Classic EFS Facilitators' Guide

Acknowledgements

JA Canada™
Karen Gallant, VP, Programs & Charter Services
Andre Gallant, Director of Programs & Charter Services
Curriculum Consultant
Deborah Homuth, M.Ed., Director, H2 Learning Consultants
Reviewers
Cheryl Borgmann, JA British Columbia
Karen Chafe, JA London & District
Jennifer James, JA Central Ontario
Brenda Kenney, JA Nova Scotia
Graphic Design
Juni Xu

Any text of this publication, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, except in the course of
conducting a registered JA Canada™ class or with the permission of the publisher.
Economics for Success – Program Guide (V7-2018)
Copyright © 2016 JA Canada™

ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Table of Contents

PREPARATION FOR THE CLASS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

PLANNING GUIDE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

GETTING STARTED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Getting to Know You

LESSON 1 – CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

What Do I Bring on the Journey?
Looking for External Clues
Opening a World of Possibility
Extended Activities

LESSON 2 – FINDING BALANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The Places You Could Go
Moving Day!
Pay Day!
Visualizing a Lifetime of Income
Extended Activities

LESSON 3 – STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Networking
Being What Employers Want
Personal Brand
Identifying a Mentor
Extended Activities

LESSON 4 – YOU CAN DO IT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Keys to Success
Plan Your Success
Extended Activities

WRAP UP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
CLASSROOM MATERIALS LIST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

PROGRAM GUIDE 1

Preparation for the Class

MATERIALS OVERVIEW
JA Canada seeks to create educational partnerships between schools, volunteers, business
Use the Classroom Materials Checklist leaders, and donors, by providing opportunities for students to shape their future and achieve
found at the back of this guide to double success. Through the delivery of cutting-edge, experiential learning in financial literacy, work
check that you have received all of the readiness, and entrepreneurship, JA Canada expands the potential for young people to engage
materials necessary for delivery of the in their own economic development and contribute to the strength of their families, their
program. communities, and Canada’s economy.

Program Guide JA’s unique approach offers business volunteers the chance to deliver our curriculum, share
Read this Program Guide carefully their experiences, and make a significant impact on youth contemplating their future. Our
BEFORE delivering the program. classroom volunteers transform the key concepts of our lessons into a message that inspires
If you are teaching with a partner, and empowers students to believe in themselves, to discover their potential, and explore
you will each want to have your own ideas to craft their future.
guide.
Economics for Success is an interactive program designed to encourage students to consider
Student Portfolio how they can prepare to enter the world of work. This preparation involves identifying
These are comprised of task sheets personal interests, skills, strengths, and passions; mapping them to career clusters;
and supporting information that the recognizing possible post-secondary destinations; learning to budget; and developing
students need in order to complete strategies to achieve educational and career goals.
the lesson activities.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Tent Cards
These are to be distributed to the Economics for Success is structured into four core lessons. The program is designed to
students at the beginning of the accomodate a variety of delivery options:
delivery day. Tent cards sit on the • one full day or two half days
students’ desks indicating their • one lesson per session or four total sessions
names. If you are delivering the
program over a period of weeks, Each lesson is built around mandatory Core Activities. A Planning Guide on page 6 will
collect the tent cards after each assist you in structuring time in the classroom.
session, and pass them out again Each lesson in the Program Guide includes:
at the following session.

Classroom Kit
Included in the kit are a number of
essential activity resources.

• a general overview
• learning objectives
• a guide to assist in planning your time

Note: The times are given as maximums. Do not spend more than the allocated maximum time
on an activity.

• instructions for conducting Core Activities, suggested time for each activity, and and a list
of the resources that you will need

• tips for volunteers

• activities that require students to use their portfolios. Look for this symbol    
• activities that require the use of multimedia resources. Look for this symbol

2 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Preparation for the Class

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES MATERIALS cont’d
The Volunteer’s Role
Each volunteer is expected to participate in training hosted by JA Canada. The training Multimedia Resources
sessions are designed to familiarize the volunteers with the Economics for Success program A number of multimedia resources
and to provide them with valuable information on how to facilitate student learning. As are to be used in this program. You
a volunteer, you are an important role model to students. In fact, you may be the only will access them by going to the JA
business professional with whom many of them have the opportunity to interact. You will Canada Digital Resources Portal or
be able to relate the concepts and key ideas of the program to your own experiences and you may have been provided with
enrich explanations so that they become more than theory to the students. Some of the a USB key. Speak to the classroom
roles you will play include the following: teacher ahead of the class time and
Business Resource confirm that a whiteboard or screen,
Although students are likely to know people in the community who have experience digital projector, and some type of
with the business world, it is unlikely that they have asked them questions. You have the computer will be available to project
opportunity to talk openly about both your educational and occupational backgrounds. the multimedia resources. You may
Relate the memories and aspirations you had at their age, and tell the students how those want to ask the classroom teacher
have changed or remained the same. to provide you with assistance in
accessing and projecting these
Facilitator multimedia resources during the
Each JA Canada program is flexible and allows for creativity. You will have received training program delivery and to log onto the
on each of the lessons. It is the addition of a business volunteer that makes each JA program network before the program starts to
a unique learning experience. save time opening external links.

Motivator WHAT TO DO IF…
Do you remember what it was like to be a young student? If you could go back in time,
would you do things differently? This is your chance to share your knowledge. Talk about Your class has special needs...
your job, your industry, and the opportunities that are available to people in your field. Working closely with the teacher is
What would you have liked to know before you made your choices? Share those thoughts essential to success. Ask the teacher
with the students in your class. The information you provide to the class could encourage for recommendations on what teaching
students to search for opportunities that they might otherwise miss. techniques work best and what should be
avoided. Tips that often work are: slowing
Role Model the pace, reducing the objectives, and
You are an example to the students of the benefits of education, hard work, and meeting using more visual aids with the activities.
personal goals. Students will look up to you and will be eager to learn all they can about the
business world. The discussion of business ethics and conduct are important, as they will Your class is accelerated...
teach the students the appropriate way to behave in the workplace. Hopefully, your teacher will have informed
you of this prior to your arrival in the
Volunteer/Teacher Cooperation classroom. If so, you will have had time
Maintaining open communication and building a strong, positive working relationship with to prepare further activities to support the
the classroom teacher are extremely important. As the volunteer, you need to make sure materials in the program. The classroom
that you are aware of the classroom rules and any procedures that may be established by the teacher is your best resource! Be sure
teacher. Letting the students know that your time together will follow the regular classroom to ask for recommendations on program
rules will help you maintain a consistent approach with them. Teachers are responsible adjustments.
for maintaining order and discipline. It is their responsibility to assist you in providing an
atmosphere that is conducive to learning. They can provide you with valuable feedback that Continued on page 4
will help you communicate with the students more effectively.
3
PROGRAM GUIDE

