EN 349 Literature and the Environment
Keywords Paper & Presentation
Assignment
Although written over the span of over 150 years, covering a wide a
ay of geographical places and
spaces, and reflecting different attitudes towards nature and the environment, the texts that we read can
e connected to one another. One way to see these connections is by tracing a “Keyword” across
several texts. The notion of a Keyword comes from Raymond Williams’ influential Keywords: A
Vocabulary of Culture and Society XXXXXXXXXXSeveral disciplines have adapted Williams’ concept of a
“Keyword” and published their own versions of his book. Keywords for Environmental Studies (ed.
Joni Adamson, William A. Gleason, and David N. Pellow) is one such example.
What might a Keywords for EN 349: Literature and the Environment book look like?
Throughout this semester, you will work to track and analyze one keyword as it relates to the readings
and discussions that we share. This project is
oken down into three parts: a log, an essay and a
presentation. By the end of the term you will have:
• Created a log tracking your assigned keyword through readings, media, class discussions,
personal experience, and cu
ent events
• Written an essay providing your own definition and detailing elements
of your keyword in relation to this course
• Created and uploaded a multi-media presentation (PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote, etc.) to share
with the class detailing the process of tracking your keyword and summarizing your essay
Due Dates:
Keywords Choices:
Please submit your top three choices for a keyword by the end of Week 1 (Friday at 11:59
PM).
I will do my best to assign you one of your choices; if you do not submit your choices, you will
e randomly assigned to a keyword (no wo
ies – each word has the potential for a strong
project). Please see the end of this document for the list of choices.
Keywords Log:
Log check #1 Week 6 (by Friday at 11:59 PM)
Log check #2 Week 11 (by Friday at 11:59 PM)
Completed Log Final Exam Week (by Friday at 11:59 PM)
Essay & Presentation:
You will upload your presentation during Finals Week by Friday at 11:59 PM
Components:
1.) Keywords Log: You will keep a “log” throughout the semester in which you record instances of
your selected Keyword that you encounter. I will collect your logs two times throughout the
semester and collect the final version when you submit your essay and. This log should be a place
to record usages of your keyword throughout the semester, pose questions about your term, grapple
with various meanings and definitions of your word, plan and outline your paper, and begin to
analyze the usages that you discover in the course readings and discussions:
• Here, you should archive usages of your keyword throughout the semester, drawing on class
eadings and class discussion.
• You may record out-of-class encounters as well: video, music, conversations, day-to-day
interactions, etc.
• Try to be as specific as possible. For written sources, record the specific title, author, page #,
and, if possible, an exact quote where the word in being used. You should also make a
couple notes about the context to help you later on. For video, songs, conversations, and so
forth, try to note the date, setting, and provide some context. This will help you when it
comes to writing your essay and attributing your sources!
• In addition to recording a usage, it is a good idea to provide some initial thoughts (questions,
connections, insights) about this usage. By “usage,” I mean the specific way in which the
word is being use in the examples you find.
• In your readings, you may find related terms – feel free to record these as well. For example,
if your Keyword is ethics, you may wish to note instances in the reading where you
encounter morality, values, or principles.
• Remember, this work should occur throughout the semester, not just in the week
leading up to the final presentation.
2.) Keywords Paper: The essays in Keywords for Environmental Studies show how a given term
circulates within a particular knowledge community while also circulating across others. Taking
this work as a model, you can think of your essay as an entry in a hypothetical book called
Keywords for EN 349: Literature and the Environment, Caldwell University, Fall 2023. This is our
particular knowledge community, and in your essay you should aim to show how your chosen term
circulates here. You may wish to view some of the digital essays from Keywords for Environmental
Studies and use them as models for your work, although your scope will, necessarily, be na
ower.
• Like many of the essays in Keywords for Environmental Studies, your essay may refer to the
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) definition of your keyword, though this is not required.
You should, however, aim to present some history of the word, as well as how you see it
eing used in the class readings and in our discussions.
• Your log can serve as notes toward this essay, giving you an extra motivation to keep
tracking your keyword continuously.
• Your keyword essay will be stronger if you start working on it fairly early in the semester,
uilding it up gradually. This is not a task you can accomplish in the day or two before its
due date.
• Length: 6-8 pages
3.) Presentation: During the final exam period, you will upload a multimedia presentation to share
with the class. Your presentation should adhere to the following:
• 5-6 minutes long
• Include a multi-media slideshow (PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote, etc.)
• Include some recorded voiceover na
ation by you. You do not need to record a video of
yourself (although you certainly can if you want), but you must record your voice na
ating the
presentation.
• Provide a definition (or a history of definitions) or your keyword, noting different usages
• Draw on your logs and essay, tracing the usage of the keyword in the readings and class
discussions. (You may also include usages that you noted outside of the course)
• Summarize the main points of your essay
Resources:
You may find the following resources helpful as you work on your Keywords paper:
• Oxford English Dictionary (OED): In addition to providing a definition(s) of each word, the
OED also traces each word’s etymology (i.e. it’s history) – the earliest known instance of the
word being written, changes in meaning over time, etc. We have a subscription to the OED
through the Jennings Li
ary; you can find it under journals and databases (or as a li
arian if
you need help).
