LENS 105-9A: Engaging Contemporary Issues- The Climate Crisis

Tuesdays 2:00-3:50 PM; Location: 18 Belvidere St. Room CL1

Professor: Arlie C. Tick

Email: [email protected]
Office Location : 7 Haviland Rm. 304
Office Hours: Mondays 2-3PM & Tuesdays 1-2PM

COURSE DESCRIPTION

All First-Year Seminars share an emphasis on navigating the Berklee experience, building a foundation
for success as a student and an artist, and creating a sense of community among students and faculty.
This seminars’ unique focus is on the contemporary issue of climate change and the environmental crisis
on a local and global scale. Students will develop habits of mind that help them evaluate media as sources
of information, analyze issues, and persuasively support their views. This course helps students discover
and advocate for the issues they care most about and creates a safe, reflective space for discourse and
debate. It gives them tools to put their own and their classmates’ beliefs and values in context, expose
their own biases, and examine emergent events, ideas, and trends through multiple lenses. Students will
engage collaboratively in weekly discussions and draw upon their skills and concerns as artists, Berklee
students and residents of Boston to reach for a more informed, nuanced, and open-minded grasp of the
world and more specifically their impact on the natural world.

LENS MISSION

At the core of LENS is an Engaging Seminar, in which students investigate ideas through the lens of a
focused topic, selected by a faculty member. Complementing their course work, students engage in a
variety of activities in and out of class designed to connect them to Berklee and the resources offered,
and to help them thrive academically, artistically, and personally.

LENS LEARNING OUTCOMES

LENS is designed to help students

● Investigate:
 - Gain an understanding of their academic, personal, and artistic background
- Recognize the role of the artist in society and in their community
● Connect:
- Build a foundation for success at Berklee/BCB (how to navigate Berklee/BCB and Boston, how to
take advantage of opportunities at Berklee/BCB and in Boston, tools for academic and personal
success)
- Connect with their artistic and academic future (explore academic options)
● Thrive:
- Learn how to speak to a group and interact with people on a public level
- Foster a sense community and dialogue including dealing with conflict

LENS: THE CLIMATE CRISIS: LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

 Discuss their understanding of environmental issues on a local and global scale
 Apply critical thinking skills to support in-class discussions and written reflections
 Reflect on several environmental themes and in turn, use that knowledge to create a final
project that has a profound impact on the Berklee/BCB and/or Boston community
 Analyze sources of information

CLASS BEHAVIOR
In class PLEASE,
 do not open your computer or take out your phone unless you are given directions to do so.
 do not do your homework or that of any other class.
 do not chat to your neighbors. Be respectful. Think of this class as a learning community.

** “Listening” means using your ears and mind for information and tone, your eyes to see gestures
and facial expressions, and your heart for kindness and respect.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

This class is designed as a seminar. Students participate in discussions and share their ideas with others
in the class. A class of this nature succeeds when all members faithfully attend, arrive on time and fully
participate. Therefore, attendance and participation are mandatory.

You are allowed only ONE ABSENCE without penalty. If you have four or more absences, you will fail the
class.

Please note that three late arrivals (less than 30 minutes) constitute one absence. Two late arrivals (more
than 30 minutes) constitute one absence. Arriving more than one hour late counts as an absence. The
policy for leaving early mirrors the late arrival policy.

Occasionally, unusually extreme weather conditions, severe illness or injury (Please email me a doctor’s
excuse), or personal issues arise unexpectedly and may affect your ability to attend class. If you find
yourself in such a situation, please communicate with the faculty member immediately. It remains the
responsibility of the student to stay informed about calendar, assignment, or policy changes.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Berklee insists on academic honesty. Unless the assignment explicitly is a group project, all of the work in
this class must be your own. The source of all information in any written assignment must be cited
properly, whether it is a quotation, paraphrase, summary, idea, concept, statistic, picture, or anything else
you get from any source other than your own immediate knowledge--including the Internet. Writers give
credit through accepted documentation styles, including parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes; a
simple listing of books and articles at the end of an essay is not sufficient. Plagiarism—not giving proper
credit to a source and thereby passing off someone else’s material or idea as your own—is a type of
intellectual theft and deceit and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting. Plagiarism may result in a
failing grade for the assignment or course, and possible dismissal from the College. It is your
responsibility to be aware of and abide by the rules governing plagiarism, fraud, and cheating found in
the College Bulletin under the section "Honesty in Academic Work and in Scholarly and Professional
Practice."  If you have any questions about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, please talk with a
reference librarian, ask a teacher, or refer to a writing handbook. Websites that discuss types of
plagiarism and how it can be avoided through evaluation and proper documentation of sources include:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/

https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Documentation.html

http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html

EQUITY AND TITLE IX

The Liberal Arts Department at Berklee strives to provide a supportive environment for all
students, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual identity and orientation, health, ability, social
class, and racial, ethnic, religious, national, and personal backgrounds. Our strength is in our
differences, and a diverse community promotes equity through the support of and respect for
people with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. We welcome the opportunities to
work with and learn from each other.

The Equity Policy and Process prohibits and addresses sexual misconduct, as well as other forms
of discrimination and/or harassment based on legally “protected characteristics” and provisions
covered under Title IX of federal law.  If you have concerns about a possible violation of the
college’s Equity Policy, please contact [email protected]. For more information,
visit www.berklee.edu/equity.
SUPPORT SERVICES

The Center for Liberal Arts Tutoring (CLAT) offers various tutoring services to the Berklee community.
Located in 7 Haviland Street, room 110, CLAT falls under the auspices of the Liberal Arts Department in
the Professional Education Division. For more information, please visit https://www.berklee.edu/liberal-
arts-tutoring
Additional Student Services include:

 Health and Wellness/Counseling Services, 161 Massachusetts Ave., 4 th floor, 617-747-6575

 Academic Advising Center, 939 Boylston Street, 3rd floor, 617-747-6535
 Disability Services, 939 Boylston Street, 2nd Floor, To schedule a session:
https://www.berklee.edu/disabilityappointment
 Stan Getz Library and Media Center, 150 Mass. Ave

COURSE MATERIALS

 Articles and handouts will be provided by the instructor and posted on OL

 Occasionally you will be requested to bring your laptop computers but. Otherwise they are
not needed in-class.

GRADING CRITERIA
A (93-100)
The student has demonstrated superior achievement. The student appears to have a
superior level of understanding of . . . and the methodology associated with each task. A
high level of understanding is regularly displayed, and errors are seldom present in any
assignments.

A- (90-92)
The student has demonstrated superior achievement. The student appears to have a
superior level of understanding of . . . and the methodology associated with each task.
However, some errors are present in select assignments.

B+ (87-89)
The student has demonstrated advanced achievement. The student appears to have an
advanced level of understanding of . . . and the methodology associated with each task.
Some errors are present, but infrequent and generally minor.

B (83-86)
The student has demonstrated advanced achievement. The student appears to have an
advanced level of understanding of . . . and the methodology associated with each task.
However, additional concentration could produce a higher level of achievement.

B- (80-82)
The student has demonstrated advanced achievement. The student appears to have an
advanced level of understanding of . . . and the methodology associated with each task.
Additional practice could produce a much more refined and consistent level of
achievement.

C+ (77-79)
The student has demonstrated average achievement. The student appears to have an
average level of understanding of . . . and the methodology associated with each task.
Errors appear to be of a larger magnitude in select assignments.

C (73-76)
The student has demonstrated average achievement. The student appears to have an
average level of understanding of . . . and the methodology associated with each task.
Errors appear in at least half all assigned material.

C- (70-72)
The student has demonstrated a basic level of achievement. The student appears to have a
basic level of understanding of . . . and the methodology associated with each task. Few
assignments are without problems.

D (60-69)
The student has demonstrated a below average/basic level of achievement. The student
appears to have a below average/basic level of understanding of . . . and the methodology
associated with each task. Most assignments contain flaws.

F (0-59)
The students appear to be unaware of the most basic. The student does not understand . . .
and the methodology associated with each task. Most assignments contain severe flaws.

LATE ASSIGNMENT POLICY

If the assignment is late one week or less and is worth 50 points of less, 3 points will be
deducted from the total assignment grade. If the assignment is worth 100 points, 5 points
will be deducted from the total assignment.

