ILS 2215: Integrative Learning (The Earth in Peril, From Transcendence to Obsolence: Earth as Paradise and Prison)
Tentative Course Schedule
Fall 2019
NOTE: This schedule may change as needed. Your presence in class ensures correct assignments
WEEK 1
M 9/9 Course Introduction; Video: Planet Earth: The Future; Discuss Presentations
Sign up for presentation; Discuss Franzen Article (read before class)
Homework (Due 9/11):
- Complete Syllabus Quiz in Ulearn; See Quizzes link
- Set Up Blog; email the Web address to your page (http://wordpress)
to Professor Harmon: kenny.harmon@jwu.edu by class time.
- Read Barbara Kingsolver's "Knowing Our Place"
- Read Thoreau's "Huckleberries" (See handouts in Ulearn)
- Study for Quiz
W 9/11 Discuss Kingsolver & Thoreau; Quiz 1 & Blog Post 1
Homework (Due 9/16):
- Read "Reinventing Eden: Western Culture as a Recovery Narrative" by Carolyn Merchant (Handouts)
- Do Reader Response 1: What do you see as a significant connection between this text and either Kingsolver or Thoreau? Your answer should be a minimum of 300 words, and your response must be posted no later than class time
- You will post your completed response in TWO LOCATIONS: 1) in the essays folder in Ulearn (submit essays/assignments>reader responses) & 2) on the discussion board for Carolyn Merchant's Reinventing Eden
- Complete Quiz in Ulearn (see quizzes link in Ulearn)
WEEK 2
M 9/16 NO REGULAR CLASS MEETING; MEET ONLINE
Return to the Merchant discussion Board and read through some of the posts
there and respons to the posts of two other students for a total
of 300 words total between the two. Imagine that your classmates' responses are comments
that they made in a traditional classroom setting. In your response back to them, explain
what new ideas their comments prompted for you about our readings or how they may have
perhaps led you to view the texts in a way that you had not considered. You must complete
your responses back to other students no later than 11:59pm today (9/16)
Homework (Due 9/18):
- Read "Planet of Weeds" by David Quammen (See Handouts/Readings
link in Ulearn)
- Read "The Thoreau Problem" by Rebecca Solnit
- Do Reader Response 2: What do you see as a significant connection between one of these texts (Quammen and Solnit) and an earlier text that we read. Your answer should be a minimum of 300 words, and your response must be posted to Ulearn no later than class time in the essays folder (submit essays/assigments
> reader responses) & 2 on the discussion board for Quammen & Solnit
W 9/18 Discuss Quammen & Solnit
Return to the Quammen & Solnit discussion Board and read through some of
the posts there (your classmates' reader response 2) and respond to any two in a minimum of
300 words total between the two. Imagine that your classmates' responses are comments
that they made in a traditional classroom setting. In your response back to them, explain
what new ideas their comments prompted for you about our readings or how they may have
perhaps led you to view the texts in a way that you had not considered. You must complete
your responses back to other students no later than 1:35 pm today (3/20)
Homework (Due 9/23):
- Read "Rappacini's" Daughter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Do Reader Response 3: What do you see as the central theme (central idea) of this work? How does the author communicate this ideas through the story's symbols? Explain. Provide at leastone quote from the text. Your response must be a minimum of 300 words and posted to Ulearn by class time.