Preparation for the Class

...continued from page 3 PLANNING FOR SUCCESS
1. Know your materials. Take time to prepare for your presentation so that you
A student does not participate…
It is difficult to know why an individual won’t be surprised during the day. The more familiar you are with the Program
has chosen to stay uninvolved in an Guide, the Student Portfolio, and the multimedia resources, the easier it will be to
activity. Although we would like to speak with the class.
encourage every student to participate, 2. Use the Planning Guide to plan the timing of your lessons. Use the Lesson Plan to
some students may not be comfortable schedule the activities to fit.
with a particular activity. Do not force 3. Plan your activities. Have your resources ready at your finger tips.
students to participate or put them 4. Connect with the students. Take some time to get to know the students. Be
on the spot. Provide disengaged yourself. Be genuine and open by sharing your experiences with them.
students with the opportunity to be your 5. Keep things moving. There is a lot of material to cover and it is easy to run out of
classroom helper. time.
6. If you are working with a partner, plan ahead so that you know who will be
Try to provide supportive and positive responsible for each activity or question. While students are completing the
comments that do not single students activities, check with your partner to see if your plan needs revision. If you do
out in the classroom or require a not have a partner, you may wish to enlist the teacher. This will make it easier to
response on their part. adjust the amount of time you wish to spend on each lesson as you measure the
students’ levels of interest and enthusiasm.
You have a compulsive talker… 7. In this program, there is a balance of whole class, individual, and small group
It is important to show interest in this activities. The variety of learning strategies will help to keep students engaged.
individual without jeopardizing quality 8. Build on where the students are in life. Think about what the students know and
learning time for the rest of the class. want. They must be able to relate the information you provide to how it will affect
If an activity requires information to be them. Attempt to draw on the students’ own experiences to illustrate points. Use
read aloud from the Student Portfolio, examples that would be relevant and familiar to them.
encourage extremely talkative students 9. Be aware of your terminology. The terms ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ can easily be replaced
to volunteer. with terms such as “at home” or “with your family”. Not all of the children in your
class will come from a traditional family.
You begin to lose control of the 10. Let students reach their own conclusions. You may lead discussions that further
class… explore the points made by the students themselves, but the more students work
Good eye contact and firm friendliness to understand a concept, the more meaningful it will become to them.
can sometimes regain student attention;
if not, it may be time to try a different AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM
teaching method, or to switch topics. 1. Congratulate the students on their efforts.
If the problem persists, this might be a 2. Present the students with the Certificates of Accomplishment.
good time to approach the teacher and
ask him/her to get involved.

You notice that students have
their phones out...
Ask all students to put their phones
away until the break. Be sure you ask
the classroom teacher for their advice
on handling this issue as school policies
always need to be followed.

4 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Preparation for the Class

OVERALL APPROACH
This program is designed so that students construct understanding by participating
actively in the lessons. From a presenter’s perspective, it may seem easier to just tell
the students what you want them to learn. However, if we want students to learn
deeply then we must allow them to develop their own understanding through
the active process of making meaning for themselves. Therefore, the majority of
lesson time will be spent having students engaged in activity to help lead them to
understanding.

• To support this approach, questions marked with Q: have been scripted carefully

for facilitators to use. Whenever you can ask instead of tell, do so.
• The first few minutes of lesson time are critical. That is when students are “hooked”

into the learning. As often as possible be sure that the opening of lessons are on
topic, brisk paced, and inviting.
Explain to the classroom teacher that the program is very full and that you need all
the available time to deliver it. Thank the teacher for helping you begin the program
quickly.
This program has been structured to be more alike than different each time it is
delivered in hundreds of classrooms across Canada. What will be unique however,
is that the program is delivered by you! Your unique personality, perspectives, and
experiences will enrich the learning for students. Thank you for your participation.

HANDLING THE MULTIMEDIA ITEMS
Note: Speak to the classroom teacher in order to plan how to handle the multimedia
items. You will need access to a screen, digital projector, and a computer to show the
multimedia resources. On occasion this may require switching classrooms for the day.
It is strongly recommended that you review all the multimedia resources in
advance of delivering the program.

PROGRAM GUIDE 5

Planning Guide

GETTING STARTED Getting to Know You 5 MIN

LESSON 1 55 MIN LESSON 2 60 MIN

Choose Your Own Adventure 20 MIN Finding Balance 15 MIN
15 MIN 20 MIN
CORE ACTIVITIES 20 MIN CORE ACTIVITIES 20 MIN
What Do I Bring on the Journey? The Places You Could Go
Looking for External Clues 5 MIN Moving Day! 5 MIN
Opening a World of Possibility Pay Day!
Visualizing a Lifetime of Income 5 MIN
Extended Activity 5 MIN
What Did I Learn? Extended Activity
What Did I Learn?
Guess the Price

LESSON 3 60 MIN LESSON 4 55 MIN

Strategies for Success 20 MIN You Can Do It! 40 MIN
15 MIN 15 MIN
CORE ACTIVITIES 15 MIN CORE ACTIVITIES
Networking 10 MIN Keys to Success 5 MIN
Being What Employers Want Plan Your Success
Personal Brand 5 MIN
Identifying a Mentor 15 MIN Extended Activity
15 MIN What Did I Learn?
Extended Activity
What Did I Learn?
Do the Right Thing
Interview Skills

WRAP UP Present Certificates 5 MIN

PROGRAM EVALUATION

To Business Volunteers and Teachers

JA Canada™ needs your help! We have developed a program evaluation and impact assessment system to get

feedback. We want to hear from our volunteers, teachers and students. Please take a few minutes to complete the

post-program surveys as directed by your local JA Charter. ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

6

© JA Canada 2016

Getting Started

CORE ACTIVITY – GETTING TO KNOW YOU TIPS

SUGGEST 5 MINUTES Before You Begin
Check with the teacher on the daily
Introduce the Program and Yourself schedule, classroom routines and
Use this basic script to introduce the program: ground rules.

Discovering who you are, what career paths you are suited for, what educational Discuss with the teacher any special
goals you will set, what post-secondary destinations you will pursue, how you needs that students in the class may
will fund your life as a student after high school, what strategies you should use have.
to help you find a job, and more….these are the goals of our program today. All
of it combined makes a pretty incredible adventure. Determine with the teacher’s help, the
most effective way of dividing the class
Access the Welcome to JA video found in the multimedia resources. into groups.
Following the video, introduce yourself. Include information about:
• what you were interested in when you were the students’ age Building Rapport
• what you liked about school Your opening minutes in the classroom
• your educational pathway will be instrumental in building rapport
• your career path with the students. Take some time at
• what you do in your current role the beginning of the first lesson to get
• what you like about your career to know the students. Be yourself. Be
By explaining your own journey, you bring the stages of entering the world of work to genuine and open.
life for the students.
Let students know why you are involved with JA Canada and what objectives you The tent cards will help you call students
achieve through volunteering. You may have your own way of describing JA Canada, by their names. Using students’ names
but if you need some ideas, this script might help: will help you maintain control in the
classroom and will allow you to get to
JA Canada is a charity. Which means, people give their time and resources to help know the students better.
JA teach students like you how to succeed in your personal finances, how to start
your own business, how to prepare for the modern workforce, and more. I am really Set The Ground Rules
excited to be here today and share what I know, and JA made it possible. I am not Students learn best when they know
getting paid to be here today. You might be asking why I would volunteer to do what is expected of them. It is important
this…well, I volunteer because… to be firm, yet fair. To create an effective
learning environment, you must attract
Distribute the tent cards. Have students write their first name in large letters, ideally and keep the attention of the students.
in marker, so you can read them from wherever you are standing in the room. Request their cooperation and stress the
importance of only one person speaking
Q: So, are you ready to choose your own adventure? at a time.

PROGRAM GUIDE 7

Introduction

STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

The single most important characteristic of a class of students this age is its
diversity. The adolescents in your Economics for Success class are likely to vary
in personality, aptitude, life experience, and interests. Nevertheless, it is possible
to make several generalizations about these students.
• They need and want approval. They seek attention and recognition. Even the

shy, quiet students want you to notice them.
• They are often insecure, self-conscious, concerned about what their peers

think, and may seem reserved or suspicious of adults.
• They enjoy active learning. The typical middle school student has a short

attention span.
• They often underestimate their own potential and may be apprehensive about

the future.

