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Day 4: Emerging Tech Research — AI, Cloud, Data Science

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Research one emerging IT career; complete the Emerging Tech Research Template; identify why the career is "emerging" and what makes it grow
TEKS d(1)(C), d(1)(D)
Deliverable Completed Emerging Tech Research Template
Materials Chromebooks, BLS Computer/IT pages, H&L Hat Finder, printed Emerging Tech Research Template, projector

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: Name one technology you use today that did NOT exist when your parents were in middle school. (Hint: smartphones, video calls, streaming, social media, AI chatbots, etc.)

Quick share. Bridge: "Every one of those technologies created NEW jobs that didn't exist 20 years ago. Today you research one of those new jobs."

Activity 1: Choose an Emerging IT Career (5 min)

The TEKS standard d(1)(D) requires students to research and evaluate emerging occupations, careers that are brand new or growing very fast. Project the list of 7 emerging IT career options:

  1. AI Engineer: Builds artificial intelligence systems and trains machine learning models.
  2. Machine Learning Specialist: Teaches computers to learn from data without explicit programming.
  3. Cloud Architect: Designs cloud-based systems (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
  4. Cybersecurity Analyst: Detects and responds to cyber threats. (Wk5 will go deeper here.)
  5. Data Scientist: Analyzes large amounts of data to find patterns and make predictions.
  6. UX Designer: Designs how users experience digital products (apps, websites, software).
  7. Drone Software Developer: Programs drones for delivery, inspection, mapping, agriculture.

Each student picks ONE career to research. Avoid duplicates within table groups so the class hears about more careers in the Day 5 mini-presentations.

Activity 2: Research Using BLS + H&L + Web (35 min)

Students research their chosen career using THREE sources:

  1. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm. Find the entry for their career (some are listed under "Computer and Information Research Scientists" for AI/ML).
  2. H&L Hat Finder: Search the H&L app for their career and pull DFW data if available.
  3. Google search: Find at least one DFW-area company that hires for this role.

Students complete the Emerging Tech Research Template (one row per field):

Field Student Notes
Career Name
What does this person do? (3-5 sentences)
Education needed (degree, certification, or both?)
Median salary (BLS)
Job growth rate (BLS)
Why is this considered "emerging"?
One DFW company that hires for this role

Walk the room and check that students are using all 3 sources, not just Google. Stop students who are scrolling without writing.

Facilitation Tip

Some emerging careers (especially AI Engineer and Drone Software Developer) are not yet listed as standalone careers on BLS. In those cases, direct students to "Software Developers" or "Computer and Information Research Scientists" as the closest match, and explicitly note in their template that the BLS doesn't yet have a unique entry, which is itself proof the career is emerging.

DOK 4: Based on your research, what argument would you make for or against a 7th grader pursuing this emerging career instead of a more traditional IT career like Network Administrator? Use salary, growth, and education data to support your argument.

Exit Ticket (5 min)

EXIT TICKET (Comparison Matrix) · Printable PDF:

Compare YOUR emerging IT career (from today) to a traditional IT career (pick ONE from Wks 1-3: Software Developer, Web Developer, Network Administrator, or Database Administrator).

My emerging career: ________ Traditional career: ________
What does this person DO? (one phrase)
Median salary (BLS)
Job growth rate (BLS)
Why did this career exist 20 years ago? Yes / No Yes / No

Bottom line: Which of the two careers is growing FASTER right now? Use the growth rates from your matrix to back up your answer in one sentence. (d(1)(C), d(1)(D))

Differentiation

  • Support: Provide a pre-approved list of 4 emerging careers with starter research links (BLS pages already bookmarked) for students who need direction. Pre-fill the "Career Name" field for them.
  • Extension: Students research a SECOND emerging career and compare them on salary, growth, and education. Which is the better bet for someone starting their career today?
  • ELL: Bilingual emerging career names: Inteligencia Artificial = AI, Aprendizaje automático = Machine Learning, Nube = Cloud, Ciberseguridad = Cybersecurity, Ciencia de datos = Data Science. Allow ELL students to research using Spanish-language tech sites.