Promote Careers in Construction with Ready-to-Use Lesson Plans

NAHB has partnered with the Department of Construction Science at Texas A&M University and the University of Oklahoma Construction Science Program to create lesson plans that building professionals can use to encourage interest in construction careers at the middle school level (5th-8th grades).

View the lesson plans on the Skilled Workforce Development Resources page under the Lesson Plans tab.

The goals of the lesson plans are to engage the students, fit in a teacher’s required curriculum and be applicable for schools across the United States. Each lesson plan includes a hands-on activity where students apply the math and science principles being taught.

The lesson plans cover a wide range of topics including home and green building design, energy consumption in a home, the importance of communication and basic physics and engineering concepts.

NAHB is encouraging members and HBAs to review the lesson plans and reach out to local school systems to get the plans into a classroom presentation. The plans are very detailed and include an overview, a script, handouts and PowerPoint presentations where applicable. We want it to be as easy as possible for a builder to teach a lesson on home building.

To facilitate a building professional entering a classroom and teaching a class, the lesson plans are written to fit within the specific curriculum that is covered in each grade and to be applicable in as many states as possible.

The broadest set of education standards are found in the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). The CCSSI has produced core standards in math and language arts that have been adopted in 48 states. The CCSSI were used for the math lesson plans. For science, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were used, which have the broadest adoption across states for science curriculum.

Since each state and school district will vary in how their curriculum is developed, building professionals seeking to offer a lesson should consult with the school principal to identify where a lesson will be most appropriate.

In the final days of Careers in Construction Month, think about reaching out to local students to encourage the next generation of home builders.