Syllabus - Essay

Syllabus - Weekly Essay

Each week you will be assigned an essay question to answer. The goal of the essay assignment is to

  • Help you learn how to analyze the same environmental problem in different geographic, cultural, social, political and economic contexts,

  • Help you understand how and why there are different responses to the same environmental problem

  • Give you a way to explore your country of choice

The essays are submitted in Canvas Links to an external site.and are graded with a rubric. The rubric is available below and attached to each essay assignment. You will earn a “complete” if you meet all of the essay rubric criteria.

 

How to Cite

In Text Citations Links to an external site.: All essays should use in-text citations. Click here for an example of how to do an in-text citation Links to an external site.. You can choose between MLA and APA format, whichever you prefer.

Works Cited or References Links to an external site.: All essays and discussion posts should include a Works Cited or References list at the end. Click here for an example of how to do a Works cited list Links to an external site.. You can choose between MLA and APA format, whichever you prefer.

Citing Electronic Sources Links to an external site.: You use a lot of electronic sources in this class. Simply pasting in a web address is inadequate. You need to cite all sources properly, including web pages. Here is a guide on how to cite electronic sources Links to an external site..  Links to an external site.

Non-text Essay Option

You may use alternate formats to answer the essay question. Examples include narrated slide shows, oral reports, photo essays, annotated web tours, short films - whatever you can think of that can be uploaded to Canvas.  
 
Guidelines:
  • The submission must be substantive and reflect critical thinking about the essay question
  • The submission must incorporate ideas and themes from the assigned reading
  • The submission must include at least one external research resource beyond the assigned reading (your sources can be listed in a separate document or in the message box)
  • Contact Stephanie with your ideas and/or questions about the non-text essay option.
 This is a work in progress, so the guidelines may be adjusted as the quarter goes forward.

 

Essay Scoring: Essays are worth 30% of your grade or 30 points each week. You will be graded according to a rubric designed to reflect the outcomes of the assignment. Essays are due by midnight on Tuesdays.
Timing: 4 - 6 hours - this is the biggest time component of the class. You need to select your topic, do the research and write your essay. Then you need to polish the essay, writing second and third drafts. Please allow adequate time to do this well.

Resources 

 

https://youtu.be/gc4i2ga_5Is Links to an external site.

 

 Note 1: We don't have open essay dropboxes in Canvas, so only you and I will see your essays.

Note 2: When I say you will be marked down for things, I will send it back as incomplete and you can resubmit the work.