Considering The BIG Question:

Can you afford the car of your dreams if you choose a career in the mineral industry?

Your Minequest Team Plan

Note to Students:  Check with your teacher to see if you are to complete Option A which involves drawing conclusions and/or Option B which extends this activity to integrate other career choices.

Option A - Making Ends Meet in the Mining Industry

Now that you have an idea of the standard of living you might expect if employed in some capacity in the mining industry, let’s explore it further for a clearer picture!

Task #3a: Complete the questions below to obtain that picture and draw some conclusions about making a living in general.

If your teacher directs you to complete this option in writing, print the Drawing Conclusions form from this link or your teacher will provide one for you.

1.  Think about your life at the present time in association with your family.  Based on your knowledge and experiences, are there some expenses that were used in the previous worksheet that were too low?  Too high?  Briefly discuss.

2.  Again, consider your present situation in your family.  List items below that one might label “unexpected expenses.”  That is, think of costs any family might incur that were not included in the worksheet, but could realistically be present from time to time and affect a monthly budget.

3.  Overall, based on the job you researched in the mining industry, do you think you could live comfortably at your intended standard of living if you actually held that job?  Explain your reasoning.

Option B -  Finding the Best Fit

Choosing a career is like buying a pair of shoes you will use on a very long hike! You need a good fit. You’ve listened to the class presentations on the capacity of several mining industry careers to provide different levels of lifestyles. You've thought about the kind of lifestyle you hope to have in the future. Have you heard of a career that sounds like a match?

For this task, print the Minequest problem-solving matrix or your teacher will provide you with one.

Task #3b.1: In addition to the one career you just researched, identify three additional careers that you think about because they match your interests and your goals in life.  Do some quick research on the Internet or in your school’s guidance office regarding the job responsibilities, the salary/benefit package, and other factors involved with these careers.

Once you have four likely careers chosen, follow these steps.

1) Develop three to five criteria that will help you select one of the four as the best match for your personal and educational goals and your intended lifestyle. Criteria are standards used to objectively judge ideas. To give you an example, one of your criteria might be, “Would career A provide an income that would support a family of four?”  Think deeply now and develop your criteria.

2) In the cells labeled criteria 1-5, write a short description of each of your criteria.  Be sure that you have a full description of each criterion on another page.  In the cells under the heading “Solutions,” write a brief descriptive phrase for the careers you have researched.  Be sure your careers are also fully described on another page.

3) Using a scale of 1-10, with ten being the best rating and one being the poorest rating, rate each career according to each criterion across the row. You may use the same rating score more than once across the row, but don’t give everything the same score because then you’re not thinking and evaluating. It is quite possible that one solution might rate eights and nines across the criteria and another solution might not rate higher than a five on any criteria. Another solution may have both very high and very low ratings.

5) When all the cells are filled with numbers reflecting your ratings, total the rows across for each career.  The career with the highest total is your best match because it will match the majority of your needs.

Task #3b.2: Once you finish the matrix, select any two separate scores.  Identify the scores you choose by the cell they are in such as Solution 3, Criterion 5.  Explain what you were thinking when you gave these two ratings.

Task #3b.3 Explain how the highest rated career from your matrix assures you that the majority of your needs will be met in a positive manner. Think about and explain if there are any negative  consequences for this career for you.  How might you, as an adult, accommodate the negative consequences in your chosen career? Can you develop solutions that will make your adult life and career choice something that brings you satisfaction?  Explain your reasoning.

Last but not least ...

Task #4: Share any additional discoveries, surprises, or insights from this Minequest at the Minequest Student Lobby. Find out what students in other schools and towns in Wyoming are looking forward to when it comes to careers and lifestyles.

MOVING ON ...

Check to see that you have turned in any work that your teacher requires for evaluation or to earn credit for your grade.

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WEBQUEST From BOB FAIGL AND DEBBIE VARRAS