Environmental Destruction Digital Projects
Date:
March 28th
Time:
11:00am
In this presentation
Students in English 175, “Environmental Destruction: An Introduction to the Environmental Humanities” (https://www.meredithfarmer.org/environment175) produced digital essays instead of final papers as a new capstone end-of-semester project. They were asked to work in small groups to recontextualize any recent work of environmental literature or pressing environmental problem, situating it in a longer literary, historical, and cultural context. A number of other departments tackle the question “what now?” But our question in an environmental humanities course was “how, exactly, did we get here?” The inspiration for this assignment was the blog “Backstory,” sponsored by the Virginia Humanities Council, which promises to offer “the history behind today’s headlines.” You can read the assignment here. One group crafted a documentary short entitled Food Systems. The film addresses how fast food chains contribute extensively to the carbon footprint and how the individual can reduce their personal carbon footprint when making restaurant choices. They interviewed the head chef of a local burger shop, Chef Justin at Heff’s, who makes a conscious effort to source their ingredients locally and to use recyclable materials. They compared Burger King and Heff’s with attention to three factors: production, shipping, and packaging.
Join us as Professor Farmer talks about how to shape, scaffold, and execute this sort of project, turning the task of grading 18 papers at the end of the semester into the pleasure of watching digital storytelling projects that incorporate the importance of digital literacy in the 21st century.
Students will discuss their digital project process of creating and revising a script, crafting interview questions, gathering equipment resources, and finally editing. They will also share lessons learned, aha moments, and thoughts on digital storytelling.
Live Session Recording
Presenter Information
Dr. Meredith Farmer
Associate Teaching Professor of Core Literature Faculty Affiliate, Energy, Environment, & Sustainability
Meredith Farmer (meredithfarmer.org) is an Associate Teaching Professor of Core Literature who is also affiliated with Environment and Sustainability Studies. As a teacher and scholar her focus is on the nineteenth-century in America and the ways that it shaped the present moment. Most of her published work is on Herman Melville, but her current research and teaching interests include the history of slavery in our community here in Winston-Salem and the ways that rhetoric about the environment in the nineteenth century contributed to our current climate crisis.
Cressida Magaro
Student, Wake Forest University
Sophie Eldridge is a sophomore at Wake Forest University from Boca Raton, Florida majoring in biology and politics & international affairs with a minor in environmental science. At Wake, Sophie is an intern with the Office of Sustainability where she works with first-year students to cultivate sustainable behavior change on campus. Sophie also conducts research with the Environmental Department looking at sediment pollution and the water quality of Muddy Creek, a waterway local to Winston-Salem. Her goal is to continue to pursue ecological research after graduation and eventually obtain a masters degree in an environmental discipline.
Abha Athawale
Student, Wake Forest University
My name is Abha Athawale, and I am from Holliston, MA, a town outside of Boston. I am a senior graduating in 2023 with a major in Health and Exercise Science and a minor in Chemistry. I will be working as a Medical Assistant starting in June of 2023 during my gap years before starting medical school.
Kayla Peale
Student, Wake Forest University
Kayla Peale is a sophomore at Wake Forest University, originally from Arlington, VA. She is pursuing a dual major in Economics and Environmental Studies, driven by her strong interest in the intersection of business and sustainability. Beyond her academic pursuits, Kayla is an active member of the Wake Forest community, serving as a campus tour guide and participating in the management consulting club. She is also a dedicated member of the Office of Sustainability on campus, working to promote sustainable practices and raise awareness about the importance of environmental conservation. Her current focus is conducting a gap analysis on ESG-related fields by surveying Wake alumni in hopes to strengthen the resources for interdisciplinary students on campus.
Brianna Healey
Associate Director of Academic Technology
Brianna is the Associate Director of Academic Technology, a division of Information Systems. Her position aims to enhance teaching and learning in the curriculum through the use of digital technologies. Brianna aims to stay at the forefront of teaching, learning, and technology in order to provide transformative learning experiences for students at Wake Forest University.