8 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Choose Your Own Adventure
LESSON 1

OVERVIEW PREPARATION
Students will discover that their skills, interests, strengths, and passions aligned with Review the activities in the
societal trends can help them identify education goals and future career plans. Student Portfolio on pages
2-6.
OBJECTIVES
Students will: MATERIALS
• Learn to set goals Student Portfolio
• Identify how their interests, skills, strengths, and passions can be used to help define
Occupation Cards one
the journey to the world of work set (shuffle the cards before
• Identify the connection between trends and 21st century skills distributing!)
• Investigate the benefits of post-secondary destinations Acces s to the multimedia
• Consider how “present” opportunities can foster “future” success resources:
Goal Setting video
CORE ACTIVITY 1 – WHAT DO I BRING ON THE Planning Your Future
JOURNEY? video
JA Jeopardy slides
SUGGEST 20 MINUTES
PLANNING YOUR TIME
Student Portfolio Page 2
This lesson has 3 Core Activities
Today we are tackling the enormous task of preparing for the future and it may
seem difficult to know where to begin. But there is one thing we know for sure: it What Do I Bring on the
is very unlikely that you will achieve your dreams unless you set some goals. Let’s Journey? 20 MIN
watch a video then try an activity to show you what I mean.
Show the Goal Setting video now. Looking for External Clues
15 MIN
Q: What can we learn from this video about setting our own goals?
Opening a World of
Aim high, we can do anything we set our minds to, small steps along the way can Possibility
all contribute to achieving your goal, you can start working on your goal when you 20 MIN
are still quite young, don’t give up, don’t let anything discourage you, etc.
Extended Activity
Q: So, what are your goals? And what are your interests, skills, passions, or dreams? What Did I Learn? 5 MIN

Let’s find out! Total Time for Delivery:
55 MIN
Distribute the Student Portfolios and ask students to complete their personal Goal
Pyramid on page 2.

PROGRAM GUIDE 9

Choose Your Own Adventure

GOAL PYRAMID

TIPS Start here Whatʼs your
“Big Goal”?
If you cannot play the Goal Pyramid
video for the class, explain that After students have completed their goal pyramid, ask some of them to share their pyramid
each student’s big goal should be with the class, and write down what they share on the board. Let other students offer
written in the top section of his or her suggestions as to anything missing or if the pyramid seems complete.
pyramid. Then, the second section
should say what would need to be Q: Did you notice that lots of you have different goals? Why do you think that is?
achieved to reach the top-most big
goal. The third section should list Goals are often different because everyone has different interests, skills, strengths, and
the smaller things the student would passions. You need to know about yourself to set appropriate goals.
have to do to make the second-level Tell students that they are about to go on a journey of self-discovery. It begins with an
goal a reality. Finally, the bottom activity meant to help categorize their interests, skills, strengths and passions. Have students
section details the day-to-day complete the Career Word Cloud activity on page 3 of their portfolio.
activities the student would have to After the students have completed the Career Word Cloud, have them place the words
do to make it all work. they’ve circled in the What I Bring on the Journey activity on page 4. They can use the
For example, if a student’s big goal words in sentences if they chose. Students can then use the Matching to Career Clusters
was to win a medal at the Olympics, table at the bottom of page 4 to see what career clusters align best with their interests.
his or her second-level goal might be
to qualify for the Olympics. The third Q: What are the important take-aways from this activity?
level would probably be all about
training. Meanwhile, the lowest level 1. If we want to achieve our future dreams, we must set goals and take steps to achieve
would mention things like eating those goals.
well, getting lots of rest, and taking
care of one’s body between training 2. We all have “clues” to our future in the form of interests, skills, strengths, and
sessions. passions which connect nicely to career clusters.

10 3. We should use those clues to help guide us as we think about what directions to
pursue in school and work.

ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Choose Your Own Adventure

CORE ACTIVITY 2 - LOOKING FOR EXTERNAL CLUES VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS

SUGGEST 15 MINUTES This is a good opportunity to
share with students your own
Explain to students that once we understand our strengths, interests, skills, career planning to reinforce
and passions then we need to explore which occupations are considered rising that this is something they will
opportunities and which are declining opportunities. do throughout their lives. This
Write the words “Rising Opportunity”, “Declining Opportunity”, and “Neutral is a good place to explain how
Opportunity” with a thick marker on three seperate pieces of paper, then have one interests, skills, and values are
student volunteer hold the paper that says Rising Opportunity and stand at one transferable to other jobs. They
end of the classroom, another student volunteer hold the paper that says Declining will appreciate knowing that
Opportunity and stand at the other end of the classroom, and the third student hold people may shift occupations
the card that says Neutral Opportunity and stand in the middle. many times in their lives and that
Alternatively, you could simply tape these three pieces of paper to the wall. career paths allow freedom and
Next, shuffle and distribute the Occupation Cards among the other students. Five flexibility.
cards in the deck are blank. You can use them to write alternative occupations that are
specific to your local economy. If you choose not to do so, then do not use these cards. Print Journalists
The object of the activity is to have students decide whether career opportunities are
generally rising, declining, or staying the same. Have students stand one at a time, 5
read their card and go stand near the placeholder that best applies to their occupation.

PROGRAM GUIDE 11

Choose Your Own Adventure

VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS The occupations should end up being sorted approximately as follows, although you
may need to make adjustments based on your region of Canada.
You may want to share with
students how your interests, Declining Opportunity Neutral Rising Opportunity
skills, and values helped you be (not trending up
successful in your career path
or down)
You may want to share how our
dreams of success “evolve” as Assembly line workers Accountants Call centre operators
we enter the world of work and Data entry clerks Artists and Childcare and personal support
as our circumstances change. Door to door postal entertainers workers for the elderly
workers Dentists Clean technology industry
You may want to share your Farmers, agricultural EMS workers (police, workers
experiences illustrating the workers fire, paramedics)
importance of having dreams Gas utility operators Lab technicians Commercial and industrial
and goals. Government workers Lawyers repair workers
In-store retail cashiers Non-renewable Computer hardware and
You are encouraged to explain In-store sales people energy workers software engineers
how your occupational field Print journalists (miners, crane Doctors
has been affected by changes Secretaries operators, blasters) Digital artists
in the economy, technology, Utility clerks Pet groomers Ecotourism guides
demographics, etc. Video store clerks Power linemen Electrical trades and
Water and waste Teachers telecommunications workers
treatment plant Veterinarians Environmental regulators
operators X-Ray technicians Game programmers
Healthcare managers
Mobile technology engineers
Nanotechnology engineers and
researchers
Nurses
Pharmacists and
Pharmaceutical researchers
Public transit construction
workers
Social media experts and data
analysts
Tool and die workers
Web designers and developers

12 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Choose Your Own Adventure

Following the activity, ask this question:

Q: What are the reasons that occupations trend up or down over time?

Let students offer various answers. Some possible answers are:
Economic growth: A growing economy means more people are working and
have more money to spend. Having more customers, in turn, encourages
businesses to expand. In the same way, more international trade with customers
in other countries also causes business to grow. As a result, new jobs are created
in many different occupations.
Technology: Changes in technology can affect both the types of jobs available
and the skills that are needed. Computers, for example, have increased the need
for software engineers and systems analysts in the workplace, but have also
reduced the demand for secretaries and clerks. New technologies can create
brand new occupations as well. For example, the growth of the Internet gave birth
to the web page designer and social media coordinators.
Demographics: Changes in the makeup of the population – such as age, gender
and cultural background – can affect the demand for various kinds of skills.
A younger population needs more schools, and therefore, more teachers. An
older population requires more health services, and therefore, more doctors and
nurses. In some occupations, there may be many older workers who will retire
soon, creating new job opportunities.
Consumer behaviour: People’s needs change over time depending on how much
money they have, their changing tastes, and the amount of leisure time they have.
For example, ecotourism is a relatively recent development. Growth in tourist
attractions and accommodations has created many jobs in a large number of
occupations such as hotel clerks, managers, tour guides, and recreation consultants.
(Source: Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Training, and Universities)

PROGRAM GUIDE 13

Choose Your Own Adventure

CORE ACTIVITY 3 – OPENING A WORLD OF
POSSIBILITY

SUGGEST 20 MINUTES

Student Portfolio page 5

Explain that if you combine your own internal clues (interests, skills, strengths,
passions) with the external clues of marketplace trends, you can choose an excellent
career goal. Then you will need to decide whether the pathway to the career you want
requires an apprenticeship, college diploma, applied degree, or university degree
program. All of these destinations are equally worthwhile. What is important is that
you plan to continue your education after high school.

