success personality

traits: curiosity, grit, optimism, self-control, social

intelligence, and zest.

> Students complete Character Growth

Assessment. Created based on research by

Angela Duckworth, the Character Growth

Assessment allows students to reflect on their

skill level for seven character traits

that have been found to influence success.

> Students complete Character Growth Weekly

Reflection.

60 minutes

Key words:

Optimism, grit, zest, curiosity, social

intelligence, gratitude, self-control,

interpersonal

Resources:

Student Workbook


SECTION 4:

This section of the WOW Teacher Toolkit provides an overview of each of the modules, including:

> The focus of each module

> Links to program objectives

> Lesson overviews

MODULE 2 – INSIGHTS INTO ME

Module Overview

MODULE 1 – INTRODUCTION TO WOW

Module Overview

Lesson Overview

Activity Overview

The World of What?

Students will begin to consider

some of the questions explored

in the WOW modules and watch a

video overviewing the program.

> Students organise themselves into groups of

three to four and allow them to brainstorm

questions to The World of What? prompts.

> Students orally report back on their answers, and

record some of the questions

> As a class, watch the WOW Introduction video.

> Students un-jumble the program’s inquiry

question: “what does it take to succeed in life and

work?” and discuss the programs’ inquiry project.

30 minutes

Key Words:

Employability skills, work, question,

job, paid, voluntary

Resources:

Computer access

World of What? question prompts

Inquiry question jumble activity


Me and the World of Work

Students explore the concept of

transferable skills and apply them

to their own experiences.

> Students explore transferrable skills through a

set of short videos

> The class will explore transferrable skills

by speaking with people who work

> Student connect their own experiences/interests/

skills/hobbies to the transferable skills.

90 minutes

Key Words:

Passions, transferrable skills,

communication, teamwork, time

management, problem-solving,

organization, digital, creativity,

innovation, leadership

Resources:

Student Workbook

Computer with internet access.

Projector and speakers

Magazines, paper, scissors, glue

Careers Conversation #1

Students practice interviewing

skills while making meaningful

connections between personal

interests, skills, and the world

of work.

> Students will interview an adult (parent/relative/

friend/carer/alumni) to explore their interests and

understand how the skills needed to pursue those

interests could be utilised at work.

> Students prepare for their interview in class.

> The class share their findings publicly and in doing

so, demonstrate the versatility and transferability of

the skills in focus.

30 minutes preparation, 60

minutes for follow up activity

Key words:

Transferrable skills, communication,

teamwork, time management,

problem-solving, organization,

digital, creativity, innovation,

leadership

Resources:

Computer with internet access.

Student Workbook

The Art of Self Promotion

Students practice identifying and

discussing their own strengths,

abilities and accomplishments.

> Students engage in a peer-to-peer evaluation

activity.

> They discuss the difference between identifying

positive attributes in others and in yourself.

> Students create a magazine front-cover

to display their positive attributes.

90 minutes

Key Words:

Communication, teamwork, time

management, problem-solving,

organization, digital, creativity,

innovation, leadership, résumé,

curriculum vitae (CV)

MODULE 3 – I’VE GOT THE SKILLS

Module Overview

MODULE 3 – I’VE GOT THE SKILLS

Lesson Overview

Module focus

The lessons in this module introduce students to the skills needed to be successful in the

world of work. Students will discover that they already possess numerous transferrable

employability skills through their interests and hobbies.

Students will build their confidence by speaking about their skills and accomplishments.

They will also have a chance to further their knowledge of the connections between personal

interests, skills, and the world of work through an adult interview where they will practice

their communication skills.

Outcomes

Students will:

> Explore transferrable skills (employability skills).

> Make connections between their current interests, skills and the world of work.

> Practice discussing their own strengths, abilities, and accomplishments.

> Practice interviewing skills with an adult.

WOW phase

“My connection to the world of work”




the world Career

engagement in


of work connections

careers learning

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓




“What exactly are you saying?”

