Class Environmental History

Class Environmental History

The purpose of this assignment is for you to gain experience working as a team on an environmental project. You will be responsible for setting the goal(s), form and timeline of the project, and for working together as a team to complete it.

My role here is to serve as mediator and resource. I will allot some time in class for project-related discussion; however, you will need to work on it together outside of class as well. I will also periodically ask for progress reports, and will intervene if major problems arise. In all other regards, however, this is your show, and I will wait for you to ask me if you want assistance or advice. I encourage you to make use of the course email list (history-246 @ stolaf.edu ). I am also on the list, and may offer suggestions or comments if they seem warranted. (Besides, I’m excited about your project, and look forward to seeing what you come up with and how it progresses!)

Important Dates:

21 SEPTEMBER: Project Form, Topic and Responsibilities Deadline.
You will need to decide what you are doing by this point and how you will organize our individual or small group activities to complete the project on time. I recommend creating a timeline and a list of individual or group responsibilities.
You may find it useful to create intermediate deadlines to ensure that everything gets done in a timely fashion. This is a complex assignment involving many people and schedules, so it is more effective (and less crazy-making) to work on it steadily over the course of the semester than to attempt a last-minute blitz of effort.

26 NOVEMBER: Completed Draft Recommended.
I will leave this up to the class to decide, but I strongly recommend having a draft version of the final product finished by today (at the latest). This will give us time to look it over together and make any necessary changes before it is due the following week.

5 DECEMBER: Completed Project Due

The Essentials:

Everyone Must Participate:
The grade for this project will be shared by the class as a whole, so everyone must participate. You each know your own strengths (and weaknesses), so it is up to you to decide what you can do to contribute. Taking an inventory of class interests and skills might be a good place to start. Some people are good at research, some have technical skills, some know people to talk to, some have practical experience through internships or other work, some are good at organizing, etc. Working in teams on smaller parts of the overall project is recommended; it’s nice to have colleagues to work with and help with potential problems. It’s also helpful if you’re not quite sure what you have to offer in the way of specific skills. In any case, enthusiasm and willingness to participate are invaluable.
The Purpose of the Project Must Be Clear:
The work will be easier if everyone has a goal to work toward. What does the class as a whole want to accomplish? What message would you like to get across? Knowing this will help you decide what tasks you need to undertake in order to complete your project together on time.
Both “Environment” and “History” Are Essential:
No surprise here, I hope. You will have to talk about the environment in some fashion, and you will have to convey a sense of the history behind the topic at hand. (This will require both secondary and primary source research.) When I assess the finished project, I will be looking to see how well you addressed these areas.
The Topic and Form Are Open (Within Reason):
Your goal is to convey your message and your information about the environment and history relative to your topic in a coherent way. How you choose to do this is up to you. Some possibilities: a ‘zine that looks at various aspects of a current environmental issue; a documentary video on a local ecoscape; a class journal of encounters with the natural world; a web page that looks at the history of Minnesota and its environment; a musical performance exploring how people have expressed their feelings about music in nature... You are welcome to incorporate information gained while doing other assignments for this class, if appropriate. However, it should be clear that even if the basic information is the same, the purpose and intentions are different. (I.e., you can’t submit the same work twice.)

Practical Considerations:

First, your work should be neat, organized and thoughtful. Make this something everyone can be proud of!

Second, finished work will be assessed foremost on its effectiveness and thoughtfulness rather than the effort required to complete it. I encourage people to try out new things, but keep the success of the project overall in mind. Note that the more complicated the project and the more technology involved, the longer it will take (see point three, below).

Third, keep the limits of technology in mind. If you plan to include materials that require sophisticated equipment to render them intelligible, check first to ensure that they are compatible with my equipment. Similarly, expect printers to break, computers to crash, and discs to land in mud puddles, and take the necessary steps to prevent disaster. If you are dealing with unfamiliar technology, expect to take at least three times as much time as you think you will need.

Fourth, the size and complexity of this project makes it likely that you will at times disagree. I recommend that any problems or concerns be mentioned as soon as they arise, and that they be addressed with an attitude of respect and willingness to compromise. I am happy to mediate if asked, but part of the point of this project is for you to learn how to work together as a team.

If you have any questions or specific concerns, please talk with me about them as soon as they arise. In any case, I’m happy to talk with you about your ideas and your work -- no problems required!