EDCI 51600
Seminar in Environmental Education:
Going to Green: Towards a More Sustainable Community
Dan Shepardson
Office:
4130 BRNG
Office Hours: By appointment
Class Time:
Class room:
Office Phone: 494-5284
e-mail: dshep@purdue.edu
Monday, 3:30 – 6:20
BRNG B247
Introduction
How will today’s youth become tomorrow’s environmental
stewards? How can we help people embrace what might be
called “sustainable citizenship”—a set of values and everyday
practices that collectively lead us toward a more sustainable
world? Going to Green provides key tools to address these
questions. The Going to Green program is designed for
educators, community-based organizations, public agency staff,
and anyone interested in understanding sustainability and how to
achieve meaningful improvements in quality of life and
environment.
Going to Green is a nationally acclaimed PBS series and
curriculum. Drawing upon this program, EDCI 51600 course activities will include reading, case
studies and data analysis, topical debates, student presentations, hands-on and project-based
learning, and other creative and stimulating approaches to learning about sustainable
communities. The two main curricular goals are:
1. Knowledge: provide you with background knowledge on a variety of environmental
issues related to sustainability.
2. Action: provide you the tools to move your students and the public to action.
Students will determine the topics to be covered so as to better match with their interest.
Possible topics include:
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waste management and recycling
green building
energy
transportation
air and water quality
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parks and open spaces
biodiversity
urban agriculture and forestry
urban planning
environmental justice
Course Reading, Assignments, and Grading
There are five requirements for this course: class participation, class assignments, reading and
discussion of No Impact Man, My Environment Journal, and a sustainable education/service
project. A portion of each class will be set aside to discuss No Impact Man. Several different
formats will be used to facilitate class discussion and activities. One format will involve
assigning students to lead the class discussion activity for that day, or a particular chapter from
No Impact Man; therefore, you should come to class prepared to raise questions for discussion
and engage in conversation with classmates.
Class Participation and Discussion of No Impact Man. The success of this class is dependent
upon students’ contribution to class discussion and class activities. Therefore, class participation
is a critical component of one’s final grade. Please note that attendance is not the same as
participation. Similarly, leading and contributing to the discussion of No Impact Man is critical
to the class. Class participation/discussion will be assessed based on the following rubric:
Level
3
2
1
0
Description
Contributes extensively to class discussion, providing an excellent synthesis of ideas, goes beyond an
accurate description of the ideas, discussion is relevant to class.
Contributes to class discussion, providing an accurate understanding or description of the ideas,
discussion relevant to class.
Contributes minimally to discussion or lacks an understanding of the ideas, discussion somewhat relevant
to class.
No contribution to discussion.
Class Assignments. From time to time, assignments may need to be completed outside of class.
These short assignments serve as the basis of class activities, supporting class discussion.
Further details will be provided throughout the course as needed. Because these assignments
serve as the focus of class discussion, late assignments are considered unsatisfactory, receiving
an unacceptable/not completed rating. Course assignments will be assessed using the following
general rubric:
Rating
Excellent (3)
Satisfactory (2)
Unsatisfactory (1)
Not completed (0)
Description
Work/product exceeds satisfactory performance.
Work/product meets satisfactory performance.
Work/product does not meet satisfactory performance. Work is unacceptable at the graduate
level.
Fails to complete course assignment/requirement.
My Environment Journal. An environment journal is a place to record your thoughts, feelings,
ideas, activities, observations, and relationship with your environment. Your journal provides an
opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with the Earth. You should make daily entries as
related to your environment, your actions and how these impact the environment. You will also
write two short summaries about your environmental footprint based on your journal entries.
Your journal and summaries will be assessed using the above general rubric for class
assignments.
Sustainable Education/Service Project and Presentation. You will complete a sustainable
education or service project of your choosing, as approved by me. For example, your project
could be a scholarly review of the sustainability education literature, the development of a
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sustainability curriculum, a sustainable service learning project, the development of a
sustainability campaign, a photo essay of sustainable activity within the community or any other
project. Your project should be equivalent to 20 hours of effort. You will submit a one-page
proposal that describes your project, outlines the steps/actions you will take, specifies the final
product/outcomes, and how you will document your effort. You will also present your project to
the class. Your project will be assessed using the above general rubric for class assignments.
