River Journey High School Story Maps

for Art-led Environmental Education

Jonee Kulman BrighamResident/Senior Research Fellow

U of MN Institute on the Environment

ESRI Education SummitJune 26, 2016San Diego, CA

A Call To Mapping

Is there a stream of water that exists before we name it “river?”

Is the world what we have labeled it to be?Are we?

The mapmakers tell us where to lookand what to see

They choose the names to re-write old storiesAnd lose the names

of places and people—forgotten, invisible

But the naming is not finished.

You, too, are the mapmakerthe teller of stories

Disconnection

Leader: “This is a picture of your classroom sink. Where do you think the water comes from?”

5 year old: “The ocean, maybe.”

(Prior project)

Approach

Design an experienceto connect participants to Nature and Community by engaging them in a journey that reveals how interconnected they are with the Mississippi River through the Infrastructure of the Urban Water Cycle

Earth Systems JourneyDesign Strategies

Engaging with Infrastructure

Specificity to Place

Narrative-Aesthetic Experience

Earth Systems Journey

Basic facts about River Journey

Year long pilot (2014-2015)

At River’s Edge Academy– Charter high school

– Grades 9-12

– 70 students +/-

– Environmental Education

– Experiential Learninghttp://www.riversedgeacademy.org

Basic facts about River Journey

Location:188 Plato Boulevard

West-Saint Paul, MN 55107

• Short walk to river & Harriet Island

• Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization

Basic facts about River Journey

Funding• Institute on the Environment:

Resident Fellowship for project leader, Jonee Kulman Brigham

Team & In-Kind Support • River’s Edge Academy• U-Spatial : GIS story map training and support• National Park Service: river education, NPS Centennial support• West Mississippi Watershed Commission: stormwater education• St. Paul Regional Water Services : water treatment plant education• City of St. Paul: water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities education• Metropolitan Council Environmental Services:

wastewater treatment plant education• Lower Mississippi Watershed Management Organization:

stormwater & rain garden education• Full Spring Studio: design & planning support

And more advisors and contributors from the U and wider community

Phase 1: Field Exploration

Opening PoemRiver Journey

From the sky there comes a storm

causing thunderclouds to form

Lightning flashes like the sun

rain falls down on everyone

Making puddles for the toads

cleaning up the dirty roads

From the land the water flows

And the Mississippi grows

Its water flowing from the earth,

how do we know the river’s worth?

At river’s edge we watch the stream

and hear the stories waters’ dream

Passing through the gills of fish,

then cleaned and piped to wash our dish

Sacred? Common? Safe to drink?

What is flowing in our sink?

Symbolic of our own rebirth,

please speak a word for water’s worth

Journey Bottles

Journey Bottles is a participatory art and reflection activity resulting in a display of over 70 plastic bottles containing mixed waters and labeled with each student’s expressions of water value they identify on their River Journey throughout the year.

Phase 2: Reflection/Story Map

Fall/Winter

• U-Spatial GIS Training

• U of MN Map Library Activities

• Story Map Reflection Work

• Mid-year Celebration of Learning presenting story map & Journey Bottles

River Journey Fall Story Map

River Journey Fall Story Map

River Journey Fall Story Map

River Journey Fall Story Map

River Journey Fall Story Map

River Journey Fall Story Map

Celebration of Learning

Phase 3: Spring GIS Story Maps

• Math: Students analyze Twin Cities population projections and speculate on what this means for future water demand.

• Science: Students explore a variety of ecological issues along the length of the Mississippi River.

• English Language Arts: Students interview people about their relationship to the Mississippi River.

• American Studies : Students examine historical maps from the Civil War, and consider the role of water.

Extend the place-based River theme Integrated into four core classes resulting in four class story maps linking to 70 individual student story maps

River Narratives Class Story Map

River Narratives Class Story Map

River Narratives Class Story Map

River Narratives Class Story Map

River Narratives Class Story Map

Story Maps as part of Narrative Aesthetic

Experience

Act of marking and naming place

Virtual aesthetic understanding of the land

Vessel / Object of the Quest

Role of Story Maps in Educational Experience

• Reflection & integration of place-based learning in the field

• Authentic audience for academic work published online

• Collaboration with community experts and agencies

• Greater awareness and understanding of environmental issues

• Map literacy• Technology skills

Thank you

Jonee Kulman BrighamSenior Research FellowInstitute on the EnvironmentUniversity of Minnesota & Artist, Full Spring Studiokulma002@umn.edu

River Journey Project Websitehttp://rea-river-journey.blogspot.com

Links from there to project background, team, student story maps, and exhibit information