| Lec # | Topics | Key dates |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Introduction |
|
2 |
Mairs, Nancy, "On Being a Scientific Booby," and John Muir, "3 Short Pieces." In Writing Nature. Levi, Primo. "Carbon." In The Periodic Table. |
Writing: Autobiographical sketch due at start of class |
3 |
Writing Worth Reading. pp. 66-68 and 193-194. Lopez, Barry. "Gone Back into the Earth." In Crossing Open Ground. Leopold, Aldo. "Thinking Like a Mountain." In Sand County Almanac. Sample Student Narrative Essays |
Writing: Exercise 1a due at start of class |
4 |
Thoreau, Henry David. "Brute Neighbors," Lewis Thomas, "Ponds," and Ursula LeGuin, "A Very Warm Mountain." In Writing Nature. |
In class: Return exercise 1a |
5 |
"Rhetoric: Writing about Personal Experience," David Quammen, "The Face of a Spider," and Alice Walker, "Am I Blue?" In Writing Nature. |
Writing: Exercise 1b due at start of class |
6 |
"Developing the Paragraph." In Writing Nature. |
Writing: First version of essay #1 (5 copies) due at start of class |
7 |
"Case Study: A Student's Personal Essay." In Writing Worth Reading. In class: Essay Workshop |
Writing: Written comments (2 copies) due at start of class |
8 |
In class: "Cadillac Desert." (Video) |
Writing: Final version of essay #1 due at start of class |
9 |
"Arguing." In Writing Nature and Selections from Conflicts of Interest. |
Writing: Exercise 2a due (3 days after lecture 9) |
10 |
Ward, Diane Raines. "Sweet Water." In Water Wars. Stegner, Wallace. "Glen Canyon Submersus." In The Sound of Mountain Water. McPhee, John. Excerpt from Encounter with the Archdruid. In class: "Cadillac Desert." (Video) |
|
11 |
Opposing Points of View on Specific Water Conflict Writing Worth Reading. pp. 428-430. In class: Exercise Workshop |
Writing: Exercise 2b (3 copies) due at start of class |
12 |
Writing Nature. pp. 541-560. "Las Vegas, A Guilty Pleasure." (Sample Student Essay) Writing Worth Reading. pp. 114-131 and 91-98. |
In class: Exercise 2b returned |
13 |
"Making the Argument." In Writing Worth Reading. |
Writing: First version of essay #2 (5 copies) due at start of class |
14 |
In class: Essay Workshop |
Writing: Written comments (2 copies) due at start of class |
15 |
Bring in list of ideas for research essay In class: Library Session |
Final version of essay #2 due (1 day after lecture 15) |
16 |
Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. pp. 1-127. In class: Student-led discussion of chapters in Silent Spring |
|
17 |
Writing Worth Reading. Skim pp. 333-352. Read "Reading and Taking Notes." In Writing Worth Reading. Independent research for your own paper |
Writing: Exercise 3a due at start of class Bring in copy of article or chapter (see ex. assignment) |
18 |
"Documenting your Sources," and "Suggesting Recurrent Themes." In Writing Worth Reading. "Vanishing Frogs." (Sample Student Essay) Research for your own paper In class: Discussion of Plagiarism |
Writing: Exercise 3b due at start of class Bring in copy of second article or chapter |
19 |
Stewart, Meg. "Dredging to Keep New York-New Jersey Harbor Alive." In The Earth Around Us. Research for your own paper In class: Oral Presentations |
Writing: Exercise 3c due at start of class |
20 |
Research for your own paper "Writing a First Draft." In Writing Worth Reading. In class: Oral Presentations |
In class: Exercise 3c returned |
21 |
Research for your own paper Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. pp. 276-297. In class: Oral Presentations |
|
22 |
In class: Oral Presentations |
Writing: First version of paper #3 (5 copies) due at start of class |
23 |
In class: Essay Workshop |
Writing: Written comments (2 copies) due at start of class |
24 |
In class: Introduction Revision Workshop |
Writing: Bring revised introduction (at least first full page) for essay #3 (2 copies) Final version of essay #3 due (1 day after lecture 24) |
25 |
In class: Style Revision Workshop |
Writing: Bring in one-page segment of essay #1 or #2 (2 copies) |
26 |
In class: Reading and Listening to Favorite Works Celebrating the successful completion of 21W.730 |
Writing: Optional revision of earlier paper due at start of class |
