Upper-division Writing Requirement Review Form (12/1/08)
I. General Education Review – Upper-division Writing Requirement
EVST 305L
Environmental Studies
Dept/Program
Course # (i.e. ANTH
Subject
455) or sequence
The Environmental Vision
Course(s) Title
Description of the requirement if it is not a single course
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Phil Condon
Instructor
X2904
Phone / Email
Date
phil.condon@mso.umt.edu
Len Broberg
Program Chair
III Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description
Through reading survey, discussion analysis, and written response -- To acquaint students with the seminal,
influential, and contemporary works and authors in writing about nature, environment, natural history, and place;
to provide background, framework, context, and understanding of the development of key approaches, forms,
themes, and concepts of environmental literature; to explore the literature’s response to and influence upon
important environmental events, figures, and movements, both past and present.
IV Learning Outcomes: Explain how each of the following learning outcomes will be achieved.
Student learning outcomes :
Identify and pursue more sophisticated
questions for academic inquiry
Find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize
information effectively from diverse sources
(see http://www.lib.umt.edu/informationliteracy/)
Manage multiple perspectives as appropriate
More sophisticated questions for inquiry are
sometimes presented directly by instructor, but more
often fostered and encouraged in class and small group
discussions. These are reinforced in class and more
individually through feedback on written work, with
the goal being that students gradually deepen their
level of inquiry and develop analytical skills for both
posing and pursuing both broader and more nuanced
questions.
Class discussion is often focused on approaches to and
methods of research, and assignments are made in
Style Manual about research practice and convention.
Topics covered and practiced are searching and
evaluating sources; attribution technique and citation
conventions, particularly MLA; analyzing varieties
and values of differing research methods;
distinguishing and assessing primary and secondary
sources; critical evaluation of quotes, sources, and
information; integrating sources and information from
several research avenues together as part of the wider
process of original authorship and composition.
As instructor of this course, I do not understand what
this outcome, as stated, means: “perspectives” in what
sense? I do not find guidance in either Writing Course
Guidelines or FAQ document to explain its meaning.
Recognize the purposes and needs of
discipline-specific audiences and adopt the
academic voice necessary for the chosen
discipline
Use multiple drafts, revision, and editing in
conducting inquiry and preparing written work
Follow the conventions of citation,
documentation, and formal presentation
appropriate to that discipline
Develop competence in information
technology and digital literacy
Instructor presents discipline-specific audience
perspective within class discussions of readings, brings
in critical writing from outside sources about some of
the readings to class, and provides guidance on
discipline-specific voice, approach, and conventions in
written feedback to student work.
The process approach to writing, including the
overlapping and recursive steps of note-taking, freewriting, multiple drafting, ongoing revision, and
repeated proofreading and editing are presented early
in course. These steps are followed up on individually
with students in the written feedback and conferencing
in response to student writing.
Instructor discusses MLA citation, documentation, and
presentation, assigns review of same in required style
manual, and provides correction and direction in such
conventions as part of feedback on major critical
response essay and its revision.
Information Literacy concepts and practices are
presented and developed incrementally during course,
with increasing emphasis as students build toward
their major assignment. Students are directed to
Mansfield Library resources and personnel in the
course of research, & review the Information Literacy
Curriculum site, as well as web-based information
literacy sites, for review and class discussion, and
group exercises occur that involve these resources and
associated techniques in the context of individual
student research projects.
V. Writing Course Requirements Check list
Is enrollment capped at 25 students?
If not, list maximum course enrollment.
Explain how outcomes will be adequately met
for this number of students. Justify the request
for variance.
Are outcomes listed in the course syllabus? If
not, how will students be informed of course
expectations?
Are detailed requirements for all written
assignments including criteria for evaluation in the
course syllabus? If not how and when will students
be informed of written assignments?
Briefly explain how students are provided with
tools and strategies for effective writing and editing
in the major.
† Yes † No NO. Enrollment cap is 20.
† Yes † No YES.
† Yes † No NO, only the number of written
assignments and lengths are listed on syllabus. More
specific requirements for each assignment are
discussed as each is assigned, with any specifics also
written on board and/or in written handouts.
