Download Syllabus - University of Nevada, Reno

ENG 491A: Major Texts of the Environmental Movement
Number of Credits 3
Instructor Jonathan Katalenic
Jonathan Katalenic is a PhD candidate in English at the University of Nevada, Reno. His
major focus of study is ecocriticism and environmental literature, and he is extremely
excited about teaching this course. Though this is an English course, he welcomes majors of
all types and all perspectives, particularly if they have any experience with environmental
issues. He’s happy to answer any questions about the class, the paper assignment, or the
readings, and can be reached at [email protected].
Catalog Description
Survey of important texts of the environmental movement, e.g., Aldo Leopold, Rachel
Carson, Edward Abbey. How such literature changes consciousness and influences policy.
Prereq(s): CH 201; CH 202 or CH 203; junior or senior standing.
Required Textbooks/Materials
The following texts are required material in this course:
Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
Willa Cather, O Pioneers!
Linda Hogan, Solar Storms
Ursula K. LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness
Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
Jane Smiley, A Thousand Acres
We will also be watching the animated films Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Wall-E
in class. Additional readings from WebCampus will also be required.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to
• understand modern environmentalism through the major texts of its most influential
writers;
• analyze environmental texts from the perspectives of rhetoric and science;
• sharpen critical reading and writing skills; and
• develop the habit of viewing problems as opportunities.
First Week of Materials/Assignments
The following schedule is subject to change:
January 3:
Introduction to Class
The Birth of the Environmental Movement
Read “And No Birds Sing” in class
What do key terms mean to us?
Homework: Read O Pioneers! for January 4
January 4:
Early Environmental Movements
John Muir and the Creation of the National Parks
Walden and its Influence
O Pioneers! and the Settling of the Frontier
Homework: Read A Sand County Almanac, Parts I and IV (pages 3–98 and
237–295) and Glotfelty (WebCampus) for January 5
January 5:
Twentieth-Century Concerns about the Environment
The Move from Agriculture to Industry
A Sand County Almanac and the Birth of Conservation
Ecocriticism and Environmental Theory
Homework: Read Desert Solitaire; Lynch, Glotfelty, Armbruster, and
Seymour (WebCampus) for January 9
January 9:
Changing Views of the Environment
Bioregionalism and its Impacts
Toward an Irreverent Ecocriticism
How the Mid-Twentieth-Century Approaches the Environment
Homework: Read packet of Flannery O’Connor stories, Katalenic, and
Martin (WebCampus) for January 10
January 10:
The History of Environmental Horror
Horror as Stand-In for Environmental Catastrophe
Silent Spring as a Horror Text
O’Connor and the Rise of Southern Environmental Horror
Homework: Read Solar Storms, chapters 1–11 (pages 11–195), and Silko
(WebCampus) for January 11
Course Details
This course looks at the history of the environmental movement, from the period prior to
the publication of Silent Spring at the mid-twentieth century up to the present day. We will
be reading six books and you will be expected to produce one paper of between seven to
twelve pages relating to the environmental movement and/or the texts we are exploring.
Among the movements we will be exploring are ecocriticism (environmental literary
criticism), bioregionalism (focus on a specific region or place), ecofeminism (meshing of
environmental and feminist criticism), queer ecology (meshing of environmental and LGBT
criticism), and environmental justice. We will talk about the implications of what we read
both in terms of the assigned books and how we can think about these issues more broadly
in the context of the world today.
Grade Breakdown
The point and percentage distribution for the course is:
Attendance
Participation
Major Paper (7–12 pages)
Total
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
92.5–100%
89.5–92.49%
86.5–89.49%
82.5–86.49%
79.5–82.49%
76.5–79.49%
72.5–76.49%
69.5–72.49%
66.5–69.49%
62.5–66.49%
60–62.5%
below 60%
10%
40%
50%
100%