Overview

Estimated Time: 3 Class Periods
Unit: Career In Focus
Lesson: 1.6
Theme: Telling Your Story

Students learn how to communicate their personal experiences through storytelling by reflecting on the events, challenges, and lessons that have shaped who they are. Using a structured planning process, students develop a personal narrative that highlights their growth, accomplishments, and skills while creating an artifact that prepares them for future interviews and becomes part of their career portfolio.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson students will:

Write a personal story that explains how they have developed their skills and grown through life experiences.
Plan the content and organization of a personal narrative using the Story Planner.
Develop a personal narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end that reflects past experiences, present growth, and future goals.
Revise and refine a personal story using descriptive language and editing strategies to prepare it for inclusion in a career portfolio.

Indiana Standards

PCC-1.1 – Identify personal characteristics that contribute to career success.

PCC-1.2 – Identify personal interests, strengths, skills, and values that influence career choices.

PCC-1.3 – Reflect on personal experiences to support career exploration and planning.

PCC-4.1 – Use career information and resources to support career exploration and planning.

PCC-4.2 – Develop and maintain a personal career portfolio.

PCC-4.3 – Create and revise career-related materials that communicate personal strengths, interests, and goals.

PCC-6.1 – Investigate local and regional career opportunities.

PCC-6.2 – Identify workplace expectations and characteristics of successful employees.

PCC-6.3 – Research employers and labor market information to support career decision-making.

PCC-6.4 – Explain how personal experiences and employability skills contribute to career readiness.

PCC-7.1 – Demonstrate employability skills through career exploration activities.

PCC-7.2 – Demonstrate professionalism through communication, collaboration, and personal responsibility.

Before You Begin:

Student Materials

Device with internet access
"Your Story Planner"
Writing materials (pen or pencil)

Teacher Preparation

Print copies of the "Your Story Planner."
Print or display the "Movie Blurbs – Examples" activity.
Review the lesson presentation and discussion prompts.
Prepare students to draft, edit, and revise their personal stories over multiple class periods.

Lesson Flow

Hook / Warm-Up (Movie Blurbs Activity)
Mini Lesson: The Structure and Purpose of Personal Stories
Story Planning Using the Story Planner
Writing the Personal Narrative
Editing, Revision, and Story Sharing

Student Work Products

Students will complete:

"Your Story Planner"
Personal Story

These artifacts become part of each student's Portfolio in Unit 3.

External Resources

None

Teacher Tips

Encourage students to focus on meaningful experiences that demonstrate personal growth rather than simply recounting events. Remind them that effective personal stories have a clear beginning, middle, and end, use descriptive language to engage the reader, and communicate the lessons learned through their experiences. As students revise their writing, emphasize that their personal story will become an important tool for future interviews and professional conversations.

Portfolio Connection

At the conclusion of this lesson, students should have:

Completed the "Your Story Planner."
Written a personal narrative describing their growth, experiences, and future goals.
Revised their story through editing and reflection.
Developed a polished personal story to include in their career portfolio.

Lesson 1.6 - Telling Your Story Snapshot & Resources