Level: seminar in English, cross-listed between German and Environmental Studies, intermediate (200-level)
Description
The materials linked here were used for a creative assignment in a class about environmental film and literature in Germany and the United States. This project follows a unit in which students read essays about relationships between humans and the non-human environment, including William Cronon’s essay “The Trouble with Wilderness, or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature” and texts about Heimat in Germany. Students also watch a series of semi-documentary “city symphony” films, such as Berlin: Symphony of the Metropolis, Kuhle Wampe, and Menschen am Sonntag. In conjunction with these essays and films, students create their own “small city symphonies” focused on their own environment, exploring the college campus, nearby downtown areas, and the surrounding forests and farmlands. As a final step, students view their films together and discuss the connections to the texts and theories from the class. Students were given the chance to further reflect on the process in a question on the midterm exam. Many students collaborated with local partners, such as regional farmers or public institutions in town. In a future iteration of the project, the films could be developed together with those partners–for example, to help with their publicity efforts–so that the project might also have an ACE component.
The linked folder contains six documents used to introduce the project:
- the project description, listing the key information, tasks, and rationale;
- the guidelines for in-class presentation and discussion of the films;
- the handout students were given to take notes on each other’s films during class;
- a peer-and self-assessment that was used to help students reflect on the project;
- a rubric that I developed together with students; and
- the syllabus for the entire course.
See the materials.