Program Overview

Environment and History (HIST*2250)

Course Details

• Course code: HIST*2250
• Section: DE
• Course term: Winter 2021
• Course instructor: Susan Nance

Method of Delivery

The course is offered in distance education format with no synchronous meetings.

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the field of environmental history, offering a historical perspective on environmental issues. It examines the causes and impact of human-induced modification of the natural world, the evolution of attitudes and ideas about the natural world over time, and the growth of conservation and environmental movements. Using North America as a case study, the course explores how the physical environment, weather patterns, non-human animals, and plant life have shaped human life, as well as the effects of human-induced modification of the natural world.

Pre-Requisite(s)

• 2.00 credits

Co-Requisite(s)

• None

Restriction(s)

• None

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Describe a broad view of North American environmental history
2. Explain thematic interpretations of that history through various concepts
3. Communicate research findings and syntheses of assigned reading to peers
4. Write short pieces on topics relevant to the course
5. Conduct secondary and primary source research using online archives and libraries
6. Explain the power and limits of human agency with respect to the environment
7. Explain changes over time in human interaction with the planet and perceptions of that interaction
8. Observe and analyze contemporary events and questions about human interaction with the planet and non-human species

Method of Evaluation & Weights

• Week 1 Introduction & Webquest: 5%
• Online Discussions (2): 30%
• Short Essay: 20%
• Primary Source Presentation: 15%
• Final Exam (Take-home): 30%

Texts Required

• Title: Down to Earth: Nature's Role in American History, 4th ed.
  • Author: Ted Steinberg
  • Edition/Year: 2018
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Title: Canadians and the Natural Environment to the Twenty-First Century
  • Author: Neil Forkey
  • Edition/Year: 2012
  • Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Title: As Long as the Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock
  • Author: Dina Gilio-Whitaker
  • Edition/Year: 2020
  • Publisher: Beacon Press

Note

The department reserves the right to change any information in this description without notice. The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.