GEOG 3422: CONSERVATION THOUGHT FALL
2007
Instructor: Elizabeth Pike
Email: pikee@colorado.edu
Office Hours: M/W: 12:00-12:45 & by appointment
Office: Guggenheim 104
Teaching Assistant: joni palmer
Email: joni.palmer@colorado.edu
Office Hours: W: 9-10:50
Office: Guggenheim 301
Lecture: Monday and Wednesday, 11:00 am, Humanities 250
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_3422_f07/
Recitation: Monday 1:00 pm MCOL 186 or
Wednesday 1:00 pm Duane G2B41 or
Friday 1:00 pm GUGG 206
I. Readings: Required texts: (abbreviation used in syllabus)
¥ Hector St. John de Crevecouer: Letters From
an American Farmer (ÒLettersÓ)
¥ Aldo Leopold: A Sand County Almanac (ÒLeopoldÓ)
¥ Rachel Carson: Silent Spring (ÒCarsonÓ)
¥ Edward Abbey: Desert Solitaire (ÒAbbeyÓ)
II. Required reserve readings:
Reserve readings will also be assigned. They are noted on the syllabus.
Additional readings may be assigned in class. Reserve readings are
accessible via Norlin LibraryÕs electronic reserve
system.
III. The Class Content and Objectives
¥ How should the national parks be managed?
¥ What is the value of wilderness?
¥ Are trees a crop, habitat for wild creatures, living beings with inherent rights,
or spiritual icons?
¥ What different philosophies underlie contemporary conservation debates?
¥ How have these ideas developed over the course of the last 200-250 years?
This class will provide an overview of the development of ideas about nature in
the
This class will employ a conceptual framework based on four questions.
1) What is nature?
2) What is the relationship between humans and nature?
3) How should humans interact with nature?
4) Who should decide how humans interact with nature?
We will use these four questions to analyze the writings of popular writers, academics,
and government officials, beginning just after the American Revolution and
ending with selected contemporary authors.
At the end of this class, I will expect you to know the basic biographical information
for each author, as well as the most important themes and concepts about nature
expressed in his or her writing. I will also expect you to explain the
differences between the ideas developed by each author, and trace the changes
in thinking about nature over time. The midterms and final exams will evaluate
your ability to do this.
I will also expect you to be able to apply the ideas expressed by the authors that
you read for class to analyze the philosophical differences underlying a contemporary
environmental issue. You will also link these differing philosophies to the
specific authors from class. These tasks will be completed in the three written
assignments. You will also need to present your thoughts clearly and concisely
in these written assignments, which will be evaluated based partly on content
and partly on the quality of the writing. This includes organization, grammar,
and spelling.
The weekly recitation will provide a smaller group setting that is more conducive
to the active learning that takes place via participation in discussions and
other activities. The recitations will also provide more personal attention
from the teaching assistant than is possible in a lecture of 75 students. As
the recitation is a group learning experience, attendance, preparation, and
participation are essential and will be factored into the final course grade
for each student.
IV. Grading Details: The final grade will be comprised of the following
components:
30% Written Assignments
5% In-class Exercises
25% Midterm Exams
20% Comprehensive Final Exam
5% Leading and Reporting on Discussion in Recitation
10% Attendance, Participation, and Preparation for Recitation
5% Recitation Quizzes
The written assignments are due at the BEGINNING
of the class period indicated. The first two will be short essays of
500-750 words each. The final assignment will be a longer, 1000-word
essay. Detailed assignments will be handed out separately.
No makeup tests or exams will be given. Students who miss a quiz or test without
a documented and acceptable excuse (e.g. medical) will receive a score of zero
for the missed work. If you know of a valid conflict with any of the
scheduled tests or the final exam, contact the instructor in advance.
GEOG 3422 Fall 2006: Schedule of Lectures and Assigned Readings
I. Introductions
August
27 Course introduction: Reserve #1: Kates, ÒPart and
ApartÓ and Letters pp. 11-39
29 Themes in conservation thought: Letters pp. 40-108
September
II. Early American Settlers and
Explorers
3
Labor Day. No Class
5 Making a living from an untamed land: Reserve #2
10 Exploring
III. A New Nature Aesthetic
12 Conservation Writers: Reserve #3
OUTLINE DUE IN CLASS
17 Emerson/Thoreau: Reserve #4
19 Emerson and ThoreauÕs Transcendental Context
IV. Human Impacts on the
Earth=> Preservationor Conservation?
24 George Perkins Marsh: Reserve #5
EXERCISE #1 DUE IN CLASS
26 John Muir and the Sierra Club: Reserve #6
October
1 MIDTERM#1
3 Muir and
8 Gifford Pinchot and the Progressive Movement: Reserve
#7
10 Pinchot continued and John Wesley Powell: Reserve
#8
V. LeopoldÕs Land Ethic
15 Leopold: Leopold pp. 3-92
17 Leopold: Leopold pp. 165-226
VI. 20th Century GeographersÕ Perspectives
22 Carl Sauer and Gilbert White: Reserve #9
EXERCISE #2 DUE IN CLASS
VII. New Science, New Criticisms, New Tactics
24 Technological Context, Early Warning Signs: Carson Ch. 1-10
29 Rachel CarsonÕs Wakeup Call: Carson Ch. 11-17
31 The Club of Rome and the Limits to Growth: Reserve #10
November
5 The Emergence of Ecology: Reserve #11
7 Ecology and the Science of Conservation Goals
12 MIDTERM #2
14 Public Perceptions of the New Ecology
19 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY-NO CLASS
21 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY-NO CLASS
26 Environmental Economics: Reserve #12
28 Environmental Economics
VII. New Critiques: Equity and Justice for All?
December
3 Popular Voices: Edward Abbey: Abbey-all
5 Environmental Justice: Reserve #13
EXERCISE #3 DUE IN CLASS
10 ÒSustainabilityÓ
12 Review
FINAL EXAM: 10:30 am Monday December 17
If you qualify for accommodations because of a
disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner
so that your needs may be addressed.
Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented
disabilities. Contact:303-492-8671, Willard 322, and http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
Campus policy regarding religious observances
requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students
who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams,
assignments or required attendance. See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
Students and faculty each have responsibility
for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to
such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professionalcourtesy
and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics
dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual
orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor
with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you
by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference
early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See polices
athttp://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code
The
All students of the