Science and environment writing - Class Calendar Spring 2011

Notes:

Each week students will have three areas of work to complete
  1. Most important - Your research report, or interview or writing assignment. This needs to be made available for all to read on a linked class wiki page A weekly update is needed.
  2. Reading insights written in the relevant section on the class pages / Virtual discussion
  3. Questions for guest speakers - to show you have read the advance material and to get you thinking about the topic - also on your group page. You may also be asked to write a quick summary lead concerning the speaker's main points.
  4. Also, think bout the class itself. Where do you want this class to go? What do you want to learn about? This is a "learning club." Suggestions and ideas are very welcome.

January

17. - Introduction -- Forms of science writing and environment writing -- audiences and writing style; Topic: history of science writing and environmental writing

READ: CP Snow -- The Two Cultures
READ: Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum, "Unpopular Science" (Nation magazine) and their book, Unscientific America (Basic Books)

SUBSCRIBE: To Yale360 and Environment news service (free email subscriptions)
OPTIONAL: Join the Society of Environmental Journalists www.sej.org and subscribe to SEJ-Talk

FIND: News or feature writing that best fits what you would like to do. Bring in examples. We'll talk about this in class.

24. - Research and writing about science and the environment; Topics - Drinking water, watershed conservation easements

EXPLORE - Poynter Institute News U "Covering Water Quality" tutorial
SUBMIT -- Three story ideas for the region about environmental issues. Think about topic, sources, goals for your writing.

Be prepared for weekly quizzes on last week's readings !

31. Writing leads; Thinking about news and in-depth reports; Topic -Water pollution regulations and enforcement
Also: New River Round Table, Friends of the New River, National Committee for the New River, and other water quality groups

WATCH - Ducks Unlimited Clean Water Act overview
READ Clean Water Act entry Wikipedia
READ - Interpreting environmental information
EXPLORE - EPA impared waters list and map -- Scroll down to New River, middle
EXPLORE - Virginia DEQ air pollution pages

February

7. Structuring your writing: Topic - Air pollution issues in the NRV

Factories, coal fired power plants information TBA

14. Interviews are easy: Topic - Sustainability and green architecture in the New River Valley

EXPLORE - RU Green and VT sustainability web sites
EXPLORE - Green Building Council S.W. Virginia

21.-Shooting video and putting it on the web; Topic - Renewable Energy issues in the region

LISTEN: NPR report on Ethanol, and critique by ethanol industry public relations
READ: Roanoke TImes articles on wind power project for Bent Mountain

First of three stories due end of the week; two others should be well on the way

28. Mapping; Topic - Climate change in Appalachia

WATCH: An inconvenient truth
WATCH: "Resisting the Green Dragon" (industry public relations campaign) and "Daring to question Al Gore" (dissenting journalist)
READ: "Climate Change 101" (Columbia Journalism Review)
READ: Bud Ward, Communicating on Climate Change: An Essential Resource for Journalists, Scientists, and Educators, Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting

March

14. Mapping the permits on the river-- Topic: Coal Mining and Mountaintop Removal

WATCH a short clip from an episode of Bill Moyers Journal on mountaintop removal mining.
Readings and video to be announced; Field trip should be set up by this time

21. How to intervew scientists; how to be interviewed - Topic: Toxic waste, TRI, enviornmental justice and the media

WATCH "The Warriors of Quijang" (39 minutes)
Other readings and video to be announced; esp. TVA and the coal ash disaster of 2008

Second of three stories due end of the week; Just one more left !

28. Long-form literary non-fiction writing / first person writing

READ: "A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf" by John Muir, c. 1867 -- We're especially interested in the Cumberlands Mountain chapter.
READ: "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett, c. 1886 -- Where is this woman's ultimate loyalty?
Also Annie Dillard, John McPhee, others ...

April

4. Blue Ridge Parkway field trip -- Topic - Blue Ridge Parkway, Rails to Trails, bikeways and development

11. Writing about wildlife biology and ecosystems

18. International connections - environment and development

Third of three stories due end of the week

25 Wrap up

 


 
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