Designing Climate Crisis Projects

Early in the semester, teacher and students brainstormed possible design project challenges that addressed the Climate Crisis. 

The parameters: 

• projects should be multi-modal

• involve analytic writing

• link back to the books being used in the class

• lead to action

• involve collaboration when possible, include written critique of one’s own project

Below is the result of the brainstorm. This list served as a guide for the projects taken on over the semester. Once a project was picked, the teacher wrote up the assignment with more detail, including design parameters, writing expectations, etc. 

• Design a Poster that  offers advice/ raises awareness/conveys an attitude about some environmental or community issue. Do this as part of community mapping exercise…create  a logo that captures the spirit of the campaign 

• Create a DJ set list that responds to an environmental issue with your opinion of the issue implied in your song choices. Design the CD package/burn the CD. write the accompanying text (liner notes) and supply pictures and graphic; prototype it and mock it up.

• Research and write a Radio Public Service Announcement (PSA) ad campaign---Identify a problem: “guys don’t recycle” –“shopping won’t make you happy”. Use the ad to raise awareness/explore the problem/offer solutions. Eric says we can get it on the school radio station. 

• Take a public space and convert it to an experience: a flash mob event, a role play, a sacred space, a community activity in a public space. The event can tell some story or reveal something about the community, or teach people, or confuse or entertain or is mysterious. 

• Design a game that captures some environmental challenge or issue. Research features of typical games. The Game should include meta-cognitive choices. Could the game have a bad guy?  Game can track the forces and issues and problems caused by the environmental challenge. How do you “win” the game?

• Design a physical exercise routine that puts you in touch with nature— routine can involve spiritual, words, music, partner, animals, ritual aspect, time of day… night, sounds that you listen for…inventory self during the routine.  It is an exercise routine that involves all the senses out in nature. (You can film it and share it; the film demonstrates how to do the routine.)

• Create a documentary film that explores some ecological issue found in your community. Think of the film as a way to reveal hidden truths. 

• Design an altar to something that is at risk in the world.  We can get a place on campus to show them; shoe box size? Altars can be intimate, like Cornell boxes.

• Design the book cover jacket for your autobiography. Include Art, blurbs, review, title, etc. Base it on your relationship to the environment. Write excerpts of the first chapter. 

• Design a multi-modal tribute to your Climate Action hero. 

• Design your own Environmental superhero: what are their traits, faults, what are they trying to fix? How would they dress, what would they look like; do they have a sidekick? What motivates them?

• Choose an object in your life that is very important to you. Find out how it is made, what resources are used, how did it get to you, whose hands touched it. Link this challenge with Story of Stuff. 

• Design a better world. 

• NO POWER POINTS!  Unless it is a powerpoint on why someone should hate powerpoints. 

• Create a web site that holds all these design challenges made over the semester. It can be added to as we move through the semester.  Students write meta-analyses of the different challenges.