American Environmental History

After completing this course, you:

• can consider/explore the relationality of nature, culture, and environment.
• can critically engage with historical theories and methodologies to investigate and analyze how humans have shaped and been shaped by their environment.
• will be able to apply knowledge and communicate informed opinions about American environmental history, employing historical claims and arguments, and analyzing and clearly presenting arguments.
• can demonstrate an awareness and interpretation of historical and contemporary relationships.

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Seminars, 2 hours per week for 10 weeks. 20 hours in all.

You are expected to read all assignments and come ready to discuss these in the seminars.

Obligatory activities:

• Students have to pass two quizzes in Canvas
• The submission of a first draft of the term paper. Read more here about rules concerning valid excuses and how to apply for postponements. Information about guidelines for obligatory activities.
• It is obligatory to show up for a minimum of 60% of the teaching. In this course you have to attend 6 of 10 seminars. The requirement is absolute.

The allowed absence limit will cover all absences, including illness. You will not be granted valid absences with documentation, even when the absence is due to something beyond your control.

If the course has in-person teaching, and you are signed up for an in-person seminar group, you are to attend the teaching in the location found in the schedule.

If the course has digital teaching, and you are signed up for a digital seminar group, you must attend via Zoom with your camera on.

In certain circumstances, i.e. serious or chronic illness, you could apply for special needs accomodations.

All obligatory activities must be approved in the same semester for you to sit the exam. Approved course requirements are only valid the semester you attend the course.

The grade will be based on a term paper of 7 standard pages (a standard page consists of 2,300 characters). This does not include references and bibliography.

You will be assessed on your knowledge and understanding of American environmental history in this era, your ability to analyze and critically discuss historiographical theories, and your skills of interpreting primary source evidence. You will have the opportunity of receiving formative feedback on seminar discussions, debates, and tutorial sessions.