Place-conscious writing

I use ecocomposition in my classroom as gateway activities to teach students about the larger projects we will be completing. For learning about how to write a profile, I wanted students to analyze and learn something new about campus. Part of this assignment also required that they learn how to write from an interesting angle. I take them outside to the steps, and they have to write from an angle of their major/career interest. Some discuss the architecture of the building, the plants growing near by, the animals they see, the merchandizing in the windows, etc. Later we revisit this project to add the missing elements of a profile that they learn throughout.

Another exercise we did was to go outside to the school garden and learn about using precise wording. First, I had the students discuss what they saw verbally, and then I would encourage and push them to build on that description. Then I had them write for 15 minutes using sensory language. I found that students incorporated this language into their profile and literary analysis very well.