Tues-Thurs, Period P (12:35 - 1:50 PM)
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The Textbooks Course Description Course Objectives Course Policies Grading System Course Schedule |
Prof. Thomas A. Easton
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OFFICE: Rm. 108
OFFICE HOURS: 12-3 PM MW, 10-12 AM TTh OFFICE PHONE: 859-1331 HOME PHONE: 338-1074 CANCELLATION PHONE NUMBER: 859-1140 Click here to email me:  |
Kline, First Along the River: A Brief History of the U.S. Environmental Movement, Rowman & Littlefield, 4th ed., 2011 (978-1-4422-0399-0).
Easton, ed., Classic Edition Sources: Environmental Studies, McGraw-Hill, 4th ed., 2012 (978-0-07-352764-2).
SC201 introduces the student to the idea that the environment matters to individuals, businesses, and society. It does this by examining how our senses of being a part of (rather than apart from) our environment and of responsibility to the environment have arisen. Readings and discussions survey the place of environmental factors in history, the development of the "Green Ethic," and the prospects for the modern world.
See "Course policies" below for details on testing and grading.
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Explain why humans cannot be considered to be independent of the natural world
- Explain why the environment matters to individuals, businesses, and society
- Describe the philosophical roots of environmental problems
- Outline the history of the environmental movement
- Describe main threads in environmentalist thinking
- Explain how understanding the past may help humanity solve present problems
Students should always read their assignments and come to class prepared to discuss the material. Each student may be absent twice without penalty. Each additional two absences without a medical excuse (no others are acceptable) will cost the student three points on the course grade.
Grades will be based on one small initial paper (5%), four larger papers (15% each) and a final term paper (35%). Except for the first one, all papers must be in standard MLA format, with references (at least six each for the four larger ones, and at least twelve for the final term paper) in proper format and properly cited.
Students who plagiarize papers will receive zeros for the work in question, with no makeup opportunities.
Grades will be based on one small initial paper (5%), four larger papers (15% each) and a final term paper (35%). Except for the first one, all papers must be in standard MLA format, with references (at least six each for the four larger ones, and at least twelve for the final term paper) in proper format and properly cited.
Students who plagiarize papers will receive zeros for the work in question, with no makeup opportunities.
A (94 - 100) A- (90 - 93)
B+ (87 - 89) B (83 - 86) B- (80 - 82)
C+ (77 - 79) C (73 - 76) C- (70 - 72)
D+ (67 - 69) D (63 - 66) D- (60 - 62)
F (below 60)
COURSE SCHEDULE
CAUTION: COURSE SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT WARNING!
CAUTION: COURSE SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT WARNING!
| DATE | READING | |
| T 1/8 | Opening discussion | |
| Paper #1 (5% of grade; 2-3 pp., typed, double-spaced -- due 1/15): "Ecology" means the study of or knowledge of the house. In biology, the "house" in question is the environment in which a creature lives. For now, however, let us consider just the "house" (which may be an apartment or dorm room) in which you live. How much do you need to know about it? Why? | ||
| Th 1/10 | Kline, Ch. 1 -- Philosophical Foundations | |
| T 1/15 | Preservation vs. Conservation Easton, Selections 2 & 3--Muir & Pinchot | |
| Th 1/17 | How Science Works | |
| T 1/22 | You Broke It? So Fix It, Already! Easton, Selection 4--Leopold | |
| Th 1/24 | Fundamental Causes Easton, Selections 6 & 7--White & Hardin Paper #2 (15% of grade; 5-10 pp., typed, double-spaced -- due 1/31): Discuss the basic attitudes behind the environmental problems the world faces today. In what are they rooted? | |
| T 1/29 | Kline, Ch. 2 -- Early America | |
| Th 1/31 | It's Ancient History, Right? Easton, Selections 1 & 5--Marsh & Martin | |
| T 2/5 | Kline, Ch. 3 -- Destroying the Frontier | |
| Th 2/7 | Ecosystem Services Easton, Selections 8 & 9--Teal & Vitousek | |
| T 2/12 | Ecosystem Services cont. Easton, Selections 10 & 32--The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (see Moodle for full MEA report and Powerpoint summary) & Abramowitz Paper #3 (15% of grade; 5-10 pp., typed, double-spaced -- due 2/26): In what ways is humanity dependent upon natural ecosystems? | |
| Th 2/14 | Kline, Ch. 4 -- Industrialization | |
| 2/18-2/22 | WINTER BREAK | |
| T 2/26 | Kline, Ch. 5 -- Beginnings of the Conservation Movement | |
| Th 2/28 | Kline, Chapter 6--Prelude to the Green Decade | |
| T 3/5 | Kline, Chapter 7--The Green Decade, the 1970s | |
| Th 3/7 | Energy and Ecosystems Easton, Selections 11 & 12--Juday & Fowler | |
| T 3/12 | Renewable Energy Easton, Selection 13--Jacobson Handout (See Moodle)--Turner, "On the Cusp of Global Collapse?" Paper #4 (15% of grade; 5-10 pp., typed, double-spaced -- due 3/19): Was the environmental movement an inevitable consequence of industrialization? Defend your answer. | |
| Th 3/14 | Kline, Ch. 8 -- Conservative Backlash | |
| T 3/19 | Wilderness Easton, Selections 14 & 15--Douglas & Cronon | |
| Th 3/21 | Biodiversity Easton, Selections 16, 17, & 18--SCBD, Worm, & Vandermeer | |
| T 3/26 | Pollution Easton, Selections 19 & 20--Evelyn & Paigen | |
| Th 3/28 | Pollution cont. Easton, Selections 21 & 22--Palmer & Pilkey | |
| 4/1-4/5 | SPRING BREAK | |
| T 4/9 | Kline, Ch. 9 -- Retrenchment & Apathy Paper #5 (15% of grade; 5-10 pp., typed, double-spaced -- due 10/13): A "Duh!" moment is when you smack your hand on your forehead and say "Duh! Of course! I should have seen that!" Which of your readings (so far) best describes a "Duh!" moment? In what way? Defend your answer. | |
| Th 4/11 | Global Warming Easton, Selections 23 & 24--IPCC & McKibben | |
| T 4/16 | Food Easton, Selections 25 & 26--Brown & Fedoroff | |
| Kline, Ch. 10 -- Institutionalization of the Environmental Movement | ||
| Th 4/18 | Social Justice Easton, Selections 30 & 31-- Sagoff & Bullard Paper #6 (TERM PAPER) (35% of grade; 15-20 pp., typed, double-spaced): In what sense does environmentalism support social justice? | |
| T 4/23 | Population Easton, Selections 33, 34, & 35--Foreman, Hartmann, & Cohen | |
| Th 4/25 | Kline, Ch. 11 -- The 21st Century (so far) | |
| M 4/29 | FINAL EXAMS BEGIN | |
| FINAL EXAM DAY | Term Paper Presentations (Be prepared to speak briefly about your topic) | |
| Term paper due |
Page last modified October 18, 2012.