United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Open Pedagogy Fellowship
The Intersectionality of Extreme Stress, Rejected Bodies, and Designated Failure:
Voice and Bodies Matter
Professor Rebecca Portis, Montgomery College (Maryland);
Dr. Demelash Areda, Maricopa Community Colleges (Arizona)
2021-2022
Introduction:
You are a part of a collegewide effort to increase access to education and empower students
through "open pedagogy." Open pedagogy is a "free access" educational practice that places you
- the student - at the center of your own learning process in a more engaging, collaborative
learning environment. The ultimate purpose of this effort is to achieve greater social justice in
our community in which the work can be freely shared with the broader community. This is a
renewable assignment that is designed to enable you to become an agent of change in your
community through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). For this work, you will integrate the disciplines of English and Literature and Biology to
achieve SDG #3: Good Health and Well-Being. With a focus on reducing by one third premature
mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental
health and well-being, by 2030.

Learning Objectives:
Reflection assignments encourage students to use
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Develop and implement critical thinking skills
Develop and implement analytical skills
Enhance the ability to make and establish connections
Enhance awareness
Develop and engage voice
Enhance writing skills
Generate ideas to prepare for the writing process
Complete a required demonstration of academic writing.

Purpose/Rationale:
The reflection assignments are about inspiring deeper thinking of our everyday existence that
encourages self-discovery and accountability. Students will exercise their mental muscles to help
them understand ideas in a more meaningful way with the opportunity to support a collaborative
and inclusive environment among the students and in the community. (Relates to reforming
community infrastructure). Once mastering this process to a significant degree, students will use
their skills to see themselves alongside serious issues that we are experiencing in the world,
currently, the impact of a pandemic.

Instructions:
Writing Prompt
In a 1 ½ page reflection, students will explain the way in which their body was/is affected by the
threat of Covid-19 and its variants? Students are asked to think further about what a constant
threat can do to their body no matter what it is. Hint: Think about the “fringe” threats as well.
There is no doubt that Covid-19 ceased to be only a threat and was experienced. All aspects of
Covid-19/Delta whether threat or an actual experience.
Artwork
This choice challenges each student to take time to think about their connection to the material of
focus, relying on previous conversation that can be an inspiration for profound creativity. You
will use your insight to create a visual work of art that reflects those ideas. Ultimately, this work
will be displayed on the website gallery.
Documentary
This choice challenges students to take time to think about the material provided and discussions
had. Students will use their insight to create a 3 ½ minute video/film that reflects those ideas.
Ultimately, this work will be displayed on the website gallery.
Poem
This choice challenges students to take time to think about their connection to the material of
focus, relying on previous conversation that can be an inspiration for profound creativity via
language. Students will use their insight to create a poem that reflects those ideas. Students may
write in their language of origin and provide a translated version or write in English. Ultimately,
this work will be displayed on the website gallery.
Music
This choice challenges students to take time to think about their connection to the focus material,
relying on previous conversation that can be an inspiration for music creation: lyrics and music or
instrumental, or acapella. Ultimately, this work will be presented on the website gallery.

Format Requirements:
Reflection Task
You have options (you can choose which you would like to do below)
•Write a 2-page substantive reflection following all assignment expectations.
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An upper right-hand header (only)
1-inch margins
12 -point font
Double-spaced
Calibri or Times New Roman font style
Work Cited page if needed

Your Works Cited page should be a page of its own with the upper right-hand header. The
citation will look like this:
Choose one Topic for the Monday Reflection Moment
How do you think your body was affected by the threat of Covid-19 and its variants?

The Intersectionality of Extreme Stress, Rejected Bodies, and Designated Failure: Voice and
Bodies Matter is licensed by Professor Rebecca Portis, Montgomery College (Maryland) and Dr.
Demelash Areda, Maricopa Community Colleges (Arizona) under the Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC)