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CORE 175: (three credits)
University of Idaho Spring 2009 Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m TLC 147
Professor Adam M. Sowards Office: Administration 319 (mailbox in Admin. 315) Phone: 885-0529 (no voicemail) E-Mail: asowards@uidaho.edu (preferred contact) Web: http://www.class.uidaho.edu/asowards/ Office Hours: Tuesdays, 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m., Wednesdays, 2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m, and by appointmentPlease Note: It is my pleasure to do what I can to help you meet your goals in this class. If you find yourself having trouble, please send me e-mail, use my office hours, or set up an appointment to see me.Peer Mentor: Mandy Macalister (macalister@vandals.uidaho.edu)
COURSE DESCRIPTION Description from Catalog: Through class discussion, writing, field trips, community service-learning opportunities, music, art, readings, and film, students in this course explore how residents of the planet are connected to each other and the environment. For this course, the earth is viewed as a system impacted by human and natural forces and shaped by public policies and the acts of ordinary citizens. Central questions of the course concern the sustainability of the earth system, major threats to the system, and each individual’s role in maintaining its health. Prof. Sowards’ Further Description (in addition to the previous paragraph, and especially designed for the second semester of the course): Perhaps the critical question facing human societies at the dawn of the twenty-first century is: How do we collectively and individually relate to the natural environment in a way so that future generations might inherit a more just world with more sustainable human-environmental systems? Figuring this out requires that we understand global environmental challenges, especially how they impact different people in different places at different times and to different degrees. But besides analyzing these dynamics, we will also spend time investigating the creative ways people have examined the earth and their place on it through fiction and art, movies and music and more. Thus we will be able to explain cultural, as well as scientific and political, responses to the global environment. Collectively, we will continue in this year-long course to comprehend the various ways individuals and cultures envision the earth and their place on it. The course goal is four-fold: (1) begin to understand the complex social and environmental systems globally and locally; (2) begin to understand and articulate emerging solutions to global and local problems related to sustainability; (3) begin to understand the diverse cultural ways people respond to and imagine the earth; and (4) improve critical thinking skills so that we can read and communicate at the college level.
REQUIRED BOOKS The following list constitutes the required books for this course. They are available for purchase at the University of Idaho Bookstore. It is possible, even likely, that you could find some of the books cheaper through online or local booksellers.
Please Note: These readings may include mature themes. Even more likely, they may advocate things with which you disagree, sometimes vehemently. We are all adults, so discussing them respectfully and maturely are crucial components of this course. Further Note: Some of the readings are very complicated and difficult. Our task is not always to understand them fully. Instead, it is often just as important to be exposed to challenging texts and ideas and struggle with comprehending them. We may discover a year or two or ten later that we now understand that information or perspective. You may find yourself struggling mightily—we all will be at times—so take heart and be persistent and more than likely it will eventually come together and make sense. If not later in the semester or year, then perhaps when you are a graduating senior or a second-year law student or as you make your first million.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING Preparedness (20%): Just as you don’t get paid for your job simply by showing up, you don’t get credit by just being in the classroom. I expect you to come to class ready to work. That means you will have read the assignment carefully and critically and will be prepared to offer your thoughts, ideas, and questions about the reading. Because my experience has taught me that many students will not do that without inducement, a significant part of your grade will be determined by your preparedness. This will be judged in several ways, including: Attendance will be taken daily. I expect you to attend all classes; after four unexcused absences, your preparedness grade will suffer. Participation will be evaluated by contributions to discussions, attendance, and in-class assignments, through general observations by professor, peer mentor, and peers. We have all been in classes where someone speaks almost constantly, seemingly just to hear her or his own voice. Talking a lot is not necessarily a surefire way to get high grades here (although never speaking is not a positive alternative either). Good participation requires thoughtful listening, intelligent questioning, and careful responses. Other work done in class may be collected. Such work may be individual or collaborative assignments and is likely not to be given a letter grade but a meets / fails to meet / exceeds expectation grade. Quizzes will be used to test student comprehension of reading material, lectures, films, and discussions. They are likely to be unannounced. If you miss a quiz, you will not have the opportunity to make it up unless you made prior arrangements with me. If we have at least five quizzes, I will drop the lowest score; if we have at least eight, I will drop the lowest two.
Global Environment, Global Problems, Global Justice Quizzes (20%): During this unit of the course we will be studying several global environmental problems. To ensure that you are keeping up with the reading and thinking about the material, we will have a weekly quiz during this unit every Thursday (except for the fifth week when it will be on Tuesday). The quizzes will cover the week’s theme, and you will likely be asked a combination of objective (e.g., true-false, multiple choice, etc.) and essay questions. To facilitate your success on these quizzes and to encourage good preparation, you will be allowed to use a page of notes (one side of one normal sized paper, typed or handwritten). Of five quizzes, I will count the highest four scores.
Sustainable Development: A Solution(?) Paper (20%): You will write a three-page paper that examines the idea of sustainable development and how the Gaviotas community experiment embodies it (or not). You will use the information from the sustainable development readings in Adelson and Gaviotas to explain and evaluate sustainable development as a possible solution (at least a partial one) to global environmental problems. In short, answer this question: Is sustainable development a solution to global environmental problems? Why or why not?
Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty: Hope or Despair? (20%): For this unit of the course, you will work in a small group to identify expressions of hope or despair related to global sustainability (broadly defined) in modern/current cultural expressions, such as art, music, or film. As a group, you will select a few examples, organize and analyze them (using some of the tools we develop in class based on our readings), and present your samples with your analysis to the class in a formal presentation. In addition to the presentation, you will turn in a short paper (two pages) that describes what you learned through the process of thinking about sustainability and creativity. You will also turn in a confidential paper describing what group members contributed to the project.
Service-Learning Project (10%): As a class we will participate in a community service-learning project. The details are still being worked out. Besides the service itself, you will write a reflective paper (about two - three pages) about the experience. More details will be forthcoming.
Final Paper (10%): You will complete a take-home essay on this course. The question will be provided the last week of classes.
POLICIESCommunications Policy: Because of various professional obligations, I routinely send and receive more than one hundred e-mails a day. Not surprisingly, this can become burdensome and highly time-consuming. So, please, before you call or e-mail me (or any professor) with a question about the course, ask yourself this important question: Is there ANY other way to gain this information or answer this question without asking a professor? If so, use that other method! If you e-mail a question that can be answered from reading the syllabus or an assignment or some other handout, I will not answer your message. That being said: Students are welcome to e-mail (or call my office phone) to make an appointment to see me, or to attend to course-related matters where answers are not available. Indeed, I very much enjoy consulting with students and helping them work toward improvement in classes. Late Work Policy: Your grade drops one full grade for each day your work is late. Furthermore, you must be in class the day it is due to turn in work. If you do not come to class, your work will be counted as one day late unless you have made prior arrangements. With legitimate, documented excuses or for absences arranged ahead of time, exceptions can be made. Grade Challenges: I am willing to entertain grade challenges provided they are submitted in writing and that you wait 48 hours after the assignment is returned before you hand in your objection. You will then need to set up an appointment with me to discuss the assignment and grade. Also, you must initiate this process within one week of the time the assignment was returned to the class. After re-evaluating a grade and meeting with you to discuss the assignment and evaluation, I may change it. Plagiarism: To plagiarize is to present someone else’s work as your own. To present someone else’s work as your own means to use someone else’s information, ideas or writing without explicitly acknowledging with quotation marks and/or citations that the ideas and/or writing are not your own. You may be plagiarizing even if you are not directly quoting. Plagiarism is a serious offense and I will give a 0 to the first assignment in which a student plagiarizes. If a student plagiarizes again, I will fail that student in the course. Further actions may be warranted, including reporting the offense to the Dean of Students. If you have ANY questions or confusions about plagiarism, please let me know before you turn in your work. It is essential to be using others’ ideas and information; however, you just must provide credit where credit is due. You may find additional information about Academic Honesty (and dishonesty) as part of the Student Code of Conduct: (http://www.students.uidaho.edu/default.aspx?pid=56182). Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Please notify me during the first week of class of an accommodation(s) needed for the course. Late notification may mean that requested accommodations might not be available. All accommodations must be approved through Disability Support Services located in the Idaho Commons Building, Rm. 333, 885-7200, or dss@uidaho.edu.
SCHEDULE Below shows the themes we will be exploring and the reading and other assignments for the class. This is my best approximation of our reading schedule. Inevitably, something unanticipated will arise and force adjustments to the schedule. I will inform students when such changes occur and make adjustments on the schedule.
Outline of Course I. Review: Sustainability and Global Systems II. Global Environment, Global Problems, Global Justice: Issues III. Sustainable Development: A Solution? IV. Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty: Hope or Despair? V. Serving the Local Community
WEEK ONE: Introduction and Review: Sustainability and Global Systems Thursday, January 15 Read: Syllabus
WEEK TWO: Introduction and Review: Sustainability and Global Systems Tuesday, January 20 Read: Adelson, 142-44; 365-72 Thursday, January 22 Read: Adelson, 161-66, 884-85
WEEK THREE: Global Environment, Global Problems, Global Justice, week 1: Biodiversity Tuesday, January 27 Read: Adelson, 50-62 (all); 63-70 (if your last name begins with A-M); 71-82 (if your last name begins with N-Z); 398-404 (all) Thursday, January 29 Read: Adelson, 117-19; 124-31; 759-64 Due: Quiz with Notes
WEEK FOUR: Global Environment, Global Problems, Global Justice, week 2: Deforestation Tuesday, February 3 Read: Adelson, 172-95 Thursday, February 5 Read: Adelson, 196-212 Due: Quiz with Notes
WEEK FIVE: Global Environment, Global Problems, Global Justice, week 3: Urbanization and Population Tuesday, February 10 Read: Adelson, 311-32; 807-15 Thursday, February 12 Read: Adelson, 333-50; 815-18, 827-29 Due: Quiz with Notes
WEEK SIX: Global Environment, Global Problems, Global Justice, week 4: War, Peace, and Nature Tuesday, February 17 Read: Adelson, 213-37 Thursday, February 19 Read: Adelson, 237-47 (237-44 will be review for most students); 712-15; 837-42 Due: Quiz with Notes
WEEK SEVEN: Global Environment, Global Problems, Global Justice, week 5: Environmental Justice Tuesday, February 24 Read: Adelson, 439-46; 766-73; 837-50 Due: Quiz with Notes Thursday, February 26 NO CLASSES: Professor Sowards in Tallahassee for American Society for Environmental History Meeting
WEEK EIGHT: Sustainable Development: A Solution?, week 1 Tuesday, March 3 Read: Weisman, Overture, begin Part I “The Savanna” Thursday, March 5 Read: Weisman, finish “The Savanna
WEEK NINE: Sustainable Development: A Solution?, week 2 Tuesday, March 10 Read: Adelson, 138-52 (review 142-44), 166-71, 777-81; begin Weisman, Part II “The Tools” Thursday, March 12 Read: Complete Weisman, “The Tools”; Adelson, 656-59
SPRING BREAK, March 16-20; No Classes
WEEK TEN: Sustainable Development: A Solution?, week 3 Tuesday, March 24 Read: Complete Weisman, Part III “The Trees,” Afterword Thursday, March 26 Read: Weisman, Afterword; Adelson, 486-91; 689-91
WEEK ELEVEN: Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty: Hope or Despair? Tuesday, March 31 Read: None Due: Sustainable Development Paper Thursday, April 1 Read: None for class but begin reading Boyle
WEEK TWELVE: Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty: Hope or Despair? Tuesday, April 7 Read: Boyle, Prologue, Part One “Bring ‘Em Back Alive” Thursday, April 9 Read: Keep reading Boyle; Adelson, 676-703 (read the introductory pages and then choose half of the selections to read)
WEEK THIRTEEN: Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty: Hope or Despair? Tuesday, April 14 Read: Boyle, Part Two “Progress Is Our Most Important Product” Thursday, April 16 Read: NO CLASS Prof. Sowards at PNW History Conference, in Portland, OR (get a head start reading for next week) Group Work Day
WEEK FOURTEEN: Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty: Hope or Despair? Tuesday, April 21 Read: Boyle, Part Three “Wildlife in America” Thursday, April 23 Read: Adelson, 622-48 (read the introductory pages and then choose half of the selections to read)
WEEK FIFTEEN: Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty: Hope or Despair? Tuesday, April 28 Read: None Due: Presentations Thursday, April 30 Read: None Due: Presentations
WEEK SIXTEEN: Summing Up Tuesday, May 5 Read: Anything in Adelson you have not read but would like to; come to class prepared to report Thursday, May 7 Read: None Due: Service-Learning Paper Due
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULED (turn in final paper) Friday, May 15, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
COURSE OBJECTIVES / LEARNING OUTCOMES The University of Idaho has adopted the following undergraduate learning outcomes: · Learn and Integrate: Through independent learning and collaborative study, attain, use and develop knowledge in the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences, with disciplinary specialization and the ability to integrate information across disciplines. · Think and Create: Use multiple thinking strategies to examine real-world issues, explore creative avenues of expression, solve problems and make consequential decisions. · Communicate: Acquire, articulate, create and convey intended meaning using verbal and non-verbal methods of communication that demonstrate respect and understanding in a complex society. · Clarify Purpose and Perspective: Explore one's life purpose and meaning through transformational experiences that foster an understanding of self, relationships and diverse global perspectives. · Practice Citizenship: Apply principles of ethical leadership, collaborative engagement, socially responsible behavior, respect for diversity in an interdependent world and a service-oriented commitment to advance and sustain local and global communities.
At the conclusion of CORE 175, students should be able to: · Synthesize assigned materials from multiple perspectives to build a broad familiarity with sustainability issues locally and globally. · Use multiple sources critically to arrive at independent interpretations. · Read critically, pose intelligent questions, listen attentively, and write coherently. · Recognize issues of sustainability and individuals’ and society’s relationship to both the problems and potential solutions. · Use new knowledge appropriately and responsibly, now and in the future, as part of an educated citizenry. EXPECTATIONS Students will:
The instructor will:
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