In context of this course, effective writing and editing,
in the broadest and most important senses, is identical
to effective writing and editing in the major. The only
distinctive or limiting feature of effective writing for
the major here is content; i.e., concerned with the
natural world and environment. Students are provided
with such tools and strategies directly by the instructor
within class discussion of readings and of assignment
expectations and development, and in feedback to
written work, as well as in the requiring of a style
manual and assignments in same during course.
Will written assignments include an opportunity for
revision? If not, then explain how students will
receive and use feedback to improve their writing
ability.
Are expectations for Information Literacy listed in
the course syllabus? If not, how will students be
informed of course expectations?
† Yes † No YES. Any of seven shorter
assignments may be revised for extra credit (in
addition to correcting of mechanical errors, which is
required on all work returned); for the major 8-10 page
essay, a major revision, after instructor feedback, is
required.
† Yes † No NO. Information Literarcy
expectations are introduced gradually during the
course, particularly as students work up to their major
assignment. Students are directed to University library
resources and Information Literacy web pages, as well
as to web-based information literacy resources, for
review and discussion, and group exercises occur that
involve these resources and associated techniques
once some students are in specific research processes.
VI. Writing Assignments: Please describe course assignments. Students should be required to
individually compose at least 20 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Clear expression, quality, and
accuracy of content are considered an integral part of the grade on any writing assignment.
Five 1-page, one 2-page, and one 3-page critical
Formal Graded Assignments
Informal Ungraded Assignments
response essays, each arising from ongoing course
readings and class discussions, are written throughout
first 10 weeks (1/4 course grade). A major critical
response essay (8-10 pages) on writer(s), writing(s),
and concern(s) selected by student and discussed with
instructor is written by12-13th week (1/4 course grade).
After instructor feedback and individual conference, a
significant revision of major essay is then completed
by finals week (1/4 course grade).
Short responses to outside reading events; quick
quizzes on daily readings; brief write-ups on small
group discussion work in class. These assignments are
not individually graded, but their completion is
recorded & contribute to remaining ¼ of course grade.
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus preparation
see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
Paste syllabus here. ATTACHED.
.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL VISION
Reading & Thinking about Nature & the Environment
EVST 305.01
Phil Condon
Fall 2008
T/TH 2:10-3:30pm
243.2904
LA 203
phil.condon@mso.umt.edu
Office Hours in Rankin 104: M/W 2-3 pm & T/TH Noon-1pm & by appt.
Required Texts:
Mansfield Library ERES: EVST 305 (password = vision)
1) Nature and Walking, Emerson & Thoreau
3) Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold
5) Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey
Pocket Style Manual, Hacker (PSM)
2) Land of Little Rain, Mary Austin
4) Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, Janisse Ray
6) Dwellings, Linda Hogan
Purposes & Outcomes: Through reading survey, discussion analysis, and written response -- To acquaint you with seminal,
influential, and contemporary works and authors in writing about nature, environment, natural history, and place; to provide
background, framework, context, and understanding of the development of key approaches, forms, themes, and concepts of
environmental literature; to explore the literature’s response to and influence upon important environmental events, figures, and
movements, both past and present.
Required Work: Read assigned readings according to course schedule (see reverse). Note: For each assigned ERES reading,
print it out and bring to that class for our discussion. Keep your own informal reading journal (observations, questions,
responses, etc) and bring it to each class to help you participate.
This is a reading intensive course: total reading required = around 1300 pages (averaging 85-90 pages/week).
Write 5 1-page, double/spaced critical response essays (CRE) due each Thursday 9/4 to 10/2, 1 2-pg CRE due TH 10/16, and 1
3-pg CRE due TH 10/30. For these, you select subjects from among readings for the week(s). I’ll return each on the following
Tues with editing keyed to PSM; you correct & return by next class.
Write a major critical response essay on writer(s), writing(s), and concern(s) that you select (2500 words minimum —about 8-10
pgs, double-spaced) due by Tues Nov 18. I’ll return it Tues Nov 25 with thorough response & suggestions; you then revise it
and return no later than Finals week class Wed 12/10 @ 3:30pm. All writing assignment expectations will be discussed at length
during course. Major critical response essay topics and approaches may arise from among your previous 7 shorter written
responses, our class discussions and small-group work, your outside reading and research, and your related life experiences and
interests.
Attend at least 3 out-of-class live public readings of nature/environmental writing. Some possibilities include TT Williams Th
9/25, the MT Book Festival Readings 10/23-24; EVST grad student thesis or other readings TBA in class in advance. Write a 1paragraph response to each reading you attend and turn it in within 1 week.
Course Grading:
Seven reading responses & corrections = ¼
Attendance, preparation, participation in class & assignments = ¼
Major response essay = ¼
Revision of major response essay = ¼
Semester Schedule (subject to changes and substitutions as announced in class each day):
ERES = Library Electronic Reserve NW = Nature & Walking
D = Dwellings
DS = Desert Solitaire
LLR = Land of Little Rain ECC = Ecology of a Cracker Childhood
SCA = Sand County Almanac
WK 1
T 8/26
TH 8/28
Intros, Syllabus, Schedule, In-Class Reading & Writing
2 ERES: Hilbert/Disturbing the Universe & Williams/Save the Whales,Screw the Shrimp
2
T 9/2
TH 9/4
NW: Walking p 71 to end (p 122) & ERES: Solnit/Thoreau Problem
NW: Elder/Intro & Nature thru p 12 & ERES: Whitman/Photo Essay
1 pg CRE
T 9/9
TH 9/11
NW: Nature p 13 to end (p 67) & ERES: Berry/Mad Farmer Poem
2 ERES: Dillard/Living Like Weasels & Finch/Very Like a Whale
1 pg CRE
T 9/16
TH 9/18
LLR: Preface thru The Basket Maker
LLR: Streets of the Mountains to end
1 pg CRE
5
T 9/23
TH 9/25
3 ERES: Muir/Wind Storm & Quammen/Face of a Spider & Walker/Am I Blue?
3 ERES: TT Williams/Yucca; Yellowstone Erotics of Place; Redemption
1 pg CRE
6
T 9/30
TH 10/2
SCA: Part I (p 3 thru p 92)
SCA: Part II (p 94 thru 162)
3
4
7
8
T 10/7
TH 10/9
1 pg CRE
SCA: Part III (p 165 thru p 226)
SCA: Foreword, Intro, & About the Author & ERES: Hawken/To Remake the World
T 10/14 2
TH 10/16 2
ERES: Eiseley/Flow of the River & Berry/Makings of a Marginal Farm
ERES: Nichols/Keep It Simple & Pollan/Why Mow?
9
T 10/21
TH 10/23
ECC: beginning (p 3) thru p 98
ECC: p 99 thru p 150
10
T 10/28
TH 10/30
ECC: p 151 thru p 222
ECC: p 223 thru end (Look at Appendices & Acknowledgements)
11
T 11/4
TH 11/6
NO CLASS—ELECTION DAY
4 ERES: Beston/Orion…; Carson/Silent Spring; RC’s Birthday Bashing; Lopez/Apologia
12
T 11/11
TH 11/13
NO CLASS--VETERANS DAY
DS: Author’s Intro thru Polemic: . . .
13
T 11/18
TH 11/20
DS: Water; Heat of Noon; Moon-Eyed Horse; Havasu
DS: Havasu; Dead Man . . . ; Episodes & Visions; Bedrock & Paradox
14
T 11/25
TH 11/27
3 ERES: Jensen/Thought to Exist…& Millet/Die, Baby Harp Seal! & Newkirk/Science Is
NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING
15
T 12/2
TH 12/4
D: preface thru Creations (p 98)
D: Stories of Water (p 99) thru end (p 159)
Wed 12/10 @ 3:20pm
UM Dates:
2 pg CRE
3 pg CRE
Major CRE
Final Class: All revisions of major CRE are due on or before this hour;
Revision
student evaluations of course; ¾ course grades available; closing ceremonies; farewells
9/15: Last add or drop on C-Bear with refund
10/6: Last add or drop with Override/No $$ back
11/26: Last withdrawal from all courses
12/5: Last drop or grade option change by petition