Green Careers

Gr 9 Up—Picture a dazzling montage of shimmering lakes and snow-peaked mountains. A voice-over says: "I think of this as my office." A persuasive moment, and one of the strengths of this uneven quartet of films about 16 environmental career clusters. Combating Climate Change and Improving Air Quality is the most innovative and up-to-date segment. Students will be intrigued to learn about the job of a wind farmer and will enjoy a glimpse into a sleek, urban environmental law office. This episode raises diverse research questions, while others lag when presenting careers like bookkeeping which doesn't generate much excitement on camera. Each film offers useful advice about homing in on a career direction and college major. The scope of this series is broad; environmentalism can be integrated into almost any job imaginable. The environmentalists profiled share genuine passion for unexpected jobs, like jellyfish behaviorists. Unfortunately, poor production values detract from the impact of the series. Each individual is introduced with a sort of mug shot, and regards the camera with varying levels of discomfort and facial twitching as a voice-over explains the job. The synthesized music is tiresome, and the graphics are dull. Despite technical flaws, the series makes green career paths tangible to visual learners.—Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard High School Early College-Queens, Long Island City, NY