Focus the Nation Teach-In


Faculty, GTAs and staff from diverse disciplines will be addressing climate change in their classes throughout the day on January 30 and 31. Participating classes include:
  • ARCH 208 - Design Studio, Janet Smalter: Discuss and work on a problem involving sustainability in Architecture.
  • ARCH 560 - Site Planning for Architects, Dr. Donna Luckey: Discuss climate in the Jan 29 lecture and complete "Climate Change Challenge" activity in labs as it relates design and site plans.
  • BIOL 412 - Evolutionary Biology, Dr. Robert Hagen: Lecture topic for January 31 is "history of life," in which climate change and mass extinctions figure prominently.
  • BIOL 540 - General Invertebrate Zoology, Dr. Daphne Fautin: I will discuss the impacts of global change on marine ecosystems in general, but particularly calcifying organisms, especially reef-forming corals. Rising CO2 is driving down oceanic pH -- we have few measurements from the past but this has been amply demonstrated in mesocosms, and follows from first principles.
  • BIOL 616 - Medical Entomology, Dr. Greg Burg: Changing ecological conditions, especially warming temperatures, favor the development and maintenance of mosquito populations. Of particular importance are those mosquitoes responsible for transmitting human pathogen, including malaria and dengue. These ecological and epidemiological issues will be discussed.
  • COMS 246 - Introduction to Intercultural Communication, Racheal Ruble: Discussion of the implications of global climate change to intercultural communication.
  • C&T 422 - Teaching Economics in Secondary Social Studies, Dr. Barbara Phipps: Present an economic analysis of climate change issues and complete an activity with the students; Discuss how they might teach about climate change using an economics framework as a base.
  • ECON 766 - Economic History, Dr. Joshua Rosenbloom: Devote a short amount of time in class discussion to consider the role of resources and climate in economic growth and development.
  • ENGL 101 - Composition, Jane VanderVelde: Assign related readings for discussion and a writing assignment.
  • ENGL 102 - Critical Reading & Writing, Margaret Kramar: Guest lecture .
  • ENGL 102 - Critical Reading & Writing, Stephanie Scurto: Critical reading, discussion, and short writing.
  • ENGL 211 - Introduction to Drama, Anna Egging: Spend 5-10 minutes discussing scholarly articles, found by students, about the issue and contributions from drama.
  • ENGL 498 - Literature of Social Justice, Dr. Marta Caminero-Santangelo
  • EVRN 148 - Principles of Environmental Studies, Dr. Sharon Ashworth: Discussing the what, how, and why of global climate change.
  • ENVS 420 - Environmental Biology Seminar (Haskell Indian Nations University), Dr. Bridgett Chapin: We are planning to attend the Climate Change roundtable on January 31st. We will be submitting questions for the panel, and will have a follow-up discussion on issues that came up in the roundtable.
  • EURS 604 - The European Union, Thomas Magstadt: Discuss Focus the Nation, The Land Institute, and the divergence between the U.S. and the European Union on climate change and sustainable development.
  • FREN 375 - Intermediate French Conversation, Mary B. Kelly: Devote 10 minutes of class to introducing a few key terms related to global warming and ask students to talk briefly about how global warming is affecting their lives.
  • GEOL 121 - Prehistoric Life, Dr. Bruce Lieberman: Focus on the evidence for human induced climate change in the context of the history of life, the potentially catastrophic effects it will have, and what we can do to mitigate these effects.
  • GEOL 521 - Paleontology, Dr. Stephen T. Hasiotis: Look at the (1) history of changes in atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and temperature through the last 600 million years, (2) examine those periods in time similar to today's atmospheric conditions and temperature, and (3)factors influencing its current changes. Discuss human impacts on the natural system and how we can change them.
  • GEOL 791 - Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Dr. David Fowle: We will be discussing the role of microorganisms on the generation and cycling of important greenhouse gases, as well as their role in alternative energy production.
  • HEBR 340 - Aspects of Modern Hebrew, Sari Havis: The class will link Focus the Nation event with the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat. It will discuss how the Jewish tradition & its heritage have approached, for thousands of years, the preservation of fauna, flora and ecology of the world via specific sets of commandments and guidelines which are observed to these days in Israel.
  • HEIM 210 - Introduction to Healthcare, Dr. Joe Gillespie: Discuss articles brought by students regarding this issue as it relates to healthcare.
  • HIST 621 - The American West in the 20th Century, Dr. Donald Worster: Discussing to the past and future of global warming for the West including the relevance of the Dust Bowl years to the future, along with more recent problems with snow pack, low river and reservoir levels, and forest fires.
  • HIST 630 - U.S. Diplomatic History II, Dr. Sheyda Jahanbani: Student presentations about NGO's working to address aspects of global climate change, including the Earth Institute
  • HNRS 492 - Understanding Global Climate Change, Dr. Bryan Young: Guest presentation of Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" slide show.
  • HWC 510/ENGL 590 - Science, Technology, and Society, Dr. Philip Baringer, Dr. Mohamed El-Hodiri, & Chris McKitterick
  • LA&S 291 - Introduction to Science and Mathematics Teaching 2, Jan Lariviere: Encourage students to design one lesson on the topic.
  • LA&S 292 - Academic Success Seminar, Patti Wakolee: CFS provided activity.
  • LAW 980 - Regulation of Air and Water Pollution, Dr. Robert Glicksman
  • JOUR 500 - Media and Environment, Simran Sethi
  • JOUR 513 - Principles of Advertising, Dr. Robert R. Basow: Advertising students will discuss how marketers are contributing to consumer awareness of climate change issues and developing programs to help consumers become involved.
  • JOUR 608 - Ethics and the Media, Dr. Kristen Alley Swain: Evaluate a journalistic dilemma in covering a controversial climate change issue; students will be given a news release that denies climate change, and they will decide how they would objectively cover the story.
  • JOUR 676 - Strategic Campaigns, Dr. Robert R. Basow: Students will review the campaigns developed for CReSIS by last semester's J676 Campaigns students, who recommended ways to strengthen media relations, improve communication with legislators and increase educational outreach.
  • PHSX 111 - Introductory Physics, Dr. Adrian Melott: Discuss the physics of greenhouse gas effects on the Earth's energy balance. Students will prepare by reviewing a video and essay on the physics of the greenhouse effect. This will be followed with a review of journalistic "balance", including a discussion of an article on potential impacts on plants and insects with a focus on the section "Not the only issue" containing a description of some experiments at Kansas State University.
  • PHSX 313 - Modern Physics, Dr. David Besson
  • POLS 150 - Intro to Comparative Politics, Pedro dos Santos: I will discuss briefly some issues regarding global climate change (from the focus the nation slides) and discuss how that affects the politics of different countries.
  • POLS 301 - Introduction to Political Theory, Dr. Paul Schumaker: A presentation on global climate change, followed by a discussion of related philosphical and political issues that we confront in community life.
  • PSYC 104 - General Psychology, Dana Steidtmann: Discussion of what students think would be motivating to people when asking them to make behavior changes relevant to climate change (e.g. carpooling, unplugging household appliances when not in use, etc.).
  • PSYC 545 - Culture and Psychology, Dr. Glenn Adams: Use internet tools to assess the environmental impact of consumption behavior and discuss individual consumption behaviors that lead to resource depletion, environmental degradation, and climate change; the social, cultural, and historical forces that promote or "afford" those behaviors; and brainstorm about cultural-psychological innovations that might reduce those behaviors.
  • RUSS 508 - Advanced Russian II, Dr. Kerry Sabbag: We will discuss the depiction of global warming in the Russian media, using examples from opinion polls as well as newspaper articles and film clips.
  • SOC 160 - Social Problems and American Values, Bruce Carruthers
  • SOC 310 - Introduction to Research Methods, Liz Legerski: Brainstorm how we could study climate change, attitudes about climate change, and or responses to climate change and generate feasible research questions, hypotheses, and measures.
  • SOC 340 - The Community, Shelley Koch: Discuss suburban sprawl, its connection to climate change and brainstorm alternative housing patterns that are more sustainable.
  • SW 532 - Screening the moving "An Inconvenient Truth"
  • SW 541 - Advanced Research Practicum, Diane Etzel-Wise: Research on global climate change and predictions about how it might impact people and families.
  • SW 621 - Social Policy and Program Analysis II, Dr. Rupaleem Bhuyan: We will discuss the current energy policy debate in Kansas. We will specifically discuss the potential standoff in the state legislature and what stakeholders are raising concerns about energy policy, economic development and the environment.
  • SW 846 - Advanced Community and Advocacy Practice, Dr. Rupaleem Bhuyan: We will discuss the current energy policy debate in Kansas. We will specifically discuss the potential standoff in the state legislature and what stakeholders are raising concerns about energy policy, economic development and the environment.
  • TH&F 302 - Undergraduate Seminar in Cuban Cinema, Dr. Tamara Falicov: Spending the first part of lecture discussing the problem of climate change on the small island nation of Cuba, and the efforts the country is taken to lessen these effects.
  • UBPL 538/738 - Environmental Planning Techniques, Dr. Stacey White: A brief discussion of the role of planners in addressing climate change, followed by the "Climate Change Perceptions" activity.
  • UBPL 735 - Site Planning, Dr. Bonnie Johnson: The class will be addressing the impact of climate on site design and how you layout a site to be more energy efficient.
  • UBPL 773 - Environmental Planning Implementation, Dr. Stacey White: A brief discussion of the role of planners in addressing climate change, followed by the "Climate Change Perceptions" activity.

Let us know if you plan to participate in Focus the Nation! While registration is not required, we would like to get a sense of how many students will be reached through this teach-in. Click here to submit your information.

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