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Specialized Work WebQuest

 
 

Essential Understandings:
  • People do specialized work in a community.
  • People are interdependent in a community.
Assessed Understanding:
  • Economics 4.6: Give examples of specialized work that people do in a community.
Technology Outcomes:
  • Students will employ technology tools to locate, evaluate and collect information form a variety of sources.

    •  
  • Students will design, develop, publish, and present products using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside the classroom.
Student Outcomes:
  • Students will complete a web about different jobs in a community.
  • Students will locate and record information about a job in a community.
  • Students will use the gathered information to write a job description.
  • Students will create a slide to be included in a class slide show to inform others about specialized work in a community.
  • Students will create a diagram to show how people in a community are interdependent.

 Introduction | Overview | Task #1| Resources

Task #2| Task #3 | Task #4 | Evaluation | Teacher Notes

 


Introduction
We have been learning about economic resources in your county.  Now we will learn how people in your county do specialized work and how they are interdependent.  Imagine that you are employed by an employment agency which helps businesses find workers (employees).  You have been asked to write job descriptions for important jobs that are needed in your county.

Overview
In this webquest, you will complete five tasks.  You will brainstorm with your class about different jobs in a community.  You will research to find out about different jobs that people do in a community.  Next, you will write a description for a job available in your county.  Then, you will contribute to a class slide show to share your information.  Finally, you will create an interdependence web to show how the people in your community depend on the goods and services that workers provide.
 
 



 






Task #1: Brainstorm with your class about different jobs in a community.  In a program such as Kidspiration or Inspiration, create a web with 6 subtopics.  Enter a job in each of the subtopics.

Think about:

Task #2: Working with a partner, you will gather information about the job or jobs you have chosen to research.  From your web in Task #1, select one or two jobs to research.  You may access web sites below on one computer and use your partner's computer to record the information in Kidspiration or on a graphic organizer.

To begin, let's examine a sample ad to see what kinds of information is included in a job description.
 

Nurse: Responsibilities include taking care of sick and injured people, 
helping people stay well, giving people medicine, examining patients, giving
patients medicine, dressing wounds, providing bedside care, helping doctors. 
Required skills and Qualifications: physically able to walk and stand a lot, 
able to cope with stress, need to work flexible hours, need to be caring and 
sensitive. Education: Graduate of Nursing School (4-5 year program)
Salary:  $34,000-$49,000 Benefits:  Flexible work schedule, available day care, payment for further education classes
Now, in a program such as Kidspiration or Inspiration, create a web of the categories of information needed to write a job description.  See the categories in red in the sample ad above. Save your work.  You will now gather information from websites below and record on the web you just created.

Resources:
 

Jobs for Kids who like...
Occupations
Music/Arts Photographer, Archivist & Curator, Dancer, Cartoonist, Disc Jockey, Rock Star
Math Engineer, mechanic, Computer Scientist, Architect, Cashier, Accountant
Science Doctor, Pharmacist, Chemist, Nurse, Pilot, Computer Repairer
Physical Education/Outdoors Carpenter, Recreational Therapist, Professional Athlete, Surveyor, Zoo Keeper
Social Studies Lawyer, Police Officer, Real Estate Agent, Urban Planner, Clergy
Reading  Reporter, Teacher, Librarian, Secretary, Writer
Careers in Transportation Trucker, Bus Driver, Chauffeur, Material Moving Equipment Operator,
Pilot, Ship Captain
NASA Astronaut
Additional Electronic Resources
See the bottom of this page for print resources.


 






Task #3: Remember, you are  working for an employment agency which helps businesses find workers (employees).   The project you are working on is to write job descriptions for important jobs that are needed in your county.  Use the information that you have gathered to write a job description for the occupation chosen.  Include as much information as you can that will help readers decide if that is a job in which they would be interested.

Model Sentence Starters:

Responsibilities include...
Required skills or qualifications are...
Education required...
Salary offered is...
Benefits offered...
Extension Activity
Contribute to a class "Yellow Pages" in which each student places an ad describing a job he or she is willing to do for classmates.  When a student needs help, he or she can refer to the ads to find help from a classmate.
 

Sample entries:
 

  • Jana L. is very good at writing answers to questions.
  • Juan R. is a very good speller.
  • Tomas B. is good at working with fractions.
  • Melody R. is good at using the drawing tools of KidPix.
  • Jim M. is good at dribbling a basketball.

 
 
 


 






Task #4: Create a slide to be included in a class slide show to inform others about the different jobs that people do in a community. This show may be shared with other classes in your school.  Your slide should include information about the job, whether this worker produces goods or services, and graphic elements such as drawings and stamps.
 
 



Rubric for Slide
2 Writing includes at least 5:
  • Responsibilities
  • Required skills or qualifications
  • Education required
  • Salary 
  • Benefits
  • Whether this worker produces goods or services


Graphic Elements include:

  • Drawings
  • Stamps/Stickers/Clipart
1 Writing includes at least 3:
  • Responsibilities
  • Required skills or qualifications
  • Education required
  • Salary 
  • Benefits
  • Whether this worker produces goods or services


Graphic Elements Include

  • Drawings or Stamps/Stickers
0 Does not meet criteria


 






Evaluation/Thoughtful Application

Task  #5: Now that you have learned about specific jobs in the community, you are ready to describe how these jobs are connected to each of us.  Create a diagram to show how people in a community are interdependent.   A software application such as Kidspiration may be used for this activity. Next, working with your partner, remove one of the jobs in the diagram.  Discuss what impact that would have on the rest of the community.

Extension Activity
For whole group discussion, refer to Econ and Me Activity #37 Page 51 (the interdependence web game.)

Writing Prompt
 
 

 Last Updated 8/2002