Energy and Place (humanities)
Essential Questions:
- How does energy production impact place?
- How does your sense of place, environmental ethic, and understanding of our energy needs influence your perception and decisions regarding energy production?
Reflection
For this interdisciplinary project with Chemistry (see the link above to view), we delved into the world of energy, environmental ethics, and how energy production affects our sense of place. We started by reading Aldo Leopold’s “Land Ethic” and learning about various environmental ethics through TED Talks, lectures, and documentaries. We then focused on the concept of the “Grand” style through nature writing as well as readings about how energy production influences some communities (such as the Bakken in North Dakota and the uranium mill in Naturita). After having a mock town-debate regarding the development of a uranium mill, we planned and wrote our final essay conveying our individual sense of place and environmental ethic.
In the onset of this project, I had no idea of what my environmental ethic was or for that matter, what it was all about. After learning about what each ethic means, I was able to understand which ones I didn’t agree with, but I still didn’t know which of the remaining ones resonated with me the most. The nature writing assignment helped funnel those remaining concepts by allowing me to write about where I feel most comfortable, which in turn allowed me to realize what values I hold above others, resulting in my current ethic. Originally, I also struggled with a format to write my essay. Two or three ideas never came to fruition, but I persevered and was eventually able to find the perfect format: a letter to the reader that describes certain concepts relating to my ethic and sense of place.
I personally feel that this essay was my most creative piece of writing that I’ve ever done in high school. I really like books whose authors communicate with the reader as if they were sitting across from them in conversation: my piece gives the reader that very feeling while still managing to convey successfully the required concepts (I got a 10/10 on both my sense of place and environmental ethic on the rubric). I was able to venture outside of my comfort zone of writing traditional essays and spice things up with an abnormal formatting and tone. An example from my piece would be:
Now don’t get me wrong: I’m no psychologist or linguist or anthropologist or etymologist or philosopher. I’m only a high school student. I spend my days in class taking notes on polar bonds and my nights hunched over books, studying for college entrance exams and binge watching hospital dramas on Netflix. I don’t have any fancy initials after my name to impress you. However, that’s not important. Continue reading at your own risk. If my deficiency of prestige frightens you, then I encourage you to put down this paper right now.
Are you still here? Good. Let’s get this excursion started.
I am very proud of this piece and feel it accurately conveys both my tone and personality very clearly. I will be referencing it constantly in upcoming applications that require a writing sample.
For this interdisciplinary project with Chemistry (see the link above to view), we delved into the world of energy, environmental ethics, and how energy production affects our sense of place. We started by reading Aldo Leopold’s “Land Ethic” and learning about various environmental ethics through TED Talks, lectures, and documentaries. We then focused on the concept of the “Grand” style through nature writing as well as readings about how energy production influences some communities (such as the Bakken in North Dakota and the uranium mill in Naturita). After having a mock town-debate regarding the development of a uranium mill, we planned and wrote our final essay conveying our individual sense of place and environmental ethic.
In the onset of this project, I had no idea of what my environmental ethic was or for that matter, what it was all about. After learning about what each ethic means, I was able to understand which ones I didn’t agree with, but I still didn’t know which of the remaining ones resonated with me the most. The nature writing assignment helped funnel those remaining concepts by allowing me to write about where I feel most comfortable, which in turn allowed me to realize what values I hold above others, resulting in my current ethic. Originally, I also struggled with a format to write my essay. Two or three ideas never came to fruition, but I persevered and was eventually able to find the perfect format: a letter to the reader that describes certain concepts relating to my ethic and sense of place.
I personally feel that this essay was my most creative piece of writing that I’ve ever done in high school. I really like books whose authors communicate with the reader as if they were sitting across from them in conversation: my piece gives the reader that very feeling while still managing to convey successfully the required concepts (I got a 10/10 on both my sense of place and environmental ethic on the rubric). I was able to venture outside of my comfort zone of writing traditional essays and spice things up with an abnormal formatting and tone. An example from my piece would be:
Now don’t get me wrong: I’m no psychologist or linguist or anthropologist or etymologist or philosopher. I’m only a high school student. I spend my days in class taking notes on polar bonds and my nights hunched over books, studying for college entrance exams and binge watching hospital dramas on Netflix. I don’t have any fancy initials after my name to impress you. However, that’s not important. Continue reading at your own risk. If my deficiency of prestige frightens you, then I encourage you to put down this paper right now.
Are you still here? Good. Let’s get this excursion started.
I am very proud of this piece and feel it accurately conveys both my tone and personality very clearly. I will be referencing it constantly in upcoming applications that require a writing sample.
sense_of_place.pdf | |
File Size: | 1805 kb |
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Take Action: the clean nest initiative
Project Description
Organize a school-wide trash clean up day (The Clean Nest Initiative) during the last hour of the day on Friday, May 1, 2015. The goal is to rid the entire campus of trash in order to promote a greater sense of place for our location, however temporary it may be.
Mission Statement
Improve Animas’ sense of place to our current campus location by utilizing student involvement to create a pristine and intrinsically beautiful environment.
Vision Statement
The Clean Nest Initiative will promote student’s attachment to Animas High School’s campus by creating an intrinsic connection between residents and the location around us. The current attitude is that our campus is a temporary location and as a result, not everyone takes care of it. Seeing trash on the ground doesn’t help to remedy this situation. Students won’t be so inclined to litter if there isn’t any trash on the ground. A pristine environment also leads to a greater bond to our location through an increased appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of the environment around us.
Audience
The beneficiaries for this initiative are the students, but I will be interacting primarily with the faculty of Animas High School. There support is necessary in order to help instruct the student body successfully. I will also need the support of Libby Cowles and Dominic in order to contact the faculty and to obtain trash bags.
Strategic Plan
The Clean Nest Initiative will be carried out Friday, May 1, 2015 during 7th period. Starting Monday, April 27, 2015, I will contact Libby Cowles and get her approval, as well as sending out an email to the faculty announcing the initiative. I will then contact Dominic and obtain trash bags for Friday. On Wednesday, April 29th, 2015, I will send out a message to the student body announcing the initiative, this will include a description of the mission statement and the vision for this initiative. On the day of the event, I will send out a message to the faculty reminding them of the plan. I will check in with individual teachers as necessary. During 7th period, the entire student body will be outside roaming around the campus collecting debris and litter.
Organize a school-wide trash clean up day (The Clean Nest Initiative) during the last hour of the day on Friday, May 1, 2015. The goal is to rid the entire campus of trash in order to promote a greater sense of place for our location, however temporary it may be.
Mission Statement
Improve Animas’ sense of place to our current campus location by utilizing student involvement to create a pristine and intrinsically beautiful environment.
Vision Statement
The Clean Nest Initiative will promote student’s attachment to Animas High School’s campus by creating an intrinsic connection between residents and the location around us. The current attitude is that our campus is a temporary location and as a result, not everyone takes care of it. Seeing trash on the ground doesn’t help to remedy this situation. Students won’t be so inclined to litter if there isn’t any trash on the ground. A pristine environment also leads to a greater bond to our location through an increased appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of the environment around us.
Audience
The beneficiaries for this initiative are the students, but I will be interacting primarily with the faculty of Animas High School. There support is necessary in order to help instruct the student body successfully. I will also need the support of Libby Cowles and Dominic in order to contact the faculty and to obtain trash bags.
Strategic Plan
The Clean Nest Initiative will be carried out Friday, May 1, 2015 during 7th period. Starting Monday, April 27, 2015, I will contact Libby Cowles and get her approval, as well as sending out an email to the faculty announcing the initiative. I will then contact Dominic and obtain trash bags for Friday. On Wednesday, April 29th, 2015, I will send out a message to the student body announcing the initiative, this will include a description of the mission statement and the vision for this initiative. On the day of the event, I will send out a message to the faculty reminding them of the plan. I will check in with individual teachers as necessary. During 7th period, the entire student body will be outside roaming around the campus collecting debris and litter.
Reflection
The purpose of the Clean Nest Initiative was to clear Animas High School’s campus of litter that has accumulated over the year through student-body participation. This action will aid in the improvement of Animas’ sense of place to our campus location by creating an intrinsic connection between residents and the location around us.
The current attitude in our community is that the current campus is a temporary location and as a result, not everyone takes care of it. Seeing trash on the ground doesn’t help to remedy this situation. Students won’t be so inclined to litter if there isn’t any trash on the ground. A pristine environment also leads to a greater bond to our location through an increased appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of the environment around us.
This experience was very enjoyable for both myself and the other members within the Animas community. Through the organization of this event, I learned a lot about communication skills and the ability to organize and manage large groups of people. Due to the large number of participants, everyone had to be coordinated appropriately through constant email communication. I also learned a valuable lesson about always checking the weather before you set a date for an outside event. Seeing all of my peers outside with each other and helping one another picking up trash felt very fulfilling to me. Simply because I was able to bring people closer together through a shared activity and through the intrinsic value gained through environmental improvement. If this garbage problem persists next year, I will work with the faculty in making the Clean Nest Initiative a monthly experience.
The purpose of the Clean Nest Initiative was to clear Animas High School’s campus of litter that has accumulated over the year through student-body participation. This action will aid in the improvement of Animas’ sense of place to our campus location by creating an intrinsic connection between residents and the location around us.
The current attitude in our community is that the current campus is a temporary location and as a result, not everyone takes care of it. Seeing trash on the ground doesn’t help to remedy this situation. Students won’t be so inclined to litter if there isn’t any trash on the ground. A pristine environment also leads to a greater bond to our location through an increased appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of the environment around us.
This experience was very enjoyable for both myself and the other members within the Animas community. Through the organization of this event, I learned a lot about communication skills and the ability to organize and manage large groups of people. Due to the large number of participants, everyone had to be coordinated appropriately through constant email communication. I also learned a valuable lesson about always checking the weather before you set a date for an outside event. Seeing all of my peers outside with each other and helping one another picking up trash felt very fulfilling to me. Simply because I was able to bring people closer together through a shared activity and through the intrinsic value gained through environmental improvement. If this garbage problem persists next year, I will work with the faculty in making the Clean Nest Initiative a monthly experience.