Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Modified from Curriculum for the Bioregion Initiative and Jean MacGregor

Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education

The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA

Goal :Incorporate sustainability concepts,

skills, and habits of mind into an activity in a ways that has curricular integrity and "standing" – both for

faculty and students.

“Big Idea” or concept

in the discipline

Sustainability context

or “Big Idea”

IntegrativeAssignment

Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Step 1: Form Groups (e.g., Grand Challenges)

Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Intersections of geoscience and sustainability

Society and geoscience•Human security•Natural hazards•Toxic hazards•Food security•Disease•Energy security•Availability of resources

•Social equitability•Open space•Access to resources•Efficient transportation•Efficient housing•Education•Jobs

Economics and geoscience•Resource economics•Land use planning,•Land value•Energy•Mining

•Agriculture•Fisheries•Forests•Environmental regulations•Permitting•Carbon emissions

•Cap and trade• Infrastructure

Environment and geoscience•Water•Air•Climate•Biodiversity•Soils•Forests•Coastlines•Oceans•Grasslands•Habitats•Pollution

Intersections of geoscience and sustainability

Society and climate•Human security•Extreme weather• Sea level rise• Food security•Water resources•Disease•Energy security•Availability of resources•Displaced population• International tension or

cooperation•Social equitability•Efficient transportation•Efficient housing•Unequal distribution of

impacts

Economics and climate•Price of energy•Emissions policy•Price of food•Price of water•Property destruction (sea level rise)• Impacts of emergency

response, health care• Impacts to tourism• Impacts to recreation•Costs of carbon sequestration •Costs of other adaptation measures Environment and

climate•Species loss•Habitat alteration/destruction• Impacts from carbon-free energy (nuclear waste)•Benefits from carbon-free energy (renewables)•Climate feedbacks•Unpredictable impacts•Effects of carbon sequestration

Specific example for climate

Society and energy•Human security•Energy security•Mine safety

•Social equitability•Efficient transportation•Efficient housing•Affordability of energy•Storage of waste products •Viewshed•Jobs

Economics and energy•Price of energy•Emissions policy•Infrastructure

•Rare earth elements•Military conflicts over resources•Costs of cleanups•Costs of waste

storage

Environment and energy•Acid mine drainage•Nuclear waste•Greenhouse gas emissions•Dams•Impacts to air•Impacts to water•Oil spills

Specific example for energy

Step 2: Working individually, identify what, for you, are the key concepts or "big ideas" that form the "tree trunk" of your course related to your Grand Challenge. Write each concept legibly on a separate sticky note. Generate about 3 - 5 concepts. (3 - 5 minutes)

Key "tree trunk" Concepts are:

• Theories, principles, questions, and animating ideas that matter to your course.

• Key concepts should be powerful enough that students can remember them, see them at work, and use them years into the future.

• Key concepts are those that you want your students to take away from the class and if they don’t you would feel disappointed.

Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Step 3: Discuss and distill your concept listsIn your small group, "put your concepts on the table" in a way that everyone can see what has been generated. For about 10 minutes, share your concepts and develop a general prioritization list.

Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Step 4. Continuing with your small group, brainstorm and generate a list of sustainability concepts that can be linked to the concepts in step 3 and incorporated into an assignment that can be used in your class. Feel free to move around and group up the sticky-notes to move along your discussion. (~30 min.)

Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Step 5. Develop an outline and details if there is time for an engaging assignment or activity that you could use in your class that will create a learning opportunity that integrates geoscience concepts and sustainability concepts.

Step 6. Provide a brief overview of what you accomplished.

Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

http://faculty.washington.edu/rturner1/Sustainability/Big_Ideas01.htm

Workshop Resource:

http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops/sustainability2012/key_concepts.html

Workshop Resource:http://serc.carleton.edu/dev/integrate/teaching_materials/systems.html

IntegrativeAssignment

or Units

Key Concepts and Geoscience: Assignment/Unit Examples:

Key Concepts and Geoscience: Course Structure Examples:

Course StructuresFor

Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning

Workshop Resource:http://serc.carleton.edu/dev/integrate/teaching_materials/service_learning.html

Workshop Resource:http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops/sustainability2012/outcomes.html

Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify possible integration points for

sustainability and geoscience content. 2. Formulate a plan to integrate sustainability

into at least one assignment in a course you currently teach.

3. Support participant’s in achieving personal outcomes.

Goal: Incorporate Key Concepts of Sustainability into our Courses

Closing reflection and discussion

• How did the worshop go?• What did you take away ?• Does this make sense?

You have only just begun….

THANKYOU!!!