LIT 227 - Literature and the Environment

1. Examine the relationship between literary engagement with the environment and contemporary environmental movements and discoveries.
2. Identify and understand different cultural perspectives on humanity’s relationship with the environment.
3. Compare the representation of the environment in various genres.
4. Understand and utilize the main concepts of ecocriticism.

1. Literary engagement, movements, and discoveries
   1. Consider the main ecological issues of our region and possible solutions to those issues.
   2. Evaluate how literary texts address current ecological issues.
   3. Explore how to engage with local ecological issues through writing and activism.
2. Different cultural perspectives
   1. Understand how culture affects an individual’s views on the environment.
   2. Identify ways literature addresses the U.S./Mexico border’s impact on the environment.
   3. Evaluate how literature represents environmental science.
   4. Examine beliefs and practices regarding the environment in indigenous literature.
3. Compare across genres
   1. Examine the main characteristics of environmental representation in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
   2. Compare major literary terms and structures in these genres.
   3. Determine how effectively literature supports education and activism.
4. Main concepts of ecocriticsm
   1. Define the term “ecocriticism.”
   2. Identify major concepts of ecocriticism (i.e. environmentalism, conservation, ecofeminism, etc.)
   3. Apply ecocriticism to evaluate literary texts