Students will develop and practice

skills in the three different forms

of communication: what you say

(words), how you say it (tone) and

what you do (body language).

> Students analyse pictures of people

communicating different non-verbal messages.

Students describe the message being

communicated and justify why they drew those

conclusions.

> As a class, view and explore statistics relating to

communication.

> In groups, students demonstrate their

understanding of the impact of different

approached to communication.

> Students reflect on a time when they used

communication effectively.

60 minutes

Key words:

Comfort zone, communication,

curiosity, extrovert, grit,

interpersonal, introvert, optimism,

self-control, social intelligence,

positive, effort, zest

Resources:

Communication Pie-Chart display

Computers with internet access

Fake it ‘til you make it!

Students will apply their

understanding of non-verbal and

verbal communication to their own

interactions with others.

> Students use their knowledge and understanding

of non-verbal communication to label a

diagram explaining how to communicate in a

positive manner using the three elements of

communication.

> Student explore the potential outcomes

of using positive communication.

> Students practice ‘the handshake’.

> Students apply their understanding of positive

communication by creating a short comic.

120 minutes (or 2x 60 minutes)

Resources:

Human body diagram

Video: “Fake it till you make it!”

Phone/tablet with a camera

and film editing app

MODULE 4 – COMMUNICATION FOR SUCCESS

Module Overview

MODULE 4 – COMMUNICATION FOR SUCCESS

Lesson Overview

Module focus

One of the key employability skills that students use daily, and can immediately benefit

from improving, is communication. The activities in this module guide students through

an exploration of the different forms of communication and how they can effectively use

communication skills in their daily lives and in the world of work.

Outcomes

Students will:

> Explore different elements that make up communication.

> Make connections between positive communication and positive outcomes.

> Gain tangible positive communication skills.

> Apply their positive communication skills in an interview situation and in a networking

situation (Linked to Careers Conversation Component of WOW).

WOW phase





the world Career

engagement in


of work connections

careers learning

✓ ✓ ✓




Industry profiling

Students will use a local data set

to establish growth industries in

their area and decide whom to

engage for the networking event.

> Using local area data, students interpret local

employment and industry data with the purpose of

establishing growth/high employment industries.

> Consult industry profiles to determine jobs

available in each industry.

> Locate businesses and professionals within their

communities from the largest growth industries

to create a wish list of invitees

for the Networking event.

60 minutes

Key Words:

Industry, trend, growth, network,

community, local, employment,

employer

Resources:


Pre-event planning and

communication

Students will use transferrable

skills to engage local employers to

participate in a networking event.

> Discuss the concept of networking in the world

of work by relating it to the personal networks of

each student.

> Using the list compiled in the Industry

Profiling activity, decide as a class whom

to invite to the event

> As a class, discuss the various mediums through

which communication is accomplished and

establish an appropriate medium to invite local

professionals to the Networking event.

> Draft and finalize invitations to an in-school WOW

Networking Event.

> Distribute invitations from class.

60 minutes

Key Words:

Networking, planning, profiling,

transferrable skills, local,

employment, employer

Resources:

Computers

School letterhead for invitations

Networking event

Students will connect to local

employers in a meaningful

way, providing them with an

opportunity to practice real-

world networking skills and

develop greater understanding

of how their skills and interests

connect to the world of work.

> The session should start with

an icebreaker game.

> Ask employers to briefly introduce themselves

and where they’re from.

> Give an overview of how the networking session

will run. Describe the activity

for the session.

> Allow the session to run. Monitor engagement of

students. Set mini-goals (i.e. ask at least three

questions of your mentors throughout

the session).

> The event ends with a mini-debrief where

students can reflect on their learnings

throughout the session and visitors can

acknowledge the achievements of the students

(see Teachers’ Notes for debrief guidelines).

