Blog Archives

Final 2 Pitches and Deciding on the Issue!

10/31/2018

1st period: My morning Humanities students with me for Senior Project Research time!

2nd period: My Humanities class go to math class with Kyle

3rd period: ALL Seniors meet in the Commons to hear the final 6 pitches and VOTE!

4th period: Regular 4th period class (My afternoon Humanities students back with me to identify stakeholders (see below)

Stakeholder Spreadsheet

Freewrite: Make a list of all the stakeholder groups you can think of for our issue.
Fill out this Google Doc with the stakeholders
Find a group of 2-3 people that you work well with.
Brainstorm in your group: Interview questions that you think we should ask ALL of the stakeholder groups. Let’s get a list on the board!
In your group, choose one stakeholder group to interview (there can be some overlap if all groups are filled, but you must find a second person in that group to interview)
Do a little research, and find some specific people who fit in this group. These could be personal contacts, people you find on the internet, etc. If you can come up with more than one, GREAT. Put all you can find into the Stakeholder Spreadsheet.
Create a document, and title it “Stakeholder Interview Questions: _______(name of stakeholder group)”. Link it to the Stakeholder Spreadsheet.

Pitches and Next Steps in our Project Seminar

10/30/2018

Starter

Write your group's issue and ideally project title (can just be a placeholder title for now) on the whiteboard!
How much time do y'all need to dial your pitches?
Practice pitches

Deliver Pitches

Deciding on the issues and Next Steps SEMINAR

Of the issues listed on the whiteboard, which 2 issues are you most passionate about? Why?
Are there any issues that you think either aren’t truly unsustainable practices or don’t have enough complexity for our class to address in a holistic manner (Think about the 3 spheres? Any issues you really DO NOT want to work on?
How should we choose the top 2 from our pod? How should we choose the top issue from the entire grade? What is the best process? Do we need more information? If so, how should we gain that knowledge? Do we need more time? Do we just need to vote? If vote, should it be by majority rules? Consensus? What’s the most FAIR way to choose?
Once we decide on our issue, what should our next steps in the project be? Plan out the next three “phases” or steps in our project. Think about what you learned from Rachel and Andrea, our guest speakers from two weeks ago. Examples: Research other communities with this issue, research organizations working on the issue in Durango, visit the organization/people most affected, conduct interviews with various stakeholders, etc…

Choose top 2 from our pod!

Senior Project Phase 2 Work Time

Pitches

10/29/2018

Starter

Share your final Sustainable Development Proposal essay with me
Prepare for our writing conference beginning Thursday!

Self-assess on the rubric you completed last week: To what extent did you hit the mark on ALL categories? Grade yourself on the rubric for each category!
Write me a paragraph explaining how you have shown growth between your first draft of your timed essay earlier this semester (or first draft of your college essay) and this proposal essay, especially in the areas you set goals for yourself. Use specific examples from your essay that show growth to support your claims. If you don’t feel like you’ve reached success with the specific writing skills you meant to develop, talk about why.

Announcements!

Proposal essays due today, start of class
Morning pod: Wednesday breakfast?
Nov. 29th: Wolf Symposium at FLC!
Honors-- questions for Windfall

STUDENT HANDOUT: "The Pitches and the Choice"

Ashley will go over the process for out pitches and how we will choose our issue of focus.
Make a copy of this document and use it for notes this week OR use the hard copy Ashley provides in class.

Step 1 Develop Pitches: With your focus group, draft a 5-minute pitch, which you'll deliver to the class

What is the problem? How is it related to sustainability?
What are the consequences of NOT addressing this problem?
Why is this the most important issue we choose?? You can choose the angle you take to answer this question, but here are some options:
- Convince us this is the biggest problem or most unsustainable issue in our community
- Convince us this is the issue we can make the most difference on
- Convince us there is a ton of political and social mobility on this issue
- Convince us that you are passionate enough about this to inspire us for the next four weeks or so!