- Be prepared for quiz
WEEK 3
M 9/23 Review fiction terms; Two Quizzes & Blog Post 4; Discuss Hawthorne
Homework (Due 9/25)::
- 1st Version of Essay 1 Due (Upload to Ulearn as MS Word file
- Submit Essay 1 to SmartThinking Tutor (see instructions in Ulearn)
W 9/25 1st Version of Essay 1 Due; Why Peer Critique?; Watch Avatar
Homework (Due 9/30):
- Do Reader Response 4 : What connections do you see between Avatar and another course reading so far this term? Your answer should be a minimum of 300 words and your response must be posted to Ulearn no later than class time
- Upload Smarthinking report and revision plan as one MS Word file; Go to SUBMIT ESSAYS/ASSIGNMENTS <SMARTHINKING REPORTS & REVISION PLANS
- Revise Essay 1 draft
- Work on Revisions: See Revision Checklist
- Complete Peer Critique of your partner's Essay 1 and post to
- Ulearn: SUBMIT ESSAYS/ASSIGMENTS > PEER CRITIQUES
WEEK 4
M 9/30 Discuss peer critique of Essay 1 with partner; Discuss What is Due with Final Draft;
Complete Avatar; Discuss Avatar;
Homework (Due 10/2):
- Read “The Devil in Our DNA: A Brief History of Eugenics in Science Fiction Films” by David Kirby;
- be prepared for quiz
W 10/2 Discuss Kirby and watch “A Decade of the Human Genome” (BBC Documentary, 2012)
Homework (Due M 10/7):
- Final Draft of Essay 1 due with Reflection
- Read "The Evening, The Morning, & The Night" by Octavia Butler (see handouts in Ulearn)
- Do Reader Response 5: What do you see as an emerging theme in Butler's story and how is that connected to something you saw in the BBC documentary in class? Express this theme as a single word/idea. Support your assertions with evidence from the text and the film. Your answer should be a minimum of 300 words, and your response must be posted no later than class time
- Return to this discussion board for Kirby and the BBC documentary and respond to the posts of a minimum of two other students for a total of 300 words between the two. Imagine that your classmates' responses are comments that they made in a traditional classroom setting. In your response back to them, explain what new ideas their comments prompted for you about our reading and video or how they may have perhaps led you to view the texts in a way that you had not considered. Again, these posts must be completed no later than the beginning of class time on M 10/7 (1:45pm)
WEEK 5
M 10/7 Final Draft of Essay 1 Due with Reflection; Discuss Butler; Quiz
Discuss Essay 2
Homework (Due 10/9):
- Do Reader Response 6: Your answer should be a minimum of 300 words, and
your response must be posted no later than class time on R 4/7
- Polish Final Draft of Essay 1
W 10/9 Film: Gattaca (106 min); Presentation: The
Ethics of Genetic Modification (plants, animals, and humans) (Grover & Shelley)
Homework (Due 10/14):
- Complete Midterm Evaluation; Bring written comments to class
- Read "Fooling with Mother Nature" by William Gaylin and prepare 3 questions for discussion
(see Course Readings link)
- Watch film for Essay 2; See link for suggestions.
WEEK 6
M 10/14 Gattaca Discussion; Discuss Presentation and Gaylin article
Homework (Due 10/16):
- Watch RoboBee X-Wing
- Submit 1st draft of Essay 2 to SmartThinking Tutor
W 10/16 Film: Most Hated in the Nation (Season 3, Episode 6 of The Black Mirror), 89 min.
Homework (Due 10/21):
- Read Oryx & Crake, pp. 1-43 (1-25 up to "Downpour" in .pdf file)
- First Draft of Essay 2 due; Submit to Ulearn and Submit to SmartThinking Tutor.
F 10/18 LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM AN ACADEMIC COURSE
WEEK 7
M 10/21 Quiz 4; First Draft of Essay 2 due; Exchange for Critique; Discuss Atwood;
Homework (Due 10/23):
- Complete Peer Critique of Essay 2; Submit to Ulearn
- Upload Smarthinking report and revision plan as one MS Word file; Go to SUBMIT
ESSAYS/ASSIGNMENTS <SMARTHINKING REPORTS & REVISION PLANS
- Read Oryx & Crake, pp. 44-87 (26-51 in .pdf file)
W 10/23 Quiz 5; Discuss Atwood; Peer Critique, Essay 2; Presentation
Homework (Due 10/28):
- Read Oryx & Crake, pp. 88-131 (52-78 in .pdf file)
- Do Reader Response 7: Connect the content of this section to one of the other readings we have completed this term. Your response must be a minimum of 300 words and posted to Ulearn by class time
WEEK 8
M 10/28 Quiz 6: Discuss Atwood; Presentation
Homework (Due 10/30):
- Final Draft of Essay 2 due with Reflection
- Read Oryx & Crake, pp. 132-177 (79-104 in .pdf file)
Homework (Due 5/3):
- Read Oryx & Crake, pp. 178-218 (105-131 in .pdf file)
- Do Reader Response 8: Connect the content of this section of the novel to one of the other readings we have examined this term. Your response must be a minimum of 300 words and posted to Ulearn by class time.
WEEK 9
M 11/4 Quiz 8; Discuss Atwood; PRESENTATION
Homework (Due 11/6):
- Read Oryx & Crake, pp. 221-261 (132-155 in .pdf file)
- Complete Quiz in Ulearn
W 11/6 Quiz 9; Discuss Atwood; Final Exam Essay Questions Available
Homework (Due 5/10):
- Read Oryx & Crake, pp. 265-306 (156-182 in .pdf file)
- Complete Quiz in Ulearn
WEEK 10
M 11/11 Quiz 10; Discuss Atwood;
For Next Time:
- Read Oryx & Crake, pp. 307-end (183-end in .pdf file)
- Work on Final Exam
W 11/15 Workday for Exam? Discuss Organization, etc.; PRESENTATION
WEEK 11
M 11/18 Reading Day (no class meeting)
