Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment Modified from Curriculum for the Bioregion Initiative and Jean MacGregor Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA

Goal : Incorporate sustainability concepts, skills, and habits of mind into an activity in a ways that has curricular integrity and "standing" – both for faculty and students.

“Big Idea” or concept in the discipline Sustainability context or “Big Idea” Integrative Assignment Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Step 1: Form Groups (e.g., Grand Challenges) Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Intersections of geoscience and sustainability

Society and geoscience Human security Natural hazards Toxic hazards Food security Disease Energy security Availability of resources Social equitability Open space Access to resources Efficient transportation Efficient housing Education Jobs Economics and geoscience Resource economics Land use planning, Land value Energy Mining Agriculture Fisheries Forests Environmental regulations Permitting Carbon emissions Cap and trade Infrastructure Environment and geoscience Water Air Climate Biodiversity Soils Forests Coastlines Oceans Grasslands Habitats Pollution Intersections of geoscience and sustainability

Society and climate Human security Extreme weather Sea level rise Food security Water resources Disease Energy security Availability of resources Displaced population International tension or cooperation Social equitability Efficient transportation Efficient housing Unequal distribution of impacts Economics and climate Price of energy Emissions policy Price of food Price of water Property destruction (sea level rise) Impacts of emergency response, health care Impacts to tourism Impacts to recreation Costs of carbon sequestration Costs of other adaptation measures Environment and climate Species loss Habitat alteration/destruction Impacts from carbon- free energy (nuclear waste) Benefits from carbon- free energy (renewables) Climate feedbacks Unpredictable impacts Effects of carbon sequestration Specific example for climate

Society and energy Human security Energy security Mine safety Social equitability Efficient transportation Efficient housing Affordability of energy Storage of waste products Viewshed Jobs Economics and energy Price of energy Emissions policy Infrastructure Rare earth elements Military conflicts over resources Costs of cleanups Costs of waste storage Environment and energy Acid mine drainage Nuclear waste Greenhouse gas emissions Dams Impacts to air Impacts to water Oil spills Specific example for energy

Step 2: Working individually, identify what, for you, are the key concepts or "big ideas" that form the "tree trunk" of your course related to your Grand Challenge. Write each concept legibly on a separate sticky note. Generate about concepts. (3 - 5 minutes) Key "tree trunk" Concepts are: Theories, principles, questions, and animating ideas that matter to your course. Key concepts should be powerful enough that students can remember them, see them at work, and use them years into the future. Key concepts are those that you want your students to take away from the class and if they don’t you would feel disappointed. Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Step 3: Discuss and distill your concept lists In your small group, "put your concepts on the table" in a way that everyone can see what has been generated. For about 10 minutes, share your concepts and develop a general prioritization list. Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Step 4. Continuing with your small group, brainstorm and generate a list of sustainability concepts that can be linked to the concepts in step 3 and incorporated into an assignment that can be used in your class. Feel free to move around and group up the sticky-notes to move along your discussion. (~30 min.) Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Step 5. Develop an outline and details if there is time for an engaging assignment or activity that you could use in your class that will create a learning opportunity that integrates geoscience concepts and sustainability concepts. Step 6. Provide a brief overview of what you accomplished. Design an Integrative Sustainability Assignment

Workshop Resource :

Workshop Resource :

Integrative Assignment or Units Key Concepts and Geoscience: Assignment/Unit Examples:

Key Concepts and Geoscience: Course Structure Examples: Course Structures For Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning

Workshop Resource :

Workshop Resource :

Learning Outcomes: 1.Identify possible integration points for sustainability and geoscience content. 2.Formulate a plan to integrate sustainability into at least one assignment in a course you currently teach. 3.Support participant’s in achieving personal outcomes. Goal: Incorporate Key Concepts of Sustainability into our Courses

Closing reflection and discussion How did the worshop go? What did you take away ? Does this make sense?

You have only just begun…. THANK YOU!!!