Pitch Development Tasks:

Catchy Project Title
Develop visuals/slides
Hook/interactive element?
Practice pitch at least twice all the way through in preparation for tomorrow.

Deliver Pitches: I'll draw group names out of a hat to decide the order we present

Parenthetical Citation Workshop and Proposal Writing Work Time

10/25/2018

Starter: Pop Quiz on in-text (parenthetical) citations

Go over quiz results

Parenthetical Citations and Work Cited formatting Workshop

Work Time

Susty Devp Proposal
Senior Project Phase 2 Research
Conference with Ashley

Proposal Writing Time and Goal-Setting

10/24/2018

Starter

Look back at your Writing Portfolio on your DP and the 3 writing goals you decided upon for yourself earlier this semester. You might want to also review my feedback on the timed essay.
On the rubric Ashley hands out in class, set some specific goals for this essay. Please do the following:

Write down the grade you are aiming for in each category
Circle the specific skills on the rubric that align with the goals you developed on your DP
On the back of the rubric, summarize the specific goals you have related to the requirements for this proposal. For example, maybe you really want to make sure you provide solid context for the reader in the intro so they understand why this is a relevant issue, or maybe you want to make sure to integrate a mix of pathos/ethos/logos in section 2 to be as persuasive as possible, or maybe you want to make sure you have a solid thesis statement.....

Senior Project Phase 2 Check-ins

Have you reserved your spot with a teacher for a conference?
Have you emailed them to schedule that conference?
Have you begun your research for that conference?

Proposal writing and conferencing time!

Write, Write, Write 'dem proposals!

10/23/2018

Starter

What questions do you have about the format for the proposal essay? (Since I wasn't here yesterday, I want to be sure we're all good here!) Essay guidelines are listed on yesterday's blog and on the handout the sub gave you yesterday in class!
Rate your confidence in your ability to set up (introduce) quotes perfectly in a persuasive essay  0: NO CLUE, 1: I have an idea, but I know I mess it up all the time, 2: I have it pretty close but could use a quick refresher, 3: I'm a golden god/goddess when it comes to introducing quotes and do not need any help on this.
If you selected 3, please be ready to prove your golden god/goddess status with evidence from a piece of writing (prior to a teacher's feedback).

Announcements

Gone yesterday? Check Monday's DP blog for essay guidelines and the details for the focus groups. see the photo at the top of TODAY's blog for focus group assignments and let me know which group best fits with your topic.
Honors discussion last 30 minutes of class
Deadlines reminder! See the whiteboard or the homework page on my DP.

Setting up Quotes Workshop

If you selected 2, you can simply take a look at the above linked resource on your own and get to writing
If you selected 0 or 1, you need to tune into Ashley's brief workshop
If you selected 3 and successfully defended yourself, go forth and write that proposal!

Proposal Writing Time

Research DUE + Time to begin essays

10/22/2018

Starter

Share your research notes with me
Write your name on the white board under the appropriate topic/issue. If you don't see your topic represented, write it up there and put your name by it!

Create Focus Groups
Purpose: The purpose of these groups will be to share resources and AFTER you write your essay, to develop a sales pitch to present to the class next week to try to convince them to choose your topic. You may work alone on this, but if possible, I prefer you group up to reduce the # of sales pitches made and to be able to share ideas with one another.

FORM FOCUS GROUPS: Form a group either with people doing the same issue as you OR at least a closely enough related topic/theme. Groups should be between 3-5 students each.

Write FOCUS Groups on the white board: Please record the groupings on the whiteboard!

Focus Group Discussion: Meet with your group and do the following

Share your strongest piece of evidence from your research notes
Share your biggest takeaway about your issue that you learned while researching
Share resources with each other to help each other write INDIVIDUAL essays
Discuss or point out gaps or holes in each other’s research and suggest ways to fill those holes

Review the following essay guidelines then begin writing your individual essay
Your essay will be written in three distinct pieces, each of which has a different purpose. Read on for details about each.

