SONAR

Literature and Composition III/IV:2016-17

Environmental Literature—Doug Nunn

Course Description: Students enrolled in this course will read and write on a variety of books, essays, articles, and films designed to expand awareness of environmental issues. The readings will provide information and background about the environment and help students gain insight into the current global, regional, and local environmental issues that pertain to life in the 21^st Century. Students will be asked to read 5 environmental books as well as related essays, and to write reflectively on these readings. They will also be asked to connect this intellectual input to projects they develop in the Environmental Science integrated course. Students will also participate in class discussions, roundtables and debates, and share environmentally-related current events on a weekly basis.

The Reading List for Lit/Comp III/IV: My First Summer in the Sierra, by John Muir; Silent Spring, by Rachael Carson;  Hiroshima, by John Hersey; A Primate’s Memoir by Robert Sapolsky, and Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. There will also be a variety of articles from National Geographic, Science, and other periodicals.

Honors: Students who enroll in the Honors section of the course will write one additional essay/written assignment each quarter, and read and review one additional environmentally-related book each semester. A 3-5 page critical book review of the work will be written and presented. We have a lengthy list of famous and provocative eco-books we can recommend for Honors students or students may suggest an environmentally themed book they would like to review.

Overriding Question: The fundamental question to be answered during the course will be: “How can an awareness of environmental ethics make Earth a better place for all inhabitants?” Students should be prepared to advance a theory on how to answer this question based on reading, writing, discussion, research, and projects completed during the year, and then present information to agencies and the public on the results of their study.

Research Projects: Students will undertake in-depth studies of various environmental issues. Historical data, interviews, Internet research, and literary interpretation will be included in these studies. An Environmental Science research project—“The Eco Homestead”--will be a major feature of our academic year. Students will be required to present drawings, research and a model for a self-sufficient, environmentally-sustainable homestead. Imaginative, ambitious, and well-researched projects will be rewarded.

Requirements and Grades: Grades are affected by attendance, participation, and productivity. Additionally reading materials, along with pens and a notebook, should be brought to class each day. Grades are based upon the student's progress for the entire semester. Attendance, class participation(including weekly eco-current events), written assignments (completed on time), test & quiz scores, project & research write-ups, journal writing, and citizenship will be factored into the semester grade.