Time Schedule:
Jo Wallace
ENVIR 200
Seattle Campus
Focuses on reading, writing, presentation, and critical analysis of written material, in an interdisciplinary context of environmental problems. Develops proficiency in use of bibliographic databases, scholarly journals, and the Internet as research tools. Second in three-course series required of Environmental Studies majors. Prerequisite: minimum grade of 2.0 in ENVIR 100; minimum grade of 2.0 in one of C LIT 240, ENGL 109 and ENGL 110; ENGL 111, ENGL 121, ENGL 131, ENGL 197, ENGL 198, ENGL 199, ENGL 281, ENGL 297, ENGL 298, or ENGL 299.
Class description
A skill-building seminar focused on communicating about environmental issues for a variety of public and academic audiences. This is a writing intensive class which places particular emphasis on student ability to adhere to different disciplinary conventions. The course is divided into four units: wilderness preservation; hydropower/ environmental justice; genetically modified foods; salmon recovery planning. Materials include texts from the humanities, the natural sciences, the social sciences, policy studies, environmental law, and the popular press.
Student learning goals
Strengthen writing skills through attention to the following: pre-writing, drafting, using style manuals, peer reviewing, responding to feedback, and revising. Emphasizing rigorous attention to detail.
Critical reading and analysis across disciplines. Editing your own work and that of others.
Oral presentations.
Obtain sources from a variety of disciplines and resources, including fieldtrips and contact with stakeholders.
Working collaboratively.
Collecting and incorporating materials from a variety of fields into a single essay.
General method of instruction
Class discussions; small group work; writing workshops; library research; field trips.
Recommended preparation
Completion of ENVIR 100 required.
Class assignments and grading
In addition to shorter assignments, major papers include: a humanities essay, a persuasive paper, a scientific paper, and a policy report. Oral presentations include a mock congressional hearing, and an environmental legal debate.
Written assignments account for approximately 75% of the grade while in-class work makes up the remaining 25%.
