When science and history join forces, the 20th century is recognized as the period when human beings overpowered nature in shaping the planet. This course is a brief introduction to the Big History view (a combination of historical and scientific studies) of the 20th century as (1) the beginning of the Anthropocene, (2) the beginning of the Great Acceleration stage of the Anthropocene in the 1950s, and (3) the emergence of environmental responses beginning in the 1950s and corresponding societal resistance. These events lead to (4) emerging religious and ethical responses which will be described. Students will have an opportunity to express their views on values supporting and opposing results of the Anthropocene.

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to a framework for understanding our current period in wolrd history that rises above usual political history, to point to challenges that will shape their lifetimes, and encourage them to become informed citizens who understand the ethical challenges of a society built on unrelenting innovation. They will participate in a poll about ethical values that are being reconsidered because of the Anthropocene.

Information will be provided in a slide program with internet links for further inquiry. The course will discuss the content and graphics in the slides & they will be given to students at the end to encourage further exploration. True success of the course will depend on whether students become interested enough to use the slides as the starting point for a learning adventure.

Resources: Graphics and content will be drawn from the following Internet sites and links will be shared in a slide show: (1) https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/79793/city-lights-of-africa-europe-and-the-middle-east; (2) https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/; (3) https://www.nasa.gov/content/blue-marble-image-of-the-earth-from-apollo-17; (4) https://humanorigins.si.edu/research/age-humans-evolutionary-perspectives-anthropocene; (5) https://humanorigins.si.edu/sites/default/files/measures%20of%20the%20anthropocene.jpg; (6) https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/; and (7) https://sdgs.un.org/goals