Author: jdeboe (Page 1 of 7)

CODE320 ePortfolio

A WorkB WorkC Work

– Misses one class or fewer, or completes make-up work for excused absences
– Annotates all readings thoroughly
– Contributes deeply to discussions
– Completes all assignments on time or has approved extension
– Work shows engagement, care, effort, and growth
– Collaborates substantially, contributes to vision, and works equally with peers
– Abides by the CODE of Conduct and classroom norms
– Misses two classes or fewer, or does make-up work for excused absences
– Annotates most readings
– Often participates in discussion
– Completes all assignments on time or has approved extension
– Work shows care, effort, and growth 
– Collaborates equally and completes required work
– Abides by the CODE of Conduct and classroom norms
– Misses three classes or fewer, or does make-up work for excused absences
– Completes most readings
– Sometimes adds to discussion
– Completes all major assignments and at least five SAs
– Meets minimal expectations on assignments; shows some growth 
– Completes required collaborative work
– Abides by the CODE of Conduct and classroom norms

First-Week Introduction

For one of my final semesters in the CODES program, I wanted to focus on goals that would highlight writing assignments and presentations. My first goal is all about showing an understanding of reading assignments in writing, which is where my reflections will be used as artifacts. My second goal will revolve around contributions to group projects, so the Emplace Contributions, Dissemination Plan, and Author Bio will serve as my major artifacts for that particular goal. Goals #3 and #5 will mostly relate to literary texts read in class, so the reflections will be the main pieces of evidence that I will use to support these two goals. Finally, my fourth goal will focus on developing strong central messages, allowing for the Final Presentation to serve as the main artifact. Part of me is nervous about these major assignments, like the Emplace Contributions or Dissemination Plan, just because I want them to turn out perfect. However, I think learning to develop better communication skills throughout this semester will help me do my part for my group in a way that allows us to submit more cohesive assignments.

Midterm Introduction

[Speak about the skills and content you’ve learned during the first half of the semester. What did you most enjoy? What did you struggle with? What goals do you think you’ve most excelled at meeting and what do you want to continue developing during the second half of the semester? What goals haven’t you yet met, and how will you make them a priority in the second half of class?]

Final Introduction

[Now that the semester is over, use your introduction to reflect in-depth on your process. How well did you meet the goals you set out to meet? What did you learn that surprised you? Focusing on your goals for this class, what do you want to remember to take with you into your future courses? What strategies can you use to continue developing toward these goals?]

Course Goals

Goal 1 (20%)
Based on (13A): Demonstrates a thorough understanding of context, audience, and purpose.

What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill?What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning?What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal?
[Explain how you will apply yourself to learn this goal][need at least one example for each 5% of grade weight][Explain what success would look like in your example if you met your goal]

[For each 5% of effort you assign to your goal, provide at at least one example or artifact that demonstrates your learning process and shows how your made progress toward meeting that goal this semester (You would need four examples if the goal was worth 20% of your grade). Show how you have improved over time, what methods you took to grow, and talk about what you still plan to do in the future. ]

Goal 2 (30%)
Based on (12C): Works independently toward goals by contributing and meeting deadlines.

What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill?What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning?What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal?
[Explain how you will apply yourself to learn this goal][need at least one example for each 5% of grade weight][Explain what success would look like in your example if you met your goal]

[For each 5% of effort you assign to your goal, provide at at least one example or artifact that demonstrates your learning process and shows how your made progress toward meeting that goal this semester (You would need four examples if the goal was worth 20% of your grade). Show how you have improved over time, what methods you took to grow, and talk about what you still plan to do in the future. ]

Goal 3 (30%)
Based on (11A): Evaluates texts’ scholarly significance to apply reading to other contexts or issues.

What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill?What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning?What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal?
[Explain how you will apply yourself to learn this goal][need at least one example for each 5% of grade weight][Explain what success would look like in your example if you met your goal]

[For each 5% of effort you assign to your goal, provide at at least one example or artifact that demonstrates your learning process and shows how your made progress toward meeting that goal this semester (You would need four examples if the goal was worth 20% of your grade). Show how you have improved over time, what methods you took to grow, and talk about what you still plan to do in the future. ]

Goal 4 (10%)
Based on (8C): Develops clear, innovative central messages with significant supporting materials.

