ENGL 227 E • Fall 2018 • 1

ENGLISH 227 E
Fall 2018 Literature&
MWF 11-11:50 / MH 116
Climate Change

Dr. Sheila Liming Office hours:
sheila.liming@und.edu MWF 1-3 PM,
701-777-2782 and by appointment
Office: Merrifield 1B

Course Description

This introductory course, which forms part of the cross-listed core curriculum in Environmental
Studies, focuses on climate change fiction (or “Cli-Fi,” as it popularly called). This field of
literature, which is new and still emerging, combines literary and science fiction with discussions
of climate variability. At its core, “Cli-Fi” asks readers to think about how fiction and
storytelling can suggest new ways for thinking about climate change and environmental crisis,
and how it can prepare us for shifts that might already be occurring within our natural world.

We’ll begin by surveying critical discussions of climate change, material that we’ll carry with us
as we approach the study of literary texts and films. We’ll then turn our attention to fictional
narrative, surveying works by authors like Octavia Butler, Jeff VanderMeer, Kim Stanley
Robinson, and Margaret Atwood, as well as movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and the film
adaptation of VanderMeer’s Annihilation. All the while, our studies will be organized around a
set of questions: how do we go about gauging and understanding the kinds of gradual, large-scale
changes that are happening to our planetary ecosystem? How can fiction serve as a means of
recording or registering that understanding? How can literature help shape our conceptions of the
earth, or impact the roles that we, as humans, play in relation to climate change?

In addition to comprising part of the core curriculum for the newly launched Environmental
Studies major, this class is also an Essential Studies course and counts towards distribution
requirements in the Humanities by focusing on Critical Inquiry and Analysis. This means that the
course will center on the collecting and analyzing information to reach conclusions based on
evidence, among other skills. Inquiry involves the systematic process of exploring issues,
objects, or works through the collection and analysis of evidence that results in informed
conclusions or judgments. Analysis, meanwhile, is the process of breaking complex topics or
issues into parts to gain a better understanding. You should expect to focus on these intellectual
skills as part of this course.

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Required Texts
Texts to be purchased / obtained by students:
Adams, John Joseph, ed. Loosed Upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction. New
York, Saga Press, 2015.

Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Sower. New York, Warner Books, 2000.

Oreskes, Naomi and Conway, Eric. The Collapse of Western Civilization. New York, Columbia
University Press, 2014.

VanderMeer, Jeff. Annihilation. New York, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2014.

Additional readings, provided by the instructor:

Carrington, Damian. “Climate change on track to cause major insect wipeout, scientists warn.”
The Guardian, 17 May 2018, www.theguardian.com. Accessed 9 August 2018.

McKibben, Bill. “Think Again: Climate Change.” Foreign Policy, 1 October 2009,
https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/10/01/think-again-climate-change/. Accessed 8 August
2018.

Nashawaty, Chris. “A Brief History of Cinematic Apocalypse.” Entertainment Weekly, 27 June

2014, https://ew.com/article/2014/06/27/brief-history-cinematic-apocalypse/. Accessed 8
August 2018.

Purdy, Jedidiah. “Anthropocene Fever.” Aeon, 31 March 2015, https://aeon.co/essays.

Accessed 8 August 2018.

Svoboda, Michael. “(What) Do We Learn from Cli-Fi Films? Hollywood Still Stuck in the
Holocene.” Yale Climate Connections, 19 November 2014,
www.yaleclimateconnections.org. Accessed 8 August 2018.

---. “A Review of Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi) Cinema, Past and Present.” Yale Climate Connections,
22 October 2014, https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/. Accessed 8 August 2018.

Required Films (to be screened by students):

Annihilation, dir. Alex Garland. Paramount Pictures, 2018.

Mad Max: Fury Road, dir. George Miller. Warner Brothers, 2015.
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Assignments and Grading

3 Question Quizzes [3 pts. each]

Assignment I: What is the Anthropocene? (essay) [35 pts.]

Proposal [10 points]
Draft [25 pts.]
Final Essay

Assignment II: Group Infographic Assignment [20 pts]

Assignment III: Final Essay [35 pts.]

Proposal [10 points]
Draft [25 pts.]
Final Essay

Course Participation
Midsemester [15 pts.]
Final [15 pts.]

ALL DRAFTS OF ALL MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS (I-III) must be submitted in order for a
student to receive a passing grade in this course.

