Examines environmental films and professional documentaries representing trends and issues associated with natural and human environments. Critical thinking skills are employed to analyze media presentations of environmental issues that teach human relationships to our environment. Evaluates how films can advance the goals of social and environmental justice.
Athena Title
Env Film Studies
Prerequisite
BIOL 1103 or BIOL 1103E or BIOL 1107 or BIOL 1107E or ECOL 1000 or ECOL 1000E or ECOL 1000H or EHSC 1000 or EHSC 1101 or EHSC 2020
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will be able to analyze the portrayal of environmental issues in a variety of films to identify underlying narratives and biases.
Students will be able to critique how media representations influence public perceptions of environmental justice, environmental racism, and social justice issues.
Students will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of specific environmental films in advancing goals related to sustainability, public health, and social justice.
Students will be able to synthesize insights from multiple films and theoretical frameworks to propose innovative approaches to environmental advocacy through media.
Students will be able to design a creative media project that addresses a pressing environmental issue, demonstrating an understanding of persuasive storytelling techniques.
Students will be able to compare trends in environmental filmmaking across cultures and historical contexts to uncover global perspectives on environmental challenges.
Students will be able to interpret the use of cinematic techniques in environmental films and their impact on emotional engagement and audience comprehension.
Students will be able to formulate a well-supported argument about the ethical responsibilities of filmmakers in shaping environmental discourse.
Students will be able to interpret Data from peer-review papers, mass media, and information to evaluate the film for accuracy and bias.
Topical Outline
Topic 1: Introduction to Filmmaking and Documentaries
1. Explore the basics of documentary filmmaking, including narrative structure and visual storytelling techniques.
2. Discuss the role of documentaries in shaping public opinion on environmental issues.
3. Examine key environmental documentary styles and their impact on audiences.
Topic 2: Human Population Growth
1. Analyze the relationship between population growth, resource consumption, and human health.
2. Examine how films portray the environmental consequences of overpopulation.
3. Critique narratives about family planning and demographic shifts shown in environmental media.
Topic 3: Conservation and Protection of Ecosystems
1. Investigate the portrayal of endangered species and habitat loss in documentaries.
2. Discuss strategies for motivating conservation action through media.
3. Analyze the effectiveness of conservation campaigns featured in environmental films.
4. Evaluate the role of documentaries in raising awareness about the relationship of ecosystem preservation to human health.
5. Discuss the portrayal of biodiversity and ecosystem services in environmental films.
6. Analyze case studies of films that highlight successful conservation efforts.
Topic 4: Global Climate Change
1. Interpret how documentaries frame the causes and consequences of climate change.
2. Compare cinematic approaches to communicating climate science and personal stories that illustrate the consequences of climate change on humans.
3. Critique the use of emotional appeals in climate change documentaries
Topic 5: Food Security
1. Examine how films address the environmental impacts of industrial agriculture and food security.
2. Analyze representations of sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty.
3. Discuss the role of documentaries in highlighting issues of hunger and equitable food access.
Topic 6: Emerging Diseases
1. Examine links between environmental degradation and the emergence of diseases in media.
2. Analyze how documentaries depict the intersection of health, environment, and policy.
3. Discuss the global implications of zoonotic diseases on humans as presented in environmental films.
Topic 7: Energy
1. Explore how energy production and consumption are portrayed in environmental documentaries.
2. Analyze films addressing renewable energy solutions and the transition from fossil fuels.
3. Critique representations of the geopolitical and ethical dimensions of energy use that affect human and environmental health.
Topic 8: Environmental Toxicology
1. Discuss the depiction of chemical pollutants and their impacts on ecosystems and human health.
2. Analyze how documentaries bring attention to industrial contamination and regulatory failures.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of films in advocating for stricter chemical safety laws.
Topic 9: Solid and Hazardous Waste
1. Explore the portrayal the generation of waste by citizens and corporations and the challenges of waste management in environmental films.
2. Discuss narratives about consumer behavior, recycling, and the circular economy.
3. Analyze films that focus on e-waste and hazardous material disposal.
Topic 10: Environmental Justice and Environmental Racism
1. Investigate how documentaries highlight systemic inequalities in environmental burden distribution.
2. Critique representations of marginalized communities and their role in environmental activism.
3. Evaluate how films address the intersection of race, class, and environmental policy.
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Creativity & Innovation
The capacity to combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways and the experience of thinking, reacting, and working in an imaginative way characterized by innovation, divergent thinking, and risk taking.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
