English 406 Schedule

Jan 21	Intro to course and course policies. “Is This Science Paper A Fraud?”
23	Communicating Science. Chapter 1 in Handbook, “What Makes a Science Writer.” Read the foreword and intro to BASNW. Jabr, “Why the Brain Prefers Paper” (98). · What is Science Writing? · Carmen Drahl on science writing at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. · Science Writing: Practice Makes It (Almost) Perfect. · Writing Accessibly About Science. · "The End Of Science Writing" (by Jon Franklin). · “The NY Times Closes Environmental Desk”
26	Exploring the Disciplines. Guest Speaker, Amy Reubens, candidate for position in Professional Writing. What do you think people in business, government, and non-profits need to do to write successfully in their work? Chapter 2 in Handbook, “Finding Ideas.” Also, “The Cuddly Kitty Killer.” · “Defining Natural Sciences” · “Humanities Aren’t a Science” · Richard Feynman on “The Scientific Method.” · A List of Academic Disciplines
28	Disciplines Cont’d: What We Don’t Know Chapters 1 and 2 in Ignorance: How It Drives Science Goldschmidt, “What Our Telescopes Couldn’t See” (35).
30	Disciplines Cont’d: What We Don’t Know Chapters 3 and 4 in Ignorance Hughes, “23 and You” (72).
Feb 2	Better Ignorance 5 and 6 in Ignorance. NPR Story on Firestein. Johnson, “O-rings” (107)
4	Reviewing Cases 7 and 8 in Ignorance. Solnit, “The Separating Sickness” (267)
6	Getting the Story Chapter 4 in Handbook, “Getting the Story, and Getting it Right” (40) Due: Also, who will you talk/write to? What discipline? Why do you want to talk to them? What do you already know about the field? Not know? What questions will you ask?
9	Genre and Style in Science Writing Please watch Richard Lanham's Revising Prose: Lecture 1, Lecture 2 and Lecture 3. Also, Eight Principles of Style, Clarity and Concision, and 10 Steps to Longer Sentences. Due: Find sentences (3) you’d revise per Lanham (give original and revised).
11	Scientific Papers. 5 in Handbook: “By the Numbers: Essential Statistics for Science Writers” (53) How to Read Academic Research, "Open Access: Should scientific articles be available online and free to the public?" Amanda Schaffer, Slate, 2004. "Quality Control: The case against peer review" Daniel Engber, Slate, 2005. Also, practical tips on scientific writing.
13	Proposals and the Pitch 3 in Handbook, “Making the Pitch” (23). Henig, “A Life-or-Death Situation” (54). • NSF: Grant Proposal Guide • Advice on Writing Proposals to the National Science Foundation Susan Finger, Carnegie Mellon University.
16	Evidence 6 in Handbook: “Excavating the Evidence: Reporting for Narrative” (59). Carr, “The Great Forgetting” (8).
18	Science Journalism 7 in Handbook: “Sculpting the Story” (75). Buhler, “The Teeming Metropolis of You” · “Born to Be Happy,” Richard Friedman · “Anti-Microbial Soaps More Harm Than Good?”, Monica Eng · Popular Science Writing. · Science in Journalism.
20	Due: Case History. Please Post to D2L by . . .
23	Genes Read Dobbs and Harmon in BASNW
25	History Read Zimmer and Wilson in BASNW.
27	Collapse Read Kolbert and Scranton in BASNW
Mar 2	Animals Read King, Kingsolver, and Treuwer in BASNW.
4	Disease Read McKenna, Mnookin and Lang in BASNW.
6	Due: Proposal for Popular Science article.
	Spring Break
16	11 in handbook: “Just Write the Friggin Thing Already!” (123) Read Nobel BASNW.
18	Read Pearce and Powell in BASNW.
20	Read Sheppard and Sherwonit in BASNW.
23	Russell 251 to work on research or writing.
25	Visit from Anthony Cortese, Woodrow Wilson fellow, national expert in sustainability.
27	Post paper draft by 5:00 3/26 to D2L Discussion. Peer review in groups. Credit/grade for posting paper on time (at least ¾ draft) and for written comments on members of your group. 5pts.
30	Peer review
Apr 1	Peer review
3	8 in handbook: “Working with Editors—And Their Edits” (87). Science Controversies. Ideas in Science: Scientific Controversy
6	Research a current controversy in science to discuss in class: nuclear energy, fracking, intelligent design, genetic foods, ADHD, uranium in VA, etc. Find articles on that topic and discuss the controversy and how the articles are structured and present the information. As an example, “What Killed Dunkard Creek?” from Earth Island Institute.
8	“The Ethanol Scam” from Rolling Stone. New Yorker story on intelligent design, “Devolution.” Also, Creationism in Colorado from Slate.
10	Ch. 23 in Handbook: “The Ethical Science Writer.” On objectivity in reporting on climate change. New York Times articles on global warming. Elizabeth Kolbert on climate change in debates and climate change and hurricane Sandy. Due: Popular Science Assignment. Please bring hard copies of final and draft w/ comments.
13	Research online: Mountain Valley Pipeline
15	Research online: Is the Radford Army Arsenal the top polluter in the state? If so, what is the effect of this contamination? What is the compound they are emitting?. See also, “Beneficial Use of Coal Ash.”
17	Russell 251 to research for science controversies.
20	Ch. 14 in Handbook: “Beyond Compare” (149). Read also Afterword in handbook.
22	Conferences
24	Conferences
27	Bring draft for peer review. You must be prepared for peer review (that means reading your peers’ papers and commenting on them.
29
May 1	Final Papers/Projects Due at exam time.