Overview
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE AND COURSE MATERIALS
Welcome to the Geog 319 Environmental
Writing course at EOU. This course has no prerequisite although
the 401 (I know it's out of sequence) might be a good class to
take with this course or just before it. This course tends to
be technically oriented. That is, its focus is on the development
of good writing style and what to look out for in compiling technical
documents with strong geographic themes. These include environmental
impact statements, assessments, feasibility surveys and hazard
reports.
There are two units for the course. The first deals with writing skills and draws from the technical writing in the corporate world. You will be completing some simple exercises from this text. It is an easy book to read, somewhat fun, and overtly practical so as to be almost vocational. However, it can provide you with some good skills and in this business practice makes perfect. In the corporate world, let alone the public realm, accuracy and clear writing is incredibly important, unless of course you are trying to hide something, then you need to take the course in corporate subterfuge.
Read the text and develop your writing around
the exercises listed in the texts and on the pages below. Remember
to MAKE SURE YOU USE THE standard Geography
Assignment Protocol (GAP) in turning in your unit assignment(s)
When you are finished with these unit assignments, make a copy
for yourself and send it in the mail to the EOU DDE department.
Please remember to TITLE EACH EXERCISE APPROPRIATELY. There are
4 exercises taken from the text. The responses are to be produced
in essay
style.
YOUR REPORT
Similar to the 401 class but more subject-specific,
the report for this class will be focused around a component of
an environmental research plan. An example of the breadth of these
subjects comes from the partial list of environmental laws found
on page 2 of the Moore text. You may tailor your report toward
one of these laws (or other area) within the scope of a formal
report structured around an environmental impact statement, assessment,
feasibility survey, or hazard report.
The report will draw from analytical and descriptive data. The student will choose the focus and structure of the report. The report can also be derived from existing data, that is in-situ research. In this case the student's report becomes a replication of a structure that exists. HOWEVER, the student's responsibility in this type of report is focused on synthesis and analysis of the existing report AND NOT A REWRITE OF WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. ALSO, the component, aspect of the report in all cases will be preserved. That is, the report will not be an all-encompassing discourse on some topic. The report must be refined to a DETAILED study, derived from some component of environmental law OR some observable physical or cultural restraint which might be at issue and therefore of investigative potential. For example, a few years back my students collectively investigated the impacts (including economic) of the breach of the SMITH DITCH, in Baker, Oregon. In this report which was completed in the format of an assessment, we looked at a variety of component topics. Like the 401 classes this report is a heuristic attempt by the student to provide analysis of existing data and research.
Prior to your report you will construct an
extended proposal. You can follow the outline provided in the
Estrin text on page 40 dealing with the preparation of proposals.
The proposal format for this report should (in addition to the
text format) entail the following:
Your initial proposal should be in the instructors office no later than 17 April. PLEASE CALL IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
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Review the Edmund pamphlet Complete Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the |
| 1. COMPLETE THE READING FOR THE ASSIGNMENT |
| 2. COMPLETE EXERCISE 1 on PAGE 16. WORD PROCESS THE FORMAT OF THIS EXERCISE. Although the exercise suggest you consider the writing process in your job, you may also adapt this to the scientific method, suggested by the SM14 booklet. Answers should be in essay format. |
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3. COMPLETE EXERCISE 2 on PAGE 59. The phrase in your division will be translated into geographic research. You need to collect at least three formal research papers from publication sources such as the AAG, AGS, NCGE, that deal with environmental policy or related issues. Use these documents for your classification and analysis of structure (in step 2). Step three suggests the use of a group. There is no group in this solitary method of didactic delivery...sans of course a web board or chat room. And perhaps these methods might be valuable here, however, not available. So...pretend you are Abe Lincoln, studying law all alone by candle light in your, un-wired log cabin. Step four....disseminate the models....to me. EOU LIBRARY (many professional papers are now on-line) Review These Sites for examples of professional work. An example of professional consultations Final EIS for Rio Grande National Forest Compilers List PDF An Example of Qualitative EIS Analysis |
| 4. Exercise 3, your last from this great little book, is found on page 67. Word process this completely and send it in with the rest of your UNIT 1 assignments. Read through the rest of this booklet, there may be something here that might enhance your report. |
| 5. Remember to follow the protocol for this class. ALSO this course is modeling a professional environment. Papers that look anything but professional, in organization, style, spelling, are simply professionally discarded. |
END OF ASSIGNMENT 1.