Optional Lesson: Career Exploration - Art Therapy

Grade Level: K-6
Suggested Time: 60 mins
Overview
Students will examine careers in Medical Science, and learn directly from an art therapist. They will work through various career books to create a job of their own. Then, they will work together to create costumes representing their chosen careers, and write and produce a play or film!
Vocabulary
Objectives
Required Project Materials
                    Sports Careers
                    Technology Careers
                    Art Careers
                    Media Careers
Multimedia Resources
Optional Multimedia Resources
Before the Lesson/ Background Information
The Lesson
Part 1: Art Therapy
  1. What is Art Therapy? Explore the definition using the Explore Health Careers website.
  2. Have the students come up with a list of questions for the guest speaker.
  3. Introduce the class to the guest art therapist. The guest will discuss his/her career and answer the students’ questions.
  4. Show the speaker the Art Therapy Coloring Book and have him/her explain the context for its use (let her/him know about this question in advance).
  5. Students will color pictures from Coloring to Heal: Art Therapy Coloring Book.
Part 2: So Many Careers!
  1. Students will explore the Medicine Careers for Kids cards and do the activities. They should integrate the other game cards based on interests (art, technology, media, etc).
  2. Working through the Career Ideas for Kids series, students will select the one that interests them the most and do the activities in the book.
  3. Each student will develop a character that has a specific career, or come up with an interdisciplinary career that is a combination of two or more. The other series are good for this.
  4. Students will get together in groups and write a storyline involving all of their professions.They will come up with costumes and props, too.
  5. Students will decide whether to produce a film or a play.
  6. Students will perform their skits (or film them advance, then show them) in front of the class!
Accommodations 
Modifications