90 minutes

Resources:

Room for event

Food for event

MODULE 5 – IN SCHOOL NETWORKING EVENT

Module Overview

MODULE 5 – IN SCHOOL NETWORKING EVENT

Lesson Overview

Module focus

An essential part of the of the WOW program, the Networking Event and associated activities

provide students with a number of opportunities to apply key employability skills in real-world

situations. They will also deepen their understanding of how their personal skills and interests

can be applied to the world of work. By utilizing local industry data to develop their list of event

invitees, students will gain unique insight into the future world of work in their area.

Outcomes

Students will:

> Practice real-world networking skills.

> Gain understanding of how their personal skills and interests can be applied to the world of work.

> Reflect on learning after the networking session in a follow up activity.

WOW phase





the world Career

engagement in


of work connections

careers learning

✓ ✓ ✓


In-class activities: 2x 60 minutes

Networking Event: 90 minutes



Time: 30 minutes

Purpose: Students will begin to consider some of the questions explored in the WOW modules and watch

a video overviewing the program.

Rationale: The world of work may still seem very far off to many students. This activity helps students

think about why it is important to begin discussing this topic now and helps them to brainstorm

questions they would like to have answered over the course of the program. By brainstorming

questions, students take greater ownership of the learning process.

LESSON 1:

Activity

sequence:

Print copies of The World of What? question prompters and display them around the room.

Break students into groups of three to four and allow them to brainstorm and note down their

questions about The World of What? prompts.

Once groups have had a chance to brainstorm questions, report back on their answers to the

class. When necessary, ask students to expand on their answers and take advantage of any

opportunity for further discussion of answers as a class.

Then, as a class, watch the WOW Introduction video.

Take time after the video to answer any questions students may have.

Introduce the WOW inquiry question and project work

In groups, students attempt to figure out the word jumble of the question:


Inform students that while engaged in the WOW program, they will be exploring this question

through the different activities of WOW, and at the end of the program will be presenting their

response to the question.


wow.fya.org.au 31

Lesson

activity 1:

Students will be prompted on the WOW Website with the following:

After the class activity, spend some time thinking about and responding to these questions…

What do you know about the World of Work?

Note down three things that you think of when someone mentions ‘work’:

Why is the World of Work something worth focusing on for you?

(given that its not happening for you, like, tomorrow…)

What’s the big question you’re exploring throughout the WOW program?

How to engage

parents in this

lesson:

Information about the program for parents is available to print from the ‘For Teachers’ section

of the WOW website. There is also a ‘For Parents’ section on the WOW website: wow.fya.org.au

Students could use the questions from The World of What? activity to start a conversation with

their parents about the world of work.

Resources

you’ll need:

> Student Workbook

> The World of What? question prompter print-outs

> Computer with projector to display the WOW orientation video

> “What does it take to succeed in life and work” jumbled words



Time: 120 minutes

Purpose: Students explore their own personality traits through an online Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Rationale: Personality tests, like Myers-Briggs, allow students to reflect on how they think, learn, and work

best and potentially give students insight into what career choices may be most appealing for them.

ACTIVITY SEQUENCE:

LESSON 2:

The ‘Hook’

activity:

This first activity will encourage students to begin to think about personality types,

and how they can be understood in relation to individuals who possess them.

> Print the personality descriptors before class, and cut them up or give the class some

time to do so.

> At the start of the lesson, ask students to identify 10 ‘famous people’ that they know, for

example, sports stars, movie stars, singers, musicians, artists, politicians etc. Then, find

images of those people online (use the ‘images’ search function on any search engine).

> Print, or project each image so that all students can see it (printing and sticking it up onto

the wall is preferable).

> Explain to students that their challenge is to attach a personality descriptor they believe

applies to each individual they’ve identified.

> Engage in a discussion as to why each student attributed each description to the pictured

person: i.e. “You’ve attached “caring” to Mother Teresa: what is it about that person and their

actions that made you do that?”

> Watch the Lesson One WOW video: “Who Am I?”

The Inquiry

Question for

this lesson:

In this lesson, students should be encouraged to explore the following question,

and be facilitated to set themselves one or two inquiry questions that stem from it:

Who am I?

