San José State University
College of Social Sciences | Department of Environmental Studies
ENVS 100W, Environmental Research and Writing, Fall 2010
Section 1, Course Number 44071
Instructor
Kristin Hageseth Michels
Office Location
Washington Square Hall 115A
E-mail
kkh.michels@gmail.com
Office Hours
Tuesday, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM, and by appointment
Class Days and Time
Tuesday and Thursday, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM
Classroom
Dudley Moorhead Hall 162
Prerequisite/s
ENGL 1B, Completion of Core GE, satisfy Writing Skills
Test, Upper division standing, declared Environmental
Studies major
GE/SJSU Studies Category
Area Z: Written Communication II
Class Website
https://sites.google.com/site/envs100wfall2010
Course Description
In this course, you will develop advanced research and writing skills. We will focus on issues,
literature, and challenges associated with environmental writing. You will learn to be an
effective writer by writing, reading, and reflecting. In this course, we will work on each of these
areas in the context of both technical and general audiences.
Course Goals and Student Learning Objectives
In Area Z: Written Communication II courses, students will develop advanced proficiency in
college-level writing and appropriate contemporary research strategies and methodologies to
communicate effectively to both specialized and general audiences. Specific Student Learning
Objectives for Area Z are:
Learning Objective 1: Students shall be able to refine the competencies established in Written
Communication IA and IB:
1A Student Learning Objectives:
 Students should be able to perform effectively the essential steps in the writing process
(prewriting, organizing, composing, revising, and editing).
 Students should be able to express (explain, analyze, develop, and criticize) ideas
effectively.
 Students should be able to use correct grammar (syntax, mechanics, and citation of
sources) at a college level of sophistication.
 Students should be able to write for different audiences (both specialized and general)
ENVS 100W, Environmental Research and Writing,
Fall 2010, Section 1, Course Number 44071
Page 1 of 7
1B Student Learning Objectives:
 Students should be able to use (locate, analyze, and evaluate) supporting materials,
including independent library research.
 Students should be able to synthesize ideas encountered in multiple readings.
 Students should be able to construct effective arguments.
Learning Objective 2: Students shall be able to express (explain, analyze, develop, and criticize)
ideas effectively, including ideas encountered in multiple readings and expressed in different
forms of discourse.
Learning Objective 3: Students shall be able to organize and develop essays and documents for
both professional and general audiences, including appropriate editorial standards for citing
primary and secondary sources.
Required Texts/Readings
Both the required and recommended textbooks are available at the bookstore or on
www.amazon.com.
Required

Hacker, D. 2007. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. Bedford/St. Martins. ISBN: 0-312-450257.
Recommended

Cooper, S. and R. Patton. 2007. Writing Logically, Thinking Critically. 5th or 6th ed.
Pearson Longman. ISBN: 0-321-41431-4.
Optional (excerpts from these text will be provided on-line)



Leopold, A. 1949. A Sand County Almanac. Any ed. Ballantine Books, New York.
ISBN: 0-345-34505-3.
Abbey, E. 1968. Desert Solitaire. Any ed. Ballantine Books, New York. ISBN: 978-0345-32649-2.
Carson, R.1962. Silent Spring. Any ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. ISBN: 0-395-68329-7.
Class Website
All class reading assignments will be accessible electronically via our class website. A copy of
this greensheet will also be posted on the class website:
https://sites.google.com/site/envs100wfall2010
Library Liaison
Peggy Cabrera is our liaison for Environmental Studies. Reach her at: peggy.cabrera@sjsu.edu.
ENVS 100W, Environmental Research and Writing,
Fall 2010, Section 1, Course Number 44071
Page 2 of 7
Classroom Protocol
You are expected to be present and punctual for every class session, to participate respectfully in
discussions and in-class writing assignments. To complete these assignments and take notes, you
will need to bring paper and a pen. Cell phones should be turned off during class, with an
exception for parents who may receive emergency calls. Laptops may not be used during class.
Come prepared to talk, write, and think critically about the readings assigned for each class
period. It is critical that you complete the assigned reading before class (you’ll miss 95% of what
we’re talking about if you try to skim in class).
