Teaching Sustainability in ESL Poster Session WAESOL 2009 October 24, 2009 Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College

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1 Teaching Sustainability in ESL Poster Session WAESOL 2009 October 24, 2009 Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College Sustainability encompasses four intertwined ideals: economic wellness, social justice, human health, and biodiversity and ecological integrity. It is a systemic concept, relating to the continuity of economic, social, institutional, and environmental aspects of human society. Washington Center Curriculum for the Bioregion Initiative When our college added a focus on sustainability to its mission statement, faculty in the Intensive ESL program decided to take an active role in sustainability awareness efforts on campus by incorporating this theme into some of our Intensive ESL classes and program activities. Goals to increase student awareness and understanding of sustainability to incorporate sustainability topics into our curriculum to involve students in sustainability activities on campus to bring an international perspective to the campus community Activities and Assignments Speaking/Listening Activity: Campus Sustainability Fair This activity encouraged students in a College Preparation class to engage with sustainability issues while talking to people representing various community groups at the Campus Sustainability Fair. Topics included book recycling, organic clothing, carbon footprint, recycling on campus, and sustainable manufacturing. Students had to talk to many different people to gather information during this activity. They enjoyed this activity and several spent a long time talking with the representatives. This was followed in the next class period by a lively, in-class discussion on attitudes toward sustainability in different countries. (See Examples #1 and #2). Upper Level Reading: Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things Instructors used this book, which documents a day in the life of an American consumer, as an authentic text to supplement the ESL reading text used in the course. There are two types of readings in each chapter one in a narrative style, and the other more academic. A variety of reading activities, including practice in skimming, scanning, main idea, vocabulary development, critical thinking, and general comprehension were used to engage students in thinking about where the stuff they use everyday (like coffee, computers, shoes, etc.) comes from and how it affects our world. The students used a map to route where things traveled, from the raw material to manufacture of the product to market to the consumer. They also completed a project to trace where something they owned personally had come from. While the book was challenging for some students, many found it interesting and engaging. (See Examples #3, #4, & #5). Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

2 Student Panel: Everyday Life on Our Planet: An International Perspective As part of the 2008 and 2009 Edmonds Community College Earth Month activities, a panel of international students described everyday energy use, garbage and recycling, transportation options, successes and challenges in their home countries. ESL faculty invited interested students to participate and had several planning meetings with students to decide on the content and organization of the panel presentations. ESL Students from France, South Korea, Colombia, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Japan gave informative and lively presentations. The event was very well attended by both international and American students, as well as college faculty and staff. Students who presented were proud to share about their countries and to make a public presentation in English! We have decided to make this an annual campus event. (See Examples #6, #7 and #8.) Other Assignments for a Variety of Classes are also included on this handout. Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

3 Example #1 Intensive ESL College Preparation Speaking & Listening Campus Sustainability Day For tomorrow s class, we will be in the courtyard and in the lobby of Snoqualmie Hall between 12:20-1:40 for Campus Sustainability Day. Be ready to discuss your impressions and ideas in class! Visit the various information tables, talk to people and answer these questions: 1. What does sustainability mean? Why do we care about that at EdCC? What is happening on campus that supports sustainability? 2. What is Eco Encore? How can they help teachers and students here? 3. What is Make a Difference Day? When will it take place? 4. Why are Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream and REI part of the sustainability day exhibits? 5. What is a Carbon Footprint? What kinds of things make someone s carbon footprint bigger? 6. What can you recycle here on campus? (Kelly Roberts Weibel 2008) Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

