Monday, October 31, 2016

Climate readings

We'll start this section of the class soon. These readings are posted for those of you who want to get a jump start on them:

http://www.globalwarmingprimer.com/primer/

http://climatechange.umaine.edu/research/publications/climate-future


Third and final EII assignments

Note: Your EII grade will consist of the four assignments (20%), a climate change quiz (10%), and participation (10%).

Assignment #3:

Create a script or storyboard for your final digital storytelling assignment.

  1. Choose a group, or chose to work alone. 

  2. Chose the environmental leader or issue you wish to highlight with a presentation. Remember, presentations may be audio, video, narrated slideshow or any of the choices listed below. The only requirement is that the presentation play itself (or be staged, if a traditional play or sketch)

  3. Prepare a storyboard or script

  4. Each individual or group member must hand in their own storyboard or script. In the next assignment you will come together to make only one final submission, but for now, you work alone. This is so I can be sure that each of you learns the basic techniques

  5. If making a video, study the You-Tube how-to below, and prepare a storyboard

  6. If making audio or a narrated slideshow, prepare a script

  7. Produce an introduction to your storyboard or script that explains your project, including thesis statement, evidence, and conclusion

  8. Hand in the introduction plus the storyboard or script

  9. Due either Friday before Thanksgiving break or Monday after, by email





Assignment 4:
  1. Research an environmental leader or issue of your choice. You may work in groups or alone. Identify a thesis related to the issue and supporting evidence, as well as the environmental or conservation organizations that are working on the issue. Prepare a video, audio, narrated slideshow, or other media production built around the thesis, providing supporting evidence, highlighting the work of the leader and their organization

  2. Due either the last day of the semester (Monday Dec 12th) or in time for the student conference (Wednesday Dec 14th) -- your choice. Student conference participation is optional, but may be
    recommended for the best products. Note: You have to register!

  3. The options are deliberately wide. Don't get lost in your choices! Pick an issue and format for your presentation that you or your group feel confident you can finalize, and then stick to it.

  4. Use "backwards design" to help structure and outline your presentation, and also to organize your schedule: Start with your topic, and decide on a thesis. Then decide what your want to achieve with this topic and thesis. What is the story that you want to tell, and to whom do you wish to tell it? From that, pick a media format that will best reach your audience, and then organize your schedule so you can deliver a product using this format.

  5. Workshop time will be made available during class hours and by appointment with the
    instructor so that you can get help with this project. The Quimby Library Media Technician is standing by to help you with video and other formats.

  6. Here is a winning example from a previous year
     

Examples of allowable media:

Video storytelling
Stage plays
Sketch comedy
Storytelling
Traditional video documentary
Narrated slideshows and presentations
Others, after timely negotiation with the instructor








For EII tonight




Police & Military Attack Oceti Sakowin Treaty Camp from Unicorn Riot on Vimeo.


http://www.valleynewslive.com/content/misc/Morton-County-Sheriff-Kyle-Kirchmeier-on-DAPL-protests-and-law-enforcement-398788621.html



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayou_Corne_sinkhole 


Bayou Corne from Anon Videos on Vimeo.



Monday, October 17, 2016

EII second response paper

This assignment is an exercise in research, critical thinking and informal writing.

Follow all instructions. Due Friday October 28th by email or hard copy.
  1. Identify two extant US environmental organizations, one you generally agree with and support, and one you don't
  2. Research their missions, goals and methods carefully, using online and print resources, as well as any other social science case study methods you like. Be sure to ask the instructor ahead of time if you choose to interview human subjects
  3. Identify some of the different types of careers that are possible within both institutions, and determine the qualifications and experience required
  4. In an informal essay, compare and contrast the two organizations and summarize these career pathways
  5. Conclude with your own considered viewpoint of each organization
  6. (Added after class discussion) Cite your research sources. No particular citation format is required, but your citations should be consistent and give complete information to the reader in case they wish to review your sources.

EII today











http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000002566509/love-canal-a-legacy-of-doubt.html












Friday, October 7, 2016

Flow chart showing causes of farm crisis, for EII

This comes from Defenders of Wildlife. It deserves careful study. Click to enlarge, or follow the link above.


Thursday, October 6, 2016

Hanoi Hannah obituary from NPR, for Intro to Econ

This is an interesting artifact of the war in VietNam, which was one of the "proxy wars" of the Cold War period. We'll listen to this in class today.



Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Hansen's latest

Former senior NASA climate scientist Jim Hansen -- who is either the canary in the coal mine or beezlebub, depending on your point of view on whether scientists ought be activists -- has released an important new summary paper written with a large number of seriously scientific co-authors. The paper was intended for submission in court in Oregon, where a group of young people are suing the federal government for inaction on climate change.

These are big events in the world of climate change. My opinion is that Hansen is neither canary nor demon. He's more like the goldfinch in the coalmine. Not quite as effective as a canary, and certainly not a common metaphor, but you'll know just fine when becomes anoxic.

We will talk about this paper in both EcoEco and EII.

https://app.box.com/s/t050csk2z20iqk9u14vnllz3i15dh5i0