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Day 5: Career Presentations Day

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Deliver a 3-minute oral presentation on a career explored this year; provide constructive Two Stars and a Wish feedback to peers; reflect on presentation skills
TEKS d(4)(C), d(4)(B)
Deliverable 3-minute career presentation delivered + scored on rubric
Materials Students' Day 3 outlines, optional slide decks, printed Career Presentation Rubric, timer, projector

Warm-Up (3 min)

WARM-UP: Take 90 seconds to review your outline. Read it through once silently. Eye contact, clear voice, confident posture. You are ready.

This is a quiet warm-up. No discussion. Students need calm focus before presenting. Project a 90-second timer.

Activity 1: Career Presentations (40 min)

Source: Day 3 outline + Day 4 practice + Career Presentation Rubric

Today every student delivers their 3-minute career presentation. The structure (from Day 3):

  • Introduction (30 sec): Career name, why chosen
  • Body (2 min): Education path, DFW salary, daily tasks
  • Conclusion (30 sec): Connection to personal Career Plan

Format:

  • Strict 3-minute time limit per student (project a visible timer)
  • Teacher scores each presentation using the rubric
  • After each presentation, the class gives Two Stars and a Wish (use the Powerskills training from Day 2)

Presentation timing: 25 students × 3 min = 75 min, but Activity 1 is 40 min

Pick one compression approach before Day 5 begins:

  • (A) Split groups: 4 groups of 6-7 present simultaneously in corners of the room (~30 min). Each group picks one "best pitch" for a final whole-class share.
  • (B) Two days: First half presents Day 5, second half bleeds into Monday. Requires shifting the next week's Day 1 by one period.
  • (C) 90-sec presentations: Cut each slot to 90 seconds (intro + 2 facts + conclusion). 25 × 1.5 min = 37 min. Tight, but every student presents to the whole class.

Split groups (A) is fairest to student attention; 90-sec (C) is fairest to speaking time. Pick the one that matches your room.

Facilitation Tip

Project a HUGE visible timer for every presentation. Students have drilled the time limit on Day 3 (verbal warning at 2:30, cut at 3:00) and Day 4 (paired practice with feedback), and they were told explicitly at the end of Day 4 that today's cap is the same rule. Cut presenters off at the time limit, the rule was announced in advance and practiced for two days.

Class feedback after each presentation:

  • One student volunteer gives a "star" (specific strength)
  • One student volunteer gives a "wish" (specific improvement)
  • Move on quickly, keep momentum
  • Teacher records rubric score privately (don't announce)

DOK 4: As you listen to your classmates, evaluate which careers had the strongest combination of high salary, strong demand, and personal fit with the presenter. Which one impressed you most and why?

DELIVERABLE: 3-minute career presentation delivered live, scored on rubric.

Activity 2: Reflection + H&L Update (5 min)

Source: H&L Career Plan (Ch 16) + scope and sequence

Students complete a quick written reflection on a notecard or in Google Classroom:

  1. Rate your presentation 1-10. Why that score?
  2. Name ONE thing you did well today.
  3. Name ONE thing you would fix if you could do it again.
  4. Did the career you presented FEEL more right or LESS right after spending the week thinking about it?

Then direct students to update their H&L Career Plan with the career they presented (if not already favorited).

[H&L PLATFORM] Students open H&L, find their presented career in the Hat Finder, and favorite it. The Career Plan now reflects their researched-and-defended top picks.

Exit Ticket (2 min)

EXIT TICKET (3-2-1 Reflective) · Printable PDF:

3 things my presentation did WELL today (be specific, not "good job"):

2 things I would fix if I delivered it again (one content, one delivery):

  • Content fix: _______

  • Delivery fix (eye contact, pace, volume, posture): _____

1 skill from my presentation today that TRANSFERS to a different career I heard a classmate present:

Skill: _____

Classmate's career where it also matters: _____

My self-rating on the rubric (1-10): ______

(d(4)(C), d(4)(B))

Differentiation

  • Support: Allow note cards visible during the presentation. Allow anxious students to present to a small group of 4-5 instead of the whole class. Allow a written submission as a last resort, but coach toward at least small-group oral delivery, since d(4)(C) is the standard.
  • Extension: Students who finish early write a 1-page "career profile" of someone they presented about, what their day looks like, how they got there, what they wish they had known earlier. This is the same kind of profile published in career magazines.
  • ELL: Allow Spanish or bilingual presentations. Pair ESL students with bilingual partners for the audience feedback. Provide bilingual feedback sentence stems ("Your presentation was strong because _ / Tu presentación fue fuerte porque ___").