4 Example #2 Intensive ESL College Preparation Speaking & Listening Discussion: Sustainability--Taking Care of Our Earth Think about your daily life. Discuss these questions with your group. 1. How often do you use public transit? How often do you drive a car? 2. Does your community offer a recycling program? If yes, please describe it in detail to your classmates. Do you think recycling is an important service for communities to provide? 3. How often do you throw gum wrappers, cigarette butts, etc. onto the street? Who usually cleans this up in your community? 4. What types of energy are popular in your country? (for example, coal, gas, nuclear power, etc.) What does your house or apartment use? 5. What temperature do you usually keep your house at? 6. When you travel, do you usually drink bottled water? Why or why not? What about when you're at home? 7. In your opinion, what can big cities like Seattle and Los Angeles do to improve their air quality? 8. How are products packaged in your country? For example, how do you usually buy milk, electronic equipment and clothing? 9. Do you think companies are more or less environmentally responsible now than they were in the past? 10. How often do you turn off the lights when you leave the room? 11. Do you turn off the water when you brush your teeth? 12. Tell about one thing you do to help the environment. 13. What are some changes you can make in your daily life that will help take care of the Earth? Adapted from: Conversation Questions: The Environment & You, Karin's ESL PartyLand/ 2001 by Karin M. Cintron & Ralph Garboushian/Reproducible for Classroom Use Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

5 Example #3 Edmonds Community College Reading 5 STUFF Answer these questions in groups: SHOES (p ) Name: Paragraph 1: 1. How many descriptive words for shoes are in the first paragraph? And, what are they? 2. What does cross-train mean in this paragraph? Paragraph 2: 3. Are you shocked by the number of pairs of shoes that Americans own? 4. Why did the writers write: Americans spend twice as much on children s shoes as they do on children s books.? Paragraphs 3 and 4: 5. What are some of the component parts of athletic shoes? 6. Why do you think that a shoe company headquartered in Oregon contracts with a Korean-owned factory who manufactures shoes designed by Taiwanese industrial engineers? Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

6 Paragraph 5: 7. What happened to the economy of South Korea in the early 80 s, and how did it affect labor and employment in Korea and other parts of Asia? Paragraph 6: 8. What can we infer about the environmental standards in the U.S. and Korea? 9. Can we infer that Texans care more about money or the environment? Why? Paragraphs 7 and 8: 10. How does tanning impact the environment? Paragraphs 9 12 (synthetics): 11. Of the more than 20 components used to make the shoes, what is the source of the materials? 12. What s the logo on Dana s athletic shoes? (Draw it!) Paragraph 13: 13. How has the dumping of excess rubber into landfills been reduced? Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

7 Paragraphs : Assembly 14. Which athlete was paid to endorse Dana s shoes? How much did he really need the money? 15. What do you think about the working conditions and pay of those who assembled Dana s shoes? 16. Why did the authors include the descriptor ex-military when identifying the managers of the shoe factory? Virtually all South Korean men are ex-military. So, what can the readers infer about the writer s opinion of anyone who has served in the military? 17. What was the point of comparing Indonesian and Vietnamese workers and their wages? Paragraphs Shoe Box 18. Why is Nike s current shoe packaging an improvement over previous packaging? Final Questions: 19. Has this chapter, Shoes, had any effect on your future shoe shopping? If so, what? 20. Here s the big question: Do big companies such as Nike have a responsibility to consider human rights when they set up shop around the world? Or, do they just want to slam dunk profits? Why? Extra Credit: 21. List the countries, states, and cities involved in the manufacture of Dana s shoes: (Chuck Cox, 2008) Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

8 Example #4 Edmonds Community College Reading STUFF Name: Group Project: Think about ways to reduce energy and material consumption. Your group will discuss and be responsible for researching and presenting information on A. Start with brainstorming ideas for the implementation of the four Rs : Refuse (don t use) Why is it a good idea? What are the problems with using it anyway? What can be substituted? Reduce (use less) How can less be used? Why isn t less used anyway? How much less is possible? Reuse (use things repeatedly) How many times can it be used for its original purpose? For what different purposes can it be used? Recycle What are the benefits of recycling? How much money, energy and is saved by recycling it? How many and what other resources are saved? B. Research and answer these questions: Who are the largest consumers of the material? How can they be encouraged to R, R, R, and R? What are the benefits of the material and who enjoys them? Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

9 What is the downside of the material and who might not benefit because of it? Think about the chain of production, post-consumer waste, and throughput. Also, what other collateral damage is done to the environment? How can our society(ies) use less? What are possible substitutes for the material? Are there better, cheaper, and more ecologically friendly substitutes available? In what ways can it be reused? What are efficient processes used to recycle the material? Does recycling the material save energy and/or resources? How and how much? How much of the material gets recycled and how much gets thrown out locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally? (Chuck Cox, 2008) Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

10 Example #5 Edmonds Community College Reading 5 STUFF Name: RRRR Presentations Answer the questions about your classmates presentation. 1. What material was being discussed? 2. What kind of visual aids did the group use? 3. What are some of the negative effects of the use or production of the material? 4. What are some of the best suggestions the group made for lessening the negative effects of using or producing the material? 5. What was the most interesting thing you learned about the material? 6. How are you going to personally change your use of the material? 7. What more do you want to know? (Chuck Cox, 2008) Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

11 Example #6 An Event for Earth Month Activities Everyday Life on our Planet: An International Perspective A panel of international students from a variety of countries will describe everyday energy use, house size, food practices, garbage and recycling, and transportation options. Get a global perspective on these important issues from fellow EdCC students. Our first meeting: Tuesday, 4/29 Our second meeting: Tuesday, 5/6 MUK 214 at 4:00 The panel discussion: Tuesday, May 13 at 3:00 TUB 202. Basic ideas: 1. An MC to introduce the topic and participants. (Because we all share this planet, here is an international perspective.) 2. For EACH COUNTRY: - Power point slide of the location on a world map + some basic statistics: population, population density, average house size, average gas use, etc. - A student to describe some parts of every day life: house size, food practices, garbage and recycling, and transportation options (car use, public transportation, etc.),... other? (The student does NOT need to be an expert just speaks from his or her own experiences NOT very long about 3 5 minutes each person.) 3. Conclusion - Maybe each student tells something else from his/her country: a special environmental problem or success, general mood, special issue, etc. - What we can all do to help the environment. (recycling on campus,... ) (Jan Peterson, 2008) Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

12 Example #7 (Slide Example) THE UNITED STATES Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

13 Example #8 (Slide Example) The United States Population: 303,960,000 (2008) 4.56% of world #3 in world Area: 9,629,091 square kilometers 6.5% of world #3 or #4 in world Population Density: 31 per km2 (square kilometer) #180 in world Motor Vehicles (cars, trucks) 765 motor vehicles per 1000 people #1 in world CO2 Emissions: per 1,000 people #5 in world Ecological Footprint: (How many planet Earths it would take to support humanity if everybody lived this lifestyle) #2 in world (Jan Peterson, 2008) Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

14 Resources "Curricular Initiatives: Curriculum for the Bioregion." The Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education. The Evergreen State College. 17 Feb 2009 < "Empowering Higher Education to Lead the Sustainability Transformation." AASHE: Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. 17 Feb 2009 < Jones, D. "Sustainability Education Handbook." A Resource Guide for K-12 Teachers Incorporating the Michigan State Framework Standards Michigan Energy Consortium (MECNET). 17 Feb 2009 < NEW BC, "Stuff Curriculum and Resource Guide." Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things Sightline Institute. 17 Feb 2009 < Ryan, John C., and Alan Thien Durning. Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things. Seattle: Northwest Environment Watch, "Sustainability Initiative." Edmonds Community College: Sustainability. 30 May Edmonds Community College. 17 Feb 2009 < Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

15 Why Having Stuff Matters: A Fresh Perspective Kelly Roberts Weibel, kweibel@edcc.edu, International Education Division/IESL Abstract For this assignment, students will explore their values on Consumption and Consumerism by looking at what people consume in different cultures and through reading and writing about the economic and environmental costs of consumption. This is a unit designed for students in upperintermediate ESL Reading and Writing classes and will incorporate practice in reading comprehension, summary, critical thinking, discussion and basic essay writing. Introduction and Overview Many international students really enjoy shopping in the US. The goal of this activity is to broaden students awareness of the economic and environmental impacts of shopping (i.e. consumerism) and to use English to read about, discuss and write about them. Students in Level 5 of the Intensive ESL Program are in their last quarter of ESL before college. This unit will help prepare them for the higher level academic work they will have to do in college by helping them to take a step away from personal writing and by integrating reading and writing skills. Students will spend 2 3 weeks working on this and it will serve as the end of term culminating project for these classes. It is hoped that, after students have completed this unit, they will become more conscious shoppers who also have the English vocabulary to express their thoughts about it! Activities Week 1: Students will keep a log of everything they buy for seven days. Week 2: Students will share their logs in class and discuss what they bought and why they bought it. Introduce Material World with a brief text summing up what the book is about. Students will work in groups to compare 2 photos from the book. They will discuss the similarities/differences they observe, and each group will give a short presentation to the class. Class discussion: what are the values reflected by the things you observed in the photos? What conclusions can you make from what you see? Reading assignment from the Nova Website (brief descriptions of several families featured in the book). Journal reflection writing: How do my lifestyle and values about material things compare to one or two of the families pictured? What seems important to them, to me? Week 3: Watch the video The Story of Stuff. Follow up with student reactions, comments, etc. Teacher introduces the book Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things. Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

