1. Integrating Sustainability into
Geoscience Courses
Saturday, October 26, 2013
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Part of the GSA Short Course 4-Pack
Co-sponsored by NAGT and the
Geoscience Education Division of GSA
David C. Gosselin, Director
Environmental Studies Program
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE

2. http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/index.html

3. Who is
this Guy?

4. My Career Journey
Gosselin
Trajectory
2005 – Pres.
Assoc. Director SNR - TC
Director, Environmental Studies
DBER - Instruction
1989 - 2005 CSD&SNR@UNL
Applied Hydrogeology/
Geochemistry & NESEN
1982 – 1988
B.A. Geology, UST
Internship, LPI
Ph.D Geology, SDSM&T
Post-Doc. Battelle - PNL

5. Goal: Incorporate key concepts of
sustainability into our courses
The
Course
Trunk
Sustainability
Sustainability
Move
From
A Branch

6. Make sustainability
concepts, skills, and
“habits of mind” part
of courses in ways
that have curricular
integrity and
“standing” – both for
faculty members and
students.
Sustainability
Goal: Incorporate key concepts of
sustainability into our courses

7. Goal: Incorporate Key Concepts of Sustainability
into our Courses
Learning Outcomes:
1. Identify possible integration points for
sustainability and geoscience content.
2. Formulate a plan to integrate sustainability
into at least one assignment in a course you
currently teach.
3. Support participant’s in achieving personal
outcomes.

8. Who Are You?
Name
Institution
Expertise
Teaching Experience
“It’s good to have goals”
Why Are You Here?
Personal Learning Outcomes
What would you like to
gain from this workshop?

9. Approach modified from
Systems, Society, Sustainability
and the Geosciences:
A Workshop to Create New Curricular
Materials to Integrate Geosciences into the Teaching of
Sustainability
David C. Gosselin1 , Cathryn A Manduca2
Eric A Oches, 3 Jean MacGregor4 Karin B Kirk2
1. Environmental Studies Program, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
2. Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College, Northfield , MN
3. Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA
4. Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, The
Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA

10. Philosophers
Biologists
Geoscientists
An Interdisciplinary
Workshop (n = 48)
Historians
Geographers
Sustainability
Studies
Political
Scientists
Engineers &
Technologist
Chemists
Economists &
Business
Environmental
Studies

11. Approach: Design Integrative Sustainability Assignments
– A Curriculum for the Bioregion Initiative’s
http://www.evergreen.edu/washcenter/project.asp?pid=62
“Big Idea”
or concept
in the discipline
Integrative
Assignment
Sustainability
context
or “Big Idea”

12. Geoscience and Grand Challenge Infusion into Sustainability Education
Ecological
citizenship
Ecological
footprint
Sustainable use
of resources
Precautionary
principle
“Connect the
dots”
Bio mimicry
Evaluate
Systems
thinking
Sustainability Skills;
ability to:
Use
indicators
Sustainability in
practice
Environmental
Economics
Recognize
trade-offs
Reflect
Participatory
democracy
Decisionmaking
Water
Resources
Humility
Respect for
earth
Energy
Resources
Critical hope
Geoscience
Infusion into
Sustainability
Habits of Mind
Mineral
Resources
Shared
responsibility
Civic
consciousness
Biodiversity
Rights of all
living things
Food
Climate
Change
“INTEGRATE
Grand
Challenges”
Waste
Disposal
Ecosystem
services
Environment
Degradation
Hazards
Environmental
history
“Big Ideas”
Localism
Resilience
Equity & Justice
World view
Climate
change
Environmental
justice
Ethic of care
Social
development
Ecosystem
integrity
Modified from: C.R. Svendsen
Skagit Valley College
Thresholds;
non-linear
relationships

13. Questions????
We have only just begun….