Q: Do you know what your destination will be after high school? Raise your hand if

you do.
Many students will not know their destination and most will be confused about
how the destinations are alike or different. Reassure students that they have time
to figure this out. Tell students that they are about to learn about three particular
destinations.

Show students the Planning Your Future video, which can be accessed in the
multimedia resources. In the video, young people are quizzed about their plans
for future and their knowledge of the costs associated with their choices.

Continue with:

Like the students in the video, it won’t be too much longer before you, too,
will need to select your destination after high school. But before you can
make a wise decision, you need to understand how college, university, and
apprenticeship destinations are alike and different. To see what you know about
those similarities and differences, we are going to play a Jeopardy-style game.
I will read an answer and you will state the question. If you know the question
that goes with the answer that I read, raise your hand. The team with the most
correct matches wins.

I’m going to give you a couple of minutes to prepare. Turn to page 5 in your
Student Portfolio and read the ‘College, University, Apprenticeship’ information.
The questions and answers to the Jeopardy game are found within.

Use the JA Jeopardy slideshow from the multimedia resources. Let a random group
choose the first category. Read the answer. As in Jeopardy, groups must answer with
the coresponding question. Questions and answers are also available on the Post-
Secondary Destination Answers and Questions on the following page. Keep score
on the board or ask the teacher to keep score. You may want to recognize the winning
group in some way. (e.g. a sticker, an eraser, etc.)

14 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Choose Your Own Adventure

Post-Secondary Destinations
Answers and Questions

Instructions:
Read the answers below. Students should offer the question beside the answer. Award one point to the team for the right
answer.

Answer Question Answer Question

1-4 years How long are college A combination of in-school What do apprenticeship
programs? and hands-on training programs teach or
require?

40 to 44 weeks and 6 to 8 How long is an apprentice You can take a general What if I don’t know which
weeks at work and at school first year program to take?
each year?

A journeyperson What do you call a 2 to 5 years How long does it
skilled and experienced take to complete an
apprenticeship program
tradesperson and become a certified

tradesperson?

Right after they graduate When can students start Electrician or a Hairstylist What is an example of
from high school college, university, or a career that requires
apprenticeships? apprenticeship training?

Dental hygienist What is an example of a An entrance exam and What do you need to
career that you can have if high marks apply for a professional
program at university?
you go to college?

An agreement between What is an Bachelor’s Degree What is another name for
a person wishing to apprenticeship? an undergraduate degree?

learn a skill and a skilled What do universities
tradesperson award to graduates?

Preparing for a particular How are colleges special? Civil Engineering What is an example of a
career or occupation What do you study at Technology college program?
college?

Hands-on experience and What types of experience An undergraduate degree What do you call the
in-school training does an apprentice get? first 4-year degree at

university?

Helping you prepare What do colleges focus Practical or hands-on What do colleges teach?
for a particular career of on? training

occupation

Doctor What is an example of a A master’s or a doctoral What are examples of
career you can have if you degree. graduate degrees

go to university?

PROGRAM GUIDE 15

Choose Your Own Adventure

EXTENDED ACTIVITY 1 – WHAT DID I LEARN?

SUGGEST 15 MINUTES

Student Portfolio page 6
Direct students to turn to page 6 in their Student Portfolio to complete the self-
reflection task found there. Give them the choice of writing something for each of
the three activities or choosing only one to reflect upon. There is no need to discuss
their self-reflections; rather, you and the classroom teacher should review them either
between lessons or at a later time.

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Finding Balance
LESSON 2

In Lesson 1 students developed an understanding of the importance of personal PREPARATION
qualities, labour market trends, and choices in setting educational and career goals. Review the activities in the
Now, they will learn that achieving success and independence requires a number of Student Portfolio on pages
resources, particularly financial. Working in groups, students will develop a budget 7-12.
for independent living as a high school graduate entering the workforce, as an
entrepreneur, or as a post-secondary student. Once this budget is complete, students MATERIALS
discover options for how post-secondary education can be funded. Students then Cost of Living Challenge
create a second budget to see if they can live within their means once independent. Cards
Discussion should focus on the cost of needs and wants in contemporary society. Pay Day! Cards
Finally, students will see what costs and benefits their educational and career goals Access to the multimedia
have for their lives. resources:
OBJECTIVES Cost of Living Challenge
Students will: slides
• Prepare a budget
• Learn about options for funding personal goals Moving Day! calculator
• Realize the financial constraints of personal independence
• Discover the real “take home” pay: gross and net income Pay Day! slides
• Demonstrate critical thinking skills to revise the budget
• Learn about opportunity costs associated with making choices Lifetime of Income
slides
PROGRAM GUIDE
Guess the Price slides

PLANNING YOUR TIME

This lesson has 4 Core Activities

The Places You Could Go
15 MIN

Moving Day! 20 MIN

Pay Day! 20 MIN
Visualizing a Lifetime of
Income 5 MIN

Extended Activity
What Did I Learn? 5 MIN

Guess the Price 5 MIN

Total Time for Delivery:
60 MIN

17

Finding Balance

WORKING IN GROUPS CORE ACTIVITY 1 - THE PLACES YOU COULD GO

As part of the pre-program SUGGEST 15 MINUTES
organization, the classroom teacher
should be asked to organize the Student Portfolio page 7-8
students into groups. Ask the teacher
to read or provide the list of who will Explain to the students that in the first lesson they uncovered “clues” for planning
be working in groups for this activity. their future educational and career goals. They did that by learning:
• how making a goal and planning steps for accomplishing that goal increases the
TIPS
likelihood of achieving your dreams;
Always explain the activity • how interests, skills, strengths, and passions can help point the way toward
completely and ask if there are any
questions before distributing any educational goals and career plans;
of the items that will be used in the • how workplace trends can help point the way toward educational goals and career
activity.
At this point you might want to let plans; and
students re-arrange their groups to • how different post-secondary destinations suit particular educational goals and
work with the avatar that best relates
to them. career plans.
Keep track of the time. You may Explain that now it is time to figure out how much it costs to live on your own while
want to do a count down of time pursuing your dreams.
remaining in the last 5-10 minutes of
this activity. Living on your own is much like para-sailing. Hopefully, you will still have
a ‘lifeline’ connecting you to home and family and yet, like parasailing, you
VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS are out there on your own: floating, dipping, turning, and twisting as you
experience new challenges. So, how much will freedom cost? Let’s find out!
This is a good place to share
insights about the importance Explain that you will be distributing a Cost of Living Challenge card to each group of
of budgets in your workplace. students. On that card is information about a friend who will be heading off on their
own soon. Each group will calculate the monthly cost of living for their friend. Before
you distribute the cards, have the students brainstorm with you some of the costs
associated with living on one’s own. Then distribute the cards and have the students
begin work on their budgets.
They will record their information on page 7 in their Student Portfolio. Note that
some expenses for the Cost of Living Challenge appear as annual expenses, and they’ll
need to be divided by 12 to arrive at the monthly expense.

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Finding Balance

Cost of Living Challenge

MONTHLY LIVING EXPENSES ESTIMATED MONTHLY BUDGET

RENT
UTILITIES
TRANSPORTATION

FOOD
FURNITURE
ENTERTAINMENT
CELL PHONE

CLOTHES
MISCELLANEOUS
START-UP COSTS / TUITION AND MATERIALS
TOTAL MONTHLY LIVING EXPENSES

Ask groups to share their monthly cost of living totals. As they do so, write these
numbers on the board. Have the class estimate the average monthly cost of living
independently. If there are some extremely high numbers, you may want to eliminate
them from the averaging.

Q: We’ve calculated what it costs to be a young adult, but we are still missing

something if we want to create a true budget. Any ideas what it is?
Income!

Explain that in the next activity students will create a personal budget where they will
get income to balance their expenses.

PROGRAM GUIDE 19

Finding Balance

TIPS CORE ACTIVITY 2 – MOVING DAY!

