3 minutesWe use a modified career clustering system to introduce students to the concept of occupational classification in Xello K-2. In Career Town, students explore six locations where characters have similar kinds of jobs or perform similar tasks because they have each taken the same career path. The locations/career paths are defined as follows:
| Career path | Career Town location | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Business path | Pet Grooming Shop | For people who like to work with numbers and be organized. |
| Creative path | Art Gallery | For people who like to draw, write, or perform. |
| Nature path | Farm | For people who like to work outdoors with plants and animals. |
| Fixing & building path | Construction Site | For people who like to figure out how things work and build things. |
| Helping path | Park | For people who like to work with people and help make things better for others. |
| Health path | Hospital | For people who like to care for people. |
As students complete the 6 location activities, you can ask them to list ways that occupations within the same career path are similar, or ways in which occupations in separate career paths are different. Comparing and contrasting occupations is an accessible way for young students to start thinking about the purpose and process of occupational classification systems.