GOAL of essay: Convince the class that we should pick your issue to work on as a whole class to bring about a more sustainable end result. You are not presenting solutions right now. Just the problem and why it is unsustainable and why we should choose it!! You are essentially answering these three questions in your essay

What is the problem? How is it related to sustainability?
What are the consequences of NOT addressing this problem?
Why is this the most important issue we choose?? You can choose the angle you take to answer this question, but here are some options:
- Convince us this is the biggest problem or most unsustainable issue in our community
- Convince us this is the issue we can make the most difference on
- Convince us there is a ton of political and social mobility on this issue
- Convince us that you are passionate enough about this to inspire us for the next four weeks or so!

ESSAY OUTLINE
Essay Part 1: Introduction

Goal: To hook the reader, make them understand what you are researching and why it is important.
Length: Should not exceed 1 page (double-spaced).
Purpose/Content: What are you researching, and why do we care?
- Put your research into context
- What is happening right now that spurred your research, or created an important angle for your to pursue (short and sweet, more of this coming in Part III).
- Why does your research matter? Why is your topic relevant and important to our community?
Thesis Statement: Give a concise and one sentence statement about why you think we should choose this issue to focus on for our project. This thesis needs to answer the question: What needs to be sustained more holistically in our own community?

Essay Part 2: Problem Description

Goal: To describe, in detail, what the issue is that needs to be sustained and to show the research that supports this.
Length: Should not exceed 3 pages (double spaced)
Purpose/Content: What is the problem?
- Describe the problem or issue, drawing upon the research you have done.
- You should describe how this problem manifests in each of the three spheres (environmental, social/cultural, economic), drawing heavily upon data and research.
- At the end of this section, I should understand exactly what the problem is, where it comes from, and how it manifests in our community.
- IMPORTANT- Your opinion should not come into this section. Lay out the research, but don’t offer commentary just yet. That will come in the next section!

Part 3: Conclusion

Goal: To convince us that this is the issue we should choose for our class project.
Length: Should not exceed 1 page (double spaced)
Purpose/Content: Why is this issue the issue we should choose?
- Make your argument for why this issue is the one we should choose: WHY IS THIS SOMETHING WE NEED TO SUSTAIN? WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ADDRESSING IT IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY?
- Reference your research from Part 2, but this should be mainly your own reasoning.
- There are lots of different kinds of arguments you could make here--think about values, impact, pragmatic concerns, community connections, etc.
- You must be able to clearly connect the dots to your reader between the issue you want us to choose and how it relates to sustainability!

Sustainable Development Research and Senior Project Work Day

10/19/2018

Starter

Review the work time options below and then on a notecard do the following:

To-Do List: Make a to-do list for your time in class today and estimate how long each task will take you (write your name on the card, please)
Brain Break time: How will you spend your brain break to actually help restore your focus, minimize stress, and enable you to be more successful in work time after the break?

At the end of class, I'll collect these after you've written down what you were able to tackle and how long each task actually took you!

Announcements

Modified schedule today for the pep rally. Support your classmates on the mtb team as they prepare for state champs this weekend! Come on out to cheer them on too!
Lydia and Lucius: Plan our first class breakfast??
15 minute brain break today!

Deadline Reminders

Research notes are due Monday, 10/22, start of class
Senior Project conference should be completed by 11/16

Work Time Options

Link your issue to a United Nations goal and target (see yesterday's DP for instructions)
Sustainable Development research notes (on 5 sources.....don't forget to follow the guidelines for these notes on page two of this document!)
Senior Project Next Steps (See Senior Project tab on my DP for resources)

A) Research
B) Schedule a conference with a teacher for your Senior Project Phase 2 (see Senior Project page for conference sign-up link)

Senior Project Phase 1 Discussions AND SD Research Work Time

10/18/2018

First Half of Class
Senior Project Phase One Peer Discussions Protocol + Guidelines for Next Steps

Share your brainstorm notes with me!
Go to the "Senior Project" tab on my DP (under "more)
Find item #2: "Brainstorm Discussion and Next Steps"- OPEN IT UP!
Make note of the link to schedule a conference. You'll need that later!
We'll read through the discussion protocol and guidelines for next steps
You'll discuss your ideas in small groups
You'll have time to work on Next Steps!

