Education Standards
Job Shadow Day Rubric
Job Shadow Verification Form sample
Job Shadow Day Experience
Overview
This lesson is for high school students (usually sophomores-seniors). It can be adapted for middle school.
Each student participates in a Job Shadow Day experience. This was originally adapted from the National Groundhog Job Shadow Day. Job Shadow experiences provide students with real-life experiences at jobs that match their career interests. The day can be ½ day or full day, depending on school policy, distance to travel, transportation to and from and other logistics for the students to attend.
Job Shadow Day Experience
The teacher will need to create their own Employer Contact form and Verification form. Use Google Classroom to assign websites and letter templates for the thank you letters. It is also a good way to communicate with students.
Parent permission letters need to be sent out and returned before the Job Shadow experience occurs.
Attached to the lesson are samples of the Employer Contact Sheet, Job Shadow Verification form and Job Shadow Rubric (with Wyoming Career-Vocational Standards).
Job Shadow Day Experience
Lesson/Unit Topic: Job Shadow Day Experience
Subject: Careers, CTE classes, School Counseling Career Lessons
Author: Loyce Ellingrod
Lesson Description: This lesson is for high school students (usually sophomores-seniors). It can be adapted for middle school.
Each student participates in a Job Shadow Day experience. This was originally adapted from the National Groundhog Job Shadow Day. Job Shadow experiences provide students with real-life experiences at jobs that match their career interests. The day can be ½ day or full day, depending on school policy, distance to travel, transportation to and from and other logistics for the students to attend.
Learning goals/outcomes:
Students will participate in 1 Job Shadow during the school year.
Students will complete 1 or more Career Interest Inventories and summarize their results.
Students will write an essay describing their job shadow experience.
Students will have the employer complete a Job Shadow Verification form at their experience.
Students will type up a professional thank you letter and submit it to the teacher to be mailed to the employer.
I Can Statement: I can participate and evaluate a Job Shadow Day experience.
Wyoming Standards:
CV. 12.1.1 College and career-ready students evaluate current knowledge and interests in order to set career goals.
CV 12.1.2 College and career-ready students explore careers including outlook, salary, education or training needed, duties and lifestyle utilizing all available resources including mentors and industry experts.
CV 12.4.1 College and career-ready students produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
CV 12.5.2 College and career-ready students productively complete tasks taking constraints, priorities and resources into account.
Teacher Planning:
- Equipment/materials needed:
Computer, Google Classroom, websites for career interest inventories; employer contacts (Chamber of Commerce is a good resource for lists)
- Time required for lesson: 2-3 days
Technology Use: ___X___Yes ______No
Instructional Plan:
- Introduction: Ask the students:
What job are you thinking about right now? Have you ever visited a job site to see what that job does each day?
- Real-World Connection: This experience links students to industry experts and helps them find out the job outlook, salary, education or training needed, duties and lifestyle for the job they are interested in at this time.
- Activities:
Activity 1: Explain the step-to-step process to complete this experience.
Step 1: Google Classroom- complete 2 or more Career Interest Inventory. Websites will be linked. When completed-summarize the top 3 areas of interest and 3 for each. Select the top 2 for this experience. Submit the summary and choices into Google Classroom for the teacher/counselor to review.
**Teachers/counselors can decide who is contacting potential employers for these jobs. Choose one from each student’s list based on employer availability, restrictions at job site and logistics of transportation. (We help the student set these up since they have limited time during the school day to be on the phone. We also help with the transportation plans. For younger students we will provide the transportation; older students can be responsible for their own transportation in most cases.)
Websites:
Step 2: Complete Employer Contact Sheet to set up date, time, lunch plans, dress and expectations. Some employers require permission forms signed before a student can ride-along or be in the office with clients. Give students Job Shadow Verification forms to have completed by the employer. Letters are mailed to parents about the Job Shadow Day and need signed for permission to attend.
Step 3: Student attends the Job Shadow Day. Student gets the Job Shadow Verification form signed and returned to the teacher when they return back at school.
Step 4. Google Classroom-assign an essay explaining what they did on their job shadow-this is a reflection papaer. Students will also be assigned to type a professional thank you letter. (Provide a template for the letter.) Review the assignment with the student. Corrections can be made in Google Classroom for suggesting edits for the student to make corrections on the letter before it is printed and signed.
Step 6: Complete the Job Shadow Day Experience rubric; hand in for the teacher to review and evaluate the experience for a grade (if applicable).
Step 5: Mail the thank you letters to employers (teacher does this)
Assessment: Rubric for the Job Shadow Day Experience.
Supplemental Information:
- Modifications: These depend on logistics for the school-distance, age of students, employers that are willing to participate, time of year etc. Older students like full day experiences where middle school students may do better with ½ days.
- Safety Precautions: Transportation to and from experience must be planned according to school’s policy and distance; Employers need to be legit for a student to visit and safety is an issue for certain jobs (police, firefighter, EMS for examples). Parent permission and correct forms need to be signed before hand.
Attribution CC BY