Take-home reading assignment 1 (10%): due Jan. 11, 2022
This assignment has two parts. Please submit in the same document.
First part, newspaper article summaries: 5%
Read the newspaper articles on examples of environmental problems posted in week 1.
For each article give a synopsis (brief description of the most important information) by answering two questions: – What is the main factual information reported?
– To you, what do you consider the big picture take-away from reading this news?
For each article provide full title and reference as title, and write between 100 – 200 words
Some article may require fewer words, others a bit more.
Write a concluding paragraph about all four articles and try to answer
1) What do the problems presented in the four articles have in common?
2) In what ways do the problems differ in terms of their impact and broader implications? 100 – 200 words.
This first part of the assignment will have five sections: 4 synopsis and 1 concluding paragraph. Total length between 500 – 1000 words long (2 – 3 pages, depending on formatting).
Second part, brief reading analysis: 5%
Summarize and analyze the article by Steven Vogel, Environmental Philosophy after the End of Nature. Address the following:
– What key argument do you think the author makes?
– Identify one or two key examples or data points the author uses to develop the broader argument?
– After thinking about what you read, what questions if any do you walk away with? Do you find the authors argument compelling or do you find something missing? (there is no right or wrong answer to this final question).
Provide full article reference as title for your discussion at the top of the essay. Clearly organize into three sections.
Length: 400 – 600 words.
Follow these general guidelines:
– Put your name at the top of the page.
– Note word count in the upper right corner of the page.
– Stick to the word count. If you end up above it, edit it down: delete, rephrase, condense, consolidate. – Put the full bibliographical reference at the top of each summary.
Style:
– Clearly organize your argument, avoid repetition.
– Avoid statements like “I agree with the author” without explaining why.
Grading: You will be graded
– on your ability to succinctly identify the broader argument,
– on your ability to tie your concluding thoughts into some of the previous discussion (if it applies to the assignment),
– on organization, clarity of writing, and grammar (Have someone read through your work particularly if you are not a native speaker!)
Academic integrity: Materials submitted to fulfill academic requirements must represent a student’s own efforts. Plagiarism or letting someone else write your work is a serious offense. We may run the essays through a plagiarism detection program. Students may be asked to come discuss their essay with me or the TA.
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