Building an Effective Resume | 1

Lesson Plan for Week 12

Katie Bora
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
List the components of an effective resume
Describe their talents and experiences
Organize and write a current resume
You will need:
LAS 101 textbook
Attendance record sheet and sign-in sheet
Classroom Technology
Your resume and/or others resumes to use as examples
You will collect:
You will assign:
N/A
HW: Electronic copy of resume due on
Moodle by 11/16 at midnight for grade.
Hard copy of resume due in class next
week for discussion.
Read: LAS 101 textbook, pp. 64-68;
revisit 71-73; pp. 81-83
You will remind students:
Career wheels will be completed next week.
Check Attendance

2 minutes

Mark present students (P), absent students (A), and after 10 minutes anyone who is
late (L) on your attendance record sheet.
Collect sign-in attendance sheet.
Intern Lesson Plan

48 minutes

Type your lesson plan into the template on the following page. Cut and paste the template for as
many activities as you plan to complete in class. You can refer to other lesson plans in your
intern binder for examples of how to structure each activity.
Each activity should include the following items:
1. Title describing the activity
2. Amount of time activity will take to complete
3. Details about what you and your students will do during the activity
Once you have addressed the items above, answer questions A through D. (Be sure to answer
each of these questions for each activity included in your lesson plan.)
SPECIAL NOTE: Please reference the Lesson Plan Direction Sheet for this week. It will

provide you with the essential information necessary to successfully complete the

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Building an Effective Resume | 2

Lesson Plan for Week 12
Katie Bora
assignment as well as a rubric for the assignment. If you have specific questions, please
email your TA.
[TEMPLATE FOR LESSON Insert your lesson plan directly into this document below]

Activity #1:Organize the Resume!

12 minutes

The intern will start of the lesson by introducing the lesson objectives for the day.
These objectives will be projected onto the screen as a slide in the lesson PowerPoint.
The teacher will read the objectives allowed by stating: Here are our lesson
objectives. By the end of our class today you will be able to recognize the
components of an effective resume, describe ones talents and experiences on a
resume, and organize and write a current resume. (1 minute)
The intern will then introduce the first activity of Organize the
Resume. The intern will explain the following directions: In this
envelop is a resume cut up into different sections. Your job is to put
the resume components in the order that they typically fall in on a
resume. Once you have put the resume in order, identify the
different components that make up a resume.
The intern will then pass out an envelope of resume components to
each student and give them time to put the resume in order. While
the students are working, the intern will walk around assist students
as necessary. (5 minutes)
Once all students have the resume in an order, the intern will bring
the class back together and have students list out how they put the
resume in order by asking the class a series of questions: (4
minutes)
o What goes that the top of the resume? What comes next?
Why? ect.
The intern will ask: What were the various components in the
resume? Students will identify the following components: (2
minutes)
o Name
o Contact Information

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Building an Effective Resume | 3

Lesson Plan for Week 12
Katie Bora
o Address, phone number, and email
o Objectives
o Education
o Experience
o Activities
o Honors and Awards
o Skills
o References
Then the intern will conclude the activity by projecting the list of
components of a resume on the board and telling students that
these is the components that should make up their resume and the
order they should be in. The intern will also stress how some
components are optional as identified by the Career center.
The intern will transition to the next activity with the following
statement: Now that we have identified the components of a
resume, lets talk about how to effectively talk about ones talents
and experiences in each component.

For each activity, answer the following questions before describing the next activity.
A. The entire lesson seeks to teach students about resume development. 1) What aspects of resume
development in particular does this activity seek to address? 2) How does this activity connect
with the learning outcomes for the week?
This activity seeks to address how resumes should be organized and the various components of a resume.
By having students take a resume that has been cut up into pieces and put it in order, students discover for
themselves the best way to logically organize their resume and what components a resume can be broken
up into. The intern will reinforce the categories that the students identified and present the ideal order of
resume components as presented by the LAS 101 textbook. If students did the reading for this week, they
will have an easier time completing this activity, so this activity serves as an assessment for determining
if students did and understood the reading. This activity ties in nicely with the objective list the
components of an effective resume. Essentially, the entire activity has students organizing and
identifying the components of an effective resume, and by the end of the activity, students should be

