Abstract
This pedagogical project focuses on urban environmental issues, encouraging students to explore historical events that inform contemporary environmental challenges through archival research, digital photography, and critical analysis. By examining social, economic, political, and cultural dimensions, students better understand the complex interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues and gain valuable field experience that bolsters engagement and facilitates action. Building on intellectual and reform traditions that recognize a link between narrative and action, this experiential education project encourages students to explore, define, and understand historic and contemporary environmental challenges in an urban context.
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Appendix I: Course Assignment
Appendix I: Course Assignment
This is a segmented, semester-long assignment where successive weeks purposely build upon a student’s earlier work. As such, it highlights how learning is an evolutionary process while providing opportunities for deeper reflection on the interdisciplinary nature of specific environmental issues. Students will build general research and writing skills, including appreciation for both the power of a creative narrative and the necessity for critical analysis of it.
Week 1: Explanation of Project
Presentation of sample assignment by professor.
Week 2: Overview of Urban Perspective on Society and Environment
Students gather information from the Environmental Protection Agency to identify a superfund site in their area: http://www.epa.gov/oswer/riskassessment/whereyoulive.htm.
Week 3: Local Environmental Context
After identifying local superfund sites, students conduct primary source research by examining newspaper or other archival sources linked to the designated site. Students work closely with a reference librarian to identify sources. If possible, one class session is devoted to working with archival sources in the college library as an experiential exercise.
Assignment: Research Journal
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Students begin keeping a research journal that documents their activities and reflects on the narrative attached to their archival documents. Students record their impression of the environmental narratives they are reading about.
Week 4: Personalize the Historical Narrative
Students identify the primary source that will serve as the foundation for their first History Engine episode.
Week 5: History Engine I Rough Draft
Initial draft of History Engine Episode I based on a local environmental narrative due. Meet with professor during office hours to discuss.
Assignment: History Engine Episode I
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History Engine episodes are short (400–500 words) narrative stories that spotlight the past by telling a story linked to a primary source document. Beyond a primary source, this assignment requires the student to rely on three (3) secondary sources. The secondary sources should include one (1) peer-reviewed academic journal article and one (1) academic encyclopedia entry and one (1) book chapter (or another peer-reviewed academic article).
Week 6: History Engine I Due
Completed version of History Engine Episode I due.
Week 7: Documenting Urban Environment
Students assigned urban theme photo essay as well as readings on the history of documentary photography.
Assignment: Photo Essay
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Students create a short photo essay using archival images of the local community.
Week 8: History Engine Episode II
Utilizing their first History Engine Episode, students focus more expressly on the environmental history of the region in their second History Engine episode.
Assignment: Research Journal
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Students add to their research journal, demonstrating a more developed knowledge of archival sources, i.e. more concise search procedure to find relevant material for the project, and broader understanding of the intersection of economic, political, social, and cultural aspects when it comes to environmental issues.
Week 9: History Engine Rough Draft
Students should identify the primary source they will use for their second History Engine episode and complete a rough draft that explores the local environmental narrative.
Week 10: History Engine II
Complete second History Engine episode based on local environmental narrative.
Week 11: Digital Tools
Students test platform they will use to create their spatial photo essay. Class evaluates different options available and, once format is selected, practices proper upload procedures.
Week 12: Mapping
Students explore the impact of mapping in constructing perception and informing social dialogue.
Week 13: Outline of Spatial Photo Essay
Students develop thesis for their photo essay based on insight from researching and writing their History Engine Episodes.
Essay Components:
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Map (pinpointing photograph locations).
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Introduction—200 words.
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10 images with one-sentence captions and commentary of 25–30 words.
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Conclusion—100 words.
Procedure:
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Collect the images you plan to use for your essay in a single folder.
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Create an account at flickr.com or picasaweb.com, or log into your existing account.
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Upload the images from your folder into a single album or set.
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Using the site’s map tools, create a location map of the photos in your album.
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Using the screen capture function on your computer, save this map as an image. Remember to crop the photograph to remove the browser window frame.
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Create a legend for your map document explaining how each location relates to your narrative. The map and legend will be placed at the top of your photo essay as they are the first items readers use to orient themselves to your essay.
Week 14: Drafts of Spatial Photo Essay Due
Students present draft of photo essay to class. Peer feedback given during class.
Week 15: Final submission of Spatial Photo Essay.
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Chambliss, J.C., Gunter, M. (2016). Understanding Our Urban Environment Better: Using Archival Research and Digital Photography in the Classroom. In: Leal Filho, W., Pace, P. (eds) Teaching Education for Sustainable Development at University Level. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32928-4_16
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