Summary

This article examines how the decline in reliance on oil and fossil fuels is affecting students and their career choices.

Getting Started

Introduction to the article (perhaps by having everyone read it)

There is a declining reliance on oil as an energy source and that is bringing about significant changes in career choices for students. Traditional jobs are now being evaluated in terms of their long-term viability. In fact, many argue that a lot of careers that today’s grade schoolers will choose haven’t even been created yet. As the article shows, many current university students are reassessing their career paths because of altering societal practices and consumer behaviour. This lesson will have the students use the article to develop an awareness of how careers in the oil field are changing because of world issues and have them explore other career choices which are also changing because of changes in societal behaviours and attitudes.

Subject Area(s) covered

Careers, world issues, entrepreneurship, family studies, man in society

New Terms to explain

Aspirants, sustainability, flux

Materials Needed

  • Copies of the article for the students
  • Access to the Internet for research
Study and Discussion Activity

Key things students can learn from this lesson

  1. Society continues to change and with that change come new directions and careers which will replace more traditional jobs.
  2. Long-term planning must be employed when examining career choices.

Action (here’s how we’ll do it)

  • Begin the lesson by asking the students to identify what is happening to world oil prices and have them explain the reasons for it.
  • Ask them now to speculate on the future of oil as a viable source of energy and, again, ask them to explain the reasons for their position.
  • With this as background, have them read the article.
  • Once this has been done, hold a plenary session and debrief them on what they have just read and their reactions.
  • Having completed this discussion, have them outline other changes in societal behaviour that are likely to have an impact on future careers.
  • With these discussions as background assign the following task which the students are to complete individually:

Considering how society continues to change and the resultant changes in viable careers, choose a specific career and prepare a report explaining how such societal changes are likely to impact that career. Outline how that career is likely to change and whether or not it remains a viable choice for today’s students.

  • Allow the students time to complete their reports.

Consolidation of Learning

  • Students will present their reports and respond to any questions or comments from the class.
Success and Additional Learning

Success Criteria

The students will:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding that society continues to change;
  2. Appreciate that with that change come changes in occupations;
  3. Show an appreciation for the need to use long-range planning when selecting a career path.

Confirming Activities

  • The students can discuss what they believe will be the impact of these identified changes on the economy and whether these same changes will foster other changes.

Helpful Internet Searches

Activities to do together

  • The students could do such things as compile inventories of their interests and job-matching quizzes to ascertain possible careers of interest. They could also speculate on the nature of jobs that will be created because of societal changes.