[See Assignment Sheets, included at the end of this syllabus, for additional instructions.]

3 Question Quizzes
Once a week, on a day where reading is assigned or due, we will begin class with a short “3
Question Quiz.” These quizzes are designed to get you thinking about a particular aspect of the
reading and so may be comprised of short answer, multiple choice, or true / false questions. They
are worth a maximum of 3 points (1 point / question) and will be made available on Blackboard.
All of the quizzes are “open note,” so you may use any print or electronic copies of the reading
to complete them. However, they will be based on specific information from the reading, so it’s
important to stay up with reading assignments and to come to class prepared.

If you are absent from class, that does not mean that you are excused from completing that day’s
3 Question Quiz, which will become available on Blackboard at the same time that class begins
each day. You will instead be expected to complete the quiz on your own and will have until the
end of the day on which it was assigned to do so. After that, you will not be able to access the
quiz on Blackboard. It is your responsibility to check in on Blackboard and see whether or not a
quiz has been assigned that day.

You can expect to complete a Question Quiz once a week, though the specific dates will not
be stated in the syllabus or announced ahead of time. It is your responsibility to stay on
track with reading assignments and to bring your text to class so that you are prepared for
quizzes.
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The 3 - 2 - 1 Grading Scale

Most daily assignments (in-class exercises and responses, “3 Question Quizzes”) will be graded
on a 3-2-1 grading scale.

Here’s what that means:

3 Excellent Work
The student appears to have a firm understanding of both concepts and keywords,
and the writing is polished, clear, and comprehensible.

2 Good Work, But Could Be Improved

The student demonstrates a general, if perhaps not nuanced or detailed,
understanding of both the concepts and keywords and the writing is satisfactory.
The student may need to offer more detailed explanations of concepts / keywords,
or to hone aspects of grammar and syntax in their writing.

1 Needs Improvement
The student completed the assignment but has not demonstrated understanding of
the keywords or concepts, or else the writing is poor.

NOTE: I am always happy to talk to you and to offer additional explanation about the scores that
you receive on assignments. Please feel free to visit my office during my regularly scheduled
office hours if you would like to know more about a score that you received.

Film Screenings

You are required to watch a number of films in this course before coming to class on the day
that the film is assigned / scheduled to be discussed.

Group screenings will be scheduled when film viewing is required. If you cannot attend the film
screening, however, it is up to you to obtain a copy of the film and to watch it on your own time.
All of the films listed on this syllabus can be obtained for free via either the Chester Fritz Library
or the Grand Forks Public Library, but availability is not guaranteed at either location. If you
cannot obtain a free copy of the film, you will need to rent a digital copy (available via sites like
Amazon.com) or else use a subscription to a streaming site (like Netflix.com) to access them.

Course Policies and Procedures

Attendance
Since this is a small discussion class, attendance is mandatory. You are allowed four absences
without penalty— following your fifth absence, your grade in the class will begin to drop by a
half-a-letter grade per absence (5% of your total grade). Plan ahead if you think you might miss
class for religious holidays or for other scheduled events. I do not distinguish between excused
and unexcused absences. You are allowed four absences – be they excused or unexcused –
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before your grade begins to decrease, unless other special arrangements have been made with
me ahead of time.

If you have extenuating circumstances significantly affecting your attendance throughout the
semester (such as an ongoing illness or a family emergency), it is your responsibility to notify
me about your situation and obtain authoritative documentation to excuse your absences (either
from a Dean or from your advisor). If you miss more than the allotted days due to your situation,
we will discuss whether it’s prudent for you to continue in the course.

If you miss class, consult the syllabus and be prepared to make up or submit any missing work.
Missing a class is no excuse for not completing the homework. Likewise, I expect you to have
read the assigned readings and to be ready to discuss them, even if you were absent from class on
the day that we discussed them.

Finally, you are responsible for keeping track of your own absences. A sign-in sheet will be used
to record and verify daily attendance. You may check in with me at any time to confirm the
numbers of absences you have accrued in the course.

Late Arrival
Arrive on time. Lateness not only disrupts the class but also demonstrates disrespect for your
peers and for your instructor. For every two days you are late to class, you will be marked for
one absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late to class, you will be marked absent for that
day.