16 Students read an excerpt from Stuff (about Shoes ); vocabulary work, comprehension questions, reading. Students write a summary of the text they read and write a personal response to it. In class, they will share their responses to the text with classmates. Students will choose a second selection from Stuff and read it on their own. Class discussion with questions about their response to the video and text, how it might relate to them, what it tells them about their consumer habits and how they could change their shopping behavior. Culminating Essay Assignment could be compare/contrast, cause/effect, or argument essay. Students will develop their own topic related to the video, reading and discussions and reflections they have worked with. Assessment: Students will be assessed on each assignment in the skill areas of vocabulary and reading comprehension, summary, critical thinking, discussion and basic essay writing. Resources: Lewis, Susan K. "NOVA World in the Balance Material World." PBS. Nova, Apr Web. 5 Aug < Menzel, Peter. Material World: A Global Family Portrait. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books, Print. Ryan, John C., and Alan T. Durning. Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things. Seattle, WA: Northwest Environment Watch, Print. Stuff Curriculum and Resource Guide. Sightline Institute Web. 17 Feb < The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard. Web. 13 Aug < Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

17 Assignment title: Violence: An Unsustainable Behavior Instructor: Deborah Clarke-Blome Department: English for Academic Purposes My primary goal as an EAP instructor is to help non-native English speaking students become proficient in English language skills, including reading comprehension, writing, listening and speaking at a college-ready level. Toward this end, students engage in exploring challenging texts, learning subject-specific vocabulary, summarizing and responding to readings and lecture topics in written and oral assignments. To explore the big sustainability ideas of Intergenerational Thinking and Interconnectedness and Interdependence, I plan to introduce an assignment in EAP 121: Composition for College that will involve reading, summary writing, listening comprehension activities, team research, and group presentation on the topic of Violence: An Unsustainable Behavior. 2. Introduction and Overview a. I have recently been thinking a lot about how one teaches peace. As I write this lesson plan, our nation is involved in no less than two major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the world worries about Iran acquiring nuclear weapon s capability; North Korea s government tests long-range missiles in a show of its power and willingness to strike at those it perceives as its enemies; and terrorists have recently launched attacks in India, Indonesia and Pakistan. On a more personal level, I have spoken with two young female students of mine, both of whom have recently faced domestic violence committed by boyfriends. I have also been deeply moved by the story and music of Corneille, a young musician who lost his parents and siblings in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. In a recent interview, Corneille mentioned that it took him over a decade to even allow himself to remember his lost family. He could not even look at a picture of their faces as the pain was too intense. Just last year, 14 years after the murders of his family members, Corneille began to write about his love for them and the deep loss he has experienced. In the interview he said that the only reason why he believes he is functioning today (and many of the survivors of the Rwandan genocide are not) is that he had 17 years of pure love [with his family] and was lucky enough to find the love of a good woman, his partner. That foundation of love and peace is what allows us to thrive as human beings. Violence is its antithesis. b. The assignment will be completed during the last two weeks of class. Students will already have completed three out of four major writing assignments for the course. c. Human violence--its roots, its patterns, its taming impacts us all and deserves in-depth, interdisciplinary study. As violence affects our personal lives, the societies in which we live, and the entire future of human life on this planet, it is a compelling topic for reading, writing and discussion. In making violence the focus of an assignment, it is my hope that students will begin to question the value of violence and its effects on individuals and societies. 3. Teaching and Learning Activities Instructor will introduce the assignment with an overview sheet including due dates. As part of that introduction, instructor will talk about the notions of Intergenerational Thinking and Interconnectedness and Interdependence and how violence relates to these themes. Instructor will also introduce students to the story and music of Corneille, a young Rwandan musician who survived but lost his family in the Rwandan genocide of This lecture will include a brief Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

