Contact teaching will be a mix of lecture, workshop and small-group discussion. Students will be expected to work both independently (preparation for both classes and assessments) and as part of a team (on some class exercises and presentation work).

Key Information Set:
15% scheduled learning and teaching activities
85% guided independent learning

PC Projector
Video/DVD
Library
Internet
The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available (where relevant) to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.

Selected secondary material
Bate, J. (2000) The Song of the Earth London: Picador.

Coupe, L. (ed.) (2000) The Green Studies Reader: From Romanticism to Ecocriticism London: Routledge.

Garrard, G. (2004) Ecocriticism London: Routledge.

Wheeler, W. (1999) A New Modernity? Change in Science, Literature and Politics. London: Lawrence and Wishart.

This module will explore the emerging area of ecocritical literary studies. Some of the key ideas of this module will be: the difference between 'environment' and 'ecosystem', land and identity, Cartesian dualism (and thinking beyond it), and the connection between ecology, culture and literature. We will assess the different ways these concepts emerge in a study of texts from both 'popular' and 'literary' contemporary authors. In doing so, we will need to navigate through several contingent themes such as scientific/technological developments, colonisation, gender and some events in recent political history (i.e. the Holocaust). The main aim of this module will be to develop literary critical approaches which take into account one of the most pressing issues of our time: the state of the Earth's ecosystem.

Examples of texts (which may vary)
A selection of poetry
Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton (1991)
Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood (2003)
Life and Times of Michael K - J.M. Coetzee (1983)
Fugitive Pieces - Anne Michaels (1997)

Consisting of
A mid-semester essay: comparison of two critical/theoretical essays, 1000 words weighted at 40% [Learning Outcomes 1, 3, 4]
An end of course essay: essay on one primary text, 2000 words weighted at 60% [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4]

Key Information Set:
100% coursework