Spend some class time ‘pulling apart’ the inquiry question, and coming up with some more

specific questions that feed into the main question.

Some ideas for questions or investigation starters:

> What do I like? Why?

> What don’t I like? Why?

> What am I interested in?

> What are some words I would use to describe my personality?

By answering these questions, students find a purpose for themselves, and a frame for what

sort of questions to ask so it connects back to the question:



The lesson

activities:

Lesson

activity 1:

Before you deliver this lesson:

As the facilitator of this activity, you’re encouraged to complete the test yourself before you

ask your students to do so. It’ll help you to better gauge your class’s progress, and you’ll also

be able to have a really robust discussion about individual results once they’re discovered.

It could also provide a good basis upon which to facilitate a meaningful discussion about

the pros and cons of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test.

Note, also that the Lesson page contains a direct quote from the website administrator

on the accuracy of results of personality tests taken by young people- this is worth highlighting

and spending some time on as well.

Watch the WOW video as an introduction to the lesson’s activity.

Students will be prompted on the WOW website with the following:

> This lesson will explore different personality types, and you’ll also get a chance to find

out what yours is!

> Watch the video, then you can start on the exploration of your own personality type.

After the video, engage in a class or group discussion — you could cover the following points:

> Ask students if they have ever taken a personality test before.

> Recount your experience with personality tests.

> Ask students what they believe the benefits of taking a personality test could be for their life

and for their future work.

Overview of key vocabulary is important at this stage. Introvert and extrovert are typically

the two words with which students struggle, but you could go through the test ahead of time

to identify other words that could be potentially confusing for your students.

Thinking critically about personality tests

Before undertaking the personality test, students could engage in some critical thinking about

the effectiveness of this type of evaluation.


Your challenge for this lesson is to complete a personality test and then spend some time

reading and understanding the personality type description that matches your responses.

Before you get started though- have a quick discussion (in pairs, groups or as a class)

about the following:

The creators of the website said the following:

“Just please bear in mind that our personality types tend to only settle down when we are around 20

years old or so (depending on the environment) – younger test takers may find that their type changes

after a few years. These type descriptions are more like guidelines than specific recommendations.”

Why do you think they said that?

Then, in dot points, submit some of the ideas that came up in your discussion.

Lesson

activity 2:

Lesson

activity 3:

What’s my type?

> http://www.16personalities.com/ is a great resource for experiencing a simple Personality

Test and investigating their purpose — it’s the one that was chosen for this lesson, and there’s

a link to it on the Lesson One student page.

> The test will take approximately 15 minutes.

> You might want to spend some time identifying vocabulary that your students may be unfamiliar

with, and clarifying their understanding so that they can answer each question accurately.

Students engage in personal reflection about their indicated personality type.

Before you embark on a class discussion, ask students to reflect on expectations for class

discussion…things they think are important when speaking in a small and large group…maybe

a quick discussion about student’s thoughts is worth having before embarking on the activity?

You could even facilitate a group discussion and decision about a set agreements that will

set the tone for all discussions during all WOW lessons. Ensure that students are invited to

collaborate and make suggestions! You could even give the responsibility for publishing and

displaying the agreements to a group of students.

Space has been provided on the Students’ WOW Profile to submit their personality test results.

Personality types and work

You may want to model how to complete this activity by doing it once together as a class,

so that students can be clear about what they’re required to do.


Go to Student Edge Careers and watch or read about one of the featured careers.

You might like to choose a career that would suit the personality type that you are.

Then, answer the questions:

> Describe the career – Include the job and the main tasks involved.

> What personality type do you think would suit the career you investigated? Name three

reasons for your response.

Find an adult or older person, and get them to take the Personality Test. Is their personality type

accurate? Is their suggested career close to their actual career? Note down your responses here.


http://www.16personalities.com/

wow.fya.org.au 37

Reflection

activity:


Spend some time reflecting on the following questions and then submit your response in the box.

> How can career personality tests, like the one you just completed, be useful in finding a career?

