ENG 1967 - CLIMATE FICTION

credits: 3.0
Is a study of the popular contemporary genre known as climate fiction or cli-fi. It focuses on the interpretation and evaluation of the genre’s portrayal of anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change, in the context of climate science and the environmental humanities. Students will read successful examples of the genre, including novels and short stories, and they will also read nonfiction about climate change. The course hones students’ reading and writing skills as they explore such topics as the Industrial Revolution, capitalism, global warming, the Great Acceleration, the Sixth Mass-Extinction, the Anthropocene, sustainability, and environmental politics, ethics and justice. Readings will be supplemented with video and film. Objectives: A) Describe key ideas, topics, data, and findings about anthropogenic climate change; B) Define and illustrate the genre of climate fiction; C) Summarize examples of climate fiction; D) Synthesize information about climate change in the analysis of climate fiction; E) Interpret and evaluate the treatment of climate change in climate fiction; F) Communicate course objectives effectively in writing. Method of Instruction: Lecture, discussion, and classroom activities. Method of Evaluation: Essay one, 25%; Essay two, 35%, Response Papers, 10%, Take-Home Quizzes 10%, and In-Class Quizzes, 20%. Meets *WEP Distribution Requirement.