Four easy steps to choosing and editing the right lesson plan

1. Choose the lesson plan that best meets your needs.

PROGRAM LENGTH:
The time you have for your course is your first consideration. Is it a yearlong course (180 hours), semester course (90 hours), or quarter course (45 hours)? If it is somewhere in between, it is best to choose the lesson plan that is slightly longer, so you can delete the lessons that are not as important to your instructional goals.

If you need to include a component not included covered by Career Choices (e.g., study skills) then choose the lesson plan that is slightly shorter than your timeframe. Using the spreadsheet format you can easily integrate your additional lessons.

FOCUS:
While all of the lesson plans integrate career guidance, technology, and academics, time allotments and the textbooks used will dictate at what level this is done. You’ll want to study each lesson plan to factor which one matches your own needs.

Need Help in Choosing? Contact Tanja Easson, Vice President of Curriculum Support at (800) 967-8016 or email Tanja Easson.

2. Request the appropriate lesson plan spreadsheet by e-mail.

You will need a copy of Microsoft Excel ® installed on your computer in order to access and edit these lesson plan files. If you do not have Microsoft Excel ®, you can still view and print the lesson plans through out website at by clicking here.

The lesson plan will be sent by e-mail attachment. Save the file attachment to your computer and then click the file link to launch a copy of Excel ® and open the lesson plan file for you.

You are ready to customize the document. Let’s face it, it is far easier to edit than it is to create!

3. Review your chosen lesson plan using the textbooks as your guide.

You and/or your team members should review the lessons hour by hour, referring to the appropriate textbooks as noted. (See pages 5/16 and 5/17 of your Instructor’s Guide).

As you review the recommended lessons, you’ll need to have a copy of:

• Career Choices
• Workbook & Portfolio for Career Choices
• Possibilities: A Supplemental Anthology of Career Choices
• Lifestyle Math: Your Financial Planning Portfolio
• Access to www.careerchoices.com and www.lifestylemath.com

If you don’t have these call (800) 967-8016 or visit http://exam.careerchoices.com to request a 60-day review set.

4. Now it’s time to customize it and make the lesson plan your own.

By the time you finish reviewing the complete plan, you may want to edit your lesson plan to include other curriculum components or academic goals. You may also need to shorten the timeframe.

By using Excel ®, you can easily edit your lesson plan to add or subtract hours. As you do this the first column will change to reflect the actual number of hours, you’ll know how many hours you have at any point in the editing process.

Click here to view and print directions for customizing the lesson plans (PDF)

As you edit your lesson plan remember these important points:

• Career Choices is a sequential curriculum, teaching a decision making process students will use throughout their lives. Because of this you’ll want to keep lessons/chapters in sequence.
• As you choose what to delete and replace, try not to delete the “starred” lessons in the far right margin. We consider these to be key lesson and important to the success of your program; therefore, they should be deleted only after careful consideration.
• Feel free to edit the Special Directions. Once you’ve studied the Instructor’s Guide on the pages noted, you’ll probably have your own unique ideas to add. Let your experience and your imagination go to work here. And when you find something new that works, please be sure to let us know so we can share it in our next edition of the Instructor’s Guide. (Credit given up course!)

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