Big Idea: 

Green Careers is a large growing job sector.

Essential Question:  How will a Green Career pathway lead to meaningful work and a sustainable world?

With over half of our college graduates unable to find jobs, plus a struggling economy, employment futures seem bleak. Factor in a finite amount of natural resources and growing populations, the resulting challenges are many. In this lesson we talk about sustainability, ecological footprint, economics - buzz words in our society today.  Combine traits and training and we begin to look at how there are green components in every career ambition.  Last we introduce the concept of biomimicry as applied to leading innovation design. 

Is it possible to find a rewarding career that utilizes individual talents and gifts, but also promotes sustainability of the Earth’s resources? Our lesson answers with a resounding “YES”! 

• Understand the meaning of sustainability and why it is important to their future.

• Define a Green Job.

• Identify steps to explore Green Career options in fields or areas of interest.

• Discuss ways to turn a traditional job or interest into a Green Job.

• Explore Biomimicry as a new field supporting green careers.

Vocabulary:

• Sustainability – Satisfying today’s needs without diminishing the prospects of future generations.
• Ecological footprint- 
• ‘Cradle to Grave’ – A product’s whole life cycle from extraction of resources to final disposal. Products are designed without long term consideration to their end of life, resulting in them subsequently becoming waste, usually requiring disposal in landfill.
• ‘Cradle to Cradle’ – Products that are designed so there is no waste. It’s the idea that at the end of product life, the product can be turned into something else to close the cycle, so that ultimately, there is no waste.
• Green Jobs – Jobs involved in economic activities that help protect or restore the environment or conserve natural resources (definition from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
• Skill – The ability to do something well, usually as a result of experience or training.
• Training – The process of learning information necessary for a profession or activity.
• Attitude – Your opinions or feeling about something, especially as shown by your actions.
• Mindset – A habitual way of thinking. The internal lens through which you see and navigate life.
• Biomimicry - learning from and them adapting nature's best ideas to solve human challenges.

Illinois Learning standards met by this lesson:

13.B.3a, 13.B.3b, 13.B.3c, 13.B.3d, 13.B.3e, 13.B.4b, 15.A.3c, 15.A.3d, 15.C.3, 15.D.3a, 15.D.3c, 16.C.3b, 16.C.3c, 17.C.2c

NGSS standards met by this lesson:

Influence of Science, Engineering and Technology on Society and the Natural World:

• MS. Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (MS-LS2-5)

• MS. Human Impacts MS-ESS3-4

• MS. Engineering Design (MS-ETS1-1)

Frontload Materials

These are videos that are used during class - no need to frontload but review for yourself :)

1. What are Green Jobs?    https://youtu.be/7oc7I6xsokQ 

2. Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute:

The World We Want For Our Children: http://www.c2ccertified.org/

3. Remaking the way we make things  The Cradle to Cradle Certified ^TM Products Program 

Follow-up Activities and Extended Learning

Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem service. 

•  While working in teams design, model, explain a solution to a human problem using nature as a source of innovation.  Check out our lending kits focused on sustainable living & mitigating human impact on the earth  

• NGSS MS-L2-5   
• Common Core Support - WHST.6-6.9, SL.8.1
•  Disciplinary Core Ideas ETS1.B Developing Possible Solutions - There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem. 

Visit Global Footprint Network - Advancing the Science of Sustainability

How many earths does it take to sustain your lifestyle?  Take the quiz

http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/

Letter to Parents - teachers please share via print, email or web with your students' families after our presentation

8th grade Lesson - letter to parents