Second Half of Class
Step 1: Align your research topic to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Targets!

Go to the UN Development Goals website
Click on the Goal that you think most aligns with your topic
Scroll down to the tab for "targets" and click on that (note that the other resources on this page can be used as one of your sources! Especially the "Why it Matters" pdf further down)
Read the various bullet points and decide which one most relates to your chosen research topic
At the top of your research notes, type the following bullet points:

Your issue
The relevant United Nations GOAL
The relevant United Nations TARGET

STEP 2: Sustainable Development Research Notes Work Time!

Sustainability Development Research Time + Sherpa Sustainability Institute Guest Speaker

10/17/2018

Starter
Turn and chat-- what issue have you chosen for your research and WHY? If you're stuck, what are you considering? Help each other pick a topic!

9:40-10:12 AND 10:15-10:45 Guest Speaker!!
Andrea Hoffmeier from the Sherpa Sustainability Institute

Research work time!

Remember you need to take notes on 5 sources. Honors-- one source needs to be from a scholarly article!
Those of you studying the train, definitely check out the following resources from Rachel!!

Links Rachel shared yesterday:

Resources on the Train (Shared by Rachel)

Google Doc Folder of resources and meeting notes from the Save Our Town, Green the Train group
Nathan Morris: [email protected]
Laurie Dickson: [email protected]

Mental Health Resources

"The Suicide Clusters that Threaten Mountain Towns"- Kate Siber, Outside Magazine
"Take two doses of pine forest and call me in the morning"- Outside Magazine

Rachel Landis: Systems-based thinking and problem-solving workshop

10/16/2018

Welcome Rachel Landis!
Rachel is the former Director of the Environmental Center at FLC, current board member of the La Plata Country Electric Association, and the current Director of the Durango Regional Food Recovery Program.

During her time at the EC, Landis has been a passionate champion of local food and activism. Among the programs she helped launch during her tenure was the “Real Change Initiative,” a how-to blueprint for students to put their big ideas into action. In 2013, she also played a key role in getting the school on board with the “Real Food Challenge,” a national campaign aimed at encouraging healthy, fair and green food systems on campuses across the country. Fort Lewis College was the first school in the Southwest to officially commit to the challenge at the time and one of only 17 nationwide. In addition, she also involved the school with the area’s annual “Homegrown Retreat,” which was held in conjunction with Growing Partners of the Southwest.

Sustainable Development Project Proposal Launch

10/15/2018

Starter: Artwork Analysis
Let's get those artistic brains a churnin' today! Analyze the cover The Gulch magazine through the three spheres of economic, environmental and social/cultural sustainability! Jot dot all the things you see in here related to those three spheres and the way the artist is either critiquing Durango or attempting to inspire a more sustainable way forward.

Share-out analyses and contrast to the 1872 painting, "American Progress" by Johnathon Gast

Announcements

All 4 journals are due today! The "final synthesis journal" should be shared electronically with me. The other three can be turned in as hard copies.
Staple the completed self-assessment rubric to journals 1-3 and turn those into the cubes by the window
Phase 1 of Senior Project brainstorm due next Thur, 10/18
College Essay Grades-- some thoughts from yours truly.

Sustainable Development Project Brainstorm!

Project Essential Question: What needs to be sustained more holistically in our own community and how might we do so in a way that takes into consideration environmental, economic and social/cultural needs?

Framing: It is time to choose an issue of sustainability for us to focus on as a class for our final project. But first, you need research one issue of interest to you and write a proposal for why we should select that issue! More to come on that! To help you choose an issue, let's brainstorm as many issues of sustainability as you can think of at play in our community.

