InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Cli-Fi: Climate Science in Literary Texts > Student Materials
InTeGrate's Earth-focused Modules and Courses for the Undergraduate Classroom
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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For the Instructor

These student materials complement the Cli-Fi: Climate Science in Literary Texts Instructor Materials. If you would like your students to have access to the student materials, we suggest you either point them at the Student Version which omits the framing pages with information designed for faculty (and this box). Or you can download these pages in several formats that you can include in your course website or local Learning Managment System. Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials.

Student Materials

The goal of this module is to explore different approaches to communicating climate change, including peer-reviewed scientific articles, blogs, editorials, and fictional literature. You will first learn about the key components of Earth's climate system and begin to learn how to read, create, and interpret scientific graphs. You will also learn how fictional literature is a powerful tool for inspiring readers about the urgency of climate change.

There are 5 units in this Module:

Unit 1: Overview of Earth's Climate System:

In Unit 1, you are introduced to basic concepts related to Earth's climate system. You will examine data sets related to global climate change, make observations about trends and variability in those data, and begin to link climate data to climate system processes.

Materials:

Unit 2: Communicating Climate 1: The Science of Climate Change:

In Unit 2, you will create and interpret your own graphs of climate change data that will complement the short fictional works that follow. This unit provides you with a deeper understanding of the climate change data available and develops your ability to describe, interpret, and communicate those data. You will also develop their scientific communication skills as they explain climate change data to a non-specialist audience using a blog.

Materials:

A: Data files supporting the short story, "The Tamarisk Hunter"

Data Files:

B: Data files supporting the short story, "Diary of an Interesting Year"

Data Files:

Assignment:

Unit 3: Communicating Climate 2: Literary Representations of Climate Change:

In Unit 3, you are introduced to literary genres of climate change through class discussion. You will be learn to distinguish the differences in the types of texts and describe how those texts engage readers about climate change concepts. You will also learn to do a rhetorical analysis of a literary work.

Materials:

Unit 4: Read an Analyze a Short Story:

In Unit 4, you will apply your knowledge of cli-fi when provided with a fictional short story. After reading a short story, you will discuss its climate change significance, explain its literary context, and rhetorically analyze the fictional work.

Materials:

Unit 5: Literary Representation of a Grand Societal Challenge:

In the final unit of the module, you will synthesize their understanding of climate science and modes of communication, and you will reflect on the connection between climate change data and select fictional works. You will explore different ways to communicate climate change principles to a variety of audience types.

Materials:

Recommended reading (Your instructors will select specific short stories from this compilation and provide them to you):
Martin, Mark (editor), 2011. I'm With The Bears: Short Stories from a Damaged Planet. London, Verso, 196 pages.


     

These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »