WRITING NATURE:
THINKING AND WRITING ABOUT NATURE AND IDENTITY
Anticipated Course Schedule
WCT 3B-04
Fall 2000
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INTRODUCTORY CLASS (9/28) | |
-Introductions: information gathering and dissemination
-Our theme; our approach; our goals
-In-class writing: self-introduction
ASSIGNMENT #1 (EXPLORATORY ESSAY) INTRODUCED: Part #1 due 10/2; Part #2 due 10/5; draft due 10/10; revision due 10/17 (revision for 10/17 conferencees is due 11/20)
-From writer to reader: the importance of audience & purpose
-Writing for self and others
-Writing in school and writing in the community
-Understanding assignments is understanding audience & purpose
ASSIGNMENT #1/PART #1 DUE on 10/3
CSW ORIENTATION on 10/5 (meet at the Haas Center for Public Service during class time)
ASSIGNMENT #1/PART #2 DUE on 10/5
READINGS:
for 10/3: WN: -introductions to Part I and Chapter 1, pp. 1-20; introductions to Part II and Chapter pp. 69-89
-Emerson, from "Nature"; Oates, "Against Nature"
for 10/5: WN: - Audubon, "White-Headed Eagle"; Pandeya, "Rough-Legged Hawk" (Chap. 2); Muir, selections (Chap 1)
Handout: -Jordan, "Nobody Mean More to Me Than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan"
-Developing an effective essay strategy (or transcending the 5-¶ essay)
-induction and deduction
-thesis and level of generalization
-Connecting personal and analytical writing
-PROOF is not always the point: a new look at using outside sources
-to contextualize, illuminate, and extend your ideas & experience
-From reader to writer: Peer Review
CSW PREFERENCES DUE by e-mail by 10/8
CSW PLACEMENTS ASSIGNED on 10/10
CONTACT CSW AGENCY REPRESENTATIVE IMMEDIATELY TO ARRANGE INITIAL
MEETING (MEET BY 10/16 AT THE LATEST)
ASSIGNMENT #1 (EXPLORATORY ESSAY) DRAFT DUE on 10/10
PEER REVIEW CONFERENCES on Thurs 10/12 and Tues 10/17
PEER REVIEWS DUE at conferences
READINGS:
for 10/10: WN: -introductions to Chapter 3 (pp. 132-148) and Chapter 4, pp. 187-209
-Mairs, "On Being a Scientific Booby"; Hughart, "Looking Out" (student personal essay) (Chap. 4)
Handout: -Pollan, "Two Gardens"
for 10/12: WN: -Quammen, "The Face of a Spider"; Walker, "Am I Blue?" (Chap. 4)
Handout: -Example of student exploratory essay, "By Moonlight"
-Why argue?
-The subjects of argument
-Audience, purpose, and the motives to articulate arguments
-What constitutes authority?
-How to Argue
-The elements of argument
-Argument strategies related to audience & purpose
-Brief reports on CSW contacts
REVISION OF ASSIGNMENT #1 (EXPLORATORY ESSAY) DUE on 10/19 (10/20 for 10/17 conferencees)
ASSIGNMENT #2 (ARGUMENT W/ SECONDARY & PRIMARY SOURCES, RELATED TO CSW
AGENCY/PROJECT) ASSIGNED on 10/17
CSW CONTRACT W/ COPY OF LETTER OF INTRO. TO AGENCY DUE on 10/19
READINGS:
for 10/17: WN: -introductions to Part IV and Chapter 7 (pp. 401-416) and -Chapter 8 (pp. 477-500)
-Leopold, "A Land Ethic" (Chap. 7); Russell, "Range War" (Chap. 8)
for 10/19: WN: -Abbey, "Even the Bad Guys Wear White Hats" (Chap. 8); Riggs, "Access to Public Lands: A National Necessity" (Chap. 8)
-Evaluating arguments
-Understanding context
-Assessing credibility and bias
-Logic
-Overview of the Research Paper
-Research reports
-Documented arguments, analyses, interpretations
-Research topics: what's a "good" one?
