MHIS202 Australian Environmental History D2 2012 Modern History, Politics and International Relations Contents Disclaimer General Information 2 Macquarie University has taken all reasonable measures to ensure the information in this Learning Outcomes 2 publication is accurate and up-to-date. However, the information may change or become out-dated as a result of change in University policies, Assessment Tasks 3 procedures or rules. The University reserves the right to make changes to any information in this Delivery and Resources 5 publication without notice. Users of this publication are advised to check the website Unit Schedule 6 version of this publication [or the relevant faculty or department] before acting on any information in Policies and Procedures 7 this publication. Graduate Capabilities 8 Tutorial Readings 13 Changes since First Published 36 https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/2525/unit_guide/print 1 Unit guide MHIS202 Australian Environmental History General Information Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor Alison Holland [email protected] Contact via [email protected] W6A 417 TBA Credit points 3 Prerequisites 12cp or (3cp in HIST or MHIS or POL units) Corequisites Co-badged status Unit description Australian environmental history explores the multifaceted history of human interaction with the diverse natural environment of Australia from per-contact to now. Changing environmental patterns from Gondwanaland to climate change will be included, as will questions like the degree of Indigenous impact pre-contact to contemporary questions of sustainability. The approach will be thematic. Topics will include ‘discovery’ and settlement of the land and the emotional and practical responses to it, exploration and mapping, ideas about the interior and outback, the discovery of native flora and fauna, the ‘bush’, population debates, water, urban development and the rise of conservation, environmental and land rights movements. The unit will consider the connection between science, society and environment through an historical lens. While the methodology will be social history, it will draw on insights from a range of other disciplines including geography, politics, sociology, cultural studies and art. Important Academic Dates Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://students.mq.edu.au/important-dates Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to: Understand the history of the interaction between humans and the Australian environment from pre-colonisation to now. https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/2525/unit_guide/print 2 Unit guide MHIS202 Australian Environmental History Reflect on patterns of change and continuity in that history. Knowledge of the historical and cultural context of contemporary debates concerning the Australian environment. Critical reflection on aspects of Australian environmental history. Critical reflection including the presentation of argument and debate and evaluation of primary evidence. Development of research techniques. Engage effectively in group work with peers. Participate actively in group discussions. Assessment Tasks Name Weighting Due Tutorial Participation 20% Assessed across semester Take-Home Exam 20% 16th November Tutorial Essay 20% The week following discussion Research Essay 40% Friday, 19th October Tutorial Participation Due: Assessed across semester Weighting: 20% Quality of class participation. This is an important part of assessment because it assesses your abilities in communication, peer review and collaboration, listening, organisation and comprehension. Working in a group or singly you will be required to choose one tutorial topic from the list of 12 provided to introduce to the class. This will not be a formal presentation. Rather, you will need to think of a creative way into the topic. You can do this in any number of ways. Perhaps you'd like to organise a class debate or small group discussion. Perhaps you'd like to bring in a document or object, a painting or film clip as stimulus. Your task will be to highlight the key issues and questions for your chosen week. In addition, everyone is required to do the essential readings each week. Criteria for assessment are: • Preparation (reading, research, planning and development of idea) • Organisation (clear aims/objectives, clear guidelines/instructions) • Creativity/originality • Responsiveness (how well did you engage your classmates?) https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/2525/unit_guide/print 3 Unit guide MHIS202 Australian Environmental History On successful completion you will be able to: • Critical reflection including the presentation of argument and debate and evaluation of primary evidence. • Development of research techniques. • Engage effectively in group work with peers. • Participate actively in group discussions. Take-Home Exam Due: 16th November Weighting: 20% A 1000 word response to a question. Submit via Turnitin in iLearn unit. On successful completion you will be able to: • Understand the history of the interaction between humans and the Australian environment from pre-colonisation to now. • Reflect on patterns of change and continuity in that history. • Knowledge of the historical and cultural context of contemporary debates concerning the Australian environment. • Critical reflection on aspects of Australian environmental history. • Critical reflection including the presentation of argument and debate and evaluation of primary evidence. Tutorial Essay Due: The week following discussion Weighting: 20% A short written paper on a tutorial topic. Submit via Turnitin in iLearn unit. On successful completion you will be able to: • Understand the history of the interaction between humans and the Australian environment from pre-colonisation to now. • Reflect on patterns of change and continuity in that history. • Knowledge of the historical and cultural context of contemporary debates concerning the Australian environment. • Critical reflection on aspects of Australian environmental history. • Critical reflection including the presentation of argument and debate and evaluation of primary evidence. • Development of research techniques. https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/2525/unit_guide/print 4 Unit guide MHIS202 Australian Environmental History Research Essay Due: Friday, 19th October Weighting: 40% An indepth research essay on chosen topic using primary/ secondary sources. This will be accompanied by a bibliography which is worth 10% of the overall mark. I have provided a select bibliography to get you started. Your task is to augment the bibliography with an extra 5 items (at least), in addition to writing the essay. Submit via Turnitin in iLearn unit. On successful completion you will be able to: • Understand the history of the interaction between humans and the Australian environment from pre-colonisation to now. • Reflect on patterns of change and continuity in that history. • Knowledge of the historical and cultural context of contemporary debates concerning the Australian environment. • Critical reflection on aspects of Australian environmental history. • Critical reflection including the presentation of argument and debate and evaluation of primary evidence. • Development of research techniques. Delivery and Resources Submission and Return of Assignments All assignments in this unit will be submitted, marked and returned electronically. There will be no hard copies. For details, please refer to your iLearn unit. Required and Recommended Texts The required reading for this unit is the UNIT READER which can be purchased from the CourseNotes outlet, near the University Co-Op bookshop. This contains the essential readings for each week's tutorial topic which are compulsory weekly reading. Recommended Texts There is now a vast and growing literature applicable to Australian Environmental History. Below is a list of some key texts which are highly recommended but not compulsory reading. • Geoffrey Bolton, Spoils and Spoilers: A History of Australians Shaping Their Environment, Allen & Unwin, 1992. • Tim Bonyhady, The Colonial Earth, Melbourne University Press, 2000. • Alfred Crosby, Ecological Imperialism. The Biological Expansion of Europe 900-1900, https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/2525/unit_guide/print 5 Unit guide MHIS202 Australian Environmental History Cambridge University Press, 2004. • Stephen Dovers, Australian Environmental History, Essays and Cases, Oxford University Press, 1994. • Donald Garden, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. An Environmental History, ABC-CLIO, 2005. • Tom Griffiths, Hunters and Collectors. The Antiquarian Imagination in Australia, Cambridge University Press, 1996. • Drew Hutton and Libby Connors, A History of the Australian Environmental Movement, Cambridge University Press, 1999. • William Lines, Taming the Great South Land. A History of the Conquest of Nature in Australia, Allen & Unwin, 1992. • Stephen Pyne, Burning Bush. A Fire History of Australia, Holt, US, 1991. • Libby Robin and Tom Griffiths (eds), Ecology and Empire: Environmental History of Settler Societies, Melbourne University Press, 1999. • Tim Sherratt et al, (eds), A Change in the Weather: Climate and Culture in Australia, National Museum of Australia, 2005. • Richard Waterhouse, The Vision Splendid: A Social and Cultural History of Rural Australia, Curtin University Press, 2005. Unit Schedule * Guest Lecturer Academic Calendar LECTURES