With a partner or group of 3, draw the three spheres of sustainable development on a piece of scratch paper.
Brainstorm all the things you think are related to those three spheres in our community! Think outside of the box-- recycling is old hat, y'all.
Think about it as a response to this question: What are current unsustainable practices? What needs to be sustained, and what are the consequences of us NOT sustaining that?

Topic Selection and Problem Statement

Pick one issue/topic from our brainstorm that you're most interested in.
Write a one-sentence problem statement that follows this structure:"Our current consumption of water is unsustainable! We need to sustain our water supply or we will decrease our ability to nourish our forests, farms and citizens"

Sustainable Development Project Proposal Launch

Start researching!

Work time this week:

Monday: Rest of class!
Tuesday: Rachel Landis, Former Director of the Environmental Center at FLC, Current Director of the Local Food Security Project, workshop on systems-based thinking for creating solutions that actually work for issues of sustainability!
Wed: Most of class minus 30 minutes for guest speakers from the Sherpa Institute for Sustainability, speaking to us about their work to help businesses develop more sustainable models
Thursday: Most of class devoted to Senior Project Phase 1 share outs
Friday: ALL OF CLASS
Monday, 10/22: Research due, work time for essay!

Bears Ears Trip Debrief and Final Reflection

10/12/2018

Announcements:

Honors, start reading Windfall! Get copies from me in class today.
Phase 1 of Senior Project brainstorm due next Thur, 10/18
I need some volunteers today to write thank you cards for our trip! See this document
HUGE thanks to the students who helped me clean the vans yesterday (Ce, Acacia, Ethan, Sammy, Lydia) as well as any other students who helped sort gear yesterday and today in Kyle's class!
Journals 1-3 due end of class today. Journal 4 due Monday.

Starter: Feedback on the trip!

Take the survey linked above!

Debrief feedback: Discussion

Small Group Discussion (groups of 4-5 students)-- reviewing trip journals/readings

Read aloud your favorite line from your journals
Go through each reading and identify the main idea or thesis of that story/essay.
Clarify any confusions you may have had, either with each other or Ashley if needed.
Share out the "cliff notes" version of Journal #3- this is an opportunity to remind each other of the readings and discuss your reactions to the readings in preparation for the in-class writing.

Complete the Bears Ears Participation Rubric Self-Assessment (hard copies are in your folder attached to the readings and journal prompts)

Once done with that, start your final Journal/Trip Synthesis: Journal Prompts here!
Requirements

Minimum of 500 words, typed
You must cite (i.e. quote, using parenthetical citations) a minimum of 3 of the assigned readings in this packet
Choose question 1 or 2 (see below)

The Writing Prompts (Choose ONE)

Now that we’re back from the trip, what are your thoughts on using the outdoors as a classroom environment, and as a way to enhance both personal and collective well-being and sustainability?
What is the significance of the Bears Ears National Monument and to what extent does your understanding of its significance shape your perspective on to what extent the monument should exist?

Departure for Bears Ears!

10/8/2018

Starter: Look through the packing list and make sure you have everything on it. Questions? Missing something? Make a place to get it here by 12:45 today.

Debrief Friday

How did class go?
Takeaways from the two readings? Questions?
Did you watch the "Visit with Respect" video?
Share out exit tickets (Ashley reads a few?)

Go through student folders

Itinerary for this week
Required readings/journals
Rubric
Hiking groups and the hikes

Go Over Groups

Hiking Groups with hike assignments for both Tue and Wed.
Van/Car assignments

Visiting with Respect (AKA: Don't be a jerk)

Bears Ears Prep Work Time

Leave No Trace skits (6-14 students): Come up with a skit for your assigned principle to perform tonight at camp. If time, practice in front of our class before lunch.
Labeling student folders (3 students): Write names on students folders based on advisory.
Research your hikes! (EVERYONE when done!)-- See the hiking group document above then find the link to your corresponding hikes below and read about them!

Research Your Hikes!