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Building an Effective Resume | 4

Lesson Plan for Week 12
Katie Bora
aware of what components are expected to be present on their resume at this stage in their professional
development.
B. By now, you should know your class well. Describe why you chose the particular instructional
strategies youve chosen for Activity #1 (e.g. Youtube video, game, or discussion/ will it be small
group, whole group instruction). How/why does your instructional approach appeal to your
students in your classroom?
My class does well with interactive activities where they do the teaching and are active learners. Thus, I
stayed away from simply telling students the components of a resume are and how they should be
organized. Instead, I had students work with a sample resume to make this discovery for themselves.
Thus, they are engaged and active in the learning process. This instructional approach will directly appeal
to my students as it is an interactive activity that is different than the activities that have been done in the
past. Furthermore, they are the teachers and identify the components and the order they go in, instead of
listening to me identify them for them. This shows my students that I respect any prior knowledge they
may have on resumes as well as their ability to draw conclusions.
C. Each section must have discussion questions to help facilitate discussion and engagement. What
discussion questions will you be asking? Identify how these questions match your instructional
strategies mentioned above.
The discussion questions that will be asked while students are putting the resume in
order will be:
What is the first component of the resume? Why did you choose this as the first
component? What comes next? Why did you choose this as second? ect.
Once the resume is in order the intern will ask: What are the key components of an
effective resume?
These discussion tie into my instructional strategies because they do not give
students the answers, but have them explain what the order of a resume is and why
it is in that order. Students are engaged in the activity and are teaching themselves
and each other. These questions serve as a guide to help students understand the
key resume components.
D. What additional materials will you use (if any) and why did you choose them? Cite sources as
necessary.

Sample resume off the career center website. (See attachment)

o I chose this as so that once students put the resume in order, they
would have a sample resume. Also, since it is off the career center
website, I am sure that it is a high quality example.
PowerPoint (See attachment)
o

The PowerPoint will be used to project instructions and questions to the

class so that students have both a visual and oral explanation of the
activity. This accommodates all learning types.

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Building an Effective Resume | 5

Lesson Plan for Week 12
Katie Bora

Activity #2: Rate the Resume Entry

15 minutes

The intern will explain the activity: We are now going to look at sample resume
entries off actual resumes and rate the entry on a scale of 1-5. 1 is a very weak entry
and 5 is a strong entry. Look at these entries as if you are a potential employer. If
you rate an entry as being strong, what makes it strong? If you rate an entry as weak,
how would you improve it? We will be using Poll Everywhere to rate the resume
entries. Text your response to the number on the screen to cast your vote.
The intern will open the poll by logging into their Poll Everywhere account. Once
they are logging in, they can open the poll. This projects the scenario on the screen
along with the possible rating students can select. Students will then text a rating
from 1-5 to the number that is given by Poll Everywhere once the poll is open. As
students poll in, their response shows up on the screen underneath the scenario. The
following scenarios are the resume entries that students will rate:
o Collaborated to design and develop antibody-based molecules.
This is a strong resume entry.
o Trained workers.
This resume entry is not detailed enough. How many workers? What
did you train them in?
o I worked for the manager of the bank and did his filings.
Worked and did are not strong words. What else did you do
besides filings?
o Reached daily UPT goals.
Try to stay away from abbreviations that employers will not know.
o Utilized the Direct Teaching Model to improve students grammar, listening,
writing, and speaking skills.
This is a good example of a resume entry.
o Good customer service.
Use a stronger word besides good. What else does customer service
entail?
o Created a forecast price model to plan production and avoid bullwhip effect in
supply chains.
This is an excellent resume entry
o Worked as a freelance photographer.
Can add in what skills this required.
After each entry, the intern will ask students who rated the entry as being strong why.
Ideally, students should identify that strong resume entries are detailed and use strong
action words. If students rated the entry as weak, the intern will ask why and how it
can be improved. Students should identify that weak entries are short, lack
description, and do not use action words. (10 Minutes)
Once students have finished rating all the resumes, the intern will stress that the
strong entries utilize action words. The intern will then post the question What are
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Lesson Plan for Week 12
Katie Bora
some strong action words? Students will all come up to the board and write down an
action word. Each student must write a different word. This will create a list of
action words that students can use on the resume entries as suggested by their peers
and helps clarify if students understand what action words are. (5 Minutes).
The intern will conclude the activity and transition to the next activity by stating: We
have now identified the best words to use to describe our talents and experiences.
Now lets give writing about our experiences a try.
For each activity, answer the following questions before describing the next activity.
A. The entire lesson seeks to teach students about resume development. 1)
What aspects of resume development in particular does this activity seek to
address? 2) How does this activity connect with the learning outcomes for the
week?
This activity starts to get students thinking about what makes a strong resume
entry and what types of words can be used to do so. Often times, the most
challenging parts of creating a resume is strong resume descriptions. This activity
has students rate resume entries and witness how using strong action words helps
enhance the resume entry. Also, students will compile a list of action words that
they can use when writing their own resume entries. This activity relates to the
learning objective of describe their talents and experiences. Students are
identifying words that they can use to help describe their talents and experiences,
as well as identifying what not to do when writing a resume entry.

