TEXTS FOR PURCHASE:

I tried to keep costs down; you can save more by reading the books on reserve or borrowing them from the library when available. In addition to the Hope College Bookstore, all of these books are available new and used at a discount from online booksellers such as bookfinder.com and Amazon.com.

Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow.

Lawrence Buell, Future of Environmental Criticism.

Rachel Carson, Silent Spring.

L. B. Deyo and David Leibowitz. Invisible Frontier: Exploring the Tunnels, Ruins, and Rooftops of Hidden New York.

Jane Jacobs, Death and Life of Great American Cities.

John R. Stilgoe, Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in Everyday Places

Henry David Thoreau, Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition. ISBN: 0300104669. Must be this edition.

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1855 edition. ISBN: 0140421998.

Terry Tempest Williams, Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place.

John Edgar Wideman, Philadelphia Fire.

TEXTS ON RESERVE:

All of the above books are also on reserve.

Brian Hayes, Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape.

Peter Mauries, Cabinets of Curiosities.

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region (Eastern).

Thomas Pakenham, Meetings with Remarkable Trees, Remarkable Trees of the World.

Nancy Pick and Mark Sloan, Rarest of the Rare.

Stephen Christopher Quinn, Windows on Nature.

Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives.

Alburtus Seba, Cabinet of Natural Curiosities.

Camilo Jose Vergara, American Ruins, How the Other Half Worships, New American Ghetto, Unexpected Chicagoland.

Lawrence Weschler, Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder.

REQUIREMENTS

Environmental Exploration Project (65%)

See the separate description of the project for details.

Class Participation (5% and plus/minus factor)

This course is designed with the expectation that every enrolled student will come to every scheduled class. Classes only meet once per week, so missing one is like missing four 50-minute classes. Missing class for an undocumented reason will have a strongly negative impact on your class participation grade. On the other hand, coming to every class, reading the assigned texts, and participating appropriately has a spontaneous effect on your performance in the more transparently graded areas of the course. More directly, class participation—coming to class on time, speaking voluntarily or when called upon, contributing to DISCUS (see below), giving evidence that you have done the reading—all these normal gestures of good-faith involvement inform my decisions in border-line grading situations, and that can make the difference between an A- and an A and more.

Discussion Board Essays (30%, 10% each)

The “Discussion Board” or DISCUS is an on-line venue for presenting your ideas and comments to the entire class. Over the course of the semester you will post three 1,000-word essays to DISCUS. I will post the results of your selections on the Web site schedule before next week (so be sure to check the day after the first class to see if you are writing next week). .

Discussion Board Essays (“DBEs”) must be about the reading for the upcoming class (though they may certainly reference previous reading and supplementary materials). They are likely to become a springboard for our class discussion (so you’ll want to be ready to rearticulate or defend your ideas). They must be submitted before 5PM the day before class so that people will have time to read them (though grading will not be complete until after class for reasons explained below). Apart from the assigned text(s), the essay might engage the overall themes of the course and/or the more specific themes of each segment in the course.

Overall, then, I will be looking for five things when I evaluate Discussion Board Essays:

1. Was the essay submitted on time (5PM the day before class); does it show appropriate concern for form (grammar, clarity, etc.)?

2. Does the essay show a good knowledge of the reading(s)? Does it engage with them in a meaningful way?

3. Does it show some critical insight beyond mere familiarity with the text(s)? Does it make connections with other course materials?

1. Did the essay stimulate productive discussion in class?

2. Did you help to lead the discussion? Did you respond to the feedback appropriately?

DBEs will be graded on a 10-point scale with attention given to the points listed above, though not in precise proportion (the quality of your writing counts more than what happens in class.)

Your “username” for DISCUS is your last name; your “password” is your ID number. Call CIT (395-7670) if you have trouble. If you ever are not able to post to DISCUS, simply e-mail the text to me at <pannapacker@hope.edu>, and I will post it for you until you can solve the problem.

Discussion Board Posts (class participation and plus factor)

Unassigned contributions to the Discussion Board are a form of class participation, and they count in your favor in borderline grading situations. This online venue can be useful for you if you are shy in class discussions. I may ask you to elaborate on your comments in class, and this will give you a means of getting involved if you are normally hesitant.

The following are appropriate Discussion Board Posts:

• An opinion on one or more of the texts.
• A comparison or contrast between two or more of the texts.
• An informed personal opinion on a subject under consideration.
• An attempt to refine, extend, or complicate someone else’s observations.
• A provocative question that stimulates dialogue.
• Helpful examples, illustrations, and quotations that enhance our understanding of the material.
• Responses of any length to what others have written.

Some responses may not fit any of these categories, or they may fit several at the same time. The larger purpose is to put your expanding knowledge and understanding into practice with your fellow students. It is also to keep you engaged with material in a timely fashion. The only restriction is that you must post on topics while we are in the unit (i.e., don’t wait until the last week to begin posting on the first week’s materials). It almost goes without saying that you must also maintain a high standard of civility (i.e., no personal attacks or vulgar language is permitted).

POLICIES

Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas as your own without crediting the other person. If you quote material in your Applied Theory paper or when posting to DISCUS, you must document your sources properly and avoid unintended plagiarism. Any assignment that is demonstrably plagiarized will result in an “F” for the assignment or the course. For more information on using sources, consult A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker or any other reputable guide to college writing. There should be no need to mention this, but anyone who is caught plagiarizing will receive an “F” for the course and will face disciplinary action by the college.

Attendance and Lateness:

Unexcused absences and lateness reflect poorly on your seriousness as a college student and have a negative impact on your grades (see above).

Deadlines

Assignments must be completed on schedule in order for this course to run properly for everyone. Late submissions will not be accepted for anything short of the most serious reasons.

Mutual Respect:

Participants must be free to speak and write what is on their minds within the bounds of appropriate behavior. Everyone is free to disagree, provided they can articulate and support their opinions with evidence. Students’ work is never graded on the basis of ideological conformity. Everyone should treat each other with respect, regardless of differences of opinion or background. Of course, I do not expect this will be a problem, but disorderly behavior, discriminatory language and personal attacks are not permitted.

Classroom Decorum

Please try to attend to your personal needs before class and during the mid-class break. Please clean up after yourselves. Leave the room as you found it.