Schedule

WRIT 2701: Green Rhetoric, Winter 2020, Prof. Benz

  • Warning! Highly volatile. Schedule can change
  • Complete the work before class on the day it’s listed.
  • (C) = readings are available in Canvas/Files or Canvas/Modules.

Week 1: Wilderness

M 1/6

  • Course overview, syllabus, learning outcomes
  • Read: Solnit’s “Letter to a Young Climate Activist on the First Day of a New Decade”

W 1/8

  • Assign WP #1: Nature Memoir
  • Read: Turner’s “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” (C)
  • Read: Cronon’s “The Trouble with Wilderness” (C)
  • Due: Discussion Post #1

Week 2: Nature Memoir

M 1/13

  • Read: Byrd, “A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, Letter VII” (C)
  • Read: Muir, “Prayers in Higher Mountain Temples” (C)
  • Read: JW Powell, “Exploration of the Colorado River” (C)
  • Assign: Environmental Rhetoric Case Study
  • Nature memoir Conferences with Prof. Benz (1pm-1:50)

W 1/15

  • Read:Didion, “Los Angeles Notebook” (C)
  • Read: Ehrlich, “A Storm, the Cornfield, and Elk” (C)
  • Read: Walker, “Am I Blue?” (C)
  • Due: Discussion Post #2
  • Nature memoir Conferences with Prof. Benz (1pm-1:50)

Week 3: Nature Memoir

M 1/20

  • No Class for MLK Holiday

W 1/22

  • Read: Abbey, “The Great American Desert” (C)
  • Read: Erdrich, “Big Grass” (C)
  • Peacock, “The Big Snow” (C)
  • Kingston, “A City Person Encountering Nature” (C)
  • Nature memoir Conferences with Prof. Benz (1pm-1:50)

Sun. 1/26

  • DU Sustainability Retreat, 10:00am-4:00pm
    Join the Center for Sustainability at the Alliance Center (1536 Wynkoop St. Denver) for a day full of collaboration to create real change on campus and learn skills to catapult you to success! Register here.

Week 4: Environmental Rhetoric: Techniques and Case Studies

M 1/27

  • Due: Draft #1 of Nature Memoir for peer review
  • Peer review: In class
  • Case Study Conferences with Prof. Benz (1pm-1:50)

W 1/29

  • Due: Revised nature memoir with completed self-evaluation
  • Read: Killingsworth and Palmer’s “Ecospeak” (C)
  • Work with your Case Study Group
  • Case Study Conferences with Prof. Benz: Muir and Hetch Hetchy

Week 5: Environmental Rhetoric: Case Studies

M 2/3

  • Read: 2018 and 2019 DU Sustainability Reports (C)
  • Due: Discussion Post #3
  • Case Study Conferences with Prof. Benz: 1) Rachel Carson and Silent Spring; 2) Earth First!

W 2/5

  • Case Study Presentation: John Muir and Hetch Hetchy
  • Read: TBA by Presentation Group
  • Case Study Conferences with Prof. Benz: 1) Frank Luntz and Climate Change

Week 6: Environmental Rhetoric: Case Studies

M 2/10

  • Read: How to Write an Op-ed, select op-eds (TBA) (C)
  • Read: TBA by Presentation Group
  • Genre lesson: Op-ed
  • Case Study Presentation: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and DDT

W 2/12

  • Read: Sample Op-eds (TBA)
  • Read: TBA by Presentation Group
  • Case Study Presentation: Earth First! and the Glen Canyon Dam
  • Case Study Conferences with Prof. Benz: 1) Standing Rock and DAPL

Week 7: Green Campaign: Op-ed

M 2/17

  • Due: Draft of Op-ed for Peer Review
  • Peer review: In class
  • Case Study Conferences with Prof. Benz: Extinction Rebellion

W 2/19

  • Case Study Presentation: Frank Luntz and Climate Change
  • Read: TBA by Presentation Group
  • Due: Revised Op-ed with self-evaluation
  • Genre Lesson: Infographics

Week 8: Green Campaign: Infographics

M 2/24

W 2/26

  • Due: Draft of Infographic for peer review

F 2/28:

  • Due: Revised Infographic

Week 9: Green Campaign: Social Media

M 3/2

W 3/4

  • Due: Draft of Social Media Posts (3)
  • In-class: Peer Review
  • (E)Portfolio Conferences

Week 10: Revision, Dissemination, and Portfolio

M 3/9

  • Assign: Final (E)Portfolio
  • Due: Revised Social Media posts
  • Read: Sample Portfolios
  • (E)Portfolio Conferences

W 3/11

  • Building your (E)Portfolio: Workshop
  • (E)Portfolio conferences
  • Course Evals

Week 11: Revision, Dissemination, and Portfolios

M 3/16

  • No class – I’ll be available in my office
  • Due: (E)Portfolio (at 11:59pm)
  • Publish: (E)Portfolio online