B. By now, you should know your class well. Describe why you chose the

particular instructional strategies youve chosen for Activity #1 (e.g. Youtube

video, game, or discussion/ will it be small group, whole group instruction).
How/why does your instructional approach appeal to your students in your
classroom?

I chose to have students engage in rating resume entries using poll everywhere
because my students like games, and I felt that this activity is interactive and
almost like a game. It also integrates technology in the classroom and allows for all
students to participate in the rating. Some of my students are not keen on
discussions, so this activity gives these students a chance to engage in a different
form of expression that is not discussion. However, there is still room for discussion
for these students that do like to talk as a class. This activity caters to multiple
learners. Finally, the activity is once again one of self-discovery, as students
identify for themselves what makes a resume entry strong and what words should
be used to describe their experiences. Overall, my instructional approach will
appeal to my students as it is interactive like a game, is differentiated for different
types of learners, and allows them to take an active role in their learning.

C. Each section must have discussion questions to help facilitate discussion and
engagement. What discussion questions will you be asking? Identify how
these questions match your instructional strategies mentioned above.

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Lesson Plan for Week 12
Katie Bora

After each sample resume entry, the following discussions will be asked: If you rate
an entry as being strong, what makes it strong? If you rate an entry as weak, how
would you improve it? These questions relate to my instructional method in that
they provide students who like to talk with the chance to talk and further explain
their rating. Furthermore, students are pushed to analyze what they selected and
discover what exactly is the key to making a strong resume entry. Students will
then answer the question: What are some strong resume action words? This
matches with my instructional strategy because students create the list of action
words themselves as opposed to me simply feeding them the information, thus they
are taking an active role in their learning.

D. What additional materials will you use (if any) and why did you choose them?
Cite sources as necessary

Poll Everywhere
o I created an original poll using Poll Everywhere that allows students to
rate resumes on a scale from 1-5. This resource allows students to
anonymously participate in a poll. I chose this resource because it
allows all student voices to be heard and is like a game in some ways.

