Resources for Teaching and Professional Development
Overview
CCSC Director Ward Lyles, who teaches in the Urban Planning Program in the School of Public Affairs and Administration, has developed semester-length courses and professional development short courses on climate change and disaster, as well as emotions and equity in professional service. These courses have been developed with support from the National Science Foundation (Project #1751696) and KU's Center for Teaching Excellence.
Core materials for these courses and workshops are provided below for public use. Attribution is appreciated, as is an email to wardlyles@ku.edu know if you are using the materials.
Teaching Natural Hazards and Climate Change
Course: Planning for Climate Change and Disasters
Level - Undergraduate or graduate (recommended 1 or 2 prior planning courses)
Format - Online 4- or 8-week intensive; akin to individual practicum
Ideal Size - Fewer than 20 students
Materials
Teaching Natural Hazards and Climate Change Syllabus (PDF)
Annotated bibliography of resources (PDF)
Reading Guides
- Module 1 - Introduction to climate change, hazards, and disasters (PDF)
- Module 2 - Translating what we know from hazards and disaster planning to climate change (PDF)
- Module 3 - Climate change mitigation (PDF)
- Module 4 - Climate change adaptation (PDF)
Final Project
- Instructions (PDF)
- Example 1 - Pennel (PDF)
- Example 2 - Plummer (PDF available upon request at ipsr@ku.edu)
- Example 3 - Reiman (PDF)
Course: Personal Transformation for Natural Hazards and Climate Change*
Level - Graduate
Format - Three half-day workshops, individual practice
Ideal size - Fewer than 20 students
Materials
Personal Transformation for Natural Hazards and Climate Change Syllabus (PDF)
Assignments
- Assignment 1 - Blog post on professional interview and professional resources (PDF)
- Assignment 2 - Case example for professional ethics (PDF)
- Assignment 3 - Analyzing professional code of ethics (PDF)
- Assignment 4 - Slide deck for professional training workshop (PDF)
- Assignment 5 - Letter to self from the future (PDF)
- Assignment 6 - Job position description (PDF)
Workshop Agendas
Course: Envisioning a Compassionate and Sustainable Future During the Climate Crisis*
Level - Graduate
Format - In-person, lecture or discussion with guest speaker and service learning components
Ideal size - 10 to 20 students
Materials
Envisioning a Compassionate and Sustainable Future During the Climate Crisis Syllabus (PDF)
Assignments
- Assignment 1 - Letter to self from the future (PDF)
- Assignment 2 - Perspective taking (PDF)
- Assignment 3 - Photovoice/Videovoice (PDF)
- Assignment 4 - Oral history (PDF)
- Assignment 5 - Semester project planning (PDF)
Gamebook - Summary document of engagement projects done by students (PDF)
Emotions and Equity in Public Service
Course: Foundations of Compassionate Critical Thinking
Level - Graduate
Format - In-person, lecture or discussion with guest speakers
Ideal size - 10 to 20 students
This course began as a conventional introductory statistics, dating back to the 1990s or earlier. Since 2013 the course has evolved to focus less on training on plugging and chugging formulas and more on research design and statistical concepts that empower public servants to interpret, critique, and communicate data. Over time, it has become clear that before examining how to do applied research, students benefit from deep reflection on their own identity, patterns of thought and feeling, biases, and other factors that can influence critical thinking. In 2018, Lyles won the inaugural Curriculum Innovation Award from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. The course continues to evolve each year in response to student needs, but the Lincoln Institute has a series of videos about the course from before the pandemic.
Materials
Emotions and Equity in Public Service Syllabus (PDF)
Professional Development Workshops and Trainings
Lyles also regularly leads professional development workshops on grappling with emotions and public service for the Emerging Leaders Academy, AASHTO, and other groups.