Learning Objectives

students will:
· Understand what qualifies as a green job.
· Know why green jobs are becoming increasingly important in our economy.
· Begin thinking about their own career pathway and how it can be more green.

Teaching Process

Preparation:

1. Create green job title cards and corresponding green job description cards so there are enough cards total for all of your students (for example, for 20 students, create 10 job title cards and 10 matching descriptions.) Be creative with these!

2. Some examples include:
- Solar panel installer – An individual who installs thin panels consisting of an array of solar cells to generate electricity from the sun.
- Recycling plant worker – An individual who reprocesses used or abandoned materials.
- Environmental educator – A person who teaches about how natural environments function and how humans can manage their behaviour.
- Environmental scientist – A scientist who studies human interactions with the environment.
- Climatologist – A scientist who examines the meteorology of climates.
- Park ranger – A person who protects and preserves parklands.
- Green designer – An individual who creates sustainable designs.
- Green builder – An individual who develops and builds sustainable and green structures.
- Green landscaper – An individual who helps reduce negative impacts that land development may have on land, water, and air.
- Wind turbine manufacturer – A person who creates structures used to exploit wind energy.
- Organic farmer – A farmer who relies on crop rotation, manure, compost, and biological pest control to produce food free of synthetic material or feed additives.
- Hybrid car designer – A person who creates automobiles that use two or more forms of power.
- Mass transit operator – A person who transports a large number of people via bus, train, or boat.
- Bicycle constructor – A person who builds bicycles.
- Green business owner – An individual whose business has little or no negative impact on the global or local environment, society, or economy.
- Congressperson – A politician who uses their power and connections to implement environmental protection policies.

Procedure:

Warm-up: Introduction to Green Jobs

1. Pass out green job titles and green job descriptions so each student has one card. Have each student find the partner with the corresponding match.

2. Once students have found their match, ask each pair to introduce their job and share their definition.

3. After hearing each of these jobs, tell students that these are all examples of green jobs. Ask students if they have heard of green jobs. What are they? Where have they heard of them?


Activity One: Discussion - What Qualifies as a Green Job?

1. In this activity, you will challenge students’ general ideas of what a green job is. Your students would hopefully agree that someone in the sustainable building sector has a job that’s considered “green,” but would they be quick to agree that teachers can be included in the green job sector? What about health care providers, waste management workers, car manufacturers, scientists, farmers, politicians, non-profit organization worker, etc.? Discuss the following with your students.
a) What did all of the jobs on the cards have in common?
b) Encourage a class brainstorm. On the board, write down words and ideas associated with “green jobs.”
c) Looking at this list, have students come up with language to use to define “green job.” As a whole class, use the specific language they brainstormed to create an official class definition of a green job.
d) What qualifies as a green job? Refer to the green job cards and list the job titles on the board. Are there any jobs they do or do not think fit the definition of a green job? Why or why not?
e) Now challenge students to name careers that are not listed. Encourage them to think outside of the box and see if they can expand this list.
f) Ask your students what they want to do for a career or profession. Could any of these careers be considered green? Why or why not?
g) Encourage debate and discussion. Be sure to challenge students’ traditional ideas of what a green job is.
h) Another important discussion point is that a plethora of occupations can be “green.” In addition to vocational education and job skills training, it is important that the ethic and understanding of sustainability and positive environmental impact is imparted. This is why environmental awareness and education are important in all sectors and throughout all grade levels.

Discuss this with your class.
i. Environmental Education is becoming increasingly important. Why might this be? (Because in today’s economy, learning about the environment will better prepare young people to enter the green jobs sector, thus strengthening our economy and keeping America competitive. Also, those who have knowledge on various environmental topics will be better equipped to curb environmental degradation, and may have a greater interest in and feeling of responsibility for protecting our natural surroundings).
ii. What are some ways students can be exposed to environmental education from an early age? (In-class environmental lessons across subject levels, hands-on outdoor lessons, field trips to national parks and science museums, articles about the environment in school newspapers, partnerships with green organizations, etc).
iii. Ask your students what kind of environmental activities they have done in the past. Have these affected their outlook on the future or the economy? Are there any activities they especially recommend for students as future workers?
i) Have students consider if any of the listed green jobs might appeal to them. What do they think the “coolest,” most interesting, or most important green job is?

Activity Two: Green Job Research

1. Choosing a job off the class list, or coming up with another on their own, have students research and write a short paper on a green job that interests them. They should focus on explaining why the job they chose is considered green and should incorporate the definition created in class. Does this job fit the definition? Why or why not?
a) Other points for student to consider: Why does this job interest you? How does it help the environment? What sector does it fall into? Why is it important for the economy? How might this career be even more important in the future?

2. Depending on the timeframe of this lesson, have students begin research in class and/or complete their research and papers as homework.

Activity Three: Presentation

1. Before turning in their Green Job Research Papers, students will give a short (three to five minute) presentation on the job they researched. They should explain: why it is a green job, why it interests them, why it will be important in the future, etc.

Wrap-Up: Discussion – Defining Green Jobs

1. As a whole class, return to the definition of a green job. Discuss the following:
a) Have your students’ initial ideas of what a green job is changed during the lesson? Why or why not?
b) Based on discussion and research, are there any changes that should be made to the
definition? Does the current definition exclude any relevant information or include
any unnecessary information?
c) If necessary, see if your class can edit their original definition.

Assessment/Evaluation

Students will be assessed through the following activities:
· Participation in class discussion.
· Completion, thoroughness, and quality of green job research assignment and brief presentation.
· Completion, thoroughness, and quality of Green Jobs Career Pathway extension activity.