Activity #3: Start Your Resume

20 minutes

The intern will introduce the activity to the class by passing out the
Resume Building worksheet and stating: Next week you will
creating a resume. To help get you all started on this assignment,
here is a worksheet where you will identify you past experiences
and begin to draft how you can describe these experiences.
Students will then work individually on identifying their experiences
and filling in the worksheet with potential descriptions for this
experience. While the students are working, the intern will walk
around the room and assist students in writing their descriptions. If
students do not have experiences, they will use this time to identify
where they are lacking experience, and can use their laptop to
research ways to get experience (10 minutes)
Once students have completed filling out the worksheet, the intern
will bring the class together and have students partner up.
Students will partner up by partnering with the person sitting
across from them in the circle. Once students are seated near their
partner, the intern will tell students to switch worksheets and
critique their partners descriptions and offer suggestions to make
them even stronger. Students will use the following statements to
help provide feedback: Components of a strong resume entry:
o Tense
o Emphasize results
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Lesson Plan for Week 12
Katie Bora
o Provide Details
o At least two bullets
o NO periods
o Avoid personal pronouns (I, We, Us, Our)
o Focus on transferable skills
o Qualify Accomplishments
(10 minutes)
After students finish providing feedback on their partners
descriptions, the intern will present students with resources that can
help them when creating their resume. These resources will include
the Career Center website. The intern will walk students through
the steps they take to access their online resume resources such as
the action word list and sample resumes as well as show students
how to sign up for resume review sessions. The intern will also
suggest having many people read over resume, such as your family
and friends. Finally, the intern will pull up the Top Ten Things
Employers Look For in New College Graduates to stress what skills
should be highlighted in resume bullet points. The intern will finally
conclude the lesson and the activity by reminding students that
resumes are a way to get an interview and through the closing
statement: You know should have a better understanding of how to
describe your talents and write your current resume. This activity
has set you up well for your resume due next week.

For each activity, answer the following questions before describing the next activity.

A. The entire lesson seeks to teach students about resume development. 1)

What aspects of resume development in particular does this activity seek to
address? 2) How does this activity connect with the learning outcomes for the
week?

This activity seeks to have students start on organizing their own resume and begin
to practice writing their own resume entries. Students will identify areas where they
need more experience and where they can find this experience. Furthermore,
students will attempt to use action words to construct resume entries for their
current resume. This ties into the objectives of describe their talents and
experiences and organize and write a current resume. This activity actually has
students practice describing their talents and experiences, as well as start
preparing and organizing their resume for next week.

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Lesson Plan for Week 12
Katie Bora
B. By now, you should know your class well. Describe why you chose the
particular instructional strategies youve chosen for Activity #1 (e.g. Youtube
video, game, or discussion/ will it be small group, whole group instruction).
How/why does your instructional approach appeal to your students in your
classroom?

I chose to have students start writing their resume entries in class because my
students have expressed how they like activities that are productive and useful.
This activity allows students to apply what was learned in the last activity and
being to prepare for next week. Students will be engaged in this activity because it
has real benefits and meaning. It also allows students to practice writing a resume
entry in a low stakes setting where they can receive feedback and critiques. Also,
students will be working in pairs and this instructional strategy appeals to my
students because they like working and discussing in smaller groups as they feel
more comfortable.

C. Each section must have discussion questions to help facilitate discussion and
engagement. What discussion questions will you be asking? Identify how
these questions match your instructional strategies mentioned above.

The following discussion questions will be asked:

Where are you lacking experience? How can you get experiences in this
area?

Switch worksheets with your partner and provide them with feedback on their
descriptions.

These questions tie into my instructional method as they have students applying
what they have learned and identifying for themselves areas that need work. Also
students will be providing critiques of their partners resume entries in groups,
which my students will respond well to and relates to my instructional strategy of
using small group discussion.

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Building an Effective Resume | 10

Lesson Plan for Week 12
Katie Bora
D. What additional materials will you use (if any) and why did you choose them?
Cite sources as necessary.

Resume Entry Worksheet

o

Career Center Website

o

This is a guided worksheet that students will fill out with their
experiences and drafts of the descriptions of this experiences. I chose
to make this worksheet to provide students with guidance in organizing
their resume.

I highlighted the resources on this website because they are reliable

and beneficial to resume writing as I have used them myself and they
are sponsored by the University.

http://aacu.org/leap/students/employers-top-ten
o

Students should be aware of what potential employers are looking for,

and this website clearly presented this information.

Wrap-Up

1-2 minutes

Remind students to bring their books/Career Wheels with them to work on in class
next week.
Electronic copy of resume due on Moodle by 11/16 at midnight for grade. Hard copy
of resume due in class next week.

Read: LAS 101 textbook, pp. 64-68; revisit 71-73; pp. 81-83

Fall 2015 LAS 101 College Success

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign