Careers with Form and Function

Summary

• Students will make connections between career profiles and the skills and content they are learning in science class
• Students will analyze and look for similarities among a variety of different career profiles
• Students will recognize the importance of the many different kinds of careers that are involved in designing and building structures and devices
• Students will reflect on their own career interests and goals

Setting the Stage

In science class, students explore how the form of an object depends on its function. Many students may enjoy applying these concepts by designing and building structures. Students may not be aware that many of these skills and experiences are directly relevant to a variety of career paths. Learning about a wide range of careers that relate to form and function helps students understand the many factors and roles that go into designing and building structures and devices. Exploring personal profiles may help students think about their own career options and make connections between what they are learning in class and the real world.

In this lesson, students will think about what kinds of careers connect with the form and function concepts they are studying in science class. Next, students will explore a variety of personal profiles of people working in these careers. Finally, students will consolidate their learning through a small group activity and class discussion.

This is lesson 3 of 3 in a set that can be used sequentially or as standalone lessons. The suggested sequence for completing these lessons is:

1. Form, Function and Ergonomics in Our Lives
2. Innovating with Form and Function
3. Careers with Form and Function 

Materials & Preparation

• Computers or tablets with internet access (1 per student)
• Internet access to view profiles from the Let’s Talk Science career exploration page
• Form and Function Career Profile Note Catcher Reproducible (1 per student) [Google doc] [Word Doc] [PDF] - provide as a paper or e-copy
• Key Ideas Round Robin - Careers with Form and Function Reproducible (1 per student) [Google doc] [Word Doc] [PDF] - provide as a paper or e-copy
• Form and Function Career Profile List Reproducible (1 per student or small group) [Google doc] [Word Doc] [PDF] - provide as e-copy
  • Note: This reproducible includes both text and video profiles. The video profiles may be more suitable for younger students or those with developing reading skills.

What To Do

Part 1: Exploring Careers 

• Note: Students should be introduced to the concepts of form and function before completing this lesson. This could be accomplished with the Form, Function and Ergonomics in Our Lives and/or the Innovating with Form and Function lesson from Let’s Talk Science or other learning activities. 

• Teachers could begin the lesson by asking students to brainstorm some careers that involve the concepts of form and function. To clarify, teachers could tell students that these careers often involve designing or building structures or objects. Teachers could record a list of student ideas. Potential ideas might include engineers, designers, architects, or builders. 
• Teachers could tell students that they are going to learn about people who work in careers that involve some of the same skills and knowledge that students are learning about in science class. People in these careers consider how to best build objects or structures to accomplish particular functions. Students who really enjoy the skills and content from this unit may want to consider eventually pursuing some of these careers. 
• Teachers could provide students with the Form and Function Career Profile Note Catcher reproducible and the Form and Function Career Profile List reproducible. Teachers could explain that students will choose several profiles of interest from the Form and Function Career Profile List reproducible. Students will read their selected profiles and record their notes on the Form and Function Career Profile Note Catcher reproducible. Teachers could model this process for one of the careers. 
• Students could complete the Form and Function Career Profile Note Catcher individually or in small groups. 

Part 2: Reflecting

• Once students have explored several profiles, teachers could have them consolidate their learning using the Key Ideas Round Robin learning strategy. Teachers could provide students with the Key Ideas Round Robin - Careers with Form and Function reproducible. Students could use this learning strategy to discuss what they’ve learned about careers involving form and function.
• Individually students are to list up to four ideas that they learned by reading the career profiles. Teachers could encourage students to think about what these profiles have in common, how these careers help people, or how these careers relate to form and function. Students are encouraged to refer to specific examples from the career profiles they explored. 
  • After they have listed their ideas, students are to share their ideas with a partner. After they have shared and discussed, the pairs are to record two ideas that they both agree with.
  • Next each set of partners will join with another to form quads. In each quad, students are to share and discuss their two ideas. In each quad, students are to select one idea that they all agree is important. 
  • Teachers could ask one member from each quad to share their quad’s key idea with the class. Teachers could lead a class discussion to explore or clarify the ideas that are raised. 

• Teachers could lead a whole class discussion by asking students some of the following questions. 
  • What did many of these careers have in common? 
  • What surprised you when learning about these careers? Were there any that you hadn’t thought of or heard of before?
  • What are some of the skills required for the careers you explored? 
  • How might the concepts and skills we are learning in class be useful in one of these careers?
  • Are you interested in pursuing any of these careers? Why or why not?