Gary Snyder and Ecology
Charles Molesworth, February 13, 2003

Description of assignment:
Have a group of students search out and read Snyder's "Earth House Hold", a book of prose that helped shape the ecology movement. Ask how the arguments in the book are still valid, and ask how they are reflected in Snyder's poetry.

Description of the course in which the assignment was used:
Public university; upper level elective in contemporary poetry, about 25 students

Course coverage:
Modern Period

Assignment type:
Group Work Research Projects Non-Traditional Writing Projects Web-based Research Project

What pedagogical goals do you think this assignment achieves:
Shows how an author can be engaged in public and political issues and have this engagement interconnected with literary matters.

Keywords:
Environmental Issues; Legal Issues; Native American Literature; Non-fiction Prose; Technology and Literature