on May 15, 2020
Extreme Landscapes of the Anthropocene: Final Student Essays
Anthropocene . Personal ReflectionsAnthropologist Anna Tsing writes that as “sites for more-than-human dramas, landscapes are radical tools for decentering human hubris. Landscapes are not backdrops for historical action: they are themselves active.” As active spaces, engaging with landscapes takes active observation, and a willingness to look beyond the self-as-observer, perhaps through additional research about the history and ecology of
on May 15, 2020
Exploring With Turkeys: An Illustrated Story
Anthropocene . Collaboration . Ecology . For Kids, Teachers, and Parents . Resilience . Tales of ProgressThis post corresponds with an essay entitled: “Stories in, of, and for the Anthropocene: Exploring with Turkeys“ For a short essay on why I went exploring with turkeys click here: http://anthropocene.wescreates.wesleyan.edu/uncategorized/stories-in-of-and-for-the-anthropocene-why-explore-with-turkeys/
on May 4, 2020
Refusing to Produce During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Anthropocene . Capitalism . COVID19 . Op-EdsAn interesting graphical depiction for the word change is that, when it occurs in our lives, change forces us to leave our state of inertia in the past, altering the general direction of our future. But extreme changes, such as those caused by COVID-19, are different. This epidemic, like other uncontrollable disasters, forces humans to
Recently, I have felt like the world is ending. My friends have nonchalantly referred to our current times as the “apocalypse” in casual conversation, and this sentiment feels increasingly more true as I scroll through coronavirus related news articles and updates on the rising death toll that litter my social media accounts. Long lines at
I used to go to the Ballard Locks as a child and watch the salmon swimming up the fish ladder. There were always so many of them! So active and so beautiful. My parents told me these ladders help salmon navigate around the Locks which were obstructing their natural migration pattern up the river. Childlike
on April 25, 2020
Explaining the Anthropocene
Anthropocene . For Kids, Teachers, and Parents . PodcastsThe term “anthropocene” has been getting thrown around recently to help understand humanity’s impact on the earth. But what does it mean? In this podcast, I break down the term and why people use it at a level appropriate for a middle schooler interested in the environment. Podcast transcription: I want to talk about my
on April 3, 2020
Anthropocene Lesson Plan
Anthropocene . Ecology . For Kids, Teachers, and Parents . ResilienceThis is a lesson plan for kids centered around the Anthropocene. It is best geared towards students in 4th-6th grade. It is made to function as a standalone workshop, but could also be incorporated into existing lessons or curriculum. While I have included a script and timeline for clarity, all activities are flexible. Enjoy! Goals: Students
on April 2, 2020
Spiny Pines at the End of the World
Anthropocene . Collaboration . Ecology . Mushrooms . Personal Reflections . Resilience“In open and disturbed landscapes, it’s hard to keep a pine down.” (Tsing, 169) This spiny, resilient tree is a subject of the utmost fascination for writer Anna Tsing, in her book “The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins.” Introducing the pine as an integral supporting
on March 31, 2020
The Anthropocene for Kids: A Podcast
Anthropocene . For Kids, Teachers, and Parents . PodcastsPodcast Transcript: Hello fellow scientists! Welcome back to “Curious World”, the podcast where we talk about what on EARTH is going on. I’m Elsa Dupuy d’Angeac, your host. In today’s episode, we are going to learn about something called the Anthropocene! The An-thro-po-cene? What is that? Well, it may sound weird and confusing, but it
on March 31, 2020
Asthma and Modernity in the South Bronx
Anthropocene . Capitalism . Health & Wellbeing . Personal Reflections . Tales of ProgressModernism makes marks on bodies. Mott Haven and Hunts Point, two of the poorest neighborhoods in the South Bronx, are collectively known as “Asthma Alley” for their high prevalence of asthma. Here, people are hospitalized with asthma at 21 times the rate of some of the city’s wealthier quarters. Despite the area’s low rates of car