> Some people say that these types of test aren’t useful. Why would they say that?

> Is one personality type better than another? Why or why not?

> Is it better for a business (or class) to have multiple personality types, or only a few? Why?

> How does your personality type impact your life now? i.e. in your ‘career’ as a student,

in your activities outside of school, as a member of your family?

Project work: Discuss the project with students and give them an opportunity to make a start.

For tips about this, refer to the ‘project based learning’ section of the Teacher Toolkit.

How to engage

parents in this

lesson:

Students are asked to find an adult or older person, and get them to take the Personality Test.

They are asked to respond to the following on their WOW profile or in their workbook:

> Is their personality type accurate?

> Is their suggested career close to their actual career?

Resources

you’ll need:

Personality descriptors/print out

Blue-tac/tape

Scissors

Computers with internet access (or student workbook if not available)



Time: 120 minutes

Purpose: Students assess their strengths and weaknesses for seven success indicators and engage

in an ongoing activity that encourages continued reflection upon the character traits in order

to facilitate further growth.

Rationale: Many students view their potential success in school and at work as being dependent upon

their intelligence, which they sometimes view as a fixed capacity. Research shows, however,

that success is dependent upon many more factors that may be developed over time. This

activity introduces students to the major traits that determine success and an on-going activity

that encourages reflection to facilitate growth of these character traits.

ACTIVITY SEQUENCE:

LESSON 3:

The ‘Hook’

activity:

Set up a class discussion about Character Strengths – You could try doing it this way:

> Challenge students to consider who they think would be more successful: an ‘intelligent’

person or a ‘gritty’ person.

> Demonstrate students’ views: those who choose ‘gritty’ go to one side of the classroom

and those who choose ‘intelligent’ go to the other. Give each side a piece of butcher’s paper

to compile the reasons for their choices and then have them present it to the class.

N.B: Research shows grittier individuals tend to be more successful in school and in the world of work.

> Explain that researchers have found seven character traits that successful people

have in common.

> Introduce students to the seven key-to-success traits. Emphasize that these traits are not

fixed, so students should not feel discouraged if there are some characteristics they need

to develop (something you should repeat throughout this activity).

*Want to know more about the research referred to here? It’s really compelling!

Watch this 6 minute presentation for more of an insight:

https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit

One of the key sources of research that is used in Character Lab, is Dr. Carol Dweck’s work

on Growth Mindset, which asserts that through hard work and practice, we can get smarter.

To learn more about Growth Mindset, please visit www.characterlab.org/growth-mindset/


http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit

http://www.characterlab.org/growth-mindset/

The Inquiry

Question for

this lesson:

Lesson

activity 1:

This lesson, students will explore their understanding of and around the inquiry question:

How can character strengths help me to succeed in life and work?

Allow students some time to formulate some smaller questions that will help them come to an

eventual conclusion.

Some ideas for investigation starters:

> What is a character strength?

> Where can I find out about character strengths?

> How can I assess if I have these character strengths?

It is hoped that by breaking the lesson’s inquiry question down into smaller, more ‘answerable’

questions, students will be better equipped to formulate their response to the main inquiry question

for the lesson- which will in turn inform their thoughts about “what it takes to succeed in life and work.

What do I want to know?

This activity gives students an opportunity to gain greater understanding of the seven

character strengths. Form students into seven groups, and ask each group to choose which

character trait they are going to investigate.


It’s just a guess, but there might just be some things that you don’t know about Character Traits…

Now’s your chance to note down what you’re curious about… what do you want to know

about Character Traits and how they can contribute to your success in life and work?

In the spaces below, type in your burning questions!

These will be the questions that will help you to form groups for the next activity.

What do you want to know about Character Traits?

What else?

Surely you are wondering about something else?

What else would you like to find out?

One more thing you’d like to find out about Character Traits:

Lesson

activity 2:

Lesson

activity 3:

Exploring Strengths, Skills and Mindsets

Students engage in research about the seven character traits of successful people.


So, what are these Character Traits and how can they help me to be successful??