-Limiting, focusing, applying
-Devising a research question
3 POSSIBLE RESEARCH TOPIC IDEAS DUE on 10/26
DRAFT OF ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE on 10/26
PEER REVIEW OF DRAFT #2 DUE by Tuesday 11/31
READINGS:
for 10/24: WN: -introductions to Chapter 5 (pp. 255-274) and Chapter 6(pp. 327-343)
-Thomas, "Making Science Work" (Chap. 7); Rifkin, "A Heretic's View of the New Bioethics" (Chap. 8)
for 10/26: WN: -Gould, "On the Origin of Specious Critics" (Chap. 8), Virshup, "Perfect People?"
-Kinds of sources: reference, primary, and secondary
-Using Stanford's libraries and databases
-Online research
-Interviews, surveys, field work
-Developing and refining a research question
-Preliminary research
-Where and how to conduct it
-Compiling a working bibliography
FORMAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL DUE on 10/31
LIBRARY WORKSHOP on 11/2 (Meet at Green Library during class time)
WORKING ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ASSIGNED on 11/2
BRIEF MID-QUARTER CONFERENCES on 11/1 and 11/2
READINGS:
for 10/31: WN: -Appendix, "Weaving the Threads: An Overview of the Research Process," pp. 598-609
-Adjusting a working bibliography
-Balance, variety, currency
-Research methods and strategies
-Note-taking
-Summary, paraphrase, quotation
-Anticipating principles of organization and coverage in the research paper
-Oral presentations on CSW issues and work
WORKING ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE on 11/7
FORMAL OUTLINE ASSIGNED on 11/7
REVISION OF ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE on 11/9
READINGS:
for 11/9: WN: -Eiseley, "The Dance of the Frogs" (Chap. 5)
Film: -L'enfant sauvage (at the Reserve Desk, Green Library)
-Working sessions: writing in the community (visits by agency mentors?)
-Non-academic audiences and purposes
-Genres in community-based writing
-Rhetorical strategies in community-based writing
-How different are academic and community-based writing?
READINGS:
for 11/14: WN: -Perrin, "Forever Virgin" (Chap. 6)
Film: -Koyaanasqatsi (at the Reserve Desk, Green Library)
for 11/16: WN: -Appendix, "Weaving the Threads: An Overview of the Research Process," pp. 609-640
-Outlining the research paper
-Beginning and ending
-Establishing exigence
-Warranted conclusion?
-Induction or deduction?
-Presenting and explaining essential background
-Demonstrating and persuading: patterns of claim, evidence, and warrant
DRAFT OF CSW PROJECT DUE at conference on 11/20 and 11/21
GET FEEDBACK ON CSW PROJECT DRAFTS FROM AGENCY MENTORS ASAP
INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP CONFERENCES on 11/20 or 11/21
-Documentation styles
-Drafting/Re-visioning/Revising/Editing
-Peer Review
FINISH GETTING FEEDBACK ON CSW PROJECT DRAFTS FROM AGENCY MENTORS BY
EARLY THIS WEEK AT THE LATEST
RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE DUE on 11/28
READINGS:
for 11/28: WN: -Huxley, from Brave New World (Chap 5); Thomas, "Making Work" (Chap 7)
Film: -Gattaca (at the Reserve Desk, Green Library)
-Wrap-up & celebration
RESEARCH PAPER DRAFT DUE on 12/5
PEER REVIEW CONFERENCE FOR THE RESEARCH PAPER DRAFT on 12/6 and 12/7
PEER REVIEWS due at conference
FINAL VERSION OF CSW PROJECT DUE TO AGENCY AND INSTRUCTOR by 12/5
COMPLETE PORTFOLIOS (MINUS RESEARCH PAPER WORK) WITH COVER LETTER DUE on 12/5
REVISION OF RESEARCH PROJECT (INCLUDING INCREMENTS, DRAFTS, AND REVIEWS) DUE at my office by 3 p.m.