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Day 1: Health Science Cluster + CNA / LVN

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Explore the Health Science cluster and 5 pathways; complete the Hat Research template for one nursing Hat; begin the Nursing Career Ladder worksheet (CNA + LVN rows)
TEKS d(1)(B), d(1)(C)
Deliverable Hat Research template (1 nursing career) + Nursing Career Ladder worksheet with CNA and LVN rows complete
Materials Chromebooks, H&L accounts, H&L Workbook Ch 9 (pp. 138-148), printed Hat Research template, printed Nursing Career Ladder worksheet, projector

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: Name every type of healthcare worker you can think of in 60 seconds. How many did you get?

Take a quick whip-around the room. Bridge: most students will name 5-10. Health Science actually contains over 200 careers. Today the class enters one of the largest career clusters in the country.

Activity 1: H&L Health Science Cluster Tour + Making Connections (15 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 9, pp. 138-139

Open H&L and direct students to the Health Science cluster. Today is the start of a 4-week journey through Health Science (Wk 3 nursing, Wk 4 dental + medical billing, Wk 5 powerskills, Wk 6 biomedical).

Students:

  1. Watch the Health Science cluster tour video in the H&L app. Use Stop and Jot: pause twice to write down (1) one healthcare career that surprised them and (2) one question they have about the cluster.
  2. Read the workbook overview (Ch 9, p. 139) which lists the 5 pathways: Exercise Science/Wellness and Restoration, Nursing Science, Health Informatics, Diagnostic & Therapeutic Services, and Biomedical Science.
  3. Complete the "Making Connections" partner activity from the workbook: pair up and discuss for 5 minutes, "a healthcare tool or technology you've seen before, like a thermometer, an X-ray machine, or a blood pressure monitor. Why is this tool important in health science? Who might use this tool and why?"

[H&L PLATFORM] In the H&L app, click "Career Clusters" from the dashboard, scroll to "Health Science," and click the cluster tile. Watch the cluster video. Then explore the 5 pathway tiles for 5 minutes.

Facilitation Tip

The Making Connections discussion is the bridge to Day 3's micro:bit project. When students name "blood pressure monitor" or "thermometer," highlight that those tools became electronic, and someone PROGRAMMED them to work. That's the connection to the vital signs monitor build.

Activity 2: Nursing Pathway Introduction (15 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 9, p. 148, Hat Research template

Direct students to the Nursing Science pathway specifically. Introduce the concept of a career ladder:

"Nursing is not ONE career. It is a LADDER. You can start at the bottom with a CNA certification, just 4 to 12 weeks of training, and climb all the way to a Nurse Practitioner with a doctoral degree. Each step up means more education, more responsibility, and more money."

Students use the Hat Finder in the H&L app to browse 4 specific nursing Hats: CNA, LVN, RN, Nurse Practitioner. They note the education path and DFW salary for each.

Then each student completes the Hat Research template (Ch 9, p. 148) for ONE nursing career of their choice. The template fields are:

  • Name of Career
  • What Interests You?
  • Brief Job Description
  • Education/Training Needed
  • Average Salary
  • What Tools, Equipment, or Skills are Needed for This Career?

[H&L PLATFORM] In the H&L app, click "Hat Finder," filter by "Health Science" cluster and "Nursing" pathway. Click each Hat tile to see job description, education, and salary. Students pick one nursing career and complete the printed Hat Research template using the data from the app.

Activity 3: Begin the Nursing Career Ladder Worksheet (12 min)

Distribute the Nursing Career Ladder worksheet. The worksheet has 4 rows (one per level) and 5 columns:

Level Education Time to Complete DFW Salary One Daily Task

Walk students through the CNA row as a worked example on the projector:

  • Level: CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)
  • Education: State-approved CNA certification program
  • Time to Complete: 4-12 weeks
  • DFW Salary: ~$30K-$35K (BLS)
  • One Daily Task: Help patients with bathing, feeding, mobility

Students then complete the LVN row independently using H&L Hat Finder data and BLS supplements.

DOK 2: How would you describe the difference between a CNA and an LVN in terms of what they do each day?

Facilitation Tip

Some students will get stuck on the difference between LVN and LPN. Tell them: "LVN = Licensed Vocational Nurse (Texas term). LPN = Licensed Practical Nurse (other states). Same job, different name." This is a Texas-specific vocabulary item.

Exit Ticket (3 min)

EXIT TICKET (Comparison Matrix) · Printable PDF:

Compare TWO nursing career ladder levels you explored today (CNA or LVN).

CNA LVN
Training time
DFW salary (rough)
One daily task

Bottom line: A 19-year-old who needs to start earning money quickly should pick CNA or LVN? Circle one, then use one specific cell from the matrix to explain. Submit your Hat Research template with this ticket. (d(1)(B), d(1)(C))

Differentiation

  • Support: Provide a CNA-modeled Hat Research template so students see the level of detail expected. Allow voice-to-text for students who struggle with writing.
  • Extension: Students complete TWO Hat Research templates and write a 1-sentence comparison: "Career A starts you working faster, but Career B has higher pay long-term."
  • ELL: Bilingual nursing career glossary (CNA = Asistente de Enfermería Certificado, LVN = Enfermera Vocacional Licenciada, RN = Enfermera Registrada). Pre-teach: Patient = Paciente, Care = Cuidado, Hospital = Hospital.