After forming investigation groups, use the links to get to Character Lab, find the Character

Trait you’re investigating, and watch the video if there is one.

Use the video and the other written information on the website to assist you to answer

your questions with your team.

Use this technique to help you with your investigation:

TOP and TAIL

At the TOP of your investigation – Explain the meaning of your Character Trait. At the TAIL

of your investigation – How can this strength help us to be successful in life and work?

Then, add three or more key pieces of information about the Character Trait that you’re

researching in between the Top and Tail.

Once you’ve answered those questions and explored your chosen Character Trait a bit

more, work with your team on how to clearly present your group’s findings back to the

class. You may like to add some visuals to your presentation using butcher’s paper, a white

board, PowToon or Prezi.

Present to your class. At the end ask your class if they have any questions, and answer

them if you can, or write down the question for further investigation later. Once you’ve

presented, upload the audio-visual file (like your PowerPoint or a photo of your poster if

you made one) in the activity below.

Show what you know!

This activity takes students a step further, challenging them to demonstrate the character trait

they researched in action.


In the same groups as before, you’re going to plan a short skit where you compare two different

approaches to the same situation. Use the Character Trait you investigated before.

Choose a scene that you would like to act out twice.

In the first version of your scene, there is no evidence of the Character Trait.

In the second version of the scene, act out the same situation, except this time the Character

Trait is front-and-centre.

For example: act out a scene where a student is looking for a part-time job, but can’t find

anything that interests them. Demonstrate what that person would do if they have not

developed the Character Trait you are exploring. Now, replay the scene, except this time

the person has developed the Character Trait… what’s the difference in the outcome?

For some added fun, film your skit, edit it and submit it to your WOW profile!


Reflection

activity:

Reflection can be done through the Character Growth Assessment.

> It may help students to read through the assessment as a class prior to beginning and to

ask students to give personal examples for the indicators listed. For example, ask students

to give an example of a time they kept working hard even when they felt like quitting (an

indicator for the trait ‘grit’).

> In order for this activity to be successful, there are a couple important things to

emphasize to students:

- Be honest! Let students know that they will not be evaluated on their responses,

so they should feel comfortable being as honest as possible in their answers.

- Note that all of these are traits that can be improved, so they should not feel

discouraged if there are areas where they need to improve.

Students can complete the Character Growth Assessment on the WOW website.


This activity gives you a chance to rate yourself on each of the Character Traits, note where

your strengths lie, and where you need to work on things a bit.

Project work: Project work is where students can personalise their exploration of the question “What does

it take to succeed in life and work?”. This is the bit that will individualise their final presentation

at the end of the unit.

Students will use the Weekly Character Growth Reflection Sheets to identify, practice

and reflect on the development of their own strengths.

> Look over the Character Growth Weekly Reflection forms with students and explain

to them that for the next several weeks while WOW is running, (or however long you decide

to complete this activity with your students), they will be completing these reflections.

> Engage in a discussion with your students about why this is a useful tool and why

it is important to complete these forms as thoughtfully and fully as possible.

> Students may struggle to come up with personal examples, so it will be helpful to go

through and give your own examples and to ask students if they can give examples as well.

> If students feel comfortable, you may have weekly reflection discussions where students

share some of their reflections with everyone in the class. This will help to reinforce the

importance of this activity to students and will help them to come up with a richer variety

of examples from their own lives.

Some pointers:

> Be honest and have fun!

> And don’t freak out if you give yourself some low ratings – this is a good thing. It means that

you are mature enough to recognise where you need improvement, and gives you something

to focus on for your own personal development.

If you’re having trouble understanding the activity, ask your teacher to go through it with you.

How to engage

parents in this

lesson:

Resources

you’ll need:

> Ask students to take their Character Growth Report Card home to show and discuss

with their parents.

> Students ask their parents if they can help think of other examples from the week

when they have noticed their child displaying these traits.

> Computer with internet access (or student workbook if not available)

> Projector and speakers


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