Activity Collection



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Environmental Studies

Results 1 - 10 of 36 matches

Contemplative Inquiry on Climate Change: Playing with Perspectives
Abigail Lynam, Fielding Graduate University
Hour long contemplative exercise to explore the psychological, emotional and spiritual dimensions of learning about climate change. Guided perspective-taking exercise in small groups of 3-4 students, with discussion and reflective writing.

Bioregion Discipline: Philosophy, Interdisciplinary Studies, Environmental Studies, Other, Psychology, Education, Political Science/Policy
Bioregion Scale: Regional, Campus, National/Continental, Global
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Promising Pedagogies:Reflective & Contemplative Practice, Climate Change, Social & Environmental Justice, Sustainability Concepts & Practices

Don't move a mussel: Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis for detecting aquatic invasive species
Angela Strecker, Western Washington University
Students will learn field sampling and laboratory techniques to utilize environmental DNA (eDNA) as an early detection tool for invasive or rare species, with a focus on zebra mussels.

Bioregion Discipline: Biology, Environmental Studies
Bioregion Scale: Local Community/Watershed, Regional
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Natural Resources, Ecosystem Health, Water & Watersheds

Afghan Poppies, Climate Change and US Heroin: Thinking Systemically About Us and Them
Karen Litfin, University of Washington-Seattle Campus
This very simple contemplative exercise is rooted in my "Person/Planet Politics" approach, which invites students to into an experiential relationship with a global socioecological phenomenon: in this instance, Afghan poppy production. It can be adapted to a range of courses and a range of topics within those courses. The basic question is: "Who am I in relation to this?"

Bioregion Discipline: Sociology, Anthropology, Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Political Science/Policy, Economics
Bioregion Scale: Local Community/Watershed, Regional, Global, National/Continental
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Ecosystem Health, Promising Pedagogies:Case Studies, Reflective & Contemplative Practice, Lifestyles & Consumption, Human Health & Wellbeing, Human Impact & Footprint, Social & Environmental Justice, Climate Change, Ethics & Values, Food Systems & Agriculture, Cycles & Systems

Migration: An Empathy Exercise
Maureen Ryan, Western Washington University
Migration: An Empathy Exercise is a multi-step reflective exercise designed to build empathy and personal insight into processes of loss, change, and reconnection associated with the disruption of personal and cultural connections to landscape.

Bioregion Discipline: Interdisciplinary Studies, English, Geography, Environmental Studies
Bioregion Scale: Regional
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Promising Pedagogies:Reflective & Contemplative Practice, Sense of Place

Old Sticks in the Mud: Hazards of Lahars from Mount Rainier Volcano
Patrick Pringle, Centralia College
Volcanic debris flows (lahars) flow long distances, bury and aggrade river valleys, and cause long-term stream disturbances and dramatic landscape changes. Students will evaluate the nature, scale, and history of ...

Bioregion Discipline: Geoscience, Environmental Studies
Bioregion Scale: Regional
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Design & Planning

What is the West?
Maureen Ryan, Western Washington University
What is the West? is a written reflective exercise, with associated readings and discussion, designed to 1) build insight into how personal experiences shape our perception of landscapes, 2) enhance knowledge of the geography and ecology of the American West, and 3) illuminate the role of water (or lack of water) in the natural and cultural history of the American West.

Bioregion Discipline: English, Geography, Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies
Bioregion Scale: Regional
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Cultures & Religions, Sense of Place, Promising Pedagogies:Reflective & Contemplative Practice

Courting Environmental Justice: Science, Community Knowledge and Public Health
Lin Nelson, The Evergreen State College
While this module was developed when we followed the federal criminal case around WR Grace and asbestos exposure in a small Montana mining town, it can be adapted for a range of learning experiences regarding environmental justice, argumentation, strategizing, remediation and sustainability.

Bioregion Discipline: Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Sociology
Bioregion Scale: Regional
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Pollution & Waste, Human Health & Wellbeing, Promising Pedagogies, Case Studies, Social & Environmental Justice

Water and Civic Responsibility: An Online Discussion Exercise
Rob Viens, Bellevue Community College
Students apply their science learning to regional issues related to water quantity and quality.

Bioregion Discipline: Interdisciplinary Studies, Environmental Studies
Bioregion Scale: Regional
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Promising Pedagogies:Civic Engagement & Service Learning, Pollution & Waste, Design & Planning, Water & Watersheds

Research Project on Pollutants in Sacrifice Zones for Chemistry Courses: The Role of Industry, Governments, Local Communities, and Scientists
Mandana Ehsanipour
Students learn about "Sacrifice Zones" in the United States, where neighboring communities are exposed to disproportionately high concentrations of toxic air pollutants, with a focus on petrochemicals. They learn about the health effects, as well as how communities impacted by the petrochemical industry can effect change and how scientists can act as allies. Students research a sacrifice zone and present it to the class, then post what they learned on social media.

Bioregion Discipline: Chemistry, Environmental Studies
Bioregion Scale: Local Community/Watershed, Campus, Regional
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Climate Change, Climate Justice

The Vital Role of Soil in Sustainable Ecosystems
Midori Sakura, Cascadia Community College
In this natural science lab, students examine different soil profiles along a hillside. Understanding about topsoil formation and conservation is then related to sustainable agriculture and carbon sequestration and its importance in mitigating climate change.

Bioregion Discipline: Geoscience, Environmental Studies
Bioregion Scale: Local Community/Watershed, Regional, Global
Bioregion Topical Vocabulary: Food Systems & Agriculture, Climate Change