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Day 5: Jigsaw Presentations + A&C Cluster Wrap-Up

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Present Jigsaw trade research to the class; finalize A&C favorites in H&L; reflect on the full A&C cluster exploration (Weeks 1-4)
TEKS d(4)(C), d(5)(A), d(5)(B)
Deliverable Jigsaw trade presentation + finalized Skilled Trades Matrix + updated H&L A&C favorites
Materials Chromebooks, H&L accounts + Workbook (Ch 3, Ch 16), Jigsaw research notes from Day 2, presentation slides or poster, projector

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: You have now explored Architecture (Wk1), Civil Engineering (Wk2), Construction (Wk3), and four skilled trades (Wk4). Which career in this entire cluster surprised you the most? Why?

Quick share. This primes students to reflect across the full 4-week A&C cluster exploration, not just this week. Expect surprises: some students are shocked by trade salaries, others by how long it takes to become a licensed architect.

Activity 1: Jigsaw Trade Presentations (25 min)

Each team presents their assigned trade to the class. Presentations are 4 minutes per team (strict timer). Coverage:

  1. Daily responsibilities: What does this worker actually do day-to-day?
  2. Apprenticeship pathway: Step by step, from entry to journeyman
  3. Licensing requirements: Texas-specific state regulations
  4. DFW salary data: Entry, median, experienced
  5. Job outlook: BLS growth rate and factors driving demand
  6. Skills gap analysis: How big is the gap and why?
  7. One surprising fact: The most compelling data point the team found

Classmates take notes on a simple note-taking sheet with one row per trade so every student leaves with a baseline understanding of all 4 trades, not just their own.

Facilitation Tip

Project a visible 4-min timer and announce the limit to students before Team 1 starts, so every team gets the same slot. If a team is still wrapping at 4 min, give them one sentence to close. Hard time discipline is drilled explicitly in 6SW Wk4 Sales/Presentations.

Activity 2: A&C Cluster Final Favorites + Career Plan (12 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 3 (A&C Hat Finder) + Ch 16 (Career Plan)

Students open H&L and finalize their A&C cluster work:

  1. Review all A&C favorites from Weeks 1-4: architecture, civil engineering, construction, trades careers. Remove any favorites they are no longer interested in after this cluster. Add any new ones.
  2. Review Building Blocks to verify A&C-related skills/interests are captured: hands-on, building things, safety-minded, physical work, creativity, math for measurement, leadership for construction management.
  3. Open the Career Plan (Ch 16) and make sure the A&C cluster is clearly represented. Some students will have A&C as their top choice; others will eliminate it. Either is a valid outcome, the goal is clarity.

Activity 3: Reflection and Week 5 Preview (5 min)

Whole-class reflection. Ask:

  • Who now knows the difference between an architect, a civil engineer, and a construction manager? (Most should raise hands.)
  • Who is considering a skilled trade career more seriously after this week?
  • What is the most important thing you learned about the A&C cluster overall?

Preview next week: Personal Finance / Budgeting. Students will use the salary data they collected all cluster long (Architect, Civil Engineer, Construction Manager, Electrician, etc.) to build a real personal budget. For the first time, they will see if they can afford the lifestyle they want on the career salary they want.

DOK 3: What conclusions can you draw about the overall health of the Architecture and Construction career field in DFW? Would you recommend this cluster to a friend? Why or why not?

Exit Ticket (3 min)

EXIT TICKET (Concept Map / Connection Diagram) · Printable PDF:

The skilled trade I would pick TODAY if I had to choose: _____

Connect this trade to THREE things:

1. The BLS growth rate OR DFW job openings data for this trade (from Day 3)

My data point: _____. In one sentence, what does this number mean for a 13-year-old today?

2. The POST-HS route I would take (Welding at MacArthur / union apprenticeship / community college / private trade school)

My route: _____. In one sentence, why this route over the others?

3. The BIGGEST thing I learned about the FULL A&C cluster after Wks 1-4 (architecture / civil engineering / construction / skilled trades)

One sentence: _____________

(d(5)(A), d(5)(B))

Differentiation

  • Support: Allow students uncomfortable presenting to join a team as a note-taker and hand-off the oral portion to a teammate. They still contribute research and earn credit for the presentation deliverable.
  • Extension: Research one "smart trades" innovation (smart thermostats for HVAC, fiber optic cabling for electricians, leak-detection sensors for plumbers). How is technology changing the trade?
  • ELL: Presentation sentence starters: "Our trade is _ (Nuestro oficio es ). The apprenticeship takes __ years (El aprendizaje dura _____ años)." Pair ELL students with bilingual peers for presentation rehearsal.