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COURSE DESCRIPTION
In broadest terms, this course
will focus on writing that concerns the relationship between humans and their
environment. Writers of all descriptions--scientists, philosophers,
journalists, poets, fiction writers--have struggled to understand the natural
world. Very often, their attempts help readers think more richly and deeply
about their surroundings, how they constitute us, and we them. We will study
how these writers help us “see” (or re-see) familiar landscapes, examining
how humans negotiate their “place” in nature. We will read both landmark
non-fictional works of an emerging ecological ethic as well as some fictional
works that imagine our (sometimes grim) future. Our semester will break down
into roughly three sections: 1) some “classics” of nature writing and natural
history, with an emphasis on the sense of place, 2) an investigation into the
nature and outdoor experiences of children, what Rachel Carson called their
"sense of wonder," and 3) a reading of a novel, Bewilderment, and Robin Wall Kimmerer’s
best-selling Braiding Sweetgrass.
WORKLOAD
Texts
American Earth, Environmental
Writing Since Thoreau, Mckibben
Bewilderment, Richard
Powers
Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer
ASSIGNMENTS
#1 – In keeping with our natural history and sense of
place, a creative nonfiction paper on a place meaningful to you. Draw a
circle around your own home ground. (10
pts)
#2 – A lesson plan involving activities to get kids outside and
learning/writing about nature? Or, an argument for why kids need nature,
perhaps drawing on your own experiences as to how nature/outdoor experiences
were important to your development. Or a children's story/paper on some
aspect of nature, that aims to teach as well as delight. Post to discussion? (10 pts)
#3 – Eight (8) “footnotes,” one
per week. Our text is pretty bare bones, no footnotes. Explain the background
or context of a particular term, historical fact, concept from the reading. Simply
look up the information, write down what you learn. These have to be on eight texts different from responses (each week).
(2 pt. each = 16pts)
#4 – A reading log of eight texts. Again, at least one per week to
mid-term. I’d like to see some discussion of the orientation of the writer
(who), how written, with a characterization of the voice/style (how), a
central image/metaphor (what), a juicy quote or two, and an overall theme,
takeaway (why). This could be who is writing, how they are writing, images/subjects
that emerge (what), and a final takeaway (why). But at least one quote. (3
pts each 24 pts). About 200-300 wrds.
#5 – A mid-term that will ask you to “rank” the short pieces we read (10
pts)
#6 – An everyday
action project. One early example of such a project is Walden, which
recounts Thoreau’s attempt to live as simple a life as possible in a small
cabin in the woods. There are many other literary examples of such projects
as well, people making small changes on an everyday level. People also share
the minutiae of their lives on a variety of social media platforms, allowing
them to record and analyze what they are doing, thinking, and eating on a
day-to-day basis. Other examples include the young climate activist Greta
Thunberg’s voyage across the Atlantic in a solar-powered sailboat, scientists
and academics signing a pledge to fly less, or students committing to ride or
walk to class, or incorporate climate change into their pedagogy.
Building
on such examples, please engage in your own everyday life a project for the
duration of this course. We will break down this project into different
components, and time as we go to reflect on how engaging in such projects
while reading affect our experiences of the everyday. The course will
culminate with the writing of a final paper at the end of the semester, which
seeks to bring together everything you’ve discovered by engaging in this
project.
Proposal (5pts): Choosing an everyday life
project. We will spend a few class periods talking about what an everyday
life project is, and give you time to consider what the shape of your project
will be and what rules you plan to follow. Formulate a kind of hypothesis:
What do you expect to discover by engaging in this project?
You might make an effort to eat
less meat or become a vegetarian; drive less or give up traveling by
automobile all together; consciously reduce your use of electricity; consciously
reduce your use of water; take detailed notes of daily weather; take a
picture every day; share a fact or an observation about climate change every
day on a social media account.
Project
Journal (15 pts). Record keeping. As your project gets underway,
start a journal where you will record daily or weekly observations.
Entries should be from about a quarter of a page to half a page (or about 150
words to 250 words) on average.
#7 Final Paper
(5- 7 ish pages, 20pts). Write final essay that
explains what the project is, how it was conducted, and what you discovered
as you did it. The essay should incorporate discussion of the readings and
films from the class, and how they’ve affected the way you’ve conducted your
project. It should be written as if it were for a general reading
public, and can be presented in a narrative or other creative form.
POLICIES
Normally this is where I emphasize coming to class, being present and
prepared. But since this will a crazy sememester,
things a little different. I would like to start out in person, face-to-face,
but then we may move online (or go outside) as needed. And if you find
yourself behind, or confused, or can’t make it, please let me know by email. If
you feel like you have symptom,s
stay home and we’ll screen you in. I can also do Zoom calls (or regular
calls). If we go to Zoom, please keep video on.
GRADING
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Assignment
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Points
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Paper
#1
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10
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Kids
and nature
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10
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Footnotes
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16
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Reading
Log
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24
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Midterm
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10
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Action
project
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20
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Final Reflection
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20
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Total
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10
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