Class Participation
Since this is a discussion course, it’s important that you participate in class. Participation, which
includes both classroom involvement and physically being in class, makes up roughly 15% of
your total grade. While your class participation grade falls to my discretion, there are several
steps you can take to ensure you achieve a satisfactory grade:

• Come to class prepared, having read the required text(s), and ready to volunteer
comments, thoughts, or questions about them.

• Plan to participate. You should anticipate contributing to course discussions on a

regular basis (at least once a week).

• Be courteous toward your peers. When you raise disagreement in class – either
with the instructor or with your peers – try to do so respectfully. Articulate your
reasons and grounds for disagreement and direct them towards an idea, rather
than a person. Failure to show adequate respect towards your peers or towards
your instructor may result in your being asked to leave the classroom. Such a
request will, in turn, affect my assessment of your class participation, and
possibly your attendance record as well.

• Respect your peers (and your instructor) by staying focused in class. We will be
using laptop computers and devices on a daily basis in this course, but that ought
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not to prevent you from listening when your peers speak, or from following
instructions and paying attention to the class discussion. Practice respectful laptop
use; take notes, review the reading, or look up answers to questions that relate to
the class discussion. Other uses of your laptop constitute a misuse of time and
resources in this class.

Cell Phones, Laptops, etc.

You are welcome to use your cell phones and laptops in class whenever they
prove helpful to your education. However, if your personal devices become
distracting – to either you or to your peers – you may be asked to put them away,
or to leave the classroom. I will issue an emailed warning the first time a student’s
use of their devices is found to be creating a distraction; the second time it
happens, they will be asked to leave the classroom and will be marked absent for
the day.

Scholastic Honesty, Plagiarism, and Cheating

At the University of North Dakota, we believe in the excellence of our students and in the
integrity of our academic programs. We also believe that your good ideas become better when
you test them against the ideas of others. So for this course, feel free to discuss your ideas about
the major writing assignments with other students. Collaborating on question/answer homework
assignments or open-book quizzes, however, is not acceptable; these types of assignments are
designed for me, your instructor, to monitor how you are handling specific parts of the course
material. Blatantly taking someone else’s words, ideas or concepts, and using them without
citing your source is plagiarism. So is using another student’s essay, or part of his or her essay,
as your own. In the world of writing (academic writing especially), this is a serious crime, and is
treated as such. Anyone who uses non-documented material from another source, including
online sources, will receive a failing grade for that assignment and may be referred to university
administrators for further disciplinary action.

These policies are concurrent with the University of North Dakota’s policies regarding scholastic
honesty. For more information about these policies, please refer to the “Scholastic Honesty”
section of the Undergraduate Academic Information materials available online:

http://undpublic.courseleaf.com/undergraduateacademicinformation/undergraduateacademicinfor
mation/scholastichonesty/

All final versions of essay assignments will be submitted to Blackboard, which runs digital
comparisons of submitted assignments in order to identify possible cases of plagiarism. For this
reason, you must submit final versions of papers to Blackboard. You may additionally submit
versions of your assignment through other electronic means (via email, for instance), but if you
fail to submit your paper to Blackboard, it will be treated as late, and lateness penalties will
apply.

In this course, we will talk about the differences between plagiarism and the misuse of sources. If
you have any questions regarding the appropriate use of source material (readings, critical
opinions, or supplemental research), please feel free to ask me. In my experience, those students
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who plagiarize are also those who feel overwhelmed by the assignment and thus compelled to
use someone else’s work as their own. If you get so frustrated with an assignment that you feel
like your only option is to plagiarize, come see me. My role as a teacher is to help students, not
to punish them— please use me as a resource to help you write, brainstorm, or work out
assignments and essays.

General Guidelines for Submitting Assignments

Blog posts, writing exercises, presentations, and other assignments are due by the start of class,
on the day specified in the syllabus. The exception is blog comments, which will be completed in
class. If you miss class on a blog comments day, it is up to you to log into the course blog, review
one of your peer’s entries, and provide comments on it before the next scheduled class date.

It is important that you adhere to deadlines, especially since this class is constructed around
collaboration and peer feedback. If, however, you submit a digital project or assignment late, you
will receive a maximum of half credit for that particular assignment.

See the course schedule and assignment sheets (at the end of the syllabus) for specific
instructions on submitting digital projects, group work, etc.

Campus Resources

Learning Disabilities
If you have a learning disability that could impair your progress in this course, please contact
Disability Services. Students are encouraged to register through Disability Services in order to
receive recommendations for learning accommodations.

