Weekly Response Papers/Postings
Short response papers (about 500-750 words or 2 pages) must be posted to the course blog by 8am on the Wednesday preceding the Thursday class meeting to discuss the readings.
The response is not a paper so you should not concern yourself with introductions and conclusions. You should, however, make every attempt to provide a coherent response and you should proofread and edit your work for clarity. You can choose your own focus and discuss one of the readings exclusively or you can range amongst the readings exploring themes. Think of your responses as a conversation with the text, the ideas, your class mates and your teacher. Feel free to ask questions, speculate, make astounding connections, or even complain (though don't forget about your audience and their needs).
Weekly Response Moderator(s)
Everyone is encouraged to look at the weekly responses posted by students prior to class. In addition, each week two students will be responsible for reading all postings for the week and producing a short digest to be presented to the class. The digest can be produced as a handout and distributed during class and/or it can be posted to the course blog and presented to the class using a laptop and the projector.
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Weekly Focus |
Name |
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4/18 |
The Poet of Nature: Wordsworth |
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4/18 |
The Poet of Nature: Wordsworth |
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4/25 |
Romantic
Ecology: Coleridge |
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4/25 |
Romantic
Ecology: Coleridge |
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5/2 |
Gardens and
Politics: Austen |
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5/2 |
Gardens and
Politics: Austen |
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5/9 |
Sublime, Beautiful, Picturesque: Shelley and Wordsworth |
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5/9 |
Sublime, Beautiful, Picturesque: Shelley and Wordsworth |
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5/16 |
Nature,
Sublimity, Nation: Muir |
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5/16 |
Nature,
Sublimity, Nation: Muir |
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5/23 |
Deep Ecology:
Blake and Clare |
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5/23 |
Deep Ecology:
Blake and Clare |
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5/30 |
The Wild: Thoreau |
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5/30 |
The Wild: Thoreau |
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6/ |
Posthumanism |
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6/ |
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Seminar Paper
One paper will be due during the term. Further advice and details will be available as the term progresses.
Weekly Presentations
At our first meeting, we will determine a presentation schedule for the remainder of the quarter. Each week, from the third through the ninth, presenters will offer presentations or lead the class discussion on selected texts and topics.
The seminar presentation is a 15-20 minute presentation to the rest of the class about an assigned reading. For the presentation, plan to go beyond regular class preparation, at the very least, providing background about your topic, a generous overview, and a discussion of its relation to other readings for that week (or read earlier). You should also be prepared to answer questions and help lead class discussion for that topic. You should prepare a handout for the class; however, do not simply read from your prepared handout or paper.
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Reading
Assignment to be Presented |
Name |
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4/18 |
Wordsworth, "Michael" or "Preface" to Lyrical
Ballads |
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4/18 |
Fry, "Green to
the Very Door? The Natural Wordsworth" |
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4/25 |
Coleridge, The
Rime of the Ancient Mariner |
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4/25 |
Evernden, "Beyond
Ecology" |
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5/2 |
Austen, Mansfield
Park |
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5/2 |
Cosgrove, "England:
Prospects, Palladianism" |
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5/9 |
Shelley, "Mont Blanc" or "Ode to the West Wind" |
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5/9 |
Wordsworth, any selection from The Prelude |
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5/9 |
Hartman, "A
Poet’s Progress" |
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5/16 |
Muir, My
First Summer in the Sierra |
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5/16 |
Byerly, "The
Uses of Landscape" |
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5/16 |
Cosgrove, "Sublime
Nature" |
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5/23 |
Clare, "The
Lament of Swordy Well" |
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5/23 |
Blake, The
Book of Thel |
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5/23 |
Serres, "Natural
Contract" |
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5/30 |
Thoreau, Walden |
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5/30 |
Cronon, "The Trouble with Wilderness" |
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6/6 |
Žižek, "Unbehagen In Der Natur" [Uneasiness in Nature] |
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6/6 |
Haraway, Chapter 1 from When Species Meet
(supplemental reading) |
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