Pathways to Success

Year Level

Year 9

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

35 students

Unit

Pathways to Employment Success — Lesson 1: Who Am I? Exploring Interests, Attributes & Capabilities

---

Curriculum Alignment

This lesson directly aligns with the Australian Curriculum Version 9 general capabilities of Personal and Social capability by fostering self-awareness and social management skills. It also relates to the Cross-curriculum priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures through the Acknowledgement of Country and local contextualisation.

Specifically, it addresses:

• ACPPS099: Understand the factors that influence the development of self-identity and personal attributes.
• ACPPS097: Recognise how personal interests, attributes, and capabilities relate to career paths and employment opportunities.
• General Capabilities: Personal and Social Capability – develop self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social management to make informed decisions about personal and career pathways.
• Cross-Curriculum Priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures – embedding respect for Country and culture.

---

Learning Intention

• To understand the difference between personal interests, personal attributes, and capabilities, and how each connects to the workplace.

Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

• Identify and label at least three personal interests, two personal attributes, and two capabilities.
• Explain how one of each (interest, attribute, capability) could be useful in a job found in the Morwell or Traralgon area.

---

Resources

• Welcome slide including Acknowledgement of Country specific to Kurnai College.
• Classroom rules poster (8 clear, visually illustrated rules).
• ‘How are you feeling?’ daily check-in scale (1–5).
• “All About Me” interactive digital poster templates or paper-based collage supplies (magazines, coloured paper, glue, markers).
• Large colourful infographic posters depicting local contexts:
• Morwell skate park for sporting interests.
• Latrobe Regional Hospital for caring attributes.
• Traralgon construction sites and local Coles/Woolworths for workplace capabilities.
• Visual word wall with vocabulary cards (words linked to interests, attributes, capabilities) illustrated with pictures.
• Illustrated sentence starter cards.
• Step-by-step picture guide for the activity.
• Classroom display space for ongoing posters.

---

Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Description	Teacher Role
0-5	Welcome & Acknowledgement of Country	Greet students, conduct Acknowledgement of Country for Kurnai College.	Facilitate, model respectful tone.
5-10	Classroom Rules & Check-in	Review 8 classroom rules with visuals, complete “How are you feeling?” check-in.	Engage students with questioning.
10-15	Introduction: What Are Interests, Attributes, Capabilities?	Explain definitions with examples relevant to local region (Morwell/Traralgon).	Use visual aids/infographic posters.
15-20	Guided Modelling	Demonstrate completing “All About Me” poster with personal examples.	Model thinking aloud, highlight connections to workplace.
20-45	Student Activity: “All About Me” Poster/Collage Creation	Students create their own posters identifying their interests, attributes, capabilities using provided materials or digital tools.	Circulate, scaffold ideas, support students needing help, encourage use of sentence starters and word wall.
45-55	Peer Sharing & Reflection	Volunteers explain one interest, attribute, and capability and how each relates to a local job (e.g., reliability useful at Coles in Morwell).	Facilitate respectful sharing, prompt students with sentence starters.
55-60	Lesson Wrap-Up & Exit Check	Review success criteria, quick “How are you feeling now?” check-in, outline next lesson.	Provide positive feedback, clarify any questions.

---

Differentiation and Support

• Flexible learning approach: Provide both digital and paper options for the poster activity to cater to students’ varying preferences and technology access.
• Use the visual word wall and sentence starter cards extensively to support students who may struggle with expression.
• Teacher and support staff to provide one-on-one scaffolded instructions as needed, including clarifying vocabulary.
• Extra time for slower learners to complete their creative work.
• Use pair or small group sharing instead of whole class if anxiety or confidence is an issue.
• Visual aids to reinforce understanding for students requiring additional support.

---

Assessment for Learning

• Formative assessment will occur during the poster activity as teacher observes student identification and labelling of interests, attributes, and capabilities.
• During peer sharing, students will articulate the connection of one interest, attribute, and capability to a local employment context.
• Teacher will use observation and questioning to assess understanding and readiness to progress.

---

Australian Curriculum (v9) References

• Personal and Social Capability (PSC):

• Recognise and describe personal qualities, strengths, and challenges.

• Apply strategies to develop and maintain positive relationships.

• Develop self-awareness to recognise own emotions and manage them effectively.

• Cross-Curriculum Priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

• Acknowledge and respect connections to Country and Culture through the Acknowledgement of Country at the lesson's start.

• Career Education General Capabilities:

• Develop students' comprehension of self in relation to career pathways and local employment options.

---

Lesson Reflection

At the end of this lesson, students will have begun a personalised record of their attributes and interests, anchored in their local region, forming a foundation for the unit’s ongoing journey to employment success.

---

This detailed plan ensures Year 9 students at Kurnai College engage meaningfully with self-exploration framed through the lens of workplace readiness, respecting local place and culture, and accommodating diverse learning needs. The visually rich and flexible approach aligns tightly with the Australian Curriculum and supports progressive skill building across the unit "Pathways to Employment Success."