As part of their 10th Grade English class, MarinSEL students crafted narratives on climate change. Students had the creative liberty to delve into any interpretation of a future affected by a changing climate. The stories range from 5 to 15 pages and showcase the incredible imagination of our students! Please enjoy the excerpts below; links to the full articles are included.
Thoughts from the Depths – A Short Story by Ezra Bowers
For Luis, the walk home was never so life threatening as the walk to school, because on the island, the humidity always begins to dissipate around sunset. However, there was more to it today, he could tell, it was some kind of sixth sense, a raw emotion tainted the dusk with its undefinable presence. Oftentimes the sun would be pleasant, at that hour, slung across the ocean like a hammock, providing soft light without the punishment of the heat. Today, though, today it seemed sinister. Read the rest of the story here.
Safe Haven – A Short Story by Angela Tsai
Noah, he thinks, My name is Noah. Mom, Dad, Candice, Thomas, Katrina, and Mr. Bell from across the street, he recites to himself. Every morning, like a prayer, this is how he remembers. How he remembers his life before the Fall, before the flood, and before he had lost everything. Read the rest of the story here.
Fend for the Risen – A Short Story by Olivia Yoakum
“They do.” Dave interrupted, “They have enough resources they just don’t want other people using them because they could easily overuse them and then where would we be?” Martha looked confused and noticing this, Dave continued, “We have eliminated every use of gasoline in our country. Which you guys know is what caused the Risen Line in the first place…” They both nodded. “Well, by doing this we don’t have the privilege of making new planes that are electric because the making of them would emit even more gases and cause the Risen Line to go up even higher. So these planes are only supposed to be used for government emergency purposes, but…” he continued. “I’ve always been a rule breaker.” He said with a wide smile. Martha felt comforted hearing the whole truth on more time. Read the rest of the story here.
Learning From History – A Short Story by Jason Hsu
It read Earth: Climate Change on the tab. Instantly, memories of books and studies he read spiraled into his brain. It seemed so marvelous, luscious grasslands, expansive oceans filled with wildlife, undulant mountains and valleys, the extremity of beautiful creatures, what was not to like; after all, it was so much like Kepler. His father told him several times how he modeled our planet after Earth, at least the successful things, he would say, reminding him that this was private information, of course. Stories passed down from generation to generation of how our people had traveled from Earth to Kepler. But Joe never quite understood the reasoning behind moving to a completely different solar system, having to build a whole new world. Maybe life was just simply better or easier here, so why not, he told himself. Read the rest of the story here.