If the assignment is a later than one week, it is up to the professor’s discretion regarding
how to assign a grade to any late work.

Two SAM (MANDATORY outside of class) Activities: If you are unable to attend, please
notify the professor at least one week beforehand so that you can receive an alternative
assignment.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT FORMAT

All written assignments should be typed using the following format:

 12-point font, double-spaced, first line of each paragraph must be indented, Font:
Times New Roman, Arial or Cambria
 If you are using information via the internet or any other sources, you must include
a bibliography in APA style format
 ALL documents need to be submitted on OL as a PDF/.doc/.docx/JPEG. If you are
using Pages or any other word processor except for Microsoft Word, you will need
to convert your documents to a PDF format.
 Grade Determination

 15% Class Participation + Environmental Vocabulary Activity + HMNH Discussion Board

 20% Personal Reflection Essay
 20% Attending Two SAM Activities (+ Written Reflections)
 20% Mid-semester Research Essay (+5 Minute Presentation)
 25% Final Project Proposal + Presentation

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

 Attendance! The nature of the course is centered on your participation.

 Environmental Vocabulary Activity DUE: Week 2
 Personal Reflection: What Does your Ecological Footprint Look Like? {1 page} DUE: Week 4
 Two SAM Activity Written Reflections {1/2 page each} DUE: Weeks 5 and 7
 HMNH Discussion Board DUE: Week 5
 Final Project Proposal DUE: Week 6
 Mid-Semester Research Essay {3 pages} DUE: Week 8
 Final Project DUE: Week 13

COURSE SCHEDULE
* Assignments are listed on the days that they are due.
Schedule is subject to change! Please check OL for specific information
about due dates and any updates. Updates to the syllabus are in green*

WEEK 1: 1/21 Introduction to LENS

Review Syllabus
Protecting Our Planet, The Emerald Necklace and Shinrin Yoku {Forest Bathing}
Introduce Environmental Vocabulary Activity

WEEK 2: 1/28 Documentary: Before the Flood

DUE: Environmental Vocabulary Activity Presentations

WEEK 3: 2/4 My Ecological Footprint

Discussion of “Before the Flood”
Visit from your Academic Advisor & Student Academic Mentor (SAM)
DUE: Environmental Vocabulary Activity Presentations

Week 4: 2/11 Buying Local and Organic Food

How to cite sources of information/APA style bibliography
DUE: Personal Reflection Essay

Week 5: 2/18 NO CLASS: Follow Monday Schedule

Visit to the Harvard Museum of Natural History
You will visit the HMNH on your own time
Museum Hours: Monday-Sun day 9am-5pm
Location: 26 Oxford Street Cambridge, MA 02138
1st SAM Activity: Visit to the Boston Public Market/Hay Market
DUE: HMNH Discussion Board & SAM Activity Reflection #1

Week 6: 2/25 Planet or Plastic?/Climate Change Boston

Meet with professor about final project proposal- sign up schedule on OL google doc.
DUE: Final Project Proposal

Week 7: 3/3 NO CLASS: Wicked High Tides at the Boston Museum of Science
Instead of attending class you will be meeting your SAM at the MOS to discover how communities
around Boston can be more resilient to sea level rise! (from 6:30-9:00PM) This will count towards your
attendance for class on this day but also attendance for the 2 nd SAM Activity therefore ATTENDANCE
IS MANDATORY! For more information about the event.
DUE: SAM Activity Reflection #2

Week 8: 3/10 5-Minute Mid-Semester Research Presentations

DUE: Mid-Semester Research Essay and Presentation

3/17 NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK

Week 9: 3/24 Sustainable Cities/Green Building

Check-in with groups about their final projects

Week 10: 3/31 Extreme Weather/Climate Refugees

Week 11: 4/7 The Music Industry and the Environment

Week 12: 4/14 Plants, Animals and Ecosystems

Current Event Presentations (Bring laptop to class)

Week 13: 4/21 Finalizing Final Project: Berklee Green Day

Berklee Green Day: Friday April 24 9:00AM-5:00PM

Week 14: 4/28 Health and Wellness

Week 15: 5/5 Majors and Career Exploration