Assignment/Requirement
1.
Tentative Due Date
Class participation
Throughout
(Please note that attendance is not the same as participation
and that absenteeism impacts participation performance)
2.
3.
Class assignments
My Environment Journal and Journal Summaries
4.
Sustainable Education/Service Project and Presentation
Throughout
Throughout
Oct 14, Dec 2
Sept 9, Dec 2
Final Grades
Final grades will be determined based on the following:
Grade
A
B
C
D-F
Criteria
Meets all requirements for a grade of “B” and receives a rating of excellent (a rating of 3) on the
sustainability project and presentation. Please note that simply completing the sustainability project
and presentation does not equal an “A” grade.
Receives a mean rating of satisfactory (2) on class assignments and participation, discussion of
reading, and my environmental journal. Receives a satisfactory rating (a rating of 2) on the
sustainability project and presentation.
Receives a mean rating of unsatisfactory (Less than 2) on class assignments and participation,
discussion of reading, and my environmental journal. Receives a satisfactory or lower rating (a rating
of 2 or lower) on the sustainability project and presentation.
Fails to complete class assignments or participate in course activities/class discussion or fails to
satisfactorily complete sustainability project and presentation.
Tentative Course Agenda
Week
1
Aug 19
2
Aug 26
3
Sept 2
4
Sept 9
5
Sept 16
6
Sept 23
7
Sept 30
Tentative Topics, Readings, and Assignments
Welcome, Introductions, and Course Overview
My Environmental Footprint
What is Sustainability?
No Impact Man: Chapter 1: Dan
No Class Labor Day
Student Topic 1: Parks and Open Spaces
No Impact Man: Chapter 2: Tony
Project Proposal Due
Student Topic 2: Green Building
No Impact Man: Chapter 3: Linsey
Student Topic 3: Soil Quality
No Impact Man: Chapter 4: Lauren
Student Topic 4: Energy
No Impact Man: Chapter 5: Vicki
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Oct 7
9
Oct 14
10
Oct 21
11
Oct 28
12
Nov 4
13
Nov 11
14
Nov 18
15
Nov 25
16
Dec 2
No class October break
Student Topic 5: Biodiversity
No Impact Man: Chapter 6: Erin
Journal Summary 1 due
Student Topic 6: Waste Management and Recycling
No Impact Man: Chapter 7: MaryAm
No class, GSA
Student Topic 7: Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens
No Impact Man: Chapter 8: Cecilia
Student Topic 8: Sustainable Commerce
No Impact Man: Chapter 9: Brittaney
Environmental Justice
No Impact Man: Epilogue: Josh
No Class, Work on Project and Presentation
Project Presentations
Journal Summary 2 due
Campus Emergency
In the unlikely event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading
percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or
other circumstances. Here are ways to get information about changes in this course. My email
address: dshep@purdue.edu and my office phone: 494-5284.
Students are required to visit http://www.education.purdue.edu/ODFD/resources.html to review
the response procedures for emergencies in Beering Hall. It is necessary that you review these
directions within the first week of your Beering classes.
Academic Dishonesty Statement
Purdue prohibits "dishonesty in connection with any University activity. Cheating, plagiarism, or
knowingly furnishing false information to the University are examples of dishonesty." [Part 5,
Section III-B-2-a, University Regulations] Furthermore, the University Senate has stipulated that
"the commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms (such as the
use of substitutes for taking examinations, the use of illegal cribs, plagiarism, and copying during
examinations) is dishonest and must not be tolerated. Moreover, knowingly to aid and abet,
directly or indirectly, other parties in committing dishonest acts is in itself dishonest." [University
Senate Document 72-18, December 15, 1972].
Adaptive Programs Statement
Students with disabilities must be registered with Adaptive Programs in the Office of the Dean of
Students before classroom accommodations can be provided. If you are eligible for academic
accommodations because you have a documented disability that will impact your work in this
class, please schedule an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
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