FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR --The Environmental Crisis: A New Vision
GEN ED 1200, Section 4007, TTh 12:00-1:15pm, ADM 303, Fall 2008
Syllabus
Dr. Seth Holtzman
office:308 Administration Bldg, CatawbaCollege
hours:MW 3-5; TTH 10-11; Th 11-12 (if no meeting); F 3-4 (if no meeting); & by appointment
phones:637-4229 office; 636-8626 home; 637-4428 Humanities secretary
email:
Course Summary:
“To be able to be caught up into the world of thought—that is being educated.” Edith Hamilton
This course will explore the growing environmental crisis affecting the world. Our approach will be somewhat unusual, though. We will focus less on what the crisis is about (pollution, overpopulation, global warming, species loss, etc.) and more on how to explain the crisis and respond to it. To help us with this focus, we will rely on a variety of academic resources: books and articles, of course, but also the perspectives of a range of academic disciplines, such as Religion, Biology, English, Sociology, Philosophy, History, and Environmental Science. We will ask of these resources, “What can they tell us that is interesting, that is helpful, that has been overlooked or not understood? And what can they tell us that will help us respond constructively to the crisis?”
Along the way, we will also attend to issues of being a good college student. We will address reading comprehension and reading critically, writing ability and writing critically, speaking well, book-marking, note-taking, classroom behavior, and other relevant facets of college life. Just as we all arguably need a new perspective on the environment, you need to develop a new perspective on being a student, one that will prepare you for the unique challenges of higher education.
Class formats will be lecture, Socratic questioning, and guided discussion.
Expected learning outcomeSuccessful studentscan demonstrate: / Means of Assessment
By being successful on:
knowledge of the environmental crisis / Short essays, midterm, final exam, papers
an understanding of the environmental crisis / Short essays, midterm, final exam, papers
an understanding of ways to respond to that crisis / Short essays, midterm, final exam, papers
study and classroom skills such as book-marking and note-taking / These skills, which will be checked
the ability to read and write critically / Short essays, midterm, final exam, papers
the ability to speak in a clear, logically structured way / Class participation, oral presentations
the ability to listen attentively and critically / Class participation, midterm, final exam
an understanding of a higher, liberal education / Class participation, exams, papers
Requirements and Grading:
1. Attendance is required; you cannot learn the course on your own. During lecture or Socratic questioning, I will elicit ideas from you, testing your grasp of readings, lecture, and course. Also important is your participation by means of questions and comments as well as in discussion. You must be present, mentally active and prepared. You must be able and willing to concentrate for long periods of time and to listen critically. Participation can raise your grade by 1/3.
2. Note-taking and bookmarking are crucial abilities in college (and after). We will discuss them, and you will be expected to take good notes in class and to bookmark out of class—in all your classes. I will examine your notes and books from at least this course in order to grade you on these abilities. 10% of your grade.
3. Occasional short essays on the readings, usually one page. These help you to wrestle with the readings, typically before we cover them, and help me gauge how much you understand. You may work on readings with classmates; but for written assignments, separateand come to your own thoughts before doing any writing. I will drop your lowest essay grade. Late essays are not accepted; a missed one counts as "F". Together, they will count 10% of your grade.
4. A 3-page paper on a topic to be announced. Due tentatively Oct. 30th. 5% of your grade.
5. A 5-6 page paper on a topic of your choosing, tentatively due on Thurs, Nov. 20th. You must clear the topic with me in advance. After it is graded, you have the option of rewriting this paper before the last day of class. 20% of your grade.
6. Two oral presentations, on topics to be announced. Dates TBD. 10% of your grade.
7. A take-homemidterm requiring you to demonstrate an understanding of the broad ideas of the course. Tentatively to be handed out Oct. 9 and due Oct. 16. 20% of your grade.
8. A final exam, with one or more essay questions. I might offer study questions in advance. Bring a “blue book” to write in.Tues., Dec 9, 8:00-11:00am in our room. 25% of your grade.
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Criteria for evaluating written work:
Responsiveness to the Assignment
Writing should fulfill the purpose of the assignment directly and completely.
Content
Writing should reflect an understanding of the subject. Your writing should make good use of the relevant concepts, distinctions, positions, and reasons included in course readings or brought out in lecture or in discussion. Writing should be organized so ideas are arranged logically and clearly. Main points should be supported by substantial and relevant details. Your work should be backed by good reasons. Your claims and reasons should be consistent with each other. You should anticipate and respond to any reasonable objections.
