Further details can be found on the readings and assignments pages.
The Distinctive Role of Narrative Non-Fiction
Session 1: Introduction
Readings: None assigned.
Session 2
Reading: Robert Stickgold and Jeffrey M. Ellenbogen, “Quiet! Sleeping Brain at Work.”
Writing: Introductory exercise.
In Class: Read responses in pairs and introduce one another.
- Read and discuss “Three short pieces” by John Muir.
Session 3
Reading: Narrative essays—Where do I belong?
- E.O. Wilson, “Paradise Beach” from Naturalist [Florida];
- Aldo Leopold, “February” from A Sand County Almanac [Wisconsin];
- One of the following:
- Donald Hall, “Winter” [New Hampshire];
- Lauret Savoy, “The View from Point Sublime” or “A Stone’s Throw” [Grand Canyon, Arizona];
- Jack Turner, “Introduction” and “Return” from Teewinot [Wyoming];
- “Rhetoric: Writing about Personal Experience” from Writing Nature by Carolyn Ross.
Writing: Post Narrative Commentary #1 on assigned readings.
In Class: Narrative writing and self-discovery: uncovering an idea.
Session 4
Reading: More narrative essays—Home and Away.
- Ellen Meloy: “The Inverse Cordillera” and “The Flora and Fauna of Las Vegas” from Raven’s Exile;
- Barry Lopez: “Gone Back into the Earth” from Crossing Open Ground and an excerpt from “A Northern Passage” in Arctic Dreams.
Writing: Post Narrative Commentary #2 on reading and Preparation for Narrative Essay.
In Class: Ideas and the narrative essay: why choose this form?
- Using a writer’s reference manual & Purdue’s OWL.
- Review one sample student essay in class.
Session 5
Reading: Two sample student narrative essays (your choice).
Writing: First version of Narrative Essay due in class.
In Class: Distinctive nature of narrative introduction.
- Workshop on introductions.
Session 6
Reading: None assigned.
Writing: Narrative Essay Peer Review. Write up & post comments on partners’ essays.
In Class: Workshop on narrative essay.
Communicating Environmental Science Part One: Documentaries for the General Public
Session 7
Reading: None assigned.
Writing: Final version of Narrative Essay due.
In Class: Thinking critically about documentaries.
- View sample pair of documentaries.
- Begin discussing possible criteria for evaluation.
Session 8
Reading: Sample student critical review.
Viewing: Choose a pair of documentaries and view both at least twice. (Available online.)
Writing: Critical Review Pre-draft Exercise #1 on pair of documentaries.
In Class: Critical Review: Getting from an “opinion” to an idea.
- Review general articles on science documentaries.
- Meet in small groups to discuss documentaries & develop collaborative summaries.
Session 9
Reading: Developing a context for your critical review.
- Read articles related to the topic of your documentaries (located with help of instructor).
- Read broader articles on communicating science (posted on class site).
Writing: Critical Review Pre-Draft Exercise #2 on pair of documentaries.
In Class: Recognizing your sources.
- MLA documentation. Other documentation styles.
Session 10
Reading: Additional readings on communicating science.
Writing: Critical Review Pre-Draft Exercise #3 on pair of documentaries.
In Class: Getting from an “opinion” to an idea, cont.
Session 11
Writing: First version of Critical Review due in class.
In Class: Relationship between introduction & essay structure.
- Workshop on introductions.
Session 12
Writing: Critical Review Peer Review & Scientific American. Select Two Older Articles.
- Write up comments on partners’ critical reviews.
- Select two possible starting points (see list of articles) for your Scientific American update and post article titles on course website.
In Class: Workshop on Critical Review.
Communicating Environmental Science Part Two: Writing for the General Public
Session 13
Writing: Final version of Critical Review due.
In Class: Library session.
Session 14
Reading: Preparing for the Scientific American update.
- Look through the list of topics and articles that can provide a starting point for your Scientific American.
- Select an article that intrigues you and read it.
- Read “Reviewing Prior Research,” Chapter Five from Writing in the Sciences (omitting exercises) by Ann Penrose and Steven Katz.
- Read “Undamming the Rivers: A Review” by Angela Bednarek and “Down Go the Dams” by Jane Marks (from Scientific American).
In Class: Understanding the link between genre and audience.
- Discuss differences between a scholarly review article and a magazine article that provides an overview of a topic or issue (audience, function, structure, evidence, language).
Session 15
Reading:
- Go back to the article that will provide a starting point for your Scientific American update*.* Read it carefully.
- Read “Finding Stories” from Ideas into Words by Elise Hancock & “Science and Technology” from On Writing Well by William Zinsser. Think about narrative strategies that you might use for your update.
- Read two student Scientific American updates.
Writing: Write a two-paragraph summary (c. 200 words) of the article you have chosen.
In Class: Discuss differing documentation strategies for scientific review article and magazine article.
Session 16
Reading: Individual research.
- Track down and read a recent (last five years) scholarly review article that covers new research on a key topic within the earlier magazine article.
- Send Dr. Taft pdf of review article.
- Read at least one more journal article (probably from the list of studies covered by the review article) that focuses on the particular area of research that interests you.
Writing:
- List the key advances and/or changes in orientation reported in the recent review article. Provide a two-sentence synopsis of the second, more specific article.
In Class: How do you write a proposal for scientific magazine article?
- To consider: How do you preserve the boundary between you and your sources?
Session 17
Reading: Find and read additional material, possibly including recent news articles, to prepare for your Scientific American update. Science News might be a useful source.
Writing: Write proposal for your Scientific American update (150–200 words).
In Class: Proposal workshop.
Session 18
Writing: First version of Scientific American update due.
In Class: Discuss strategies selected by students.
Session 19
Reading: Neosha Narayanan’s “Saving Our Pollinators” from Angles 2019 and one current student draft.
In Class: Discuss “Saving Our Pollinators."
- Whole class workshop of draft SA update.
Session 20
Writing: Write up comments on partners’ update articles.
In Class: Workshop on Scientific American update.
Communicating Environmental Science Part Three: Speaking to the Public
Session 21
Writing: Final Version of Scientific American update due.
In Class: Bring laptop or iPad to class. Discuss oral presentations and slide composition.
- View Al Gore’s recent TED talk on Climate Change.
- Individually, view one of TED talks from assignment list.
- Together, discuss criteria for slide presentations.
Session 22
Reading/Class Preparation: Watch three TED talks from assignment list.
Writing: Write up brief response to each talk in response to assigned questions.
In Class: Oral presentations.
Session 23
In Class: Oral presentations.
Refining Your Work: Bringing it all Together
Session 24
Reading: Reread your three major writing assignments for the semester & review the feedback you received.
- Select the assignment that you plan to revise a second time.
Writing: Write out at least three objectives to pursue as you revise your selected assignment a second time.
In Class: Final oral presentations.
Session 25
Writing: Continue revising selected assignment.
- Post a segment of that assignment (2–3 full paragraphs) for a small group workshop.
In Class: Advanced editing workshop (small groups)
- Sentence-level feedback from your peers.
Session 26
Reading: Track down one of your favorite books, stories, or poems, and select a passage or poem to read in class.
Writing: Second revision of earlier paper.
In Class: Read and listen to favorite works.
- Celebrate the successful completion of 21W.036!