You can access the Moving Day! SUGGEST 20 MINUTES
Calculator on the Resource Portal to
share students’ answers with the class. Student Portfolio pages 9-10

If students each have their own Tell students that in the next two exercises they are going to calculate a personal
computer or tablet, this activity can budget, and this time it will include income.
be supplemented or replaced with
the “Keep Your Balance” online tool Q: Have you ever imagined what it would be like to live on your own, with no one
available in the online multimedia
resources. telling you to clean your room, do your homework, eat your vegetables, etc?
Tell students that they are hypothetically moving out on their own today and that they
need to complete a budget for their first month of living independently. They are to
leave home with only their clothes and will receive no help from family or friends.
To make the activity a little more interesting, tell them that in this scenario they are
old enough to drive a car. They can share information with their group but they must
complete their own individual budgets. Students may also share accommodations
provided they allow enough space for each person.
Each student will complete the budget worksheet found on pages 9 and 10 of the
Student Portfolio. Discuss how to complete the worksheet. Inform students that the
“Monthly Debt Payments” section should be left blank for the moment.
You can end this activity by asking students to share some of their final budget
numbers, comparing the highest to the lowest. Use the Moving Day calculator from
the media resources to show one or two students’ budgets to the class. Ask students to
explain the highest and the lowest numbers.

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Finding Balance

MOVING DAY! Monthly Budget Revised Monthly
Budget
MONTHLY LIVING
EXPENSES

MONTHLY DEBT PAYMENTS

A PLACE TO LIVE

UTILITIES + TV & INTERNET

TRANSPORTATION

FOOD

FURNITURE

ENTERTAINMENT

SMART PHONE

CLOTHING

MISCELLANEOUS

TOTAL MONTHLY LIVING
EXPENSES

PROGRAM GUIDE 21

Finding Balance

PayDay Cards_1.pdf 1 5/30/16 9:24:12 AM CORE ACTIVITY 3 – PAY DAY!

JO#B1 Pete’s Pizza NEEDS YOU! SUGGEST 20 MINUTES

Be part of our team and enjoy the Student Portfolio page 11
benefits of flexible hours
Q: What are some jobs that are available for young teens?
Experience in fast food an asset but not
necessary Fast food restaurants, paper delivery, entrepreneurial opportunities, etc.
This is a good place to introduce the concepts of income and minimum wage. Tell
Will train! No loan students that they will now get a job and receive their first pay cheque.
$15.00/hour for full time required: Assign each group one of the six Pay Day! cards with the job ad and corresponding
No monthly debt pay stub information. Ask students to read the job description and discuss the
payments difference between “net” and “gross” pay by looking at the pay cheque and stub. Point
out that income taxes and other deductions like C.P.P., and E.I. have reduced the gross
C pay.
Tell students that they should take the monthly debt payment information from the
M NO. 100 Job card and add it to their budget on page 10 of the portfolio. Ask them to adjust
Date ________________ their expenses to include this new information. Discuss how student debt is a reality
Y Pete’s Pizza for many people who attend higher education.
Have students turn to their “Budget & Income Planning Worksheets” on page 11 in
CM the Student Portfolio, enter their job and monthly net pay, and calculate their balance.

MY Q: Does your income support your budget?

CY 1,782.21 Ask the students who answer “no” to revisit their budgets and make adjustments to
their original budget to live within their means. Students who answered “yes” should
CMY One thousand seven hundred and eighty-two dollars 21/100 help their peers.

K Conclude by asking students to discuss the challenges of living within their means
with a job that pays minimum wage. A good opportunity to have a discussion about
$15.00/hour $472.73 $2,400.00 ways they can reduce their expenses: getting a roommate, using a monthly transit
$2,400 ($15.00 x 160 hours) $45.10 $617.79 pass, watching movies at home instead of going to the cinema.
$99.96
1,782.21
$617.79

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Finding Balance

PAY DAY!

BUDGET AND INCOME PLANNING WORKSHEET

Take the number from the TOTAL MONTHLY LIVING EXPENSES on page 10 and insert below. How
much will it cost for you to live each month?

EXPENSES

TOTAL MONTHLY LIVING EXPENSES

INCOME

TOTAL MONTHLY INCOME
Look at your pay cheque. This will include your GROSS PAY (what you earned before taxes and other
deductions) and your NET PAY (what you actually take home after the taxes and other deductions).
Place the amount for the NET PAY below:

JOB: DEDUCTIONS:

GROSS PAY: MONTHLY NET PAY:

NOW FOR THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!

Monthly Net Pay MINUS Total Monthly Living Expenses EQUALS Balance

-=

PROGRAM GUIDE 23

Finding Balance

TIPS CORE ACTIVITY 4 – VISUALIZING A LIFETIME OF
INCOME
You can write some of the numbers
from the slides on the blackboard or SUGGEST 5 MINUTES
whiteboard to help students see the
difference. Q: Now that you have some idea of what it will cost to live independently and how

You can search for more data on you might pay for it, have you ever stopped to consider how different your
median hourly wages by occupation. lifestyle could be depending on the choices you make after high school?

You may want to extend the cost of To get the most out of life you have to know what you’re giving up in order to get
not attending to a lifetime. If so, after something else...
all the discussion questions show For example, buying one brand of running shoes means you miss out on a
the Lifetime of Income slideshow different brand of shoes, taking a trip to Europe means missing out on a trip to
which can be accessed in the Asia, choosing a car means missing out on having a truck, spending time with
multimedia resources. This slide friends means missing out on time to write in your journal, choosing an Android
illustrates the difference in wages phone means missing out on an iPhone, and so on.
over a lifetime.
Economists say there is a cost to missed opportunities. It is called an ‘opportunity
cost’.

Q: What is the cost of not furthering your education after high school?

Allow students to make suggestions.

Q: Let’s figure this out mathematically. On your budget sheet the “Monthly Debt

Payment” is the cost related to attending post-secondary education. Could
someone share that number with the class?
Use one of the group’s actual numbers.
When deciding whether to go on to post-secondary education after high school,
we need to weigh that cost against the benefits.

Q: What are those benefits?

Having new skills and knowledge, meeting new friends, developing new interests,
having new confidence in yourself, gaining a better understanding of the world,
and having the opportunity to earn a higher wage for the rest of your life are just
a few.

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Finding Balance

Q: Let’s consider Kyle, Brady, and Katie, for a moment. How much do you think

they will make when they graduate? Will it be more or less than if they had gone
to work right out of high school?
Kyle wants to be a paramedic. The median hourly wage of a fulltime paramedic in
2015 is approximately $30.
Brady wants to be an automotive service technician. The median hourly wage of a
fulltime auto service technician in 2015 is approximately $23.20.
Katie wants to be a journalist. The median hourly wage of a fulltime journalist in
2015 is approximately $26.44.

Q: What is the approximate hourly wage in 2015 for a fulltime employee with a

high school diploma?
High school grads make approximately 75 cents for every $1 that a post-
secondary graduate makes. Therefore, the average hourly rate for a high school
graduate will be about $14.50.

Q: What is the approximate hourly wage in 2015 for a fulltime employee without a

high school diploma?
Currently, people who don’t graduate from high school can expect to make on
average a little over minimum wage, $12.00.

Q: Is there an opportunity cost in not furthering your education after high school?

You bet!

PROGRAM GUIDE 25

Finding Balance

Is $4.99 low or high EXTENDED ACTIVITY 1 – WHAT DID I LEARN?
for a dozen eggs?
SUGGEST 5 MINUTES
TIP
Student Portfolio page 12
The prices of the various products in
the slideshow will vary from region Direct students to turn to page 12 in their Student Portfolio and to complete the
to region. It may be a good idea to self-reflection task found there. Give them the choice of writing something for each
edit the slideshow before the class of the three activities or choosing only one to reflect upon. There is no need to discuss
so that the actual prices better reflect their self-reflections; rather, you and the classroom teacher should review them either
your specific situation. If this is not between lessons or at a later time.
possible, allow for some discussion
and disagreement throughout the EXTENDED ACTIVITY 2 – GUESS THE PRICE
slideshow.
SUGGEST 5 MINUTES

Show students the Guess the Price slideshow which can be accessed in the
multimedia resources.
Each slide shows one commonly purchased food staple or household item and an
approximate cost. Students should participate altogether by standing up if they
think the price is high or staying seated if they think it is low. Once students have
responded, use the notes at the bottom of the slide to tell them the correct answer.
Or ask each group of students to make two scrap-paper signs: one that says “High”
and one that says “Low” which they can hold up in a friendly group vs. group
competition.

