Mount Royal University is located in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of the

Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikuni, the Kainai, the Tsuut'ina and the Iyarhe
Nakoda. We are situated on land where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. The traditional Blackfoot name of
this place is "Mohkinstsis," which we now call the city of Calgary. The city of Calgary is also home to the Métis
Nation.

Cluster Two: Values, Beliefs & Identity

GNED 1203 – Cultural Perspectives on Science:

Section 004 – Fall 2022

COURSE OUTLINE

Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 am – 12:50 pm in Room B222

Instructor: Dr. Angela Waldie Office Hours: Thursday 3:00 – 4:00 pm or by appointment
Email: awaldie@mtroyal.ca
Office: T164

Calendar Description
This course introduces students to the study of science as a cultural activity with the goal of developing their
critical thinking and writing skills. Students will learn to be conversant with some of the issues and debates
concerning how science, technology, and medicine have shaped and continue to shape beliefs, values, and
identities in our world.

Topic Description for Section 004: On Species Extinction, Endangerment, and Rewilding
In May 2019, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
produced a report detailing a rate of biodiversity loss unprecedented in human history. The earth has
experienced five major extinction events in the past and is now on the cusp of the sixth wave of extinctions,
which is being caused primarily by humans. In this course, we will explore cultural responses to species
extinction in texts from a variety of genres and discuss the importance of responding to species extinction not
only through ecological research, but also through art and literature.
Foundation level Cluster Two courses are designed to exemplify the spirit of a true liberal education. Each
has its own organizing theme, but all entail study of texts from different eras and different cultural traditions.
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REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS (available at the MRU Bookstore):

Bodsworth, Fred. Last of the Curlews. 1955. New Canadian Library, 2010.

Butler, Jenna. Revery: A Year of Bees. Wolsak & Wynn, 2020.

Thoreau, Henry David. 1854. “Economy.” Walden. Modern Library, 2000, pp. 3–75.

OTHER REQUIRED READING (posted on D2L Brightspace):

Aesop. Aesop’s Fables. Trans. Laura Gibbs. Oxford World’s Classics, 2002. (selection of fables)

Glavin, Terry. “Night of the Living Dead.” Waiting for the Macaws and Other Stories from the Age of
Extinctions. Penguin Canada, 2006, pp. 15–52.

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. “Returning the Gift.” Minding Nature, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2014.

Kolbert, Elizabeth. “The Sixth Extinction: Atelopus zeteki.” The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History.
Picador, 2014, pp. 4–22.

Leopold, Aldo. “Thinking Like a Mountain.” A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There. 1949.
Oxford University Press, 1968, pp. 129–133.

MacKinnon, J. B. “The Age of Rewilding.” The Once and Future World. Vintage Canada, 2014, pp. 153–174.

Simpson, Leanne. “Our Treaty with the Hoof Nation.” The Gift Is in the Making: Anishinaabeg Stories.
Highwater Press, 2013, pp. 9–12.

Watt-Cloutier, Sheila. “The Voices of the Hunters.” The Right to be Cold: One Woman’s Story of Protecting
her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet. Allen Lane, 2015, pp. 185–217.

Wilson, Edward O. “For the Love of Life.” The Future of Life. Vintage, 2002, pp. 129–148.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND MARK ALLOCATION

Close Reading Questions: (due September 13) 5%

Reading Response: (various deadlines, see guidelines on D2L) 10%
Midterm: (October 20 – in class) 20%
Rhetorical Analysis: (due November 24) 20%
Learning Portfolio: (due December 6) 15%
Final Exam: (scheduled by the Registrar’s Office during the final exam period) 30%
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CLOSE READING QUESTIONS (5%)

Your first assignment will consist of a series of questions based on Elizabeth’s Kolbert’s “The Sixth Extinction.”
This assignment serves as an introduction to the course theme while also modelling the close reading practice
that is critical to your success in this course.

READING RESPONSE (10%)

The reading response assignment will help you to develop your critical reading and writing skills, as well as
keep up-to-date with course readings. In this assignment, you will be asked to draw comparisons between two
texts in a written response of approximately 750 words. You must complete one of the three reading
responses. The specific focus and due date for each reading response will be posted to D2L. Do not submit
more than one reading response as only the first response submitted will be graded.

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS (20%)

In an essay of approximately 1000 words, you will analyze how a writer uses rhetoric to develop their position
in an article or book chapter relating to our course themes. Guidelines for this assignment will be posted to
D2L. We will have a class in early November dedicated to discussing how to write a rhetorical analysis.

LEARNING PORTFOLIO (15%)

Throughout the semester, you will compile evidence of your learning and class participation in a learning
portfolio. It will consist of five reflections on texts, activities, or class discussions that stand out for you and/or
contributed most to your understanding of the course material. Guidelines for this assignment will be
discussed in class and posted to D2L early in the semester.

MIDTERM (20%) and FINAL EXAM (30%)

The midterm will be written in class on October 20. The final exam will be scheduled by the Registrar’s Office
during the final exam period (December 12–22). Please note that the Registrar’s Office schedules the final
exam during the semester. Students must be available to write the examination on its scheduled date.
Rescheduling examinations on account of travel or paid employment is impossible.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS will be assessed for content, but also clarity, correct grammar, spelling, citations,
bibliographical information, and correct use of APA, MLA, or Chicago referencing and style. Use the format
familiar to you or the one used in your discipline of study. A variety of workshops on academic writing are
available through Student Learning Services. Abridged style guides and links to APA, MLA, and Chicago
referencing styles are available through our library.

LATE SUBMISSION PENALTIES

Assignments submitted late will be subject to a penalty of 5% per day.

PARTICIPATION
Students are responsible for all information covered in lectures and class discussions. Class participation
involves not only attending class, but reading/viewing all assigned materials and coming to class prepared to
discuss them. Your engagement with the readings, discussions, and activities will greatly influence your
success in the course.

If you are unable to keep up with course material because of illness, you are expected to keep in touch with the
instructor regularly (or assignment extensions cannot be arranged).
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GRADING
In accordance with Mount Royal University policy, the following grading scheme will be used for all
assignments in this course. Please note the description used for each grade.

Grade GPA % Description

A+ 4.0 95-100 Excellent work – superior performance, demonstrating a
A 4.0 85-94 comprehensive understanding of subject matter; assignment shows
A- 3.7 80-84 attention to detail and was effectively presented.
B+ 3.3 77-79 Well done work – clearly above average performance that
B 3.0 73-76 demonstrates considerable knowledge of the subject matter that is
generally complete; assignment is complete, accurate, and well
B- 2.7 70-72 presented.
C+ 2.3 67-69
Satisfactory work – demonstrates a basic understanding of the subject
C 2.0 63-66
matter; assignment is of an acceptable quality and presentation.
C- 1.7 60-62
D+ 1.3 55-59 Minimum Pass – shows a marginal performance in your work and
generally insufficient preparation for subsequent courses in same
D 1.0 50-54 subject.
F 0 0-49 Fail – unsatisfactory performance, ; assignments are incomplete.
W n/a Withdrawal – note the final date for withdrawal with a “W” grade
Incomplete – remaining work to be completed as agreed with
I n/a
instructor
Note: Final percentage grades will be calculated to two decimal places and rounded to the nearest whole number.
(e.g., 49.495 = 49.49 = 49)
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Mount Royal is committed to the principle of academic integrity grounded in the belief in the fundamental
values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility in all academic work. Honesty and truthfulness
are essential to our search for knowledge and understanding.
Academic Dishonesty is broadly defined as giving, taking, or presenting information or material that
unethically or dishonestly aids a group or individual in the determination of academic merit. Some examples
include, but are not limited to, plagiarism (copying the work of others without acknowledging them), cheating
(for example, using unauthorized material in tests and exams), and other acts that compromise the integrity
of academic work.
There are consequences for academic dishonesty and breaking trust. Students should be familiar with Mount
Royal University’s Code of Student Conduct. There is an appeal process that a student can follow if the student
believes that they have been treated unfairly.
In this course, you will be asked to submit material in electronic form to a text matching service to which
MRU subscribes called Turnitin.com. This is a service that checks textual material for originality. MRU
authorizes the use of text Matching Software for educational purposes. Limited personal information should
be entered into the software. It is recommended that personal information entered be limited to MRU
identification number, institutional email address and course work.
By submitting your material, you agree that your paper will be subject to a textual similarity review to
Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. Use of Turnitin.com service is subject to the Usage Policy posted
on the Turnitin.com site. Submitted data resides with the software company outside the University and is
used to provide comparisons that promote academic integrity. Once submitted, your materials will be
included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database and used solely for the purpose of
detecting plagiarism.
Students have the right to opt-out of using the software and may choose another form of originality checking,
subject to the agreement of the instructor. Normally, students must notify their instructor of their intention to
opt out no later than ten business days after the add/drop date for their course/term. Inquiries regarding the
use of Turnitin.com in your course can be directed to your course instructor. General information about
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Turnitin.com, including training materials and the University's reasons for using it, can be found on the ADC
website (direct link: http://bit.ly/d2l-assignments).

ADDITIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES

Accommodations: Access and Inclusion Services, Room Y201 (Ph: 403 440-6868)
MRU seeks to support students with documented physical and learning disabilities. If you require academic
accommodations, contact Access and Inclusion Services for assessment and information of the supports
available to you. Students who are registered with the Access and Inclusion Services should meet with me
early in the semester to ensure that all their accommodations are in place.

Student Learning Services (SLS), Room EL2100 (Ph: 403 440-6452) mru.ca/SLS
Learning Strategists can help you with writing, math learning, time management, planning a presentation,
academic reading strategies, exam preparation strategies, organizing ideas, editing techniques, and more.
Appointments are free of charge and can be booked online (through MyMRU), by phone, or in person.
Workshops are also offered for a variety of popular topics. Find the schedule at mru.ca/SLSworkshops.

UNIVERSITY WIDE LEARNING AIMS

The MRU Academic Plan articulates the “aims of an undergraduate education at Mount Royal University.” Key
elements of these aims are fostered as the goals of Cluster Two (below) are honoured. The liberal education
core of General Education, and our Values, Beliefs, and Identity cluster specifically, entail special attention to
four of these aims: critical reading, critical and creative thinking, written and oral communication, and ethical
reasoning.
Critical reading and critical and creative thinking will be fostered by way of critical engagement with texts
(broadly construed). Such engagement will often require the retrieval of ideas from historically remote
sources. Students will hone their skills for picking out relevant ideas, identifying critical moves in argument,
and reconstructing and assessing arguments for their validity. Students will learn to differentiate forms of
criticism and evidence as they wrestle with conceptual claims on one end of the spectrum and empirical
claims on the other end. A crucial basic habit fostered should be that of questioning things in general.
Written and oral communication will be fostered by inclusion of a strong written component for evaluation of
students in all Cluster Two courses. Students will practice such key composition / articulation skills as:
 stating clearly their purpose and methodological-disciplinary orientation,
 providing explicit summaries of how their conclusion(s) are to be defended,
 debating their own informed views in dialogic fashion with the authors and ideas they encounter,
 rehearsing, in their own words, the arguments they are assessing,
 effectively structuring arguments of their own.
In terms of basic writing skills students will practice, and demonstrate:
 effective grammatical form,
 effective organization of sentences, paragraphs, and essays to achieve unity and coherence,
 effective writing style and organization appropriate to a particular purpose and audience.
In terms of verbal communication, students will receive practice in articulating their thoughts to their peers
within the classroom.
Ethical reasoning will emerge as by-product of the above aims. A key habit to be fostered in students is a
disposition to question all things, including the values, beliefs, and identities of themselves and others; this
questioning entails ethical reasoning. Ethical reasoning also underwrites the skills of articulation and
composition emphasized above.
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GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS

Three characteristics are common to all General Education Cluster Two courses:
o A text-based approach
o A presuppositionless approach to textual analysis
o A strong written component for the evaluation of students

General Education Cluster Two goals:

These courses provide students with the opportunity to critically explore the values, beliefs, and ideas that
shape, and are shaped by, human experience. The understandings and senses of meaning expressed by
individuals, communities, and societies through their art, music, literature, philosophy, and critical thought
will be explored. Students will also have the opportunity to explore the various media through which cultural
expression takes place. They will consider the impact of technology upon both the media and the content of
cultural expression.
The goals within this cluster are:
1. An understanding of the principal ideas and cultural traditions that have informed modern Canadian
society.
2. An appreciation of the diverse cultural traditions found across the world.
3. The study of texts, works of art, and bodies of thought that are of historical significance in the
development of Western and non-Western culture.
4. The study of texts, works of art, and bodies of thought that are significant in contemporary
perceptions of the character of both Western and non-Western culture, and that are significant in the
interactions of Western and non-Western cultures.
5. An appreciation of influential religious, philosophical, and theoretical perceptions.
6. An appreciation of contemporary understandings of the nature and development of personality,
personal identity, and social interaction as expressed in psychology, philosophy, art and other
subjects and practices.
7. An understanding of the principal methods of study in the humanities and social sciences including
relevant research and information retrieval skills.

