Northern Arizona University
University Honors Program
Honors 191: Seminar in Critical
Reading and Writing, II
Reading the Environment
MWF 10:20-11:10
Instructor: Ellen Riek
Office Hours: MWF 11:30-12:30
Office/Phone: BAA 315/523-6776
Email: Ellen.Riek@nau.edu
Course
Prerequisites:
Admission to the Honors Program.
See also number 1 below, under “Course Requirements.”
Course
Description:
Honors 191 is a reading- and
writing-intensive course designed to introduce you to a liberal studies
education. An important part of this education is your acquisition of specific
skills: close reading, analytical writing, cogent speaking, attentive
listening, and critical thinking. The readings for Honors 191, as well as the
written work required of you, have been chosen and arranged in order to make
possible your attainment as well as perfection of these skills, within a
learning environment that encourages your understanding and appreciation of
some key issues that are at the heart of a liberal studies education. This semester,
your instructors come from a variety of departments. Your instructors will
choose specific texts for their sections of Honors 191 and will help you to
define and explore these key issues in a manner that reflects their unique
training, specialties, and perspectives.
Honors 190 differs from 191 in the
following ways: you will have fewer informal assignments to complete; you will
be required to complete a research project or paper; the content and theme(s)
of the course will depend upon your individual instructor’s selection of
reading materials.
General
Course Requirements:
The following requirements
represent minimal standards in each section of Honors 191. Individual
professors may, and most likely will, include more writing, reading, and participation
requirements than are listed here. Note also that guidelines for informal
writing, formal writing, portfolios, and class participation will be provided
by your individual instructors.
1.
HON
190 and HON191 may be taken in any order. (a) If you are enrolled in HON190 as
your first freshman Honors course, you must take the English Composition Exam
in order to pass this course. If you do
not pass the English Composition Placement Exam, you must take ENG 205 co-registered
with HON191. (b) If you are enrolled in HON 191 as your first freshman Honors
course, you must take the English Composition exam in order to pass this
course. If you do not pass the English Composition Placement Exam, you must
take ENG 205 co-registered with HON 190.
2.
You
will be asked to complete a minimum of 10 pages of informal writing.
3.
You
will be asked to complete 15-25 pages of formal writing, a portion of which
will include a research assignment.
4.
You
will be asked to submit a portfolio at the end of the semester that consists of
(a) 10 pages of your best, revised informal writing assignments, and (b) a 1-2
page “self statement.”
5.
You
will complete a 3-5 page annotated bibliography.
6.
You
will purchase a guide book for research/style.
7.
You
will be expected to participate thoughtfully and intelligently in all class
discussions.
Course Objectives:
In order to achieve the goals of Honors 191, our
class will focus on the “nature” of nature writing. That is, within this burgeoning genre, how is nature discussed
and who are these nature writers? More
specifically, how has the traditional “green” canon focused on the separation
of nature from culture (i.e., (wo)man’s escape from culture to
nature) as compared with a body of American Indian literature which
inextricably links nature with culture?
Toward that end, we will read a variety of fiction and non-fiction,
including novels, poetry, short stories, and critical essays, which reflect
nature writing in myriad incarnations.
Throughout the semester we will critically explore and analyze issues of
conservation politics, environmental racism, resource (mis)management, and
human action/interaction with the environment, as these issues emerge within
the context of literature. We will
further explore these issues in the larger context of our community and region
in order to develop relevant topics for the final research paper.
Required Texts:
Joy Harjo/Gloria Bird Reinventing the Enemy’s
Language
Mary Austin/John Muir Writing the Western
Landscape
Edward Abbey, The Journey Home
Simon Ortiz, Woven Stone
Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony
Louise Erdrich, Tracks
Sherman Alexie, The Lone Ranger and Tonto
Fistfight in Heaven
*Additional readings provided by Instructor
Grading:
Participation 10%
Journal 10%
Paper 1 10%
Paper 2 15%
Abstract 5%
Annotated Bibliography 15%
Paper 3 25%
Portfolio 10%
Assignments:
Journal
You will be responsible for keeping
a journal which I will collect several times throughout the semester. The journal can be a notebook or whatever
suits you, as long as it is bound rather than loose pages. We will write in the journals frequently
during class time, responding either to specific questions or sections from the
texts we read. However, you may, in
addition, respond to the readings in your journal on your own as well, in order
to help clarify a passage or simply to articulate your thoughts before class.
You may also use this as a creative outlet for poetry, prose, etc., as long as
you keep the material in the journal relevant to the course (in other words, do
not use this journal like a diary!) You
will only be graded on what is assigned in class. Bring your journal to
class every day.
