Learn what animal trainers do, where they work, and how a person can become an animal trainer.

Teaching Objectives:

• Students will be able to list several places where an animal trainer might work.
• Students will be able to explain various jobs that animals are trained to do.
• Students will understand that animal trainers work in different capacities and may train animals to work, perform or behave.
• Students will be able to describe how and why animal trainers might work with people.
• Students will be able to explain how a person can become an animal trainer.

Suggested Grade Level

5th – 8th Grade

Lesson Excerpt:

People and animals have worked together for thousands of years, and there have been animal trainers since the times when camels were trained to provide transportation and dogs were trained as hunters. Today, animal trainers teach animals to do many things. Some animals, known as service animals, help people who can’t see, hear or walk. Others work with police to find bombs or drugs. Animals are also entertainers. They appear in movies or on television, and they perform in circuses, aquariums and zoos.

Animal trainers might work on the set of a movie or for a police department. They may work for an independent company or for themselves, training animals for other people. Animal trainers who work for zoos, aquariums and circuses are usually known as exotic animal trainers. There are also animal trainers who work with people who want help training their pets. The person may simply need to learn how to house-train a pet, or the pet might be doing something that is a problem that needs to be corrected, like biting or scratching furniture.

View Full Lesson:

Learn what sports therapists do and how a person can become one.

Teaching Objectives:

• Students will be able to tell list the jobs that fall under the heading of sports therapist.
• Students will be able to describe what each type of sports therapist does.
• Students will be able to list places where a sports therapist might work.
• Students will be able to explain how a person can become a sports therapist.

Suggested Grade Level

5th – 8th Grade

Lesson Excerpt:

Athletes, especially professional athletes, need a special kind of strength. They also need special care when they are injured. A sports therapist is a person who works with athletes to help them recover from injuries or develop their bodies in order to play a particular sport. There are a few different jobs that fall under the title of sports therapist. Strength and conditioning coaches and group exercise instructors guide training and workout sessions that help get athletes into shape and improve their performance. A personal trainer works with one athlete at a time and may help him or her get into shape, choose what to eat and what not to eat, and give other lifestyle advice that helps the athlete perform well. Massage therapists work with athletes who have sore or tight muscles. They may work for sports teams or in gyms, hospitals, fitness centers or spas. Physical therapists are specialists who help injured athletes to recover from muscle, joint, nerve or bone injuries. Physical therapists work for sports teams, in private offices or in hospitals.

View Full Lesson:

Learn what movie directors do and how a person can become one.

Teaching Objectives:

• Students will be able to list the professionals with whom a movie director works and describe what each does.
• Students will be able to explain the various aspects of a movie director’s job.
• Students will be able to explain what is meant by “blocking” a scene.
• Students will be able to explain how a person can become a movie director.

Suggested Grade Level

5th – 8th Grade

Lesson Excerpt:

If you enjoy movies, you may have wondered how a movie is made. There are many things that happen before the movie is ready to be shown on the big screen, and most of these things are managed by a movie director. The director’s job is to guide all of the other people that work on the movie. These people include screenwriters, who write the play, cinematographers, who film the scenes, editors who put the scenes of the movie together and check for mistakes, and actors, who play the roles in the movie.

One of the jobs of a movie director is to “block” the scenes in the film. Each scene is filmed separately, and the director decides how the scene should be filmed and from what angle or “perspective.” They also decide when a scene should include a close-up and when it should be shot from a distance. Movie directors also set the schedule for the cast and crew. They decide which scenes will be filmed on which days and in what locations. The scenes of a movie are not filmed in order from beginning to end. Instead, they are grouped according to the location of the scene and the actors that are in the scene. Directors must also be sure that the expenses for a movie do not go over the movie’s budget.

View Full Lesson:

Learn about a career in the study of ocean life.

Teaching Objectives:

• Students will understand that marine biologists are scientists who study ocean life.
• Students will be able to identify Jacques Cousteau.
• Students will be able to explain what a grant is.
• Students will be able to describe some of the job responsibilities of marine biologists and identify possible employers for members of this profession.
• Students will be able to explain the ideal characteristics and interests for a person who wants to become a marine biologist.

Suggested Grade Level

5th – 8th Grade

Lesson Excerpt:

Marine biologists are scientists who study ocean life. They often work on boats and underwater, collecting samples to study in their labs. They use computers to collect, save and analyze the information they find. Marine biologists study all forms of life in the sea from tiny bacteria to giant whales. They study animal life and plant life as well. These scientists use special equipment, like deep-sea submersibles, which are vessels that transport them into the depths of the ocean to take pictures and do other research. In their labs, marine biologists study and test specimens to find answers to different questions about various species. For example, a marine biologist might study turtles to find out about their eggs, or they might study a particular species of fish to find out why they are getting sick or dying.

View Full Lesson: