Assignment 1

Start by watching this video of Xiuhtezcatl Tonatiuh to prepare you for this assignment http://www.earthguardians.org (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Who is he? What does he do? What does he stand for?) I chose Xiuhtezcatl because we share being First Nation with one another (albeit, I am half First Nation and half European).

Then…

Find an environmental leader or activist that shares at least one thing in common with you that you self-identify as important to who you are. It does not need to be ethnicity. It can be anything that you self-identify with that is important to how you define yourself. Identity is pretty important when we think about the way people communicate and interact. For more on identity, check out http://criticalmediaproject.org/why-identity-matters/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Give a brief bio of what they do and why you connect with them as a person and their mission AND why you chose them/connect with them. Your original entry should be a minimum of 250 words. Then reply to two different students posts that you connect with by reading their post and comment how and why you connect to what they wrote. Only one environmental leader/activist per person… i.e. you must choose someone different than a person that has already been discussed.

Assignment 2

Research and list 10 things you can do, right now – wherever you are in life, that would actively contribute in a positive way to protecting our environment. List those 10 things here and submit. You can start here http://www.earthguardians.org/50simplethings (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. or find some of your own. Please only list, in your own words, 10 action items you are actually committed to doing in your life. Even if there seem small – they can make a big difference.

Assignment 3

Resumes & CVs are an essential tool for obtaining jobs, funding, internships, and career positions. This activity will reward you for taking the time to work a little bit more on this very important communication piece. My goal as an instructor is to support your success in both the science content and a few of the skills that organizations, institutions, and employers are constantly looking for.

First, go to https://www.marypoffenroth.com/cv-resume-tips (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. watch the video I made and read the blog post. There is also an additional link there if you need some additional basic advice. If you have never written a resume, also check out the Purdue Online Writing Lab at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/6/23/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Then, I want you to write down 3 things you found helpful to improve your current resume or CV. If you do not have one, this is the perfect opportunity for you to create one! You will not be graded on the quality of your experience or the richness of your resume for this assignment. What I want from you is to address the questions below and do a little work on your resume. I started officially working when I was 16 (although my first job was at 14 picking blueberries on a farm – but that is another story :)) – and still to this day update my CV/Resume every year.

In order to receive full credit on this assignment please:

1. What was one specific thing from the video you could implement into your CV/Resume?

2. What was two other specific things from the blog post or linked basics article that you could implement into your CV/Resume?

3. Implement those changes and upload a copy of your CV/Resume along with your answers to #1 & #2 above.

FAQ

What if I am in a deeply creative field like design, TV/Film/Radio, animation, etc. that uses a portfolio/demo reel over a resume/CV as standard practice?

The above recommendations will apply to most majors in our course. However, for those of you who will be submitted portfolios/demo reels in lieu of a formal CV, you may submit your professional portfolio in lieu of a resume/CV.

What if I don’t have anything yet?

If you have no work/volunteer experience yet, I highly encourage you to start now. Graduating without experience will put you at a deficit to other applicants. For now, go ahead and start structuring your resume and use class experience pertaining to your major in lieu of work experience.