What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill?What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning?What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal?
[Explain how you will apply yourself to learn this goal][need at least one example for each 5% of grade weight][Explain what success would look like in your example if you met your goal]

[For each 5% of effort you assign to your goal, provide at at least one example or artifact that demonstrates your learning process and shows how your made progress toward meeting that goal this semester (You would need four examples if the goal was worth 20% of your grade). Show how you have improved over time, what methods you took to grow, and talk about what you still plan to do in the future. ]

Goal 5 (10%)
Based on (4A): Adapts and applies a deep understanding of multiple worldviews, experiences, and power structures while initiating meaningful interaction with other cultures to address significant global problems.

What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill?What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning?What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal?
[Explain how you will apply yourself to learn this goal][need at least one example for each 5% of grade weight][Explain what success would look like in your example if you met your goal]

[For each 5% of effort you assign to your goal, provide at at least one example or artifact that demonstrates your learning process and shows how your made progress toward meeting that goal this semester (You would need four examples if the goal was worth 20% of your grade). Show how you have improved over time, what methods you took to grow, and talk about what you still plan to do in the future. ]

Content Assignment

For professors:

Heartlands Conservancy is a nonprofit community organization located in Belleville, Illinois. Founded in 1989, it has been their mission to conserve water and other natural resources in order to ensure that they are still around for generations to come. By partnering with local landowners and sponsoring volunteer events in the community, Heartlands continues to push for public engagement in the same issues that they fight for. One such volunteer event is the Jingle Hike Challenge, which was a hiking event that took volunteers through several local trails that many people might not have known about beforehand. There are also several stewardships held by Heartlands, where volunteers from the community help restore specific locations, such as native prairie lands or the Exploration Garden. 

Beyond their work in the community, Heartlands also partners with other groups or organizations, such as the CODES program. CODES, which stands for Community Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars, is a program at SIUE that works towards bettering environmental issues, such as water equity, in local communities. CODES is a growing program at this university, yet there is more work to be done with Heartlands outside of this program. Heartlands already supports schools outside of SIUE, such as those who send their students to sites such as the Signal Hill Outdoor Classroom. This site, located in Belleville, is commonly used by local high schools for environmental learning activities. Projects like these are only possible because of the dedicated team of people working at Heartlands, like Anna, who works directly with the CODES program to offer advice and feedback on their projects. 

Student engagement is a massive part of Heartlands’ mission, and it goes without saying that expanding the number of programs they partner with is in their interest. The list of ways in which they can impact the learning of students is long, which is why a potential partnership with SIUE would be beneficial for every student interested in environmental conservation. 

For Heartlands:

My research project this semester has been to connect students at SIUE to Heartlands through the professors who teach there. To divide the instructors who might be interested in water conservation from those who might not, I found 40 professors who teach courses related to ecology, environmental science, or general science. These professors, along with the courses they teach, are listed below. The department chairs of these subjects are also listed in order to allow for opportunities to connect with even more professors. These professors were sent a survey regarding their experiences and opinions on community organizations. Most of the professors showed little to no experience with community organizations, yet many were open to the opportunity to collaborate with organizations like Heartlands. Four out of five of those who did have prior experience showed an interest to allow Heartlands to either give a lecture in class or network with students. This list of professors and department chairs can allow for Heartlands to connect with professors outside of CODES, especially those who were a part of the survey I had sent out. 