Assignments and Grading Policy
Writing assignments for this class cover a variety of styles, lengths, and approaches. Writing
frequently is the best way to improve your writing craft. Although the following list of written
assignments may look long, most of the assignments are quite short. Many of the assignments
are designed as steps to aid you in writing the final research paper.
1. Writer’s Autobiography (600 words)
2. Passions Paper (800 words)
3. Revised Passions Paper (800 words)
4. Library Orientation (worksheet)
5. Data Comparison (800 words)*
6. Letter to the Editor (250 words)*
7. Critical Review – Single Article (400 words)*
8. Research Update #1 (400 words)*
9. Critical Review – Two Articles (800 words)*
10. Research Update #2 (800 words)*
11. Creative Writing Exercise
12. Research Paper (2500 words)*
Reading Summaries & In-Class Discussions
Research Proposal Oral Presentation (3-5 minutes)
Research Paper Oral Presentation (7-8 minutes)
3%
3%
5%
4%
5%
4%
5%
5%
8%
8%
5%
15%
15%
5%
10%
Total: 100%
All assignments must be turned in/ready for peer review at the beginning of class on the date
they are due or they will be considered late. Assignments above with an asterix (*) must be
submitted to www.turnitin.com (instructions on-line) in addition to turning in a hardcopy to me
on the due date. Late papers will be docked one letter grade for each day that they are late. Up to
two extra credit assignments may be submitted during the semester (up to 7% of final grade).
All writing assignments should be typed. If you do not have access to a computer at home, use
the following campus resources: Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic
Success Center located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and on the 2nd floor of the Student Union.
Computers are also available in the Martin Luther King Library.
ENVS 100W, Environmental Research and Writing,
Fall 2010, Section 1, Course Number 44071
Page 3 of 7
In-Class Discussion
Readings will be discussed in-class the day they are due, which is every Tuesday (except where
noted in the class schedule below). To receive credit for completing the assigned reading and
participating in discussion, you must bring in a completed reading summary (template posted on
class website) and be prepared to talk about the reading. Reading summaries will be graded inclass by your peers and will be used to facilitate discussion.
Grading Policy
A. The grade of A is appropriately given to students whose preparation for and execution of all
course assignments has been consistently thorough and thoughtful. In addition, by the end of the
quarter, students who earn an A are consistently producing work that is ambitiously and
thoughtfully conceived, conscious of the demands of a particular assignment, purposeful,
effectively developed, and effectively edited.
B. The grade of B is appropriately given to students who have satisfactorily completed all class
assignments, although some of these efforts may have been more successful than others. By the
end of the quarter, students who earn a B are consistently producing work that is competent in
that they meet the demands of assignments, have a clear purpose, are sufficiently developed, and
are accurately edited.
C. The grade of C is appropriately given to students who have fulfilled course requirements
although, in some instances, minimally so. By the end of the quarter, students who have earned
a C have provided sufficient evidence that they can produce focused, purposeful writing that
satisfies the demands of an assignment, is adequately developed, and is carefully edited although,
in some instances, achieving that standard depended on multiple revisions.
No Credit. Students whose work has been unsatisfactory in several significant ways will still
receive No Credit for completing this course. Students receiving No Credit have not completed
all the course requirements and/or their essays have not yet achieved the level of competency
required to satisfy the GE Z requirement. Students who do not pass 100W will have to re-take
the class to complete upper division Environmental Studies coursework.
Dropping and Adding
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops,
academic renewal, etc. Information on add/drops is available at www.info.sjsu.edu/webdbgen/narr/soc-fall/rec-306.html. Late drop information is available at
www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and
penalties for adding and dropping classes. The LAST day to drop a class is September 7th. The
last day to add a class is September 14th.
University Policies
Academic Integrity
Students should know that the University’s Academic Integrity Policy is available at
www.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.htm. Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your
ENVS 100W, Environmental Research and Writing,
Fall 2010, Section 1, Course Number 44071
Page 4 of 7
enrollment at San Jose State University and the University’s integrity policy, require you to be
honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions
to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The website for Student Conduct and
Ethical Development is available at www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct.
Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism
(presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without giving
proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all
assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise specified. If you
would like to include in your assignment any material you have submitted, or plan to submit for
another class, please note that SJSU’s Academic Policy F06-1 requires approval of instructors.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to
make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment
with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires
that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the DRC (Disability
Resource Center) to establish a record of their disability.
ENVS 100W, Environmental Research and Writing,
Fall 2010, Section 1, Course Number 44071
Page 5 of 7
ENVS 100W, Environmental Research and Writing, Fall 2010
Section 1, Course Number 44071
Course Schedule
Topics, readings, and assignment due dates are subject to change, depending on the needs of the
course. Changes to this schedule will be announced in class.
Week
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
9
9
Date
Topics, Readings,
Assignments, Deadlines
Introductions, Course
8/26 Overview & Intro to Assign
#1 and Readings
The Purpose of Writing &
8/31
Intro to Assign #2
The Essay Format: The
9/2
"Formula" & Structure
The Essay Format:
9/7 Transitions and Effective
Development
Exploring Research Topics
9/9
& Intro to Assign #3
Refining Research Topics &
9/14
Intro to Assign #4
Literature Review and
9/16
Finding Sources
Sources and Appropriate
9/21
Citations
Critical Evaluation of
9/23
Literature
Data Comparison in
9/28 Literature & Intro to Assign
#5
Data Comparison in
9/30
Literature (cont.)
Crafting an Argument &
10/5
Intro to Assign #6
Grammar, Word Choice, and
10/7
Composition
Critically Reviewing
10/12 Primary Literature & Intro to
Assign #7
Readings to be Completed
by Class
Sand County Almanac
Reading Summary, Assign
(SCA) – January & February #1: Writer’s Autobiography
SCA – March & April
Reading Summary,
Assign #2: Passions Paper
SCA – May & June
Reading Summary
Assign #3: Revised Passions
Paper
SCA – July & August
Reading Summary
Assign #4: Library
Orientation
SCA – September &
October
Reading Summary
SCA – November &
December
Reading Summary, Assign
#5: Data Comparison
Desert Solitaire – Author’s
Intro & The First Morning
Reading Summary
Assign #6: Letter to the
Editor
10/14 Writing for an Audience
Writing as a Process: The
10/19 Importance of Revision &
Intro to Assign #8
Preparation for Proposal
10/21
Presentations
Assignments Due
Desert Solitaire – Solitaire &
Reading Summary
The Serpents of Paradise
ENVS 100W, Environmental Research and Writing,
Fall 2010, Section 1, Course Number 44071
Assign #7: Critical Review
(Single Article)
Page 6 of 7
Week
Date
10
10/26
10
Topics, Readings,
Assignments, Deadlines
Readings to be Completed
by Class
Proposal Presentation
(Group 1)
Proposal Presentation
10/28
(Group 2)
11
11/2
11
11/4
12
11/9
12
11/11
13
11/16
13
11/18
14
11/23
14
11/25
15
11/30
15
12/2
16
12/7
16
12/9
General Presentation
Feedback & Intro to Assign
#9
Types of Arguments:
Fallacious Arguments
Research Project Update &
Intro to Assign #10
Veteran’s Day – No Class
Argument: Inductive versus
Deductive & Intro to Assign
#12
Style & Clarity: Language,
Sentences, and Paragraphs
Critical Environmental
Thought
Thanksgiving Holiday – No
Class
Creative Writing & Intro to
Assign #11
Formal Research
Presentations: Expectations
and Tips
Research Symposium
(Group 2)
Research Symposium
(Group 1)
Assignments Due
Assign #8: Research Update
#1
Desert Solitaire – Cliffrose
and Bayonets & Polemic:
Industrial Tourism & the
National Parks
Reading Summary
Silent Spring – Intro &
Chapter 1
-
Reading Summary
Silent Spring – Chapter 2 &
Chapter 3
Reading Summary, Assign
#9: Critical Review (Two
Articles)
Silent Spring – Chapter 4
and 5
Reading Summary, Assign
#10: Research Update #2
-
-
ENVS 100W, Environmental Research and Writing,
Fall 2010, Section 1, Course Number 44071
Final Reading Summary!
Assign #11: Creative
Writing Piece
Assign #12: Research Paper
Page 7 of 7