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Strategies for Success
LESSON 3

OVERVIEW PREPARATION
This lesson focuses on valuable strategies for getting a job including networking, Review the activities in the
targeting what employers want, creating a strong personal brand, and working with a Student Portfolio on pages
mentor. Students can also learn about interview skills and explore the importance of 13-19.
making ethical choices and how those choices can impact employment opportunities.
MATERIALS
OBJECTIVES Networking Cards
Students will:
• Explore the concept of networking Access to the multimedia
• Discover what employers look for in a potential employee resources:
• Explore the value of a strong personal brand
• Identify potential mentors How to Introduce Yourself
video
CORE ACTIVITY 1 - NETWORKING
Social Media slideshow
SUGGEST 20 MINUTES
Do the Right Thing
Q: What is the most amazing thing that has happened to you this week? slideshow
Job Interview Advice
Have a few students respond. video

Q: What is the greatest/coolest thing about you that I should know? PLANNING YOUR TIME

Have a few students respond. This lesson has 4 Core Activities

Q: What do you think it takes to succeed in school these days? Networking 20 MIN
Being What Employers
Have a few students respond. Want 15 MIN
Personal Brand 15 MIN
Q: By asking these questions I was trying to start to network with you. Do you Identifying a Mentor 10 MIN

know what networking means and why people network? Extended Activity
Networking means interacting with other people to exchange information and to What Did I Learn? 5 MIN
develop contacts to further one’s career. Do the Right Thing 15 MIN
Interview Skills 15 MIN
Q: Why is face-to-face important?
Total Time for Delivery:
It is too easy to pretend to be someone you’re not online. But, if you impress me 60 MIN
when we meet face to face, I will remember you!
Tell the students that in this lesson they are going to practice a strategy that can 27
be used to help them get a job: Developing an Elevator Pitch for networking.
Note: If possible, play this short game in the hallway or clear some space in the
classroom for students to spread out. This can be somewhat chaotic, so it is also a
good idea to ask the teacher to help out.

PROGRAM GUIDE

Strategies for Success

VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS Instructions:
• Show students the How to Introduce Yourself video and briefly discuss the
You could use your own importance of a strong introduction.
workplace experience as • Ask the students to write down on a piece of paper three things about themselves
examples to illustrate the value that they think might be interesting to an employer. It’s good to start with
of networking, volunteering, or who they are and what they are passionate about, but it could also include a
working with a mentor. Give favorite school subject or academic accomplishment, a sport, or hobby they are
the students an example from particularly good at, or a personal quality that makes them stand out, such as
your own experience of topics honesty or courage. (Give students 2 minutes)
of discussion in professional • Ask the students to line up in two rows facing one another. One row will be
networking. Point out how those speakers, while the other will be listeners.
are different from the topics • Distribute two You Impressed Me cards to each student. Be sure to tell them that
students were discussing. only the most detailed, enthusiastic, energetic, creative answers should win a You
Impressed Me card. That means you don’t necessarily give it to the first person you
FIRST IMPRESSIONS hear. You don’t necessarily give it to your friend. You give it to the person who
earned it...just like in real life.
Remind students that they never • Ask the students in the speaker row to introduce themselves and talk about the
get a second chance to make a first three points on their card as naturally as possible, imagining the other person is a
impression. Make it count! stranger. Stop them after thirty seconds.
• Everyone should then change partners (have the left row move down by one
TIP person, to keep it simple), and the listener row from the previous round should
become the speaker row, while the previous speaker row becomes the listener row.
It is important for students to Speakers and listeners should alternate in each round.
understand that networking, working • Repeat for 8 rounds, so that everyone has four chances to be a speaker and four
with a mentor, and building a personal chances to be a listener.
brand should be valued primarily • When everyone’s heard four speakers, students should award their You Impressed
because they are worth doing. If you Me cards to the two speakers they feel spoke in a natural, confident manner, and
are too focused on “what am I going to covered all three points they had written down. Each student will have listened to
get out of this” then you will miss the four speakers, but can only give out two cards.
pleasure of the experience. • The purpose of the game is to mimic networking with strangers. Students are
trying to earn as many You Impressed Me cards as they can.
28
Draw the class back to their desks and ask the following questions:

Q: Why did you award a You Impressed Me card? What separated one networking

meeting from another?
Preparedness, confidence, details of the conversation, etc...

Q: Did it get easier to network as you went along? What does that tell you about

networking?
Practice makes networking easier.

Q: How might networking help you get a job?

People you meet might have opportunities for you, or might be able to tell you about
opportunities they know about.

ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Strategies for Success

CORE ACTIVITY 2 - BEING WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS

SUGGEST 15 MINUTES You may want to share how our
careers “evolve” as we enter
Student Portfolio pages 13-15 the world of work and as our
circumstances change new
Tell students that in the previous exercise they tried networking, but if they didn’t opportunities to meet people
receive any You Impress Me Cards, they might be wondering why. It’s important to constantly arise.
remember that everyone has qualities that make them employable. If they found
themselves not receiving cards, one reason might be how they described themselves. 29
Continue by reminding students that all the interests and hobbies they enjoy help
them develop their skills. In that sense, no interests are a waste of time. The important
thing is matching their interests and skills to what employers want. This means
problem-solving skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills, among
others. Emphasizing these qualities when describing yourself can help people see
what is special about you.

Q: How can you take your own interests, skills, strengths, and passions and express

them so that they reflect what employers want?
Answers can vary.
Let’s find out how to describe our interests and hobbies in a manner that will
impress employers.
Direct students to complete the Being What Employers Want activity found on pages
13-15 in the Student Portfolio.
Students will need about 10 minutes to finish this activity. When they seem to be
finished, remind students to hang onto their Student Portfolio so they can use it when
they create an online profile, write a resume, or apply for a job.

CORE ACTIVITY 3 - PERSONAL BRAND

SUGGEST 15 MINUTES

Student Portfolio page 16

Q: If I say Personal Brand, what do you think I mean by that?

It can have a lot of different meanings to different people. But all in all, it is about
your reputation.

Tell students that now that they understand about networking and what employers
want, they will examine how important it is to send out the right message about
themselves: their personal brand.

PROGRAM GUIDE

Strategies for Success

To help understand this, they will play a game to see how people are all interconnected.
Have each student think of an interesting fact about themselves. For example, do they
play an instrument, did they go somewhere on vacation recently, can they speak another
language? Allow three minutes for students to walk around and share this information
with two or three others in the class.
After the three minutes has elapsed, ask a small sub-group within the class, such as the
students with a birthday in October, to stand up. Ask everyone who told their statement to
one of the standing students to stand up as well. Then ask people who told their statement
to any of this larger standing group to stand up. Continue in this way until every student is
standing.
It should not take long for everyone to be standing, demonstrating that they are connected
to the whole group through only a small network. Remind students of the implication of
this: by consulting only a few people, someone can learn a lot about them.

Q: Can you think of any bigger networks through which information about us can be

shared?
Yes! Social networks and the internet.

Q: Do you think interviewers could do an internet search for you before hiring you?

Yes. The majority of employers say they ‘google’ people before they hire them. Make
sure that what they find is flattering.