Course Number Course Name Course Description Professor 
ANTH-340 Environmental Anthropology Surveys the relationship between humans and their environments from an anthropological perspective, including changes through time and cross-cultural comparisons. Chad M. Huddleston 
BIOL 464/ENSC 450 Applied Ecology Applying ecological concepts and principles for solving, predicting and managing current important ecological problems, such as global climate change, conservation, wetland restoration, and environmental remediation. Zhiqing Lin 
BIOL 472 Topics in Plant Physiology Examination of plant cells, tissues, and morphology. Two lectures and two labs per week. Darron R. Luesse 
BIOL 150 Introduction to Biological Sciences I First of a two-course sequence, introduction to biochemistry, molecular genetics, cell structure and function, and evolution. Lab required. Elizabeth J. Esselman 
BIOL 151 Introduction to Biological Sciences II Second of a two-course sequence, introduction to major taxonomic groups with emphasis on evolutionary relationships and ecological principles. Lab required. Danielle N. Lee 
BIOL 327 Evolution Evolutionary change as shown in heredity, population genetics, speciation, adaptation, natural selection, development, behavior, geographical distribution, and the origin of life. Christopher W. Theodorakis 
CE 380 Environmental Engineering Application of principles of chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics to engineered systems for water purification, wastewater treatment, air pollution control, and solid waste management. Requires completion of stated prerequisite or consent of instructor. Jianpeng Zhou 
CE 482 Water Resources Engineering and Management Excessive water use has adverse impacts on environment and natural water resources. Sustainable management is a necessity. Course focuses on demand analysis and management of water resources for different use. Rohan M. Benjankar 
ENSC 111 Intro to Physical Geology & Geography Physical geology and geography of the solid earth. Hydrologic system, weathering, soils, landforms, sedimentary rocks. Tectonic system, magmatism, igneous rocks, crustal deformation, metamorphism. Susannah Oettle 
ENSC 111 Intro to Physical Geology & Geography Physical geology and geography of the solid earth. Hydrologic system, weathering, soils, landforms, sedimentary rocks. Tectonic system, magmatism, igneous rocks, crustal deformation, metamorphism. Deirdre Smith 
ENSC 125 Topics of Environmental Health and Toxicology Naturally occurring and anthropogenic toxicants can cause adverse environmental impacts. Provides the fundamental information concerning the effects of environmental toxicants on living organisms. Kyong-Sup Yoon 
ENSC 210 Applied Research Methods Research methods for the analysis of environmental problems. Survey research and other data collection techniques. Collection, interpretation, and critical evaluation of data. Sanoar Rahman 
ENSC 401 Environmental Policy Relationship between political processes and policy outcomes; correlation of environmental politics and science; balancing trade-offs between legal, economics, social and environmental goals, including service learning. Nicholas P. Guehlstorf 
ENSC 436 Environmental Epidemiology Environmental epidemiology, the study of how environmental factors (e.g., pollution, climate, geography) influence human health. Includes advanced training in data management and analysis using spreadsheets. Joseph Kusi 
ENSC 440 Sustainable Environment Practices Practices that meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Nathaniel Adegboyega 
GEOG 202 Natural Resource Management and Sustainability Examines the management, use, and sustainability of natural resources, including biodiversity, water, food, soil, and energy sources. Also considers issues in pollution and environmental degradation. Shannon McCarragher 
GEOG 211 Meteorology Introduction to weather controls and elements; and their relationship to human activities and human health; analysis and use of weather maps and forecasts. Alan Black 
GEOG 403 Advanced Urban Geography Selected topics in spatial patterns and processes of urbanization. Topics may include: planning, transportation, sustainability, society and culture, health, housing, global cities, and economic functions. Emily R. Calderon 
GEOG 418 Geographic Information Systems Concepts, basic theory, and principles of GIS using both Raster and Vector data models in a PC environment. Tianyu Li 
GEOG 424 Vector Based Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Examination of vector topology, digital map transformation, manipulation, analysis, and composition. Shunfu Hu 
SCI 241B Foundations of Science: Physics, Earth Science and Inquiry Projects General background in science. Laboratory emphasis on process skills, hands-on activities, and projects suitable for children in grades K-8. (b) physics, earth science, and inquiry projects. Mary J. Kaemmerer 
BIOL 111 Contemporary Biology Contributions of biology to understanding ourselves and our world. Development, nature and human implications of cell theory, heredity, the modern synthetic theory of evolution, population dynamics, ecology and environmental problems. Thomas Anderson 
BIOL 220 Genetics Introduction to transmission, molecular and population genetics with applications to all organisms. Thomas James Fowler 
BIOL 250 Bacteriology Structure, nutrition, and genetics of bacteria; control of microbial growth; comparison of medically important bacteria and viruses; host response to infectious disease. Christine Simmons 
BIOL 319 Cell and Molecular Biology Introduction to cellular processes including gene expression, protein and vesicular trafficking, and cell signaling. Differentiation between eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Faith L.W. Liebl 
BIOL 340 Physiology Function and regulation of major organ systems in vertebrates, neural responsiveness and integration, homeostasis of body fluids, circulation, respiration, organic maintenance, and hormonal control.   Jason Williams 
BIOL 350 Microbiology Structure, metabolism, and genetics of bacteria and bacteriophages. Role of bacteria in disease, biotechnology, and the environment. Susanne DiSalvo 
CHEM 113 Introduction to Chemistry Preparation for University Chemistry. Mathematical techniques, problem solving, chemical terms, concepts, and laws. Leanne J. Boyer 
CHEM 120B General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry Primarily for students planning careers in Nursing and Allied Health professions. Not for Chemistry majors. Organic and biological Chemistry Lawrence P. Norcio 
CHEM 121A General Chemistry University-level modern chemistry for science and engineering students, atomic structure, molecular bonding, structure, stoichiometry, chemical change, equilibrium, and qualitative analysis. Richard Edward Finger 
CHEM 121B General Chemistry University-level modern chemistry for science and engineering students. Atomic structure, molecular bonding, structure, stoichiometry, chemical change, equilibrium, and qualitative analysis. Thomas Holovics 
CHEM 241A Organic Chemistry Structural types of organic compounds correlated with chemical and physical properties; bonding, reaction dynamics, reaction types, stereochemistry, functional groups, spectroscopic methods. Yun Lu 
CHEM 351 Basic Biochemistry I Topics will include the structure and function of biologically important macromolecules including: nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, as well as regulation of metabolism, biosynthesis, and degradation of biological molecules. Robert P. Dixon 
CHEM 352 Basic Biochemistry II Topics will include the structure and function of biologically important macromolecules including: carbohydrates and lipids, as well as regulation of metabolism, biosynthesis, and degradation of biological molecules. Chin-Chuan Wei 
CHEM 361B Physical Chemistry Mathematical models of chemical behavior and its underlying causes. Experimental foundations of models, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, kinetics, quantum mechanics, and spectroscopy with applications. Debanjana Ghosh 
CHEM 444 Organic Reaction Emphasis on mono-functional compounds. Topics not covered in elementary courses. Sarah Luesse 
CHEM 455 Experimental Methods in Biochemistry Current practice in enzyme isolation and assessment. Microcomputer-assisted data treatment, graphics, statistical methods, and data acquisition. Mina Sumita 
CHEM 482 BioProcessing Chemistry and Biochemistry Covers the intermediate principles of the historical, scientific, technological, and cultural aspects of fermentation of chemistry and biofuels, fermented beverages, and food production. Jie Dong 
CHEM 439 Advanced Topics in Analytical Chemistry Selected advanced topics. Edward C. Navarre 
CHEM 241B Organic Chemistry Structural types of organic compounds correlated with chemical and physical properties; bonding, reaction dynamics, reaction types, stereochemistry, functional groups, and spectroscopic methods. Lynne Ann Miller 

