Sense of Place Project Final
“Sense of place” refers to defining oneself in terms of a given space or region. For most people, sense of place is one of the primary social functions of regional differences. It helps preserve a region’s cultural heritage and social history and promotes social ties among and across peoples.
Over the semester, you have investigated various aspects of your place—spatial, historical, environmental, ecological, political, and many others. Please draw upon your work, thoughts, and ideas from your Nature Journal, Mapping Labs, and Sense of Place assignments.
Your task is to create a research poster reflecting on your “sense of place.”
Name your “place” and describe it in detail. This could be where you grew up, a place you feel most connected to, or somewhere that has impacted your life somehow.
Your description could include landscape, cultural aspects, family connections, essential relationships, and/or a sense of community.
Include details you’ve learned about the Indigenous history, environmental history, or ecological issues of the present.
Drawing on what you’ve learned in readings, lectures, and mapping labs, write about how this place has influenced you—who you are, where you live, and/or where you’re from.
Include at least 4 images from your Nature Journals/Mapping Labs/Outside Research (with annotations) that work as evidence/examples of your unique sense of place.
Reflect on how your experiences in this place have influenced who you are, what you value, and what future you want to work towards. Relate personal experiences to concepts, patterns, and ideas you came across during your research this term. Look for cause/effect, comparisons, classifications, and change/endurance over time. Draw upon historical facts, scientific facts, or your observations. Show evidence of thoughts/feelings, questioning, comparing, connecting, or interpreting what you’ve learned. Consider your audience. Imagine that you are trying to make this place familiar to your classmates. Help them see it through your eyes.
Space on a poster is limited, so pick wisely what to present. Your display should be self-explanatory and have a logical flow—others should be able to follow the order even if you are not present.
Place your title at the top of the poster, and make sure the text is large (usually at least 2 inches in height) and clear. Include your name and major, the name of your faculty mentor and his/her department name, the name of your school and the names of other co-authors. Incorporate appropriate graphics in your poster. Label or describe any charts, tables, figures, graphs, or photos you use. Make sure all edges line up evenly. Edit, review, and spell-check all the elements of your poster display.
Remember, write with purpose, organization, voice/tone, and specificity.
Poster Style Guidelines
-Don’t use more than two fonts. Instead, use bold, italic, and font size to set type differently. Times New Roman, Arial, and Garamond are suggested typefaces.
-Words should be large enough to read from several feet away, but don’t use all caps.
-Stick to a color scheme (try a couple that complement or contrast with each other such as black or navy on white).
-Be consistent with your white space between sections of text, figures, and headings; white space should be ample so the poster doesn’t look cramped.
