Course Work and Course Guidelines

And so, coming here, what I have done is strip away the human facade that usually stands between me and the universe, and I see more clearly where I am. What I am able to ignore much of the time, but find undeniable here, is that all wildernesses are one: there is profound joining between this wild stream deep in one of the folds of my native country and the tropical jungles, the tundras of the north, the oceans, and the desert. Alone here, among the rocks and trees, I see that I am alone also among the stars.--Wendell Barry, “An Entrance to the Woods,”

In “Literature and the Environment,” we will examine how literary works have represented nature and how these texts reveal environmental and personal values about the natural world in which we live. We will consider the varying perspectives from which authors have written, from concrete descriptions to symbolic landscapes, from projections of the human psyche to powerful, independent forces worthy of our awe and attention, from domination to stewardship.

The readings for the course will come from myth, poetry, fiction, personal essays, and nonfiction prose. The range of our texts and the pace of our reading demand that you stay on schedule.  Falling behind in readings or course work is not an option.  I expect you to come to class having completed the assigned reading, reflected on the texts, and prepared to participate in a lively class discussion. With your proper preparation, you will find both the readings and class meetings engaging, provocative, and rewarding.

Blogs

A Blog, or more formally, a web log, is simply an on-line journal. Like journals and notebooks that you may have kept, a blog is a writing space where you present and share your ideas on and responses to a particular topic. Some blogs are nothing more than quirky on-line diaries. But one of the ways we become better readers of literature and more engaged thinkers about the subject we learning is to write frequently about what we read. Therefore, throughout the course, you will maintain your own personal blog for Literature and the Environment.

At times, I will give you specific topics to respond to in your blog. For the majority of your blog writing, though, what your write about is up to you. A successful blog reflects the personality of its writer. Therefore, people will want to read your blog not only for its subject matter but for how you write about that subject, the unique perspectives you take on that subject. Yes, I did write, "people will want to read your blog." Part of the distinguishing feature of a blog is that because it is on-line, it shares the real audience of the world wide web. Because blogs live on the Web, you can include links to relevant web sites, photographs, and video (you will be amazed at the amount of materials relevant to our course on YouTube). Other students studying Literature and the Environment or people interested in our books, authors, regions, or topics, may find your blog, enjoy reading it, and even add comments to it. Which brings us to another unique feature of a blog: unlike course journals and notebooks that had an audience of two (you and the instructor), making them a relatively passive, read-only medium, blogs invite readers to add comments, making them interactive and part of a larger conversation. Therefore, you are to read each other's blogs and write at least one substantive comment per week in a classmate's blog.

The focus of your blog is the class readings, but there are many different ways to engage those readings. One approach is to write blog entries about favorite or salient passages from the book, followed by your our reflection and analysis. Another approach is to connect the reading to another context: something you have learned in another class, personal experience, current events, or other readings. Blog entries might also be critical, challenging the ideas of a reading, asking questions of the author, and when possible disproving the writer. These are just suggestions. Think deeply and critically about the readings and make the blog your own.

Throughout the semester, you are to write a minimum of two blog entries a week.

Analytical Paper

In the second half of the semester you will write an analytical paper of approximately six pages responding closely and thoughtfully to a suggested paper topic or a topic of your choice.   The paper must be produced on a computer and word processor, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.   Fonts should be clear and readable, such as New Times Roman or Arial, font size 12.  The paper must also include an original title, page numbers, and correct citation and documentation following MLA style.

All assignments--especially this formal paper--are due at the beginning of the class period designated on the syllabus.   I accept no late work.   If you submit late work, it will receive a zero; I will, however, provide comments on it.  

You must complete all course assignments and the paper to pass the course.

For guidance on writing papers about literature, see the Papers section of our course web site.

Exam

We will have an in-class midterm exam on Wednesday, 17 October. Presentations of our "Literature for the North Woods" project will occur during our scheduled final examination, Thursday morning (9:00-Noon), 20 December. Attendance at these final presentations is required, so please make your travel plans accordingly.

Literature for the North Woods Project

The texts we are readings throughout the semester are written by women and men who have an intimate relationship with nature and their natural environment. The works they have written capture and preserve this relationship for modern readers. More importantly, these texts give us a greater appreciation of our own environment or awaken us to the wonders of the natural world in which we live. As works of art, they have to power to change how we perceive the world.

Like Isabel Bird and Henry David Thoreau, Bill McKibben and Terry Tempest Williams, many members of the Skidmore and Saratoga Springs communities--especially students--retreat to the woods, our own North Woods surrounding the campus. The aim of the "Literature for the North Woods" project is to connect our academic work (the study of "Literature and the Environment") to our natural surroundings and to find creative ways in which the literature we read in EN 229 can enhance our experience of going into the woods. In other words, the project asks you to bring to bear concepts, themes, values, and images from literature on the North Woods. The challenge of the project is to translate or transpose literary ideas to new media and for our contemporary audience and situation. Whether done individually or collaborative, your "Literature for the North Woods" project is to be a creative project, drawing upon course readings and resources and your own imagination to heighten our appreciation and understanding of the North Woods. The projects may take many forms, such as a photographic journal with captions from excerpts of the course readings, audio or video podcasts recording the experience of walking in the Woods, or your own original writing or artwork.

The Literature for the North Woods project is a semester long project, with the completed project due at the end of the semester. To give you the time and the space to create your project, you will make plenary Snapshots throughout the semester using the KEEP Toolkit program to play with ideas and connections, develop plans, and execute your vision. You will share these Project Snapshots and provide comments and suggestions to each other. I will introduce you to the KEEP Toolkit Program in class; individual Snapshot due dates are noted on the syllabus.

Regardless of the subject, medium, or format of your project, you will also prepare detailed reflective essay analyzing and assessing your experience, process, and learning.

Participation

I will conduct our class as a discussion whenever possible.  Therefore, your regular attendance and active participation in class discussion and small group activities is essential.  Participation is not simply a matter of talking a lot. Your contributions to our discussion will be valuable to us only if they are informed contributions--comments shaped by careful, critical reading and attentive listening to the remarks of all members of our class. I assess class participation qualitatively not quantitatively. The best class participation moves our discussion forward and deeper into the text and opens up important new directions.

Your participation grade also includes any quizzes, homework, response papers, and in-class activities that I assign.

Attendance

I expect each of you to attend all class meetings, having completed the assigned reading and prepared to participate.  If you are unable to attend a class, please contact a classmate or me to find out what you missed. If you miss more than five classes, you will fail the course.

I will start class promptly at 4:00 and do my best to conclude our discussion by 5:20. Please attend to all of your personal needs before class begins; leaving in the middle of our class is disrespectful to our materials, your fellow students, and to me, and I will not tolerate it. And as they say at the movies, please silence your cell phones before class begins.

Grading
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows: