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Day 2: Career Research + Salary Comparison

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Complete the H&L Hat Research template for an A&C career; compare salaries and education timelines across 3+ careers; complete Xello Education Experiences activity
TEKS d(2)(A), d(5)(E)
Deliverable Completed Hat Research template (H&L workbook) + Architecture Career Research worksheet
Materials Chromebooks, H&L accounts + workbook (Ch 3 Hat Research template, p. 47), BLS OOH, Xello accounts, printed salary comparison worksheet

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: How many years of school does it take to become a licensed architect? Write your best guess. We will check your answer today.

Take a quick show of hands for ranges (2 years? 4 years? 6+?). The answer, 5 to 7 years of professional education plus an internship and licensing exam, often surprises students who assumed it was a standard 4-year degree.

Activity 1: H&L Hat Research Template (20 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 3, p. 47, "Hat Research"

Direct students to open their H&L workbook to the Hat Research page in Chapter 3. The workbook instructs: "Go to the Hats & Ladders app and click on the Hat Finder. Explore Hats in the Architecture and Construction career cluster. Choose one Hat and fill out the information below."

Students select one A&C career that interests them and complete all fields:

  • Name of Career (e.g., Architect, Drafter, Interior Designer, Urban Planner)
  • What Interests You?: Why this career caught their attention
  • Brief Job Description: What this professional does daily
  • Education/Training Needed: Degrees, certifications, licensing
  • Average Salary: Pull DFW-specific salary from H&L career profiles
  • Tools, Equipment, or Skills Needed: CAD software, math, design thinking, etc.

After completing the Hat Research template, students should have concrete, data-backed knowledge of one A&C career. This becomes the anchor point for the salary comparison activity next.

Facilitation Tip

Circulate and check that students are pulling actual salary numbers from the H&L app rather than guessing. The localized DFW data in H&L is more relevant than national averages.

Activity 2: Salary and Education Comparison (15 min)

Source: Scope and sequence d(5)(E) requirement, compare salaries of at least 3 careers

Distribute the Architecture Career Research worksheet. Students compare at least 3 A&C careers plus 1 trades career from the 4th Six Weeks as a contrast. For each career, record:

Career Years of Education Estimated Education Cost Entry Salary (DFW) Mid-Career Salary (DFW)
Architect 5-7 years + ARE $$$$ $_____ $_____
Drafter 2 years (associate) $$ $_____ $_____
Interior Designer 4 years (bachelor) $$$ $_____ $_____
(Trades career from 4SW) 1-2 years or apprenticeship $ $_____ $_____

Model one row on the projector using BLS and H&L data before students work independently. Use sentence stems for students who need support: "An Architect earns $_ after years of education. A Drafter earns $__ after _____ years."

DOK 3: Are the extra years of architecture school "worth it" compared to entering a trade directly after high school? What factors beyond salary, job satisfaction, creative freedom, physical demands, job security, should affect the decision?

Activity 3: Xello Education Experiences (10 min)

Source: Xello 7th-grade task list, "Education Experiences"

Direct students to log into Xello and open the Education Experiences activity. This activity prompts students to think about how their current school subjects and experiences connect to career possibilities.

Since students are exploring architecture this week, prompt them to think specifically about how math (geometry, measurement), art (design, spatial reasoning), and technology (CAD, 3D modeling) connect to A&C careers. Students who already completed this Xello activity earlier in the year should review and update their responses with new connections from this week.

Exit Ticket (5 min)

EXIT TICKET (Ranked Justification) · Printable PDF:

From my worksheet, rank these 4 careers from BEST salary-to-education ratio (1) to WORST (4).

  • Architect: rank ____
  • Drafter: rank ____
  • Interior Designer: rank ____
  • My 4SW trade career: _____. Rank ____

For EACH rank, write ONE specific number (years of school, cost, or salary):

  • Rank 1 (best ratio): _____________

  • Rank 4 (worst ratio): _____________

Bottom line: Would I still PICK a career that is NOT Rank 1? Circle: YES / NO. In one sentence, why or why not? (d(2)(A), d(5)(E))

Differentiation

  • Support: Provide a pre-filled example row (e.g., Electrician from 4SW Wk4) so students see the expected format before completing their own rows.
  • Extension: Research the MacArthur HS Architecture pathway, what specific Revit courses are offered, and what does the certification exam look like?
  • ELL: Bilingual salary comparison worksheet with Spanish column headers. Pair ESL students with bilingual peers during the comparison discussion.