Campus Walk


 

The Kendall Campus of Miami-Dade College
IMAGE: Fred Shaw PlazaIMAGE: Building M
  

Regardless of the campus, as we walk through our respective work/study environments with an attitude towards assessing the amount of natural verses human-made things, we will come to think about its impact on our spirit, psyche, and feelings. We can also consider the health impact on the bioregion, the planet, and our bodies.

 

Objectives

Green (Earth Literacy Goals)

  1. Students will learn what natural resources are on and surrounding their campus.

  2. Students will learn what is natural, native, exotic, human-made.

  3. Students will learn what impact the college has on the area.

  4. Students will learn about how much area is taken up by parking, air conditioning, etc.

  5. Students will learn about existing and non-existing efforts to curb waste an recycle.

ESL

  1. Students will learn observation techniques.

  2. Students will learn to take notes while observing.

  3. Students will use academic questioning for soliciting more information.

  4. Students will use the data for discussion and reaction papers.

 

Materials

  • a pocket-sized memo notebook

  • pen/pencil

  • hat (recommended)

 

Time

1.5  hours 

 

Steps/procedures

 Part 1 -- Preparation for Teachers

  • If you are aware of the history of the campus and its physical development, it would be good to give students that insight.
     

Part 2 -- Preparation for Students

  • Get a small map of the campus (available from the college’s web sites). It will help them to orient themselves.

  • Determine where you want to walk on or about your campus. Make notes to see where there are examples of the natural environment and other aspects of the campus that are essential for this walk.

  • If you are in an urban campus, then a walk of the surrounding areas would be appropriate. Biscayne Bay and the Miami River are natural areas that contrast sharply with the urban setting.

  • Consider the following questions as you walk

  1. What natural resources are on and surrounding your campus?

  2. Which of the resources that you see are natural, native, exotic, or human-made?

  3. What impact does the college seem to have on the area around the college?

  4. How much area is taken up by parking?

  5. Do you see any efforts on or around campus to curb waste an recycle?

  6. Can you think of ways in which students could influence positive change in the Campus environment?

 

Part 3  -- Follow-up in class

  • In small groups, discuss your findings and compare your notes.  Find at least 3 different answers to number 6.  Share these answers with your class after the group discussion ends.

  • Write a short piece which summarizes the responses to these questions.  This will be a first person narrative (i.e. Use "I"). 


     

Vocabulary

 
impact  resources          recycle waste
flow        3Rs eco-psychology spirit                
pavement           human-made assessment                 awareness                   
insights realizations    

        

Resources:

Miami-Dade College web page.