Initial Publication Date: November 7, 2018

Engaging Environmental Justice in Geoscience Courses

In conjunction with the 2018 AGU Annual Meeting in Washington, DC

Monday, December 10th, 4:00-6:00pm, Georgetown Room, Marriott Marquis, Georgetown Room

Register as you pay conference registration or contact: aguregistration@spargoinc.com or call: 866-470-7778 to add.

Leaders: Sarah K. Fortner (sfortner@wittenberg.edu), Richard Gragg (richard.gragg@famu.edu), Rob Rohrbaugh (rrohrba1@epcc.edu), Cathy Manduca (cmanduca@carleton.edu)

Many of the topics we teach in undergraduate geoscience courses address issues where environmental justice is an important challenge. Engaging the relationship between geoscience and environmental justice can strengthen students' interest in geoscience and build their ability to work on complex societal issues in their geoscience careers. This workshop will focus on two strategies for incorporating environmental justice in undergraduate courses: case studies and service learning, as well as provide a discussion of the challenges of incorporating social issues in our courses.

Goals

  1. Develop framework for bringing together EJ and geoscience learning
  2. Share examples, strategies, and tools
  3. Build confidence in including EJ
  4. Support individual design

Workshop Program

4:00 - 4:40pm - Welcome and Opening Discussion: Bringing together Environmental Justice and geoscience learning - Richard Gragg

The Call for Environmental Justice (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 2.2MB Dec10 18)

  • What is EJ? - Small group discussion (10 minutes)
    • Consider the EPA definition of EJ
      • Does this definition resonate with you?
      • Why do you think it is important to bring EJ into geoscience teaching?
  • Importance of EJ - Whole group discussion (10 minutes)
  • Essential elements (what are the core concepts, habits and skills we hope will be integrated into geoscience) and teaching opportunities (where do you integrate in the key concepts, habits, and skills) (20 minutes) - Rob Rohbaugh

4:40 - 5:20pm - Strategies and Tools - Cathy Manduca

5:20 - 5:45pm - Supported activity design for use in your classroom - Sarah Fortner

  • Form small groups by topic or course of interest
  • As a group move forward the design of instruction that you would like to use in your own teaching
    • What are your learning goals?
    • What are your local community's priorities or needs?
    • What activities align with these goals, priorities, and needs?

5:45 - 6:00pm - Moving forward to implementation - Sarah Fortner

References and Resources


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