One class period. Zero prep. Your students find a trade that fits them — and see what it pays. Project this page and walk the room.
The 40-minute lesson
The hook
Ask the class what a person who fixes elevators earns. Take guesses. Then reveal it — a median of $102,420 a year, no college degree. Put the numbers on screen with the highest-paying trades article.
Students take the Trade Quiz
Phones or laptops. No login, no email. Two minutes of questions, and each student gets matched to a trade that fits how they like to work. Open the Trade Quiz →
Build the class results — live
Go around the room. As each student calls out their match, tap it on the tally tool below. A chart builds on the projector. Then ask the real questions: who got a surprise? Who would actually try theirs? Where is the class clustered, and where is nobody looking?
Reflect and share
Hand out the worksheet below — three short questions. A few students share one thing they learned and one trade they'd explore. Done.
Live class results
No accounts. Nothing saved. Tap a trade each time a student calls it out. Reset between classes.
Class Trade Tally
0 responsesWhy your principal will say yes
- Career exploration & CTE awareness
- Financial literacy — wages, debt, ROI
- Career-readiness & self-assessment
- Real labor-market data from federal sources
- Post-secondary planning beyond the four-year path
- Student-led discussion & reflection
Student worksheet
Print one per student, or assign on screen. One page, three questions.
My Trade Match
YouthSkilledTrades.com · Trade Quiz reflection
Run it again, anytime
The whole kit is free and always will be. Bookmark it and use it every semester.
Open the Trade Quiz See the Pay Article