Natural Bridges/Bears Ears Loop
- Sipapu Bridge hike- out and back- 1.2 miles (total)- but almost 500 vertical feet
- Geologic guide to hiking sipapu bridge
- Sipapu- Kachina hike (involves car shuttle) - 5 miles
- If opting for shorter hike, finish driving the Natural Bridges loop, stopping as desired at trailheads to scope out the other bridges from the rim.
- Then, exit the park and back past the Visitor Center (use restrooms and restock on water here if needed)
- Retrace your steps almost all the way to the Hwy 95 but turn left on the road to Bears Ears
- Drive up to the Bears Ears, get out between the buttes for some photos!
- If time, go to the meadow viewing point
Butler Wash: good map;
- Procession Panel--
- Monarch Cave ruins-
House on Fire Ruin and beyond (1.5 miles ROUNDTRIP to the ruin, but opportunity to explore up canyon much further!)
- https://utahscanyoncountry.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/house-on-fire-ruin-south-fork-of-mule-canyon/
The Citadel in Cedar Mesa
Arch Canyon (out and back)

Bears Ears Prep

10/5/2018

Hello students! I am out today with the mountain bike team in Eagle. Please read these instructions for today’s class and get to it!

Purpose of today: Mentally get prepared for the Bears Ears trip and understand one of Ashley’s goals for this trip, which is for you all to reflect on the impacts of time in nature on your personal sustainability and overall well-being as well as the powers of nature to connect us to each other!

So, we have two readings which start to get at that, and then I’ll be assigning a few more short readings and journal prompts on the actual trip for you to do that will build on these ideas. Get stoked!

Reminders!
Meet in the Commons 5th period (immediately after lunch) to go over group gear check, among other things, for Bears Ears.

Agenda for today
Step 1: Read the following two articles and for both articles do the following:

Identify the thesis of the article (MAIN ARGUMENT)
Write 3 thought-provoking questions, like seminar-type questions, like the kind that make you think and spur good discussion. You know the kind.
If you have any clarifying questions or confusions as far as vocab terms, author’s point, etc...write those down as well to discuss later with a small group.
1. Reading #1: “Take Two Hours of Pine Forest and Call Me in the Morning” from Outside Magazine
2. Reading #2: “Rediscovery of North America” pages 13-15 only by Berry Lopez. I’m having you just read a few pages of the full-text but feel free to read the entire linked version on my DP.

Step 2: Get into THREE discussion groups. The sub will do this or you guys can.

Start by sharing out your ideas on the thesis statements of both
Discuss the questions you came up with, starting with clarifications then moving on to the deep ones!

Step 3: Part of your participation grade on the trip will be based on the respect you demonstrate for the land/environment. To help prepare you for this, please watch this video about how to visit archaeological ruins/cites/zones with respect https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvAuUeJoTIQ

Step 4: Brain Break: 15 minute break ½ through class to do whatever you need to help give you a brain break. Be intentional and thoughtful about what really will be best for you.

Step 5: Ticket out the door-- please write this on a notecard and put your name on it and give to the sub before leaving!
What are you hoping to get out of our Bears Ears experiential education trip? What learning or personal goals do you hope to achieve or what questions do you hope to answer?

5th period: Group Gear Check and labeling and other Bears Ears Prep with Lori and Kyle in the Commons

<<Previous

The Daily

Final 2 Pitches and Deciding on the Issue!

Pitches and Next Steps in our Project Seminar

Pitches

Parenthetical Citation Workshop and Proposal Writing Work Time

Proposal Writing Time and Goal-Setting

Write, Write, Write 'dem proposals!

Research DUE + Time to begin essays

Sustainable Development Research and Senior Project Work Day

Starter

Senior Project Phase 1 Discussions AND SD Research Work Time

Sustainability Development Research Time + Sherpa Sustainability Institute Guest Speaker

Rachel Landis: Systems-based thinking and problem-solving workshop

Sustainable Development Project Proposal Launch

Bears Ears Trip Debrief and Final Reflection

Departure for Bears Ears!

Bears Ears Prep

Ashley Carruth

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