Teach your third-graders about different careers and occupations through planned career awareness days. Seek out members of the community to come into the school and speak to the students about what their occupations are, how they differ from the other speakers present and what a typical day in their lives actually looks like. Give the students an opportunity to ask any questions they may have.
Teach students about the differences between occupations by making it personal and applying it directly to their lives. Plan a parent day in which students' parents come into the classroom and talk about their occupations. This will allow students to form clear distinctions among the jobs their parents have and the jobs that the parents of their friends and other students have.
Supplying third-graders with workbooks filled with activities relating to occupations and the relationship between careers and education helps develop an understanding of how occupations differ from one another. Activities in these workbooks will also help the students apply knowledge regarding occupations and their future desires.
Another way to help third-graders understand the difference between different careers and occupations is to plan field trips in the community. Visit hospitals, bakeries, grocery stores and libraries and schedule time with those working there to talk to the students about their roles in their chosen occupations. This provides students with a way to visualize the difference between certain occupations within their community.