Q: What things should you share on social media if you want to make yourself more

attractive to potential employers?
Examples: Have a professional sounding email address, have an employement-related
social media account, avoid posting pictures online of yourself behaving irresponsibly,
avoid saying bad things about previous employers, use good spelling and grammar
online, etc.
Show students the Social Media slideshow. Ask students to fill out the professional
social media template on page 16. First, they should choose which sections are relevant
by putting a checkmark in them. Then they should try their best to fill out the profile to
reflect what employers want. They can use the expressions they learned in the previous
activity where appropriate.

CORE ACTIVITY 4 - IDENTIFYING A MENTOR

SUGGEST 10 MINUTES

Student Portfolio page 17

Explain that sometimes we can meet someone who takes us “under their wing”, helps us
learn more about ourselves, inspires us, gives us greater confidence, provides advice about
our educational goals and dreams, cheers us on, and says, “I’m betting on you!”

Q: What is the term that we use for such a person when they are doing all those things

to help us with our educational or career goals?
Mentors. Mentors are great people to have in your corner. Share with students the story of

30 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

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Strategies for Success

a mentor that you had in your life and what that mentor was able to do for you. TIPS
Ask students to complete the Great People I Have in my Corner activity found on
page 17 of their Student Portfolio. Conclude this part of the lesson by reminding Students should be reminded that
students that they now know three strategies: networking, building a personal brand, ethical behavior is important in all
and working with a mentor to help them with their educational goals and career aspects of their lives.
plans. Ethical behavior in the workplace
is very important to employers and
EXTENDED ACTIVITY 1 – WHAT DID I LEARN? employees.
Students need to understand that they
SUGGEST 5 MINUTES are not alone in dealing with situations
in the workplace.
Student Portfolio page 19 Most places of employment have
Codes of Conduct or Ethics Codes
Direct students to turn to page 19 in their Student Portfolio and to complete the self- to help employees resolve ethical
reflection task found there. Give them the choice of writing something for each of dilemmas.
the three activities or choosing only one to reflect upon. There is no need to discuss There may be several ways of
their self-reflections; rather, you and the classroom teacher should review them either appropriately handling a situation.
between lessons or at a later time. Employees can turn to their immediate
supervisor for advice or support in
EXTENDED ACTIVITY 2 – DO THE RIGHT THING dealing with situations that make them
uncomfortable.
SUGGEST 15 MINUTES Most employers expect that a good
employee will report unethical behavior
Q: When you are in the workplace either as a volunteer or as an employee, now or that they see going on, such as a
cashier taking $20 out of a cash
in the future, it is critical that you conduct yourself in ethical ways. What does register.
that mean “in ethical ways”?
Allow students to offer their ideas. 31

Q: In fact, ethical behavior is important in all aspects of our lives. But, since we’re

talking about the strategies that will help you to find and to keep a job, let’s look
at some workplace examples. As you listen to the scenario, consider what the
easy thing to do might be and then consider what the right thing to do would be.
Show the Doing the Right Thing slides which can be accessed in the multimedia
resources. Ask a student volunteer to read each slide out loud. As you show the
slides, follow the script below. If you can’t access the slideshow, simply read the
scenarios below.
1. You are working at Pete’s Burgers as a cook. You see the cashier taking a $20 bill
out of the cash register and putting it in her pocket. What might the “easy” thing
to do be? (e.g. look the other way)
Why is the “easy” thing NOT the right thing to do? (e.g. you are as guilty as the
cashier if you look the other way; stealing is wrong; the owner is suffering if you
do nothing, etc.)
What is the “right” thing to do? (tell the owner/manager what you saw and that
you aren’t accusing the cashier of stealing but something didn’t seem right to you;

PROGRAM GUIDE

Strategies for Success

TIP then let the owner/manager handle it, etc.)
2. You have a job working in the produce section of the local grocery store when
A prop like a ball hat worn backwards
can add a comic element. you notice a gold ring on the floor. No one is around to see you pick it up.
What is the easy thing to do?
32 Why is the easy thing not the right thing to do?
What is the right thing to do?
3. Your boss comes up to you and congratulates you on what a great job you did

cleaning the outdoor patio area at the business. However, you didn’t do it.
Another student who works there did.
What is the easy thing to do?
Why is the easy thing not the right thing to do?
What is the right thing to do?
W e refer to workplace situations that involve a choice between right and wrong as
an ethical choice. Sometimes other employees do things that are related to poor
performance but are not morally wrong. In those situations it is up to the supervisor
who is responsible for evaluating the employees’ performance to deal with the bad
behaviour. As you listen to these next two cases, decide if the situation is an ethical
situation or one of poor performance.
4. A co-worker is always showing up late but the manager never seems to notice.
This bothers you because you have to travel further to work but are always on
time. Ethical situation or poor job performance? Why?
5. You have to wear a uniform at your part-time job. You don’t really like wearing
it but it is part of the job. One of the other part-time employees never wears her
proper uniform to work. It seems so unfair to you. Ethical situation or poor job
performance? Why? What should you do?

Doing the right thing, even when it isn’t the easy thing to do, is essential to being a
great employee. Network, volunteer, work with a mentor, practice your interview
skills, and when you are lucky enough to get the job, be sure to make the right
choice not just once in awhile but all the time!

EXTENDED ACTIVITY 3 – INTERVIEW SKILLS

SUGGEST 15 MINUTES

Student Portfolio page 18

Networking, creating a personal brand, and working with a mentor are all great
strategies to help you achieve your educational and career goals. But there is one
more thing you will need to tie it all together: great interview skills. So, what does
it take to have a good interview? Let’s figure that out!

ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Strategies for Success

Prior to beginning this lesson, ask the classroom teacher or your fellow presenter if he 33
or she could help you present a mock interview. One of you should be the interviewer
and the other the interviewee. Use a few of the Interview Questions found on the
following page.
The first mock interview should be dreadful!
• The interviewee should slouch, give one word answers or very vague answers, give

an inappropriate handshake, look at their cell phone, use slang e.g. “hey man” etc.,
seem disinterested in getting the job or act like the job is owed to him/her, and end
the interview by saying something like “later man”.
• The interviewer should be professional and businesslike throughout asking the five
questions on the interview card.

Q: How do you think that went? Would you hire this person?

Allow students to offer ideas.
Then conduct the second mock interview. This interview should be perfect!
• The interviewee should shake hands professionally, smile, be enthusiastic,

sell themselves by giving specific examples to the interviewer’s questions,
incorporate mentoring, volunteering, or networking as examples of how they
heard about the job opportunity, and thank the interviewer for their time.
• Once again the interviewer should be professional and business-like
throughout asking the five questions on the interview card.
Following the second interview, allow students to respond with detailed answers
about what was and was not appropriate about the interviewee’s behaviour. Then,
show students the Job Interview Advice video, which can be accessed in the
multimedia resources. Ask students to turn to the Interview Dos and Don’ts found
on page 18 of their portfolio. Tell them to keep this portfolio and to refer to this list
before their job interviews.

Interview Questions

1. Tell me a little about yourself.

2. Describe a difficult work situation and how you overcame it.

3. What is your greatest strength?

4. How do you handle stress or pressure?

5. What is your definition of success?

6. Why do you want this job?

7. Why should we hire you over other candidates for the job?

8. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

PROGRAM GUIDE

You Can Do It!

LESSON 4

PREPARATION OVERVIEW
Review the activities in the Students will review the strategies they have learned for achieving their educational
Student Portfolio on pages and career goals. They will learn about one more strategy that they can use: seizing
20-22. opportunities.

