"Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires," U.S. Forest Service, c. 1944
HIST/GEOG 432: Problems in North American Environmental History
Spring 2021: COVID is in our heads, so this iteration of HIST 432 explores the geography and history of modern disease, defined as the era shaped by industrialization and global transportation. Everyone will read common studies of health and environments, but students will also extend their knowledge in smaller teams by studying and reporting on an additional health event every two weeks.
Structure: This seminar will meet synchronously every other week (exempting “reading break”) for no more than three hours. Student teams will produce a 10-page paper each two weeks, and each meeting will include a 10-minute presentation followed by 15-minute discussion of this research.
Prerequisites:
Geography students: 45 units including 9 units of lower division geography; course is identical to HIST 432; students can't take both for credit
History students: 45 units including 9 units of lower division history; course is identical to GEOG 432; students can't take both for credit
Texts:
Charles Rosenberg, The Cholera Years: The United States in 1832, 1849, and 1866
Laura Spinney, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World
Mary Ellen Kelm, Colonizing Bodies: Aboriginal Health and Healing in British Columbia, 1900-50
Samuel Kelton Roberts Jr., Infectious Fear: Politics, Disease, and the Health Effects of Segregation
Anne Case & Angus Deaton, Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism
Essays available through SFU Electronic Journals and Canvas websites
Course Evaluations:
Bi-weekly reports 60%
Bi-weekly presentations 20%
Participation 20%
Structure: This seminar will meet synchronously every other week (exempting “reading break”) for no more than three hours. Student teams will produce a 10-page paper each two weeks, and each meeting will include a 10-minute presentation followed by 15-minute discussion of this research.
Prerequisites:
Geography students: 45 units including 9 units of lower division geography; course is identical to HIST 432; students can't take both for credit
History students: 45 units including 9 units of lower division history; course is identical to GEOG 432; students can't take both for credit
Texts:
Charles Rosenberg, The Cholera Years: The United States in 1832, 1849, and 1866
Laura Spinney, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World
Mary Ellen Kelm, Colonizing Bodies: Aboriginal Health and Healing in British Columbia, 1900-50
Samuel Kelton Roberts Jr., Infectious Fear: Politics, Disease, and the Health Effects of Segregation
Anne Case & Angus Deaton, Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism
Essays available through SFU Electronic Journals and Canvas websites
Course Evaluations:
Bi-weekly reports 60%
Bi-weekly presentations 20%
Participation 20%
