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This website features work from the completion of Phase 1 of the SCALES Project.

We are currently seeking partnerships for Phase 2.

Active Citizenship

  • Scenario Presentations

    Each student must make three oral presentations focused on three of the 14 scenarios available in this section. Two students will sign up at the start of the semester for each scenario. The third presenter will be selected at the beginning of the class to speak about that day's scenario. Students will be graded on both their answers to the assigned questions and the clarity of their presentation. Short descriptions are provided below. These presentations account for up to 30 points of your final grade.

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  • Environmental Assessment

    Most environmental planners presume that policy decisions regarding the use of natural resources and patterns of development can be enhanced through the application of various analytical tools.

    1. Explain why and how you agree or disagree with this, with reference to each of the tools discussed in Unit 3.
    2. What do you think are the relative strengths and limitations of each of the analytical tools we discussed in Unit 3?
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  • Environmental Ethics

    Traditionally economists have argued that humans are utility maximizers, although some behavioral economists and social psychologists have recently raised questions about this. With this in mind, please write a paper addressing the following questions.

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  • Course Project

    The course is designed around collaborations focused on specific student deliverables. My intention is to create student “teams” among class members who will collaborate on specific short-term activities that will build on ongoing research and inform the ultimate class output, a response to the Draft Interim CECP, including (1) a meta-analysis of recent surveys of current, former, and potential transit riders, geared toward understanding attitudes toward personal mobility and transit specifically, and how they may have evolved, and (2) a similar analysis of global “best practices” in connection with transit operations designed to ensure public health and rider confidence. This will require review of relevant material (which will be included in the readings) and additional (reasonably modest) research to identify gaps, new material, and insights that combine to synthesize extant research and surveys relevant to the course purpose.

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  • Assignment 3: Big Plan

    In Assignment 1, you explored the city through large-scale processes. In Assignment 2, you focused on unearthing key issues in specific Boston/Cambridge neighborhoods. For your final assignment, you will form your own vision, your own Big Plan.

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  • Discussion Question – Why Eat Less Meat

    The website Why Eat Less Meat cites four major reasons to eat less meat: the efficiency of the global food system, the environment, health (both personal and public), and animal welfare. Which of these reasons to eat less meat do you find most compelling? Are any of these reasons (or the combination of them) compelling enough to make you think you personally should eat less meat? Why or why not?

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  • Discussion Question – Ecology

    In the transcript of Slavoj Žižek’s conversation from Examined Life, he says, "the true ecologist must also accept that nature is the ultimate human myth, that we humans, when we perceive ourselves as beyond nature, exploiting nature and so on, we also, through this opposition, create a certain image of nature. And that idealized image of nature is the ultimate obstacle to ecology. So, again, this is why my formula is ecology without nature. The first duty is to drop this heavily ideologically mythological, invested notion of nature." What do you think? What are the two notions of "ecology" he is comparing? Do you agree? 

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  • Discussion Question – Famine Relief

    In his clip from Examined Life, Peter Singer argues that we should all be giving substantial amounts of money and/or time to famine relief, e.g., by giving to Oxfam. He draws on an analogy: suppose you were walking by a shallow pond and a child was drowning. All you need to do to save her life is wade in and help her, though you would ruin your nice shoes. You are morally required to sacrifice your shoes to save the child's life. He argues: children are dying every day from famine. If you restrict yourself to what you really need and sacrifice luxuries, giving the money you save to famine relief, you will save many lives. So you are morally required to do so. What do you think of the analogy? 

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  • Final Presentations (Ethics in your Life)

    During the last two classes of the term, each student will give a 5–7 minute presentation on their own ethical perspective, as developed over the course of the term.

    The presentation should begin with a clear statement of your question or topic and its ethical significance, and then explain how your thinking on the topic has progressed over the semester.

    We are looking for you not to just state your opinion on a question, but to think about it in some depth and show us how your line of thought has changed over the course of your investigation. If you've changed your mind on the question, great; but if you haven't changed your mind, that's fine too. If you don't have a settled opinion and are still unsure what to think, even better! We just want to hear how you've engaged with alternative points of view on the question and what you've learned from doing so.

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  • Reflection Papers (Ethics in your Life)

    Students are required to submit three short (roughly 250–300 word) reflection papers over the course of the term in response to the outside events* you attend.

    Read more: Reflection Papers (Ethics in your Life)

Notice something that doesn’t seem right? Want to make a suggestion or provide feedback about how something is classified? 
Please reach out to esi [at] mit.edu and include SCALES Website in the subject of your email.
Feedback and any actions taken with regards to the feedback, will be shared as they are addressed.