Department Chairs: 

Anthropology: Dr. Corey Ragsdale 

Biology: Dr. Jakes Williams 

Environmental Science: Dr. Adrianna Martinez 

Civil Engineering: Nader Panahshahi 

Geography: Dr. Stacey Brown Amilian 

Science: Dr. Susan Hume 

Chemistry: Dr. Erik Voss 

Process Description

At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), I have been researching young adult engagement in local community issues. Together with my CODES (Community Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars) research team and Heartlands Conservancy, I have been looking for ways to involve young adults, ages 18-24, in problems relating to water conservation. My specific region of focus for this project was to focus on connecting Heartlands Conservancy, our community partner, to students at SIUE who may be interested in learning more about their work. Since reaching out to individual students is not an easy feat, I decided to reach out to professors who were scheduled to teach classes like ecology and environmental science the next semester. All of my research regarding this topic is being accumulated into my research team’s project for this semester. The data for my portion of the research project was collected through surveys. The first step in my process was to build a survey on Qualtrics that asked about the professor’s experience with community organizations. I wrote questions that were a mix of short response and multiple choice, with 8 questions in total. The main objective of the survey was to find out how professors at SIUE feel about community organizations and how willing they would be to collaborate with them in future courses. Afterwards, I created a list of teachers that I could email my survey to. This list was mainly composed of science and ecology professors who would be most interested in water conservation issues. In the end, I found 40 SIUE professors that I sent my survey to via email. The main goal of this project was to give Heartlands a list of teachers that they could collaborate with in the future. These collaborations could be in the form of extra credit or even lectures taught by people who work at Heartlands Conservancy. 

