Adv. Comp: Environmental Lit.

Professor: Dr. Bette-B Bauer
Institution: College of Saint Mary
Course Number: ENG 102

ENG 102:  Advanced Composition – Research

Spring 2010

Dr.  Bette-B BauerPhone:  399-2623

Office:  287 Admin. email: bbauer@csm.edu

“From the beginning American writing has concerned itself with the story of people and 

the natural world. . . ‘Environmental writing’ . . . takes as its subject the collision between people and the rest of the world, and asks searching questions: . . . Is it

necessary?  What  are its effects?  Might there be a better way?” — Bill McKibben 

Required CLASS MATERIALS (available in the CSM Bookstore):

American Earth:  Environmental Writing Since Thoreau, Ed. by Bill McKibben

Course Objectives:  the purpose of this course is to introduce students to liberal arts research methods.   You will develop critical reading, thinking, and writing skills that will enable you to reflect upon a variety of ideas on the environment presented in the assigned readings, and to explore a project in this area of science, in order to produce a college-level research paper.

Course Requirements:  All assigned work must be completed for a passing grade.  

  • Mondays:  one short (250 words = 1 page) reflective paper due each week,engaging with the ideas presented in your reading assignment for Monday.  Use two (2) quotes from the readings to back up what you say the author says.  Do NOT summarize the essay.  Discuss the significance of what the author has to say.  See the “Technical Data” handout for tips.  30%
  • Wednesdays:  minute papers”, presenting information, stated in your own words, on one specific item from your reading.  Minute papers are mini-papers roughly six (6) sentences in length that take about one minute to read (not one minute to write).  EMAIL me a copy, and bring a copy to class. They are informative, short, and to the point – be concise and remain focused on the assigned topic.   10 %
  • Research paper (20 pages):  Rough draft:  15%;  Final Draft:  25%
  • Quizzes 5 %
  • Preparation, participation, attendance:  15%

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Tentative Schedule

ENG 102      Spring  2010

Please Note:  If you miss a class, you are still responsible for the assigned material:  turn in a½ page critical summary (tell me about the important points made by the authors) of each  assigned essay due for each class missed; this is due within a week of the missed class.  If you miss a class, for whatever reason, and do not turn in these summaries, you will lose 2% of your total course points available, for each missed class.

Assignments are made based upon quality reading rather than quantity:  essays should bereread several times.  Look up words and terms that you do not understand ~ you can be quizzed on these.

M   1/11 Opening Day Ceremonies.  Read aloud Carson (366-67), Zahniser

(392-4), Crumb (590-4) & Guthrie (258-9).  Go over “Introduction

(xxi – xxxi).

W   1/13 Minute Paper Due.  Read Hill (907-18) & Whitman (62-70).

M   1/18 Reflection due.  Read Thoreau (1-8) Hogan (809-14).

W   1/20 Minute Paper Due.  Read Momaday (570-81) .

M   1/25 Reflection due  (use Burroughs’ topic, “Nature Near Home”).  Read Burroughs(168-71), Dick (451-3), & Morton (126-8). Start reading

Abbey (413).  Look at the illustrations following p. 224.

W   1/27 Minute Paper Due.  Read Abbey (413-33).

Orientation to library resources, in-class.

M   2/1 Reflection due.  Read Muir (84-5, 89-104), Oliver (737-8).

W   2/3 Minute Paper Due.  Read McKibben (718-24), & Douglas (260-4).

Research Topic Due – see the Research Paper Schedule handout.

M   2/8 Reflection due.  Read Williams (739-59).

W   2/10 Minute Paper Due.  Henderson (239-44), Steinbeck (254-7),

Marquis (235-8).

Bibliography Due – see the Research Paper Schedule handout.

M   2/15 Reflection due.  Dillard (531-49).

W   2/17 Minute Paper Due.  Read Austin (134-9), & Ray (898-906).

Look at photos after p. 786.

M   2/22 Reflection due.  Read Kingsolver (939-47), & Nearing (318-22).

W   2/24 Minute Paper Due.   Read Berry (504-16), & Snyder (473, 477-9).

M   3/1 Reflection due.  Read Leopold (265-76), & Bass (760-9), .

W   3/3 Minute Paper Due.  Read Walker (659-70), & Mills (469-72).

M 3/8 W 3/10  Spring Break ~ Wheeeeeeee!

M   3/15 Outline & Thesis Workshop – see the Research Paper Schedule handout.

Bring your notes and resources needed.

Outline and thesis statement due at the end of class

W   3/17 No Class:  I will be out of town at a conference.

Email me 200 words of text from your rough draft by 5:15 p.m. today.

M   3/22 Read Lopez (696-715).

W   3/24 Read Turner (835-48), & Hornaday (181-5).

M   3/29 & W   3/31 NO CLASS – work on your rough draft.  I’ll be in my office for

 feedback.

M   4/5 NO CLASS ~ Easter Break

W   4/7     Rough Draft due (minimum of 6pp) – see the Research Paper Schedule

handout.

M   4/12 Read Pollen (948-60), & Chavez (690-5).

W   4/14 Read  McPhee (493-9), & Brower (554-8).

M   4/19 Workshop on re-vision & abstracts Rough draft returned to you.

W   4/21 Workshop for final draft.  Required, unless I have given you  permission to work on your own.

M   4/26 NO CLASS – work on your rough draft.  I’ll be in my office if you want help.

W   4/28   NO CLASS ~ Student Scholar Day

M   5/3 Presentation of abstracts in-class.

W   5/5 NO CLASS ~ work on your final draft.

Final draft of your research paper due    5/_____  (Finals schedule comes out mid-term) as an email attachment.  Turn in a folder that includes (1) a hard copy of your final draft, (2) your abstract, and (3) your rough draft with my comments on it.