This course will incorporate various disciplinary perspectives, including literary and cultural studies,
environmental history, and philosophy.
We will begin by reading Elizabeth Kolbert’s chapter entitled “The Sixth Extinction” to provide an overview of
the current extinction crisis. (7)
We will then read Leanne Simpson’s retelling of a traditional Anishinaabeg story, entitled “Our Treaty with
the Hoof Nation,” and Robin Wall Kimmerer’s essay entitled “Returning the Gift.” These readings will help to
guide our discussion of how we value other species and how we describe our relationships with them. (2, 3,
6)
By discussing the portrayal of animals in Aesop’s Fables, we will consider some of the qualities associated with
other species in the Classical Period and the extent to which these fables continue to influence our perception
of other species today. (3, 6)

Reading Last of the Curlews, we will consider the importance blending of natural history with narrative to
raise awareness of endangered species. We will also explore the extent to which anthropomorphism
influences our perceptions of other species and discuss the impact of colonialism on species extinction in
North America. (1, 7)

J. B. MacKinnon’s chapter “The Age of Rewilding” will provide us with an opportunity to discuss the potential
for rewilding as well as the ethics of killing invasive species in order to preserve endangered ones. (1)
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In his essay “Walking,” Henry David Thoreau famously proclaims, “In Wildness is the preservation of the
World.” Although Walden does not explicitly address species extinction, Thoreau’s account of his residence at
Walden Pond has been central to discussions of how we value the natural world. We will consider Thoreau’s
role in shaping perceptions of nature and how the observations he made at Walden Pond are valuable to
scientists today. (3, 5, 7)

In Revery: A Year of Bees, Jenna Butler offers a personal account of raising honeybees and farming at the edge
of the boreal forest in Alberta. Reading this memoir, we will consider the intersections between species
extinction and climate change, as well as the various ways that nature can heal. (1, 6)

In The Right to Be Cold, Sheila Watt-Cloutier identifies climate change as “a cultural issue” because it
interferes with the ability of Inuit people to pass on hunting and survival skills from one generation to the
next. We will read the chapter “Voices of the Hunters” to learn more about the impacts of climate change on
humans and other species in the Arctic. We will also consider her contention that Inuit hunters engage in
many of the same practices as climate scientists, observing changes to the Arctic and its species over time. (2,
6, 7)

Course Plan / Provisional Schedule

(This schedule is flexible and may be modified. Please consult the schedule posted to D2L under “Course
Content.”)
Week Date Topic / Required Reading Assignment due

1 Sept. 8  Introduction to GNED 1203

2 Sept. 13  Introduction to Species Extinction Close Reading

 “The Sixth Extinction” (Elizabeth Kolbert) Questions due

Sept. 15  Valuing Species

 “Returning the Gift” (Robin Wall Kimmerer)

3 Sept. 20  Valuing Species, continued Reading Response 1

 “Our Treaty with the Hoof Nation” (Leanne due
Simpson)

Sept. 22  Charismatic Species

 Aesop’s Fables (see D2L for a list of fables)

4 Sept. 27  Charismatic Species, continued

 Aesop’s Fables (see D2L for a list of fables)

Sept. 29  TBA

5 Oct. 4  Migration
 Last of the Curlews (Chapters 1–4)
Oct. 6  Anthropomorphism
 Last of the Curlews (Chapters 5–8)
6 Oct. 11  Reading Week
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Oct. 13  Reading Week

7 Oct. 18  Last of the Curlews (Chapters 9–11) Reading Response 2

due

Oct. 20  Midterm exam

8 Oct. 25  Zoos
 “Night of the Living Dead” (Terry Glavin)

Oct. 27  TBA

9 Nov. 1  Rewilding
 “The Age of Rewilding” (J. B. MacKinnon)

Nov. 3  Rewilding Reading Response 3

 “Thinking Like a Mountain” (Aldo Leopold) due

10 Nov. 8  Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis

Nov. 10  TBA

11 Nov. 15  Voluntary Simplicity

 Walden, “Economy”

Nov. 17  Walden, “Economy”

12 Nov. 22  Climate Change

 Revery (pp. 11–40)

Nov. 24  Climate Change Rhetorical Analysis due

Revery (pp. 41–76)

12 Nov. 29  Climate Change

 Revery (pp. 77–117)

Dec. 1  Climate Change

 “The Voices of the Hunters” (Sheila Watt-
Cloutier)

13 Dec. 6  Conclusions Learning Portfolio due

 “For the Love of Life”

Dec. 8  Final Exam Review