Preliminary Analysis

After a week of waiting, I had received a little over 10 responses from professors at SIUE. Even though I had received less answers than I originally expected, I did notice some patterns in the responses. While only 3 participants mentioned teaching or planning to teach a course, such as Environmental Anthropology, that would benefit from the input of a community organization, those same participants went on to state that they had prior experience working with a community organization in a classroom setting. Also, only one out of three participants claimed that they had a negative experience with these organizations. A common theme throughout these responses appears to be a positive outlook on community organizations from the professors.  

Figure 1. Professors’ response to community organizations relationships benefiting students

Overall, the majority of the professors seem to believe that the use of community organizations is beneficial for students in and outside of school (Figure 1), with several of them arguing that it gives the students both practical and real-world experience. From the responses, it is obvious that many of these professors are willing to offer lecture time to these organizations as well. When asked what these community organizations can do in a classroom setting, the majority of them suggested either giving lectures or networking with students. 

After asking whether or not students would benefit from collaborating with community organizations in a classroom setting, I went on to ask why the professors chose this answer. The majority of the responses I received suggested that it would offer much real-world experience to those participating in the course. However, there was one response that I decided to take a closer look at. 

Figure 2. Open responses to benefits to students

The last response to this question has highlighted the idea that community organizations can offer both experience and knowledge that college professors cannot provide to their students. While this was only one opinion out of multiple, this specific professor has shown how community organizations can offer input from actual community works, while professors can only show students what to expect. The professor could not provide a specific example for a class that they could teach to contribute, but they are willing to support these efforts regardless. Even if it is difficult for the average professor to help with this issue, we do have people who are willing to do what they can to allow their students to learn from community organizations. 

Week 14 Reflection

What is a windigo to you? What would be analogous to a windigo in your culture, religion, or lore? (250 word minimum)


A windigo, to me, represents the selfish, primal nature that exists within all of us. This nature often shows itself in the form of our overconsumption. With our access to resources having improved drastically in the last 100 years, those who have the greatest access often take more than they need. We eat more food than we need to be satiated, we take more from the earth than we actually use, and we buy more and more useless gadgets and accessories while many people cannot even afford to rent an apartment. I believe that this reflects a primal nature that has existed in humanity since we came into existence. There has always been a “us vs them” mentality in us, which has directly led to a lack of empathy in our modern society.

This windigo is a direct representation of this endless hunger for “more”. It is our desire to take as much for ourselves as possible, because we know the “others” are going to do the exact same thing. The closest thing I could find to compare this entity to is the Seven Deadly Sins. Three of these sins, pride, greed, and gluttony, can be summed up into the idea of believing that you are better than the people around you. Pride, specifically, is centered around having a higher view of yourself compared to others. Meanwhile, greed and gluttony both focus on taking more than what you need, disregarding the needs of those around you. Wrath and envy, two more deadly sins, represent hatred or dislike for people who are not like you.


What is your favorite new word or phrase you’ve learned reading this book and why? What chapter of the book did this phrase appear? 100 word minimum)


“Even a wounded world is feeding us”. This quote stood out to me specifically because of what it means for humanity as a species. Despite all the damage we have made to our planet, it is still able to sustain and entertain our growing populations. While the effects of human activities, such as global warming and deforestation, are not permanent, they have still caused a major change in the
Earth. It makes me realize that we do not deserve the world that we live in. We take nearly everything from the natural world and do not appreciate the benefits that it gives us. We do not even make any efforts to make up for our shortcomings; we just continue to make the same mistakes repeatedly.

Scientist Spotlight (Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim)

  1. The most interesting part of the resources for me was noticing how climate change impacts cultures worldwide. We often look at climate effects such as rising sea levels and higher yearly temperatures and think that we have it terrible, yet choose not to do anything about it. I believe that seeing how climate change is affecting countries in Africa puts everything in perspective. It also makes sense how there is a massive push against climate change in African countries, since they are receiving the worse end of the problem.
  2. While scientific knowledge may apply to the majority of the real world, but
    Indigenous Knowledge can apply to locations centered around a certain culture. In the TED Talk, Oumarou tells a story about a scientist who was brought to her home to look into climate change effects. When Oumarou predicts that it will rain long before any scientific signs, the scientist doubts her and decides not to pack his items. Eventually, the rain started, just as Oumarou had predicted. Just like scientists make observations in their environment to conduct experiments, indigenous cultures make observations in their home to predict when natural occurrences will reappear.
  3. Oumarou shows that scientists are those who recognize the contribution that they can make to worldwide knowledge. She knows that Indigenous Knowledge can really help advance scientific discoveries, so she is doing whatever she can to make sure it gets recognition.
  4. I would like to know how many concepts Indigenous Knowledge can apply to. Does Indigenous Knowledge go past natural and animal patterns? Can we predict astronomical occurrences, or biological occurrences using Indigenous Knowledge. I am curious as to how interconnected Indigenous Knowledge and scientific knowledge can become.

Jigsaw Prep #4

Article Title & Authors: Native Perspectives from a Focus Group Study. Smythe et al.

  1. What is the purpose/goal of this study? (at least 2 sentences)
    The purpose of this study is to get the perspectives of Native Americans on mixing Western science and traditional knowledge. The focus groups featured in this study consist of teachers and students from a STEM conference.
  2. Why is this issue significant/why do we care? (at least 2 sentences)
    This issue is significant because Western science mainly prioritizes facts and evidence, while Traditional Knowledge focuses on connecting with nature. Combining these two methods could further a lot of efforts around climate change and sustainability.
  3. What words/vocab do you need to know to make this make sense? Define them here. (at least 3 terms).
    Traditional Knowledge comes from Indigenous cultures and centers around a connection with the land and nature itself. Western science is a system of knowledge that focuses on experimentation and observations. Epistemology is the study of knowledge and how we know what we know.
  4. What approach are they taking in this study? (Describe the specific qualitative or quantitative methods used, at least 3 sentences). The authors used a qualitative approach in this study. Two focus groups were conducted with participants from STEM conferences. These focus group sessions were then transcribed and analyzed.
  5. What are the results of the study? Explain what they found when they compared or measured different variables. If there are figures – write a sentence summarizing each figure/table. (at least 3 sentences).
    The focus groups explained how they saw both Western science and Traditional Knowledge as community-oriented tools for reform. They also believed that the implementation of these two complementary methods could be good for cultural identity and even classroom engagement. Unfortunately, there is the issue of Traditional Knowledge being misappropriated during this process.
  6. Does the data make sense based on your experiences? Explain why or why not. (at least 2 sentences)
    I have done research on the implementation of hybrid teaching methods, and the results do seem to line up with what I have found. Many people advocating for active learning strategies suggests creating a hybrid of passive and active strategies, which matches the results of this article.
  7. How is this pushing the field forward and helping society? (at least 2 sentences)
    With the integration of these two methods, the process of conducting research could be reformed as a whole, changing the way many people look at science. On top of that, this pushes a strong community-centric ideology, allowing for more equality in issues such as climate change.

Week 11 Reflection

What does it mean to you to be “indigenous to the land?” Is it possible for the descendants of European white settlers to be indigenous to the land of people occupied by displacement of native people? Why or why not?

To be “indigenous to the land” is to have a history of living on and tending to a piece of land that spans generations. I believe that it is possible for the descendants of white settlers to be indigenous to America. Even though this land was taken away from the Native Americans, that does not take away from the fact that most modern Americans have had many generations of their family born on this land. White Americans who descend from early colonizers and settlers in the
1600s have over 4 generations in their family before them that were born on this land. While 400 years may seem like nothing compared to the thousands of years that the Native Americans spent in the Americas, it is still important to recognize the time and effort that was put into the land by those who came after them.


In what ways do you feel yourself connected to the divine through relationship with the land?


I feel like whenever you recognize the fact that the world was given to us by God, you grow an appreciation for the land that you have. Many people take for granted the land that they live on every day of their lives. We like to complain about the country that we live in or the type of landscape we live in, yet we make no effort to change our environment. Most people just choose to settle for a space that they despise and never learn to appreciate what they have. But noticing how the land you have is a gift from God can allow you to recognize the importance of what you have.

An implicit part of all the stories Kimmerer shares is that she has somehow developed intimate familiarity with each of the natural settings with which she interacts. What are the features that invite lots of the kind of interaction Kimmerer seems to think is valuable?

