Environmental solution logo

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

We are currently seeking partnerships for Phase 2.

Other

There are multiple other approaches to teaching students. If the lesson or the materials do not fit one of the already mentioned categories, the lesson will be marked as other.

  • Essay 2

    You will need to choose two texts to consider in this paper (see below guidelines for a list of works that you may select from), but you should not write an open-ended comparison of the two texts; instead, you should choose an issue or theme that emerges in both of them. Most of you will end up working with writers who share many basic values; you will need to read and think carefully to uncover meaningful distinctions between them.

    Read more: Essay 2

  • Essay 1

    Purpose of assignment:

    • To focus your attention as you read and think about a particular work.
    • To help you distinguish between observed details and the ideas that emerge from those details.
    • To ensure that your own ideas are rooted in specific textual evidence.
    Read more: Essay 1

  • William Cronon’s “The Trouble with Wilderness; or Getting Back to the Wrong Nature”

    Select one or two paragraphs from Cronon’s essay and examine the full range of connections to one other reading from our syllabus. Your own commentary should be 200-300 words long. Be sure to include textual evidence from “The Trouble with Wilderness” and the other work that you consider in your commentary

    Read more: William Cronon’s “The Trouble with Wilderness; or Getting Back to the Wrong Nature”

  • Thoughts on the Readings for Session 2

    Imagine that Berry was asked to explain his reservations about Thoreau’s essay. What differences in perspective would he emphasize in his remarks?

    Read more: Thoughts on the Readings for Session 2

  • Introductory Exercise

    Search your memory for an encounter with a particular bird (it does not need to be a close encounter). Devote one page of your exercise to your description of the bird and its action. Do not include your thoughts or your feelings about the encounter on this page, but do try to evoke the entire sensory experience.

    Read more: Introductory Exercise

  • Historiographical Essay

    For the historiographical essay, you may select your own topic (and within that a framing question) from among those considered in the course. Students should also develop a useful bibliography on the topic. The expectation is that you will encompass a major literature while demonstrating the ability to think critically about the theories and methods engaged by other historians to answer the question you have posed. You should organize the paper around this question, giving careful consideration to why different historians sometimes answer important questions in such different ways.

    Read more: Historiographical Essay

  • Book Review Assignments

    The first two writing assignments for this course are to select two of the books we are reading in class and complete a 3–4 page review of them. If there is another book you wish to review, this is fine as long as you seek permission in advance. Such a review should accomplish three things:

    Read more: Book Review Assignments

  • Weekly Responses

    Each week students will write a very brief (at most 2 paragraphs but could be just bullet points) response to the readings. These might offer comparisons between readings, a summary of the main arguments as you understand them, a series of questions the reading left you with, or if warranted the occasional rant about a particular reading.

    Read more: Weekly Responses

  • 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.

    Read more: Environmental Ethics

  • Journal

    Document your own thoughts, comments, and challenges on the readings and class material. The journal may be of any length or medium, but should discuss at least two readings/topics.

    Read more: Journal

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.