Disability Services
http://und.edu/disability-services/
McCannel Hall Room 190

We can arrange to accommodate your learning style based on DS recommendations. Please

notify me at the start of the semester if you have specific needs, or if Disability Services has
provided you with a Verification of Needs for Disability Accommodations.

Writing Help
All students are encouraged to take advantage of UND’s Writing Center to receive help in
preparing writing assignments.

To make an appointment or speak with a tutor, visit their website, or the visit the Writing Center
itself.

UND Writing Center

http://und.edu/academics/writing-center/
Merrifield Hall Room 12
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Communications

You can reach me via email, office phone, or a note in my mailbox in Merrifield Hall. The best
way to reach me, of course, is through email – I check it frequently and, while I cannot guarantee
an immediate reply, it is certainly the fastest way to get in touch.

If you have questions about the policies of this class, review the syllabus first, and then make
an appointment to speak with me.
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Course Schedule
Wednesday, August 22 Course introduction; review syllabus
Discuss 97% consensus thesis / project
(TheConsensusProject.com)

Friday, August 24 McKibben, “Think Again: Climate Change” (BB)

Monday, August 27 Loosed Upon the World: Adams, “Introduction” and

Bacigalupi, “Foreword,” pp. xi-xvii

Wednesday, August 29 Loosed Upon the World: Foster, “That Creeping

Sensation,” p. 229-239 and Carrington, “Climate change on
track …” (BB)

Friday, August 31 Loosed Upon the World: Kress, “A Hundred Hundred

Daisies,” pp. 129-142

Monday, September 3 NO CLASS: Enjoy your Labor Day!

Wednesday, September 5 Purdy, “Anthropocene Fever” (BB)

In class: introduce Assignment I (“What is the

Anthropocene?” Essay)

Friday, September 7 In class work: pre-write and brainstorming for

Assignment I

Monday, September 10 DUE: Assignment I (proposal)

Workshop proposals and paper topics in class

à Tuesday, September 11 SCREEN: Mad Max: Fury Road

4:30 pm, location TBA

Wednesday, September 12 Mad Max: Fury Road (2014)

[Screen before coming to class on this date, either during
scheduled screening or on your own time.]

Friday, September 14 Nashawaty, “A Brief History of Cinematic Apocalypse”

(BB)
In class: continue discussion of Mad Max

Monday, September 17 DUE: Assignment I essay (draft)

Bring 5 paper copies of your essay with you to class!
Peer edit / workshop drafts in class
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Wednesday, September 19 Continue workshopping Assignment I papers in class

Friday, September 21 Loosed Upon the World: Robinson, “Truth and

Consequences,” pp. 240-268.

Monday, September 24 DUE: Assignment I essay (final)

Oreskes and Conway, The Collapse of Western Civilization
Part I: The Coming of the Penumbral Age

Wednesday, September 26 Oreskes and Conway, The Collapse of Western Civilization

Part II: The Frenzy of Fossil Fuels

Friday, September 28 Oreskes and Conway, The Collapse of Western Civilization

Part III: Market Failure and Conclusion

Monday, October 1 Butler, Parable of the Sower

Chapters 1-5 (pp. 3-60)

Wednesday, October 3 Butler, Parable of the Sower

Chapters 6-9 (pp. 61-99)

Friday, October 5 Butler, Parable of the Sower

Chapters 10-13 (pp. 100 – 149)

Monday, October 8 Butler, Parable of the Sower

Chapters 14-18 (pp. 150-224)

Wednesday, October 10 Butler, Parable of the Sower

Chapters 19-22 (pp. 225-278)

Friday, October 12 Butler, Parable of the Sower

Chapters 23-end (279-339)

Introduce Group Infographic Assignment

Monday, October 15 In class: work on Group Infographic Assignment

(using Canva.com)

What does Butler’s Parable of the Sower

teach us about climate change? (see Assignment Sheet
for details)

Wednesday, October 17 In class: work on Group Infographic Assignment

Friday, October 19 CLASS CANCELLED

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Monday, October 22 DUE: Group Infographic Assignment

(submit one file to Blackboard on behalf of the whole
group)