I believe that features that represent common experiences between a group of people, or ones that show the history of a people, can allow for more intimate familiarity. Humans are very social creatures, because of that, we like to identify with people who we have things in common with, like similar physical features, similar interests, or even similar life experiences. Even if we do not have the same experiences in life, as long as we identify with that group of people, it is as if those experiences are shared for us as well. These features could be trees with intricate designs, hills from hometown areas, or even parks that we used to visit as children. While these features could be ties to a greater shared history, they could also be connected to events that we experienced by ourselves or with friends and family. Anything natural that connects us with our old selves, or people we used to know, has the potential to also connect us to the natural world itself.

Scientist Spotlight (Dr. Ayanna Johnson)

  1. What was most interesting to you in reviewing these resources?
    Dr. Johnson’s TED Talk dived into the idea of performing climate actions in ways that you enjoy. It was interesting to me how there are so many pathways to go through in order to help avoid climate change. Many people assume that helping with climate change involves working with nature or fossil fuel emissions, which may not interest everyone. Fortunately, there are several other works that factor into climate action, such as energy storage and transportation, which people could get involved in to help make a change.
  2. What did you learn from these resources about ocean conservation?
    I learned that ocean conservation is not as simple as just regulating where the trash is sent. There are a lot of policies already set in place by world governments that would have to be changed by everyone to have a lasting positive effect on the planet. On top of that, there are industries that would have to change what they do to contribute to this, such as the trash or recycling industries. Trying to implement these rules could change politics and economies across the world forever.
  3. What new questions do you have after reviewing these resources?
    One question I have is how can people start working on climate change right now? If someone was truly dedicated to making a change in the world and trying to restore our planet, where could they go to start? Which organizations work directly against climate change and how could you get into these organizations? These are all questions that people who are serious about climate change would want to know so they do not waste any of their time in the process.
  4. What do these resources tell you about the types of people that do science?
    These resources show me that the types of people that do science are those who have an interest in the inner workings of our universe and a skill that could help discover more about our universe as well. Dr. Johnson shows that not everyone who works on climate change has to have ecology or environmentalist skills. Not everyone who contributes to science needs to have every set of scientific knowledge on their topic, they could contribute with math skills, or even communication skills.

Jigsaw Prep #3

Article Title & Authors: Amazonian vegetation types and indigenous lands threatened by upcoming climate change: Forecast impact for Brazilian biomes. Arruda et al.

  1. What is the purpose/goal of this study? (at least 2 sentences)
    The purpose of this study is to estimate how much natural biomes in Brazil will change in response to future changes in climate. The majority of the biomes in the study are located in the Amazon, where the climate is consistently changing.
  2. Why is this issue significant/why do we care? (at least 2 sentences)
    Climate extremes that are unprepared for could cause biodiverse biomes, like the Amazon, to lose several species and vegetation. These effects can also apply to places far outside of South America if strategies are not put in place to prepare for these issues.
  3. What words/vocab do you need to know to make this make sense? Define them here. (at least 3 terms).
    Biomes are ecological areas on Earth’s surface with a certain climate, vegetation, and animals. Anthropogenic pressure is stress on the environment caused by issues like deforestation, agriculture, and pollution. Ecological niche modeling is a method used to predict the distribution of species based on the conditions in their environment.
  4. What approach are they taking in this study? (Describe the specific qualitative or quantitative methods used, at least 3 sentences). The authors of this article mostly used models to predict changes in plants. A few of these models involved mapping out biomes alongside indigenous territories. These models were all set to continue until the year 2070.
  5. What are the results of the study? Explain what they found when they compared or measured different variables. If there are figures – write a sentence summarizing each figure/table. (at least 3 sentences).
    The authors found that future climate changes in the Amazon will cause a decrease in biodiversity overtime. A major cause is the lack of a habitat to support these animals. Along with that, these climate changes cause an environment to become more vulnerable to further stressors.
  6. Does the data make sense based on your experiences? Explain why or why not. (at least 2 sentences)
    Yes, the results of this study make sense to me, simply because of how fragile natural ecosystems already are. The survival of multiple species often relies on one or two organisms, which explains why these ecosystems are so sensitive when it comes to climate change.
  7. How is this pushing the field forward and helping society? (at least 2 sentences)
    The information from this study lets us know that we need to prepare for the effects of climate change before we start to lose hundreds or thousands of organisms. If we do not prepare now, then the problem will not be the loss of organisms, but the loss of entire ecosystems.
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