A Lesson Plan from Life Planning Education: A Youth Development Program (Chapter One)

NOTE:  Life Planning Education (LPE) is currently being revised. The printed/for-sale version includes an older version of this lesson plan. Please make sure you have looked at the PDF of Life Planning Education before purchasing - that is the version that is available to buy. 

Purpose: To encourage the participants to recognize skills they already possess

Materials: One index card for each participant; newsprint and markers or board and chalk; masking tape; pens/pencils

Time: 30 to 45 minutes

Planning Notes:
For Step 3, write on newsprint an example of an activity and the skills necessary to accomplish it.  For example, for a bake sale at school, possible skills include creating advertising, baking things to sell, organizing a place to sell the goods, lining up volunteers, pricing goods, ensuring that workers, goods, and change are all ready on time, interacting with customers, handling money, making change, closing up the sale, clearing away, banking the money, and so on.

Procedure:

1. Say that that, often, youth are not aware of skills they already have, skills that can help them get a paying job, an internship, or a volunteer position.  Say that this activity will help everyone identify some of the skills they have to offer.  Distribute the index cards.
2. Ask the participants to imagine:
   A new company is recruiting adolescents for jobs that will begin when the company opens its new offices.  The company is not advertising these jobs.  However, next Friday at 3:00 p.m., interested adolescents can come to a particular office, bringing a list of the skills they offer.
3. Give instructions for this activity:
• When I ask, please pair off with another person.  The two of you will work together exploring the work-related skills you each have.
• On one side of your index card, describe something you have accomplished in the past six months.  For example, you may have helped your class with a bake sale.  You may have repaired a damaged bike or assisted at a sports event.  You may have done babysitting, helped a friend pick out new clothes, cut and styled a friend's hair, taught a younger brother or sister how to do something, volunteered, or worked for pay somewhere.
• Each partner will describe their accomplishment.
• Working together, brainstorm a list of skills or abilities needed to successfully complete both activities – yours and your partner’s.  List the skills for your activity on the other side of your index card.  Your partner will list the skills for their activity on the other side of their card.
4. Give an example of what participants will brainstorm, using the newsprint you have prepared.  Now ask the participants to form pairs.
5. After five minutes, remind the group that the second partner needs a turn now to describe her/his activity and both will brainstorm the skills needed for that activity.
6. After another five minutes, call Time.  Ask for volunteers to share with everyone their activities and list of skills.  As volunteers mention skills, write them on the board or newsprint.  Entitle the list Our Job Skills.
7. Conclude the activity using the discussion points below.

1. How many of you thought you had work skills before doing this activity?
2. How many of you can now list some valuable skills on a resume or job application?  How does that feel?
3. Is it easy or difficult to think of the skills that make an activity successful?
4. What kinds of jobs might match the skills you already have?
5. What other work-related skills might you need to qualify for a full-time job that appeals to you?
6. Can any of you now add to your list some skills you heard from others?