• Raymond Williams, Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society (1976)
• keywords.nyupress.org NYU press has published a series of hy
id print-digital Keywords-
inspired editions: Keywords for American Cultural Studies, Keywords for Asian American
Studies, Keywords for Disability Studies, Keywords for Children’s Literature, Keywords for
Environmental Studies, and Keywords for Media Studies. On this website, you can find the
editors’ Introductions to each volume, a list of print entries, and the full entries for digital
entries.
Keywords Choices:
ody
community
conservation-preservation
consumption
cosmos
culture
democracy
diversity
ecofeminism
economy
ecology
education
ethics
family
freedom
gender
health
history
indigenous
landscape
literature
memory
nation
nature
place
eligion
science
species
sublime
EN 349 Literature and the Environment
Keywords Paper & Presentation
Assignment
Although written over the span of over 150 years, covering a wide a
ay of geographical places and
spaces, and reflecting different attitudes towards nature and the environment, the texts that we read can
e connected to one another. One way to see these connections is by tracing a “Keyword” across
several texts. The notion of a Keyword comes from Raymond Williams’ influential Keywords: A
Vocabulary of Culture and Society XXXXXXXXXXSeveral disciplines have adapted Williams’ concept of a
“Keyword” and published their own versions of his book. Keywords for Environmental Studies (ed.
Joni Adamson, William A. Gleason, and David N. Pellow) is one such example.
What might a Keywords for EN 349: Literature and the Environment book look like?
Throughout this semester, you will work to track and analyze one keyword as it relates to the readings
and discussions that we share. This project is
oken down into three parts: a log, an essay and a
presentation. By the end of the term you will have:
• Created a log tracking your assigned keyword through readings, media, class discussions,
personal experience, and cu
ent events
• Written an essay providing your own definition and detailing elements
of your keyword in relation to this course
• Created and uploaded a multi-media presentation (PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote, etc.) to share
with the class detailing the process of tracking your keyword and summarizing your essay
Due Dates:
Keywords Choices:
Please submit your top three choices for a keyword by the end of Week 1 (Friday at 11:59
PM).
I will do my best to assign you one of your choices; if you do not submit your choices, you will
e randomly assigned to a keyword (no wo
ies – each word has the potential for a strong
project). Please see the end of this document for the list of choices.
Keywords Log:
Log check #1 Week 6 (by Friday at 11:59 PM)
Log check #2 Week 11 (by Friday at 11:59 PM)
Completed Log Final Exam Week (by Friday at 11:59 PM)
Essay & Presentation:
You will upload your presentation during Finals Week by Friday at 11:59 PM
Components:
1.) Keywords Log: You will keep a “log” throughout the semester in which you record instances of
your selected Keyword that you encounter. I will collect your logs two times throughout the
semester and collect the final version when you submit your essay and. This log should be a place
to record usages of your keyword throughout the semester, pose questions about your term, grapple
with various meanings and definitions of your word, plan and outline your paper, and begin to
analyze the usages that you discover in the course readings and discussions:
• Here, you should archive usages of your keyword throughout the semester, drawing on class
eadings and class discussion.
• You may record out-of-class encounters as well: video, music, conversations, day-to-day
interactions, etc.
• Try to be as specific as possible. For written sources, record the specific title, author, page #,
and, if possible, an exact quote where the word in being used. You should also make a
couple notes about the context to help you later on. For video, songs, conversations, and so
forth, try to note the date, setting, and provide some context. This will help you when it
comes to writing your essay and attributing your sources!
• In addition to recording a usage, it is a good idea to provide some initial thoughts (questions,
connections, insights) about this usage. By “usage,” I mean the specific way in which the
word is being use in the examples you find.
• In your readings, you may find related terms – feel free to record these as well. For example,
if your Keyword is ethics, you may wish to note instances in the reading where you
encounter morality, values, or principles.
• Remember, this work should occur throughout the semester, not just in the week
leading up to the final presentation.
2.) Keywords Paper: The essays in Keywords for Environmental Studies show how a given term
circulates within a particular knowledge community while also circulating across others. Taking
this work as a model, you can think of your essay as an entry in a hypothetical book called
Keywords for EN 349: Literature and the Environment, Caldwell University, Fall 2023. This is our
particular knowledge community, and in your essay you should aim to show how your chosen term
circulates here. You may wish to view some of the digital essays from Keywords for Environmental
Studies and use them as models for your work, although your scope will, necessarily, be na
ower.
• Like many of the essays in Keywords for Environmental Studies, your essay may refer to the
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) definition of your keyword, though this is not required.
You should, however, aim to present some history of the word, as well as how you see it
eing used in the class readings and in our discussions.
• Your log can serve as notes toward this