In class: share / present infographics

Wednesday, October 24 In class: share / present infographics

Group assignment self-evaluations

Friday, October 26 Loosed Upon the World: McMullen, “The Precedent,”

pp. 172-202

Monday, October 29 VanderMeer, Annihilation

Chapters 1 & 2 (pp. 1 – 59)*

*page numbers may vary between editions

Wednesday, November 31 VanderMeer, Annihilation

Chapters 3 & 4 (pp. 59-102)

Friday, November 2 VanderMeer, Annihilation

Chapter 5 (pp. 103 – end)

Monday, November 5 Introduce Final Essay (Assignment III)

In class time for brainstorming / sharing ideas for final
essay

Wednesday, November 7 In class time for working on essay proposals

Friday, November 9 DUE: Assignment III (proposals)

Workshop proposals in class

Monday, November 12 NO CLASS – Veterans’ Day

Wednesday, November 14 Loosed Upon the World: Atwood, “Time Capsule Found on
a Dead Planet” and “Afterword: Science Scarier than
Fiction” (pp. 556-564)

Friday, November 16 CLASS CANCELLED

Monday, November 19 DUE: Assignment III (drafts)

November 21 / 23 NO CLASS – enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 26 Svoboda, “A Review of Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi) Film” and

“(What) Do We Learn from Cli-Fi Films?” (both on BB)
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à Tuesday, November 27 SCREEN: Annihilation

4:30 pm, location TBA

Wednesday, November 28 Annihilation (2018)

[Screen before coming to class on this date, either during
scheduled screening or on your own time.]

Friday, November 30 Continue to discuss Annihilation

Monday, December 3 In class time to work on final papers

Wednesday, December 5 Last day of class: evaluations and semester review; present
progress on final papers

Monday, December 10 FINAL PAPERS DUE to Blackboard, 5 pm

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Assignment I: What is the Anthropocene? (essay) 35 pts. total

So far in class, we’ve been approaching the subject of climate change in connection with the idea
of the Anthropocene. This paper asks you to explore ideas associated with that term in both a
critical / investigatory and a personal context.

Requirements: Write a 4-5 page paper (typed, double-spaced) that investigates and
defines the term Anthropocene with relevance to:

1) critical discussion (scholars and experts who use this term, like
Jedidiah Purdy)

2) personal reflection
What does the term Anthropocene mean to you on a
personal level? Where have you heard it before, if at all?
Where do you see evidence of humans’ influence on the
natural environment in your own life? What kinds of fears
or anxieties appear connected to the idea of the
Anthropocene, and where have you witnessed those fears
or anxieties playing out in your own life?

Cite from at least two textual sources in your paper. One of them
must be from our course readings (Jedidiah Purdy’s essay is a good
didate, for example); the other may come from our course readings,
or it may come from your own research and reading, or from
interviews with friends or family members. Either way, keep in
mind how difference kinds of evidence lend different “weight”
to a conversation of this kind; expert testimonial and scholarly
evidence is not the same as anecdotal evidence, and so should
be treated and contextualized differently in your writing.

Step 1: Proposal [10 pts.] Step 2: Essay [25 pts.]

Prepare a 250-300 word proposal that outlines
your plans for your essay in a focused, clear
manner.
Your proposal should be structured as follows:
Paragraph 1
Opening line that clearly states the subject of the essay /
article (i.e. “I propose to discuss the Anthropocene in my
paper connection with my experiences of … / in
connection with subject of …”)
Paragraph 2
Overview of the essay itself, including a discussion of
methods, evidence (i.e. which sources you will cite from
and why), resources, and major arguments or ideas.
Write a 4-5 page paper that meets the criteria
listed above, including a full Works Cited
page, formatted according to MLA style, that
lists all textual sources used in the paper.
We will be workshopping paper drafts in class,
so you will have the chance to revise and
improve upon the first draft of your paper.
Be sure to bring 5 paper copies with you to
class on the date specified for workshopping
drafts (i.e. the date that the rough draft is
due).
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Assignment II: Group Infographic [20 pts.]

With your group, you will be working collaboratively to create an infographic (a poster that
combines imagery with short, descriptive text in order to convey an idea to a public audience)
that argues in favor of viewing a particular literary text that we have read this semester in light
of a specific issue or concern relating to climate change.

1) Start by discussing Butler’s Parable of the Sower. How does this novel address issues
relating to climate variability, climate change, and environmental disaster?

2) As a group, identify an ecological concern or issue (i.e. global warming, weather

instability, migration, water, sea level rise, air quality, resource scarcity, population
density, drought, etc.) that, as you see it, plays a major role in Butler’s text.

