Grades 6-8

Describe personal financial literacy with emphasis on financial management, budgeting, and investing2.1

Describe business financial literacy with emphasis on accounting, finance, and conducting business2.2

Discuss the effect of personal values and lifestyle expectations on career choices (i.e., personal health, work content, work environment, work-life balance, etc.)2.3

Analyze the relationship among education, financial needs, and job opportunities (i.e., education/training needed, short- and long-term career goals, availability and location of jobs, salaries vs. wages, etc.)2.4

Investigate financial benefits that come with having a job/career (i.e., life insurance, health insurance, retirement plans, career development opportunities, college assistance, better salaries, etc.)2.5

Give examples of critical thinking strategies/techniques (e.g., self-evaluation, self-reflection, asking questions, making informed decisions, using time wisely)3.1

Identify the steps in problem-solving (e.g., define the problem; determine the cause of the problem; identify, prioritize, and select alternative solutions; and implement a solution)3.2

Investigate problem-solving and critical-thinking processes and techniques to meet real-world challenges and personal decisions3.3

Explain how problem-solving and critical-thinking skills are related to academic success (i.e., making good decisions, creative thinking, managing time and resources, etc.)3.4

Determine the most effective personal problem-solving and critical thinking model and understand how this relates to career opportunities3.5

Identify collaborative skills needed to achieve a common goal (i.e., open-mindedness, conflict resolution, active listening, emotional intelligence, delegation, understanding a variety of perspectives, managing priorities, meeting expectations, and having a cooperative spirit and mutual respect, etc.)4.1

Identify skills that promote teamwork (i.e., leadership, motivation, problem-solving, reliability, etc.)4.2

Practice behaviors that facilitate collaboration with peers (i.e., active listening, providing feedback, respecting the differences of others, taking personal responsibility, etc.)4.3

Compare and contrast tools and skills used for in-person, hybrid, and virtual collaborative team settings4.4

Employ digital and in-person tools and strategies to collaborate with individuals from diverse populations, including peers, experts, and community members4.5

Differentiate between interpersonal skills and communication skills (e.g., Interpersonal skills include the ability to listen, interact, and build strong relationships, whereas communication skills cover the ability to transmit and articulate information.)5.1

Identify and demonstrate various communication methods (i.e., verbal, nonverbal, written, visual, etc.)5.2

Compare and contrast communication styles based on different audiences and purposes (i.e., talking to friends vs. adults, giving instructions or sharing a story, asking for help or giving information, etc.)5.3

Discuss the impact of cultural, generational, and geographical differences on communication (i.e., preferences, misunderstandings, language barriers, etc.)5.4

Use effective cross-cultural communication skills in person and virtually with diverse groups (i.e., avoid slang, speak slowly, keep it simple, write instructions, etc.)5.5

Practice professional workplace communication across various mediums to embrace effectiveness and professionalism (e.g., emails, business letters, resumes, texts, and social media)5.6

Explore the types and roles of technology in a variety of career clusters of interest6.1

Examine how technology advancements have impacted the workplace (i.e., quicker and more efficient productivity, job flexibility in what workers can do, changes in how work gets done, etc.)6.2

Demonstrate computer technology skills used in the workplace (i.e., emails, word processing to create a report, presentation software, and spreadsheet programs to gather data for analysis, etc.)6.3

Utilize industry-recognized technology tools to complete a career-related project (i.e., Microsoft Office, Google, Canva, AI, TinkerCAD, Scratch, etc.)6.4

Identify ethical issues in technology (i.e., misuse of data, misinformation, artificial intelligence, etc.)6.5

Define accountability and ethical behaviors and discuss their importance in the workplace7.1

Explore the influence of personal behaviors and communication styles on workplace dynamics and outcomes7.2

Identify ethical and unethical behavior in workplace scenarios (i.e., confidentiality, race and ethnicity, employment discrimination, etc.)7.3

Demonstrate and describe appropriate work habits to obtain and retain employment (i.e., attendance, attitude, dress, performance, time management, cleanliness, etc.)7.4

Engage in professional, positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology including social media interactions (i.e., digital citizenship, commonsense.org, be internet awesome, etc.)7.5