Steel
mills in Pittsburgh, 1906Syllabus
History 2100-A90: Pollution and History
Tuesdays, 6:10-9:00 p.m. in Winningham 109
Instructor: Dr. Peter Thorsheim
Office: 136 Garinger; tel. (704)687-4874
Office Hours: MWF 9-10 a.m., and by appointment
E-mail: pthorshe@uncc.edu (don’t use for submitting assignments)
Library Webpage for this Course: http://libweb.uncc.edu/archives/Thorsh.htm
Steel
mills in Pittsburgh, 1906
Overview
The overall goal of this course is to help you hone the research, analytical, writing, and speaking skills that you need to succeed as a history major. This course counts toward both the oral communication (O) and writing (W) components of the General Education requirement, i.e., to “effectively send and receive in English written and oral messages in different situations for a variety of audiences, purposes and subjects.”
This course focuses on the environmental, social, cultural, and political history of pollution. Environmental pollution is today a major topic of scientific research and political debate from the local to the global level. Although there exists a widespread assumption that pollution is a recent phenomenon, it actually has a long past. In recent years a growing number of historians have studied pollution in an effort to understand its role in shaping the environment, society, culture, and politics over time. Their work not only broadens our understanding of the past; it also provides a valuable historical perspective to present-day debates over pollution.
Required Books
E. Melanie DuPuis, ed., Smoke and Mirrors: The Politics and Culture of Air Pollution (New York University Press, 2004).
Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner, Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution (University of California Press, 2002).
Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 4th ed. (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004).
Additional readings may be announced over the course of the semester and distributed in class or placed on reserve in the library.
Expectations
The more dedication and energy you bring to this course, the more you will gain from it. In our interactions with each other, I look forward to an atmosphere of mutual respect and constructive criticism. You are expected to complete all assignments before class on the dates indicated, take notes, and participate in discussions. Attendance is mandatory, and missed oral presentations cannot be made up. If you miss more than two classes, you will fail this course. Late papers will lose half a letter grade per day. If you have special needs that need accommodation, it is your responsibility to discuss them with me as soon as possible. You must earn a C or better in this class as a prerequisite for History 4000. You are responsible for understanding and following the UNCC Code of Student Academic Integrity: http://www.uncc.edu/policystate/ps-105.html. Plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will result in an F in this course and possible additional penalties.
Grading
Class Participation (includes research worksheet) 20%
First Oral Presentation 10%
Short Paper 10%
Paper Proposal and Preliminary Bibliography 10%
Submission of Draft Research Paper (ungraded) 5%
Critique of Another Student’s Draft Paper 10%
Second Oral Presentation 10%
Research paper (8-10 pp.) 25%
Assignment Details
First Oral Presentation: You will find an article in a peer-reviewed history journal that relates to the week’s other reading. Give a 7-10 minute oral presentation to the class that 1) summarizes the thesis of the article, 2) discusses the sources that the author uses to support this thesis, 3) judges whether the argument is persuasive, 4) evaluates the clarity of the prose, and 5) explains what the article adds to the rest of the day’s reading. The author you choose must not be included in the assigned reading for that week.
Short Paper: You will write a 3-4 page double-spaced typed paper on the Platt and Mosley chapters in Smoke and Mirrors. State in your own words what you see as the main argument (thesis) of each essay, and explain how you see the two essays in relation to each other. You may focus on similarities or differences in terms of subject, use of evidence, argument, or some other aspect that unites or divides them. Proofread carefully for spelling, grammar, style, and clarity.
Paper Proposal and Preliminary Bibliography: In one or two well-crafted paragraphs, you will introduce your research topic and state the thesis that you expect to argue in your final paper. Your preliminary bibliography should include a minimum of 4 primary sources and 4 secondary sources from peer-reviewed history journals or scholarly books.
Peer Critique: You will write a critique of approximately two double-spaced typed pages about another student’s draft research paper. Your critique should discuss the paper’s thesis, organization, evidence, style, documentation of sources, and argument. For your feedback to serve a constructive purpose during the author’s revision process, it should focus primarily on issues that need further work. Please bring two copies of each critique to class (one for the author and one for the instructor).
Oral Presentations on Research: You will give a 10-15 minute oral presentation to the class that 1) details the questions that you sought to answer through your research, 2) discusses the paths that you followed in your research (dead ends as well as successful ones), 3) provides evidence from the most important primary and secondary sources that you read, and 5) explains how these sources helped you develop the thesis of your paper.
Research Paper. You will write a research paper of approximately 10 pages on an instructor-approved topic on the history of pollution. The paper cannot deal exclusively with current events, but it can include them. The purpose of the paper is not to provide a chronicle, but to use evidence in support of a particular interpretation. Your paper must use an extensive range of both primary sources and scholarly secondary sources, and you must properly footnote every source you use (see Rampolla). Feel free to talk with the instructor about questions you may have at any stage of the research and writing process.
Sign-up sheets for individual conferences and oral presentations will be done in class, so please bring your calendar to each week’s seminar.
Week 1: Aug. 24
Introduction
View and discuss the American Experience documentary “Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring”
Reading: The Landscape of History, 1-16 (on reserve in the library)
Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 1-4
Smoke and Mirrors, 1-26 and 337-41
This week’s readings focus on the relationship between what happened in the past, historians’ efforts to understand the past, and the ways in which history can inform policy, especially in regard to air pollution.
Research Skills
Reading: Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 5-52
Deceit and Denial, xi-11
This week’s readings discuss the nature of primary and secondary sources and provide advice about how to conduct successful research. Pay particular attention to Rampolla’s advice on formulating a research topic and Markowitz and Rosner’s discussion of the sources that they used.
Elements of Good Historical Writing
Reading: Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 53-118
Assignment: Library Skills Worksheet Due
Manchester and Pollution
Reading: “How to Give a Talk” (http://shot.press.jhu.edu/Awards/Clark_How_To_Give_A_Talk.htm)
Smoke and Mirrors, 27-76
Assignment: Short Paper Due
Individual Meetings with Instructor (class does not meet)
Coal Smoke in Two Industrial Communities
Reading: Smoke and Mirrors, 77-118
Assignments: Optional Rewrite of Short Paper Due (attach original with instructor’s comments)
Paper Proposal and Preliminary Bibliography Due
No Class (Fall Break)
Automobile Exhaust
Reading: Deceit and Denial, 12-35
Smoke and Mirrors, 119-53
Lead Poisoning
Reading: Deceit and Denial, 36-138
Fog and Smog
Reading: Smoke and Mirrors, 154-200
The Chemical Industry
Reading: Deceit and Denial, 139-233
Assignment: Draft of Final Paper Due (2 copies)
Environmental Justice
Reading: Deceit and Denial, 234-306
Pollution, History, and Policy
Reading: Smoke and Mirrors, 203-336
Assignment: Peer Critique Due (2 copies)
Oral Presentations on Research (Part I)
Oral Presentations on Research (Part II)
Dec. 14: One Copy of Your Revised Research Paper Due. There will be no final exam.