18 introduction to the 1994 conflict and a period of listening to Corneille s musical tribute to his family on his album titled, The Birth of Cornelius. Beginning in this way will involve the students both intellectually and emotionally in the topic. Students will be given a copy of the article, The Lingering Effects of Violence to read and summarize. They will also be given a copy of Statistics on Violence to read. Their summaries of the first article will be graded for fluency, checked for grammar, and revised. Points will be assigned to both the draft and final of their summaries. Students will participate in an all-class discussion of the two articles. Participation points given. Students will form four groups assigned to research the common causes, current statistics and long-term consequences of each of the following forms of violence. They will prepare a brief (10 minute) presentation with some form of visual aid (PowerPoint, poster board, slideshow). Group points given. --Child abuse --Spousal/partner abuse --Date rape --Bullying in schools To conclude the course, the instructor will arrange for a guest speaker on Anger Management and there will be a final reflection period/discussion. 5. Resources Home Page of Corneille, a young soul artist who writes in his album The Birth of Cornelius about surviving the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The Lingering Effects of Violence. This article shows how modern neuroscience sheds light on the research of Richard Hellie, Professor in History, who has been studying the effects of violence in 16th- to 18th-century Russia. Hellie s research shows how violence in society can perpetuate itself over decades, long after a nation has suffered an initial traumatic experience. Statistics on Violence. This article, compiled by The Peace Alliance Campaign to Establish a Department of Peace, highlights a number of statistics compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Bureau of Justice, all reputable research organizations. Anger Management speaker (TBD) Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

19 Assignment: Burning Season Sustainability Assignment for EAP 100: Communication for College Instructor: Rebecca Safford Department: English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Learning goals, big ideas and topics: A. EAP 100 learning goals: Helping international and immigrant students improve college readiness skills in reading, writing, listening, thinking, communicating and peer interaction. Teaching strategies for actively reading and thinking about texts, dealing with content-specific vocabulary, understanding main ideas, paraphrasing and summarizing, asking questions and responding, writing paragraphs and essays, editing grammar, listening and note-taking, collaborating with peers, and assessing personal progress. B. EAP 100 big ideas and topics: Coping with stress through redefining threat as opportunity (Rubin & McNeil, qtd. in Seal) Welcoming challenge and change (Rubin & McNeil, qtd. in Seal) Independence and interdependence (Gerow, Brothen and Newell, qtd. in Seal) Psychosocial development, identity and generativity (Erikson: caring for others, contributing to society, and supporting future generations; qtd. in Seal) Finding and pursuing one s personal legend (Coelho) C. Sustainability big ideas : global warming and climate change interconnectedness and interdependence D. Sustainability habits of mind : Respect for interconnectedness and natural systems Shared responsibility for the future Realizing urgency and need to act immediately Activities to be assigned: A. Watch Cathy Henkel s film The Burning Season in class = one hour. B. Read and discuss related source materials (both online and printed handouts) in class and as homework = 2 days. C. Collaboratively create and complete a key vocabulary worksheet. D. Work with classmates on B and C above. E. Write personal responses on a dedicated Blackboard discussion board forum online, as well as read and respond to classmates' messages as homework over 3 days. Assessment: A. Vocabulary quiz or quiz reviewing key ideas in the film. B. Pre-viewing and post-viewing survey: how much did students know about global warming and Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL

20 climate change before viewing the film? How much did they learn from viewing the film? How have their environmental attitudes changed (or not)? Resources: A. Wide Angle PBS: B. The Burning Season: C. Study Guide: (click home => teachers & students => Metro Magazine to register and download a PDF file) D. Kyoto Protocol: E. Academic Encounters: Reading, Study Skills, and Writing by Bernard Seal F. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Teaching Sustainability in ESL, Kelly Roberts Weibel, Edmonds Community College, WAESOL