The Human Element
The Human Element follows explorer and photographer James Balog on an artistic journey to distill this crucial moment in our environmental history into an...
Overview
RIVER OF GRASS is a present-day reimagining of environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s celebrated book, “The Everglades: River of Grass,” (1947), which forever changed the public’s understanding of the area from worthless swamps to an essential source of freshwater, enabling the ecosystem to endure, just barely, today. In the wake of a hurricane, Douglas visits filmmaker Sasha Wortzel in a dream, catalyzing a prismatic journey across the Everglades with Miccosukee educator and activist Betty Osceola. We meet a mother taking on the polluting sugar industry; a two-spirit Miccosukee environmentalist and poet; a mother-daughter team removing snakes wreaking havoc on the ecosystem; and a family who have fished in the Everglades for six generations.
Interweaving Douglas’s writing, personal narration, present-day verité, and archival footage, RIVER OF GRASS reveals how this country’s origin story haunts and inextricably shapes contemporary American life, while asking how we might weather coming storms better together.
RIVER OF GRASS offers an intimate look at the Everglades ecosystem, which is amplified by these learning materials.
Where to Watch
RIVER OF GRASS is available for educators through Grasshopper Films.
Check out what others are saying about the film:
“Wortzel’s film is a clarion call to protect Florida’s greatest resource.” — RogerEbert.com
“A rare environmental film to succeed both in expressing collective grief about climate change and inspiring activism to adapt and resist further depradations.” — Filmmaker Magazine
Learning Guide
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Section 1: The Ecosystem of the Everglades (Climate, Environmental Studies, Geography Science, Service Learning, STEM)
Subject: Community Service Learning, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Geography, Science, Service Learning
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Section 2: Art and Words of the Everglades (Art, Art History, Creative Writing, English Language Arts, Poetry, Visual Arts)
Subject: Art History, Creative Writing, English Language Arts, Language Arts, Visual Arts
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Section 3: Land Use and Human Rights—Living in Harmony (Climate, Civics, Environmental Studies, Government, Human Rights, Policy, Science, STEM)
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Section 4: Land Use—Sugarcane, Data Centers, and Other Development Projects (Climate, Civics, Community Service Learning, Current Events, Environmental Studies, Government, Human Rights, Policy, Science, Service Learning, STEM)
Subject: Civics, Community Service Learning, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Government, Science, Service Learning
Group Discussion Facilitation Guidelines
These tips can help you create safe space for classroom engagement on the themes and subjects of this film.
Sustainable Development Goals
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