Examines human values, uses, and management of natural settings at the individual, community, and societal levels. Topics include: psychological responses to nature, history of U.S. park and natural resource management, environmental sociology and politics, and nature in non-Western cultures.

1. Derive evidence from primary sources regarding the complexities and changes in human experience through analytical reading and critical thought
2. Describe how human experience is shaped by social, cultural, linguistic, and/or historical circumstances
3. Demonstrate attentiveness to linguistic, visual, and/or audio texts when communicating meaning
4. Use appropriate verbal, perceptual, or imaginative skills when organizing meanings, developing a sense of self, and balancing potentially disparate values

3-2-1 Reading Responses, Extra Credit

3-2-1 Reading Responses are intended to encourage you to complete assigned readings*. They also serve as an opportunity for you to engage with the reading in a more personal way to identify key elements that you find personally relevant, meaningful, or interesting. Tell me (3) things you learned from the reading; provide (2) questions for clarification (e.g. "I didn't understand...") or discussion (e.g. "What do you think about...?"); and provide (1) piece of feedback about the reading/class or a brief reflection on how you connected to the material. 3-2-1 Reading Responses will be available regularly throughout the course to accompany assigned readings.

*readings may include other types of media as well such as videos or podcasts

Journal, Extra Credit

Journal entries are intended to prompt your thinking about a topic and give you space to personally reflect. Prompts will take a variety of forms: you may be asked to respond to a quote, image, or idea; you may be assigned a specific task to complete and asked to reflect on it in your journal; you may be asked to write something related to a personal experience or course discussion; etc.

Course Assignments, 20%

You will complete a variety of assignments for this class, including:

• Native Lands Activity
• Greatest Good for the Greatest Number Debate
• Carbon Footprint Activity
• Civic Engagement Activity
• Dakota Access Pipeline Case Study

Documentary, 10%

This course covers a wide variety of topics. To connect multiple themes into a single example, you will watch a documentary and complete a brief reflection.

Module Discussions, 20%

This course presents an excellent opportunity for us to share ideas and experiences and learn from our peers. Module Discussions allow you to share your thoughts related to course topics and engage with your classmates. You will have one Module Discussion due each week. Discussions turned in late will not be given credit, they must be submitted on time.

Issue Project, 20%

In this class you will have an opportunity to investigate a topic that interests you related to the theme Americans in the Outdoors. For this project, you will complete the following steps:

1. A topic summary and abstract
2. An annotated bibliography and synthesis matrix
3. A project outline and works cited page
4. A final project communicating your findings. You will choose the final format of your project (e.g. paper, presentation, website, infographic, documentary, podcast, etc.)

Outdoor Ethic Reflection, 20%

Now that you have learned the various ways in which Americans and the Great Outdoors interact with and affect one another, prepare something that describes your personal outdoor attitudes and ethic. It can be an essay, a creative writing piece, a work of art, or take any other form.

Participation & Professionalism, 10%

Higher education provides students with a great number of options and flexibility. This means that it is your responsibility to balance your academic and personal responsibilities. I expect you to actively and meaningfully participate in course activities. Additionally, developing professionalism is an important element of your education: developing professional skills is as important as learning the information and practices of your field. Professional expectations for this course include:

• Participation and Expedition Behavior: meaningful participation and modeling good expedition behavior in all class activities
• Preparation: completing readings and other learning activities to be prepared for discussions
• Follow-through: fulfilling commitments and completing work in a thorough, attentive, and timely manner
• Professional communication in all modes of communication (electronic, face-to-face)

You will be asked to reflect on your participation and professionalism in this class and complete self-assessments at midterm and the end of the semester. You will also complete an Introduction Discussion to introduce yourself and meet your classmates; a Syllabus Quiz to demonstrate your understanding of the course format, policies, and expectations; and a Photo Elicitation Activity help set the stage for Americans in the Outdoors this semester.

Additional information for all assignments - including Purpose, Instructions, Criteria for Success, Grading information, Course Outcome Alignment, due date, and assessment rubric - will be posted on Canvas. Please refer to the specific assignment description for details.

Assignments will be included in their respective Module. You can view a complete list of Assignments in the order that they are due by viewing the To Do list on the right side of your Canvas Homepage, viewing the course Calendar, or scrolling to the bottom of the Syllabus page.

Assignment Groups and Weights

Assignment groups will be weighted as follows:

• Course Assignments = 20%
• Documentary = 10%
• Module Discussions = 20%
• Issue Project = 20%
• Outdoor Ethic Reflection = 20%
• Participation & Professionalism = 10%

Final Grades

The following grading standards will be used to assign final grades in this class:

1. Americans and the Outdoors
   
   
2. Philosophy & Psychology of Nature; Westward Expansion
   
   
3. America's Best Idea
   
   
4. For the Enjoyment and Benefit of the People
   
   
5. If You Build It...
   
   
6. A Fierce Green Fire
   
   
7. Wilderness and Back to the Land
   
   
8. The Value of Nature & Midterm Review
   
   
9. Beyond Borders
   
   
10. The Trouble with Wilderness
    
    
11. This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land
    
    
12. Americans in the Outdoors
    
    
13. Charting a Future Course
    
    
14. For This and Future Generations
    
    

Instructor Response Time

For messages sent to me, I will respond in the specified amount of time. Feedback is an important part of learning: please look for feedback on your assignments. To find feedback, look at this tutorial: How do I view assignment comments from my Instructor.

It is my goal to:

• Respond to student messages by the next business day.
• Provide grades and feedback on assignments within 3 - 5 days from the due date. Larger assignments may take longer than 5 days.

I will notify students in advance of any times I am out of email and/or cell service. You will receive an automated out-of-office email reply if you contact me during this time.

Learning Activities and Due Dates

When you become a professional you will find that sometimes there are severe penalties for failing to make a deadline. As such, learning to manage your time is an important professional and life skill. All learning activities will have posted due dates and times (remember that these due dates are in Mountain Time). These due dates (1) help provide a structure to keep you on-track with course materials and learning activities and (2) help me manage my time and provide feedback to students in a timely manner. Due dates and times for all learning activities will be clearly identified on Canvas. All learning activities for this class will be due at 11:59pm on the date posted. You are always welcome to turn an assignment in early.

Work will be accepted up to 48 hours (2 days) past the posted deadline with no penalty with exception of Discussions, which will not be given any points for late submissions. Extensions beyond the 2-day grace period are granted on a case-by-case basis and may be given for extenuating circumstances. No “extra credit” or alternative activities will be granted in lieu of missed activities.

Extra Credit Policy

The professor may, at his discretion, offer opportunities to earn extra credit for participating in activities that are relevant to topics covered in the class. Examples of activities for which extra credit may be offered include SUU APEX events, webinars, or other special events.

3-2-1 Reading Response and Journal assignments in the Modules will count as extra credit.

The following rules will apply to extra credit opportunities and points:

• Extra credit will not be offered to individuals, only to the entire class (i.e. don't ask the instructor for extra credit unless the event is free and available to all students in the class).
• Extra credit assignments will have posted due dates/times. Extra credit work turned in after the grace period specified in the course syllabus will not be accepted (i.e. turning in a bunch of extra credit at the very end of the semester will not be a productive use of your time).
• Students may request for extra credit points to be applied to specific assignments. If you do not make a specific request, the professor will apply accumulated extra credit points to assignments, working up from the lowest grades to higher grades.
• All assignments will have an extra credit "cap" of one letter grade. In other words if you get a C+ on an assignment, you can use extra credit points to raise your grade to a maximum of a B+. This means you cannot accumulate extra credit points, skip an assignment, and get full credit for that assignment using extra credit points.