3) Devise an answer to the following question:

What does Butler’s Parable of the Sower teach us about ___[insert ecological issue or
concern]_?

à Your answer to this question will serve as the claim or argument that you will present
in your finished infographic.

4) Locate at least three pieces of evidence from the text to support your answer to (3).
Record them so you can use them in your infographic.

5) Find imagery that you can include in your infographic. That imagery could be take the
form of photos, clipart, graphs, tables, etc.

6) Build your graphic. Have one of your group members log on to Canva.com, open a new
account (it’s free), and send email invitations to the rest of the members in the group so
they can view and edit the graphic.

Submit your finished graphic as a single file / attachment to Blackboard. In the comments
field on the submission form, be sure to list all group members’ names.

Finally, be prepared to share and present your infographic in class.

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Assignment III: Final Paper [35 pts.]

You have two options for this final paper assignment, both of which will result in an 8-10* page
paper on a topic of your choosing.

OPTION 1: CRITICAL ESSAY

Write an essay investigating particular issue or anxiety relating to climate change in relation to
one of the literary texts we have studied this semester.

Issues / Anxieties Might Include:

water, overpopulation, air quality, resource scarcity, rising temperatures, wildfires,
migration, etc.

Acceptable Literary Texts Include:

Oreskes and Conway, The Collapse of Civilization
Butler, Parable of the Sower
VanderMeer, Annihilation
any of the short stories from the Loosed Upon the World collection

In your essay, you should plan to draw extensively from at least three sources (i.e. the literary
text you are working with plus two more, which may be chosen from the secondary sources
we’ve read in class or from elsewhere).

OPTION 2: CREATIVE ESSAY / SHORT STORY

Write a creative piece, essay, or short story in the style of one of the literary authors we have
studied this semester.
This process will involve:

1) Identifying the author whose style you want to emulate and identifying the
characteristics that mark their writing as unique.

2) Choosing an issue (see from the list included under Option 1) to focus on in your
creative piece / story.

3) Devising a way to highlight or showcase that issue in your creative writing, and
developing a story around it.

* If your creative piece / story is heavy on character dialogue, you should plan to adjust and
make it slightly longer than the required page length (i.e. 10-12 pages).

BOTH OPTIONS will require the use of at least two secondary sources. If you are writing a
critical essay, these sources should be included within the text of your discussion. If you are
writing a creative piece or short story, these sources should help inform your writing from the
start and should appear listed in a Works Cited that accompanies your final paper submission.
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Step 1: Proposal [10 pts.] Step 2: Essay [25 pts.]

Prepare a 250-300 word proposal that outlines
your plans for your essay / story in a focused,
clear manner.
Your proposal should be structured as follows:
Write a 8-10 page paper that meets the criteria
listed above, including a full Works Cited
page, formatted according to MLA style, that
lists all primary and secondary sources used in
the paper.

Paragraph 1 We will be workshopping paper drafts in class,

Opening line that clearly states the subject of the essay / so you will have the chance to revise and
article (i.e. “I propose to write a critical essay
investigating the issue of ______ in the context of [insert
improve upon the first draft of your paper.
text from our course readings]” OR “I propose to write a
creative piece / short story in the style of [insert author Be sure to bring 5 paper copies with you to
from our course readings].” class on the date specified for workshopping
drafts (i.e. the date that the rough draft is
Paragraph 2
Overview of the essay itself, including a discussion of
due).
methods, evidence (i.e. which sources you will cite from
and why), resources, and major arguments or ideas. If
you are writing a creative piece in the style of one of the
authors we have studied, you should identify and explain
the major characteristics associated with that author’s
style, and you should outline plans for additional
research on the issue you have chosen to focus on in
your writing. If you are writing a critical essay, you
should survey the secondary sources (remember that you
are required to use at least two) that you will draw from
in your writing in addition to others you have found
from doing your own research.

Secondary sources for this assignment need not come

from our course readings alone, but they must be
scholarly in nature or else subject to fact-checking
and editing.

This means:
• They must derive from an actual publication that
employs editorial and fact-checking staff (i.e. not a blog
or opinion-based publication).
• They must have been subject to either peer review or
professional editing (better yet, both).
• They must cite valid scientific evidence.
• They must be written by a professional (i.e. a
credentialed expert, scholar, or authority).