MATERIALS OBJECTIVES
K eys to Success game boards Students will:
and materials including: • Understand that it takes preparation to achieve educational plans and career goals
• Recognize the value in seizing opportunities
Dice
Markers CORE ACTIVITY 1 – KEYS TO SUCCESS
Key cards
Opportunity Knocks cards SUGGEST 40 MINUTES

PLANNING YOUR TIME Explain that in this lesson students will put all their learning together by playing a
game called Keys to Success.
This lesson has 3 Core Activities The purpose of the game is to teach students the final strategy of seizing
Keys to Success 40 MIN opportunities. Students will collect Key Cards. Although, the rules on the game board
Plan Your Success 15 MIN say the first person to earn four Key Cards wins, you can also play by having the
person with the most Key Cards when you end the game, be declared the winner.
Extended Activity The game is best played in groups of four to six students. Distribute the game board,
What Did I Learn? 5 MIN one set of blue and orange cards, one playing piece for each student, and one die to
each group of students.
Total Time for Delivery: Be sure to have students follow along as you read the rules before they begin. A good
55 MIN strategy for reading rules is to call on volunteer students to explain a rule:
Wrap up Example: What do you do if you land on an Opportunity Knocks square?
5 MIN While the students play the game, circulate among the groups ensuring that they are
following the rules, reading cards completely, etc.

Q: During this game you learned about a final strategy that will help you achieve

your educational and career goals. What was that strategy?
Seize opportunities!

34 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

You Can Do It!

CORE ACTIVITY 2 - PLAN YOUR SUCCESS RULES OF THE GAME

SUGGEST 15 MINUTES 1. Be the first player to collect four
Keys to unlock your path to
Student Portfolio page 20 success!

During this activity students will complete the Plan Your Success graphic organizer 2. Collect Keys by answering a Key
found on page 20 in the Student Portfolio. As you read each question, give students an Card correctly, taking a key from
opportunity to fill in the answer on the graphic organizer. Once students have done another player, or passing GO.
so, you should have students offer their answer and explanation to your question or
you can use the answers written in highlighted italics below the questions to help 3. Begin at GO, roll the dice, and
guide the class. move that number of spaces. If
you land on a space with an arrow,
Q: I will ask you a series of questions. You need to respond to the question by follow it up or down.

completing a section of the graphic organizer. Ready? Start at the bottom of 4. If you land on Opportunity
the graphic organizer. What are the 4 kinds of personal qualities? These were Knocks, take the top card, read it
analyzed in our very first lesson of the program. out loud, and answer the question.
All of us have unique qualities in the form of interests, skills, strengths and The other players will decide if
passions. Students will fill in the section of the graphic organizer called My your answer is acceptable.
Unique Qualities.
5. If you land on a Key Card, have
Q: Why do these unique qualities matter? What do they help us to identify? Find the person to your right read the
card out loud and decide if you
that item on the graphic organizer and draw a small arrow from your personal answered it correctly. If you did
qualities to it. Then record one of these that is a good match for you. you keep the Key. If not, put the
We can use those interests, skills, strengths and passions to identify career card on the bottom of the pile.
clusters that we are well suited to. Students should draw an arrow from interests,
skills, strengths and passions to Career Clusters. Everyone should record at least 6. If you land on Grab a Key, take a
one potential Career Cluster. key from another player.

Q: Once we understand which Career Clusters we might be suited for, we must pay 7. If you land on Give a Key, give a
Key to another player.
attention to predictors of whether there will be jobs in a particular career or
not. Label both green arrows on the graphic organizer with the name of these 35
predictors.
We need to pay attention to the job trends in society and understand why certain
careers are trending up or down to understand where the job opportunities
will be. If you combine your own personal qualities (interests, skills, strengths,
passions) with trends about occupations that are rising or declining you can
choose an excellent career journey!

Q: Once you have researched whether there will be jobs in your career cluster,

you need to decide where you go next. What are some possible post-secondary
destinations? Fill them in on your graphic organizer.
You will need to decide whether your program is offered as an apprenticeship, or
as a college diploma or as a college applied degree or as a university degree.

Q: Once you are accepted into a particular program, what do you need to do to

make sure that you have enough money? Fill it in on the graphic organizer.

PROGRAM GUIDE

You Can Do It!

Once you are accepted into your post-secondary programs, you need to make a
budget. Attending post-secondary is a financial investment that pays long term
rewards.

Q: In lesson 3 you learned about important strategies that will help you achieve

your educational and career goals. What are they?
Networking, knowing what employers want, building a personal brand, and
working with a mentor are four strategies that you learned about that will help
you achieve your goals.

Q: Before you can you reach your goals, you need to know what you want. In other

words, you need to:
Set your goals!

Q: Finally, when opportunities come along that might help you, what should you

do?
Seize them!

And that’s it! You have an action plan for success!

EXTENDED ACTIVITY 1 – WHAT DID I LEARN?

SUGGEST 5 MINUTES

Student Portfolio page 21

Direct students to turn to page 21 in their Student Portfolio and to complete the self-
reflection task found there. Give them the choice of writing something for each of
the three activities or choosing only one to reflect upon. There is no need to discuss
their self-reflections; rather, you and the classroom teacher should review them either
between lessons or at a later time.

36 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Wrap Up

SUGGEST 5 MINUTES

WRAP UP
Student Portfolio page 22

Remind students that their participation in the Economics for Success program is only a first step in planning for
success in their future. Have students turn to the Career Exploration and Planning on page 22 of their Student
Portfolio. Review the information together.

Q: What did you learn through the Economics for Success activities?
Q: What are some of the things that you enjoyed about the Economics for Success activities?

Play the EFS Closing video, and invite students to visit jacanada.org for additional information about JA Canada.
Encourage students to hang onto their Student Portfolios as there are resources in them which can help them in
the future.
Thank the students and teacher for their participation. Tell the students you enjoyed spending the time with them
and congratulate them on a job well done! Distribute the Certificate of Accomplishment to each of the students.

JA Canada

A Member of JA Worldwide

CERTIFICATE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

proudly presented to

Name
for participating in

Scott Hillier
President and CEO,

JA Canada

PROGRAM GUIDE 37

Classroom Materials

Check your supplies before you deliver the program

Lesson # Item Quantity Check

1-4 Name Tent Cards One per student (30)

1 Occupation Cards One set (1) of 50 Print Journalists
5

2 Cost of Living Challenge One card per group of students (6)

PayDay Cards_1.pdf 1 5/30/16 9:24:12 AM

JO#B1 Pete’s Pizza NEEDS YOU!

Be part of our team and enjoy the
benefits of flexible hours

Experience in fast food an asset but not
necessary

2 PayDay Cards One card per group of students (6) Will train! No loan
$15.00/hour for full time required:
No monthly debt
payments

C

M NO. 100
Date ________________
Y Pete’s Pizza
CM

MY
CY 1,782.21

CMY One thousand seven hundred and eighty-two dollars 21/100
K

$15.00/hour $472.73 $2,400.00
$2,400 ($15.00 x 160 hours) $45.10 $617.79
$99.96
1,782.21
$617.79

3 You Impressed Me Cards One set (1) of 60

4 Keys to Success Game Game boards (6)
Game materials:
• Dice (6)
• Game pieces (6 sets of 6)
• Key cards (6 sets)
• Opportunity Knocks cards (6 sets)

Wrap Up Certificate of Accomplishment One per student (30) JA Canada

A Member of JA Worldwide

CERTIFICATE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
proudly presented to

Name
for participating in

Scott Hillier
President and CEO,

JA Canada

1-4 Student Portfolios One per student (30)

1-4 Program Guide One per volunteer (2)

1-4 USB key with Multimedia One copy (1) - Optional

38 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

Notes

PROGRAM GUIDE 39

Notes

40 ECONOMICS FOR SUCCESS

© JA Canada 2016

JA Programs Available
* in both official languages

ELEMENTARY

Our Community: A Business of Our Country: Our Business More Than
Needs, Jobs, Our Own Technology and World* Money*
Tools
Innovation
MIDDLE

Economics for Dollars with Sense* Success Skills* Stronger Together:
Success* Diversity in Action*

HIGH

Be Personal Finance* Titan Dream Big Company
Entrepreneurial* Program: A
Student Venture*

Check out www.jacanada.org

for more information

PROGRAM GUIDE 41

Economics for Success is a national program of JA Canada™.

JA Canada

A Member of JA Worldwid e

jacanada.org
1-800-265-0699

© JA Canada™ 2016