Revisions Policy

The goal of this course is for students to achieve specific learning outcomes - in other words, the goal is "to learn". Often learning occurs when we fall short of a goal or standard and work to make improvements. As such, students may revise submitted work to demonstrate learning and receive a higher grade. Revise means "to re-examine and make alterations to." Revising work uses feedback to make improvements to the original product.

The following rules will apply to revisions:

• If a submitted assignment does not receive a satisfactory passing grade (C or 74%), you may revise and resubmit the assignment to improve your grade.
• Only work completed and submitted by the posted due date and in accordance with course policies can be revised. Missing assignments (i.e. work that was not turned in) cannot be revised.
• Assignments will be "reassigned" in Canvas and include feedback from the instructor. Revisions should reflect the feedback given. Students must include a statement of how the feedback was used to improve the work with their revisions to receive a higher grade.
• Only graded assignments can be revised (extra credit work cannot be revised).

Classroom Climate and Student Participation

This class is intended to test higher-level cognitive abilities. You are expected to be active in your learning and think, question, problem-solve, and debate information presented in class. I will do my best to create an environment in which expressions of uncertainty, conjecture, and alternative and competing views can be freely shared. I expect the same of you. Remember, there is a big difference between debating an argument and attacking an individual. The latter will not be tolerated and I reserve the right to excuse from discussions any student who compromises this preferred climate.

Your participation in this class is a valuable contribution to the entire group. Active and regular participation in class discussions and activities will further your learning and enhance everyone’s experience with the course. I expect students to participate meaningfully, meaning that I emphasize quality over quantity. Thinking critically and deeply, moving discussions forward, and sharing relevant information and personal experiences are valued more than simply repeating information provided in course materials or agreeing/disagreeing with a statement.

Students are expected to model good Expedition Behavior (NOLS, 1996) in all class activities:

• Serve the mission and goals of the group
• Be as concerned for others as you are for yourself
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect
• Support leadership and growth in everyone
• Respect the cultures, experiences, and perspectives you encounter in all class activities
• Be kind and open-hearted
• Do your share and stay organized
• Help others, but don’t routinely do their work
• Model integrity by being honest and accountable
• Admit and correct your mistakes

As we navigate unscripted challenges, please be willing to be flexible and extend grace and kindness—to me, to your classmates, and to yourself. We are all doing our best.

Zoom Etiquette

I will use the Zoom online conference system for individual meetings with students. To participate in Zoom meetings, you will need to have a webcam/microphone or a mobile device with the Zoom app. Please keep the following guidelines in mind when participating in a Zoom call:

• Join from a quiet, distraction free location
• Be aware of your background
• Turn on your video
• Mute your microphone unless you are speaking if more than 2 people are on the call
• Remember that all meetings are in Mountain Time

Writing and Grammar Expectations

Competent writing skills are imperative in nearly every sector of the working world (http://www.inc.com/kaleigh-moore/study-poor-writing-skills-are-costing-businesses-billions.html). Consequently, written work and communication is expected to be concise, well organized and with minimal errors (please proof-read and use spell check!). Grammar and professionalism will be criteria for grading on all writing assignments. For writing resources and assistance, the SUU Writing Center (http://suu.edu/hss/english/writingcenter/), Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/), and Grammarly (https://www.grammarly.com/) are excellent resources.

Communication

If at any time you have questions or concerns, please communicate them to me. Instructions for how to contact me are posted on the course syllabus in Canvas. I am here to make sure you have the resources you need to be successful in your learning in this course and beyond. Communicating any issues early will help me best help you. If you do not feel comfortable speaking to me about a problem in class, you may contact your Academic Advisor. We want to make sure you are getting the answers and support you need.

I am also available to help you with questions not directly related to the course. If you are planning an adventure; have questions about internships, jobs, academic advising for ORPT, or graduate school; or there is anything else I can help you with, please let me know. If I cannot answer your question or provide the help you need, I will direct you to someone who can.