Environmental Studies 315 - Environmental Disaster Through the Digital Humanities

What makes a disaster a disaster? In this course, we will explore this question through an environmental and social lens. We will survey a variety of disasters, both past and present, from earthquakes to fires to plagues to hurricanes. With each, we will explore the evolution of the disaster, its causes, consequences, and aftermath. We will compare responses to various disasters across both time and space, showing how different variables affect the severity of each crisis. As the tools to measure and document disasters have become increasingly digitized, a key focus of the class will be analyzing disasters through a digital lens. Whether it is through Mapping the Dust Bowl, the Hurricane Katrina Memory Bank, or the Fukushima Digital Archive, we will explore how the Digital Humanities can help us better understand disasters. And through this course, you will explore a disaster of your choice and learn a digital tool of your own, StoryMaps, to help you present your findings.

Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Matthew Plishka.

How to handle overenrollment: Priority will be given to environmental studies majors.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: reading, in-class discussion, use of digital tools, and independent research.