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?"

Environmental Justice in Tacoma: A Non-Majors Qualitative Assessment of Pollution and Public Policy in the Local Community
Jim Gawel, University of Washington- Tacoma
This activity is designed to get non-environmental majors to qualitatively examine their own community for evidence of environmental injustice. Using a mix of evidence from online sources (U.S. Census, EnviroMapper, Toxic Release Inventory, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, etc.) and field observations, student groups describe the population and pollution sources found within an assigned elementary school district in Tacoma.

Investigating Local Food: Meet Your Washington Farmers
June Johnson Bube, Seattle University
This assignment sequence seeks to stimulate students' thinking and writing about food production in the western Washington bioregion through a series of activities combining readings, class discussion, fieldwork, and writing assignments. Collaborative work in and outside of class culminates in students' interviewing local farmers and vendors at farmers markets and writing a surprising informative essay.

Building Resiliency through Food Security: Long-Term Community Partnerships
Karen Gaul, The Evergreen State College
Partnering with a food bank garden over time demonstrates ways long-term community partnerships can benefit both students and organizations in the community

Problem-Solving: Where to Put the Poop
Barry Maxwell, Whatcom Community College

Delocalized Diets: Globalization, Food, and Culture
Mary L. Russell, Pierce College
This assignment addresses cultural sustainability by asking students to go beyond distinguishing between five subsistence strategies to examining the impact of globalization on diet and culture.

Alternative Deicers: An Application of Freezing Point Depression
Jennie Mayer and Daniel Mitchell, Bellevue Community College
Road deicers raise several environmental and cost concerns. In this activity students consider alternatives while investigating colligative properties.

The Sustainability of Place: Making Scholarship Public
Jill Gatlin, University of Washington
Students are assigned to observe and research a local place of their choosing and to develop a unique analytical argument about the social and/or ecological sustainability of this space. The final project is a pamphlet directed to a public audience accompanied by a proposal for its production and distribution.

Social Change and the Climate Crisis: Toward a Sustainable Future
Mary Lou Finley, Antioch University
Students gain hands-on research experience and increase their understanding of the applicability of theories of social change and further information about climate change.

Race and Space
Lindsay Custer, Cascadia Community College
This assignment exposes students to racial inequalities in their own communities and helps them to identify the impact of racial segregation on quality of life. The big ideas in this assignment are racial inequality, residential segregation, and environmental justice.