First Paper
(3-4 pages) This paper will give
you an opportunity to explore a particular, specific theme at work in one of
the readings in the course thus far. I
will provide further details for this assignment during week two. Due: Week
4
Second Paper
(5-7 pages) This second, longer
paper is intended as a compare/contrast paper that will contribute to your
final research paper. That is, this
paper gives you the opportunity to explore an issue you wish to further
research and develop in paper 3. I will
provide further details for this assignment during week 6. Due: Week 9
Abstract (1-2 pages) Your abstract, which is due with Paper 2, is a brief
overview of your topic for your final research paper. Consider this a way of articulating the general direction
you want to see your final paper take. I will provide further details for this
assignment during week 8. Due: Week
9
Annotated Bibliography (3-5 pages) The annotated bibliography reflects your potential,
evaluated sources for your final research paper. I will provide further details for this assignment during week 9.
Due: Week 12
Final Research Paper (10-12 pages) This paper incorporates the work of paper 2, your abstract,
and your annotated bibliography into a final, polished research paper. In addition to the paper itself, because we
are devoting so much time to the development of this paper and because it will reflect
a specific issue of interest to you within the domain of stated course
objectives, each student will have the opportunity during Reading Week to
“present” his/her research to the class.
All students are required to meet with me between week 11 and week
14, during my office hours, to discuss the final research paper. I will provide
a sign-up sheet for these meetings. I will provide further details for this
assignment during week 11. Due:
Week 16
Portfolio: Because
our informal writing will be done in a journal, for the portfolio you will type
10 pages of your “best” journal writing assignments, and a 1-2 page “self
statement”, which reflects various aspects of your participation in the course.
Due: Week 17
Participation:
Please come to all classes prepared. This means your reading is done, you have
your books, journal, writing assignments, etc., and you are ready to contribute
to our discussion for the day. In addition to the graded assignments above,
each student will be responsible for leading discussion on particular readings
throughout the semester. This means you
will read, and most likely reread, your selection and provide a brief
interpretation/understanding of the reading and a few critical questions for
the class the day we are scheduled to discuss that piece. We will determine discussion leaders as we
go and this will count toward your participation grade. Also, in an effort to
foster possibilities for the final research paper, students will be asked to
bring in and share newspaper articles, etc., which reflect issues relevant to
the course. This will also count toward your participation grade.
Class Attendance is crucial for your success in
this course. If you miss more than one class, each additional absence can
negatively affect your grade. If you miss three classes, it is necessary for
you to come see me in order to continue in the class.
Academic Honesty
Plagiarism and cheating are the theft of another’s
words or ideas and can result in penalties as serious as expulsion from the
university. If you have any doubts about how to present material from other
sources, please come see me for help.
Any student with special needs should meet with me
during my office hours as soon as possible. All efforts will be made to
facilitate your presence and your successful completion of the course.
Schedule
(subject to change)
January 20 Week Two
Mon: MLK Day/NO CLASS
Wed: Reinventing:
Boyne 33, Bird 40, Tohe 42-43, Gould 52-53, McDaniel 62-67, Morrison 88-102,
Yazzie Hunter 122, Hale 123-148
Fri: Reinventing: Tremblay 170, Dunn
172-173, Levchuk 176-186, Wallis 190-192, Silko 195-201, Dauenhauer 202-206
January 27 Week Three
Mon:
Austin, Earth’s Horizon and The Land of Journey’s Ending
Wed: Muir,
The Grand Canon of the Colorado and Travels in Alaska
Fri: Austin and Muir cont’d
Feb 3 Week Four
Mon: Peer
Review of Paper 1 Rough Draft
Wed:
Carson, Silent Spring excerpt (ER)
Fri: Paper 2 Due, video: Silent Spring
Feb 10 Week Five
Fri: Ortiz, 337-365, Abbey, chapter 17
Mon:
McPhee, Encounters with the Archdruid (ER)
Wed:
Mcphee, cont’d
Fri: McPhee debate
Fri: Paper 2 due with Abstract for
Research Paper
Spring Break
March 24 Week Eleven
Mon: MWF: Tracks
Handout on Ecofeminism
April 7 Week Thirteen
HONORS WEEK
Mon: Tempest
Williams (ER), Lopez (ER), Reinventing: LaDuke
263-269, Rose, 269-270, 291, Thunder 293-297, Fire, 301-308
Wed: Leopold
(ER), Reinventing: Benedict 311-314, Tapahanso 319-324, Hogan
331-332, 450-454, Bird 337-352
Fri: Gunn Allen (ER), Ortiz 157-167,168-173, 174-181, Reinventing:
Walters 532-549
MWF: Lone
Ranger and Tonto
April 21 Week Fifteen
MWF: Film:
Smoke Signals
Mon: Research Paper due
MWF:
Presentations
Course Wrap-up
May 5 Week 17
Finals Week
Portfolios due