Execution
Writing should use precise words and well-constructed sentences clearly representing the writer’s reasoning. Writing should adhere to conventions of grammar, capitalization, spelling, and usage. The writing style should beappropriate to the academy. Your work should be clearly written, its claimsprecise, its structure clear, its overall direction explicit. It should beintelligible to an interested student.
Citations and Documentation
Writers must clearly differentiate their own material from the source material. When writers use material that is not their own, or that is not common knowledge, they must document the source of the information using a standardized (i.e., either MLA or APA) method or abbreviated method allowed by their instructor.
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I expect you to complete assignments in a timely fashion. Other expectations about your written work: on the assigned topic, typed, paginated (if needed), tidy (including stapled if needed), standard margins and fonts, and dark print.
Criteria for evaluating oral work, aside from any written work criteria that apply, include these:
Content
Your presentation should be about the appropriate subject matter and should show a degree of mastery of the material.
Structure
Your presentation should have a clear and meaningful order that comes through to your audience. It must stay within the allotted time frame.
Style
Your presentation should be in a style that is clear and appropriate for the academy and the material. Your vocabulary should be sufficiently sophistocated and appropriate to the material. Your use of language should be clear, precise, and interesting.
Delivery
Your presentation should be at an appropriate speed and volume level. Your diction should be clear. Your gestures and facial expressions should contribute to the presentation or at least not distract. You should make eye contact with your audience in an appropriate way.
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Grading:"A" Superior mastery
"B"Good mastery
"C"Satisfactory achievement
"D"Less than satisfactory achievement
"F"Unsatisfactory achievement; Failure to achieve minimum competency
A+ 97-100B+ 87-89C+ 77-79D+ 67-69
A 93-96B 83-86C 73-76D 63-66
A - 90-92B - 80-82C - 70-72D - 60-62
I use plus/minus grades, though A+ is not a possible final grade for the course. Grades can and should measure achievement only.
Texts:
1) The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature, by David Suzuki, Updated & expanded. (Vancouver: Greystone books, Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group, 2007).
2) Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Ways We Make Things, by William McDonough and Michael Braungart (NY: Northpoint Press, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2002)
3) coursepack in the bookstore
Reading and taking notes:
I expect you to do all of the reading; you will need to, in order to do well in the course. Some of the material is easy and accessible on your first attempt. Other assignments are quite taxing and will probably require multiple readings. I suggest the following strategy for any difficult reading: read it once quickly simply to get the gist; then read it carefully for details, not worrying about the overall picture; then read it normally, fitting the details into the overall picture.
Lectures (and assignments) will sometimes track the readings but may also range far afield. Come to class having done the readings. Since lectures can cover material not in the readings, this is another reason to attend each class.
Most students take very sketchy notes. Perhaps they think that they cannot both take notes and listen or perhaps they do not appreciate the value of taking notes. Learn to write while you listen; it not only can be done, it usually enhances your grasp of what is being said. Take as many notes as you can, without losing too much of what is being said. This class is not one in which you can get by with writing down only key terms and definitions. Your notes are an invaluable resource for understanding the course and for the final exam.
Absences and violations:
To help with attendance--and to learn your names--I will create a seating chart. You pick your permanent seat; notify me to change it. I'll check attendance to start class. If late, you risk being counted absent. If you are often tardy, I will deliberately count you as absent.
Do not be absent from class; there are no excused absenses. After two absences, which you need not explain to me, further absences lower your final grade incrementally: minus 1/3 for 3-4 total absences; minus 2/3 for 5-6 total absences; minus one grade for 7 total absences. Missing more than 7 classes for other than an emergency is automatic grounds for an "F" (or an "I" if the circumstances dictate), regardless of your other grades. Sleeping or other forms of mental non-attendance (such as working on something for another class or writing a personal letter) count as an absence. Missing class the day before or after vacation counts double.
When absent, you are responsible for missed assignments and classroom material. Get notes from a classmate. If you still have questions, you may then contact me.
Respect the people and ideas in our class. I don't care if you bring a drink to class or sport a hat or wear rags. I do care that you pay attention to me and to others (so, no cell phones or activated pagers/beepers), that you are on time and ready to work, that you make a positive contribution to the class. I expect proper decorum in our classroom.
Cheating violates the Honor Code, but so do other dishonest practices that you may not think of as "cheating", such as working with another student to complete individual assignments (if this is not specifically allowed), as well as falsifying an emergency to skip class or an assignment. So, too, does plagiarism, the act of employing a writer's ideas (and even words) without giving the writer due credit. See me if you have any question about borrowing someone's ideas or words for your use.