ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE SCIENCE/STUDIES
ERSC 3502H - ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNICATION : WRITING - 2014-15 WI
Instructor:
Peter Lapp
Trent Email:
PeterLapp@trentu.ca
Telephone: TBA
Campus: Symons
Office Location:
Office Hours: TBA
Secretary: Deb Mills
Email: dmills@trentu.ca
Office Location: ESC B202
Telephone: 7199
Type
Lecture-workshop
Day
Wed
Time
2-5PM
Location
ESC B319
Course Description:
The communication of scientific theories, concepts, debates and issues to non-scientific audiences has a
long history. It becomes increasingly significant in an era in which the complexities and volume of scientific
knowledge is increasing and in which understanding the cultural role of science and environmental
challenges requires a literate and informed public. This course will provide students with the opportunity to
develop the analytic, writing and communication tools that support effective scientific writing for the general
public as well as more select audiences. It will encourage the development of a writerly ear by surveying
past and current examples of writing for non-scientific audiences and encourage a self-reflective approach to
writing by examining the writing process and notions of style.
Required Texts:
Blum, D. (2014). The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2014. Houghton-Mifflin - ISBN
978-0-544-00339-2. Available as an e-book.
Dawkins, R. (2009). The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing. Oxford – ISBN 978-0-19921681-9
Pinker, S. (2014). The Sense of Style. Viking – ISBN 978-0-670-02585-5.
Learning Outcomes/Objectives/Goals/Expectations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Analyze non-scientific audiences for scientific writing with the appropriate conceptual tools.
Manage readability.
Analyze discursive prose and assess its effectiveness.
Employ the basic conventions of relevant genres of science writing.
Develop a considered view of how scientists and science are represented in the media.
Type of Assignment
Attendance, readings, participation
Journal
Interview
Script and reading (group)
Article
Presentation of article
Weighting
10%
10%
25%
15%
30%
10%
Due Date
Ongoing
Wk 6
Wks 7&9
Wks 7-9
Wks 10&12
To be scheduled Wks 2-8
Explanation of assignments and marking:
Journal: a weekly comment on the “take-away” from presentations and discussions of scientific writing for a
non-scientific audience. Assessed in terms of consistent entries, quality of style, and level of insight.
Interview: a magazine/newspaper article based on interviewing a scientist and presenting them and their
work to a non-scientific audience. Assessed for appreciation of audience, format, writerly skills, and
challenge of material.
Article: a magazine format article presenting a scientific issue or development and targeted to a specific
publication. Assessed for appreciation of the publication, its audience, writerly skills, and challenge of
material.
Presentation of article: a presentation of a reading from one of the two collections of scientific writing. To
focus on the writer, the nature of the original publication, the perceived strengths and shortcomings of the
reading, and the “take-away” for the presenter and the class.
Week-by-week schedule:
Wk - Date
1 - Jan 7
2 - Jan 14
3 - Jan 21
4 - Jan 28
5 - Feb 4
6 - Feb 11
7
8 - Feb 25
9 - Mar 4
10 - Mar 11
11 – Mar 18
12 – Mar 25
13 – Apr 1
Lecture/workshop
NOTE - Main Pinker weekly readings are provided below – selections from Blum
and Dawkins will be developed with students and announced in a timely fashion.
Additional materials are supplied at the instructor’s discretion.
Introduction, communication, basics
- Words in action
Scientific communication, writing and genres 1
- Sentence-level readability
Read – Pinker all Chpt 1 and Chpt 4 selections
Scientific communication, writing and genres 2
- Disciplinary discourse bubbles and abstractions
Read – Pinker Chpt 2
Mass media and communication issues
- A cognitive view of grammar
Read - Pinker Chpt 6 selections overview
Magazines – hard-copy and e’
- Review of article formats and assignment
st
Reviewing and Tying up the 1 half
Reading Break
Into the Pop’ world – TV, movies and novels: good, bad and ugly
- Narrative techniques and dialogue
Reversing field - popularizing science from Hawthorne to London
- Narrative techniques, controlling audience sympathy and identification
- Presenting the “scenes”
The state of the internet
- Audience, genre, style, medium
The political climate and commentary
- The views from left and right and Lakoff; tuning prose
An omnibus of case studies
Reviewing and tying up the term
- Presenting interviews
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University Policies
Academic Integrity:
Academic dishonesty, which includes plagiarism and cheating, is an extremely serious academic offence
and carries penalties varying from failure on an assignment to expulsion from the University. Definitions,
penalties, and procedures for dealing with plagiarism and cheating are set out in Trent University’s Academic
Integrity Policy. You have a responsibility to educate yourself – unfamiliarity with the policy is not an excuse.
You are strongly encouraged to visit Trent’s Academic Integrity website to learn more:
www.trentu.ca/academicintegrity.
Access to Instruction:
It is Trent University's intent to create an inclusive learning environment. If a student has a
disability and/or health consideration and feels that he/she may need accommodations to
succeed in this course, the student should contact the Student Accessibility Services Office
(SAS), (BH Suite 132, 705-748-1281 or email accessibilityservices@trentu.ca). For Trent
University - Oshawa Student Accessibility Services Office contact 905-435-5102 ext. 5024 or
email nancyhempel@trentu.ca . Complete text can be found under Access to Instruction in the
Academic Calendar.
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