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Science and Environmental Writing
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Instructor: Kim McDonald
Office Hours: Wed 9:30-10:30 and by Appointment
2105 Natural Sciences Building
858-534-7572
kmcdonald@ucsd.edu
Course Description: This course is designed to introduce upper-division students majoring in the sciences to the techniques used by professional science and environmental writers to communicate technical subjects to the lay public. Topics covered include news writing, news releases, broadcast script writing, producing short-segment videos for the web and communicating science to K-12 students. Students enrolled in the course will hone their science writing skills through weekly assignments. They will also gain exposure, through frequent guest speakers, to the varied careers that combine knowledge about science with an ability to communicate technical material to non-scientists. This course will also provide students with an understanding of how the news media cover science and the environment and how they, as future scientists and environmental policymakers, can improve the public’s understanding of science and environmental issues.
Reading: To learn the style of writing and communication in this course, you need to be a diligent reader of science and environmental news. Students will be required to read a weekly list of selected news stories from national publications provided in Science In the News Weekly. To sign up for this weekly e-mail list of stories, visit http://www.sigmaxi.org/enews/signup.htm Students are also encouraged to read, each Tuesday, the Science Times section of the New York Times (available in hard copy free at the newspaper racks near the Revelle cafeteria and at: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.html ) and each Thursday, the Quest Section of the San Diego Union Tribune (available at: www.signonsandiego.com) . In addition, the instructor will bring into the classroom articles for class discussion. Besides a good dictionary, a helpful desk reference for your news writing assignments is the Associated Press Stylebook, available in paperback from the UCSD bookstore. No text is assigned for the course.
Class Attendance and Participation: Think of this as a laboratory, rather than a textbook course. With no textbook or prepared notes, your learning will be directly related your presence and participation in class. In addition, an ability to clearly communicate your ideas verbally is an important part of effective science communications. So, students should be prepared to attend each class and to actively participate in class discussions. Classroom participation and your verbal presentation will account for 15 percent of your grade. Classroom participation will be based largely on your attendance and your ability to demonstrate that you have completed the assignments and thought carefully about the material. In order to pass the course, you may have no more than two unexcused absences.
Assignments: The remainder of your grade will be based on four assignments, the first and last of which will account for 10 percent of your grade; a midterm exam which will account for 15 percent; and a final project, which will account for 20 percent. Assignment #3 and #4, the news release and news story, will each account for 15 percent of your grade. The five assignments will be preceded by two laboratory assignments and an in-class writing exercise, which will not be graded, but which will be discussed in class. The four assignments are, in order, an explanation of how something works, a news release, a news story and a radio broadcast script or You-Tube video. The final project is a critique of three or more news articles about the same subject or a publication-quality newspaper or magazine article of your choice. The articles to be critiqued and the topics for your articles should be approved by me before you begin. This project will serve as your final exam. Written assignments must be turned in on the due date to receive full credit. Late assignments will receive a one point deduction on a 10 point scale for each class meeting they are late. All assignments must be typed, in double-space format and—in the case of news stories or news releases—must include a headline.
Exams: There is a short midterm exam, but no final. The final project will serve as your final examination. Students should schedule an appointment with me to discuss their final projects before February 27.
Class Schedule: The following schedule is subject to change, based on the scheduling of guest speakers. Please check the online version of this syllabus frequently to obtain the current schedule.
January 6
Introduction to the course and to each other. What makes science newsworthy? Why should scientists care about communicating to the public?
Reading Assignments: Weblines 4.1 Writing the Lead: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/weblines/411.html
Weblines 4.2 Backing up the Lead:
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/weblines/421.html
Science Lacks a Culture of Communicationhttp://explainingresearch.com/index.php?page_id=291
January 8
Introduction to news writing: news stories and press releases; writing a lead and organizing a story. Lab Assignment #1: Write a lead and four to five additional paragraphs of a science news story using the facts provided to you in class. Organize the rest of the facts in the order you believe they should appear in the story. Reading Assignments:
January 13
Discussion of assignments. Simplifying your writing; Passive versus Active voice. Introduction to the specialization of science journalism and to careers in science and environmental writing.
Lab Assignment #2: Write a lead and four to five additional paragraphs of an environmental news story using the facts provided in class. Organize the rest of the facts in the order you believe they should appear in the story. The second part of the assignment will deal with simplifying sentences and changing passive to active voice.
January 15
Guest Speaker: Doug Ramsey, UCSD, Writing for Different Audiences/Writing for the Web/Producing Short-Segment Videos.
January 20
Discussion of lab assignments. How to explain complex subjects. Writing Assignment #1, due Jan. 21: Write a simple 250-to-500 word explanation of how something works. Examples include an explanation of the workings of a household tool, a physiological process in the body or even how a football or golf ball with dimples travels through the air. For examples, check out: http://www.howstuffworks.com/ Bring hardcopy to next class, but send a word file of your assignment to me by e-mail by Jan. 21 at noon at kmcdonald@ucsd.edu Write in the subject line of e-mail “Assignment #1.”
Reading Assignments:
Tips for Explaining Something Complex
January 22
(Writing assignment #1 due) Discussion of writing assignment #1. Writing news releases. Writing Assignment #2 due January 26 at noon: Write a 500-to-750 word news release based on a scientific article and quotes that will be provided in class (Double space your copy, please include a headline). Tips on writing news releases available here. Reading Assignment, Anatomy of an Effective News Release: http://explainingresearch.com/index.php?page_id=324
January 27
Guest Speaker: Mike Lee, Environmental Reporter, San Diego Union-Tribune
January 29
Interviewing techniques. Discussion/critique of writing assignment. Reading Assignments: Campus Weblines, Interviewing Techniques: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/weblines/461.html
PDF of scientific article and news release for Feb. 3 news conference/interview with Megan Eckles available below:
PDF:http://www-biology.ucsd.edu/labs/nieh/papers/Eckles_et_al_2008.pdf news release at: http://biology.ucsd.edu/news/article_071008.html
February 3
(Writing Assignment #2 Due) News conference with UCSD biologist Megan Eckles. Writing Assignment #3 due Feb.10: Write a 750-1,000 word news story on the in-class news conference/interview (Double space your copy, please include a headline).
February 5
Guest Speaker, Susan Brown, UCSD Assignment #5: Produce a short, 2-minute You-Tube video or radio script on a scientific discovery recently featured in a newspaper, magazine article or news release. Assignment due March 5. For examples, see NPR’s Science Friday’s introductions at: http://www.sciencefriday.com/pages/
LA Times: Big Burn
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-fire-index,0,4649824.htmlstory
Money in Texas Wind
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/business/23wind.html?pagewanted=1=technology <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/business/23wind.html?pagewanted=1&ref=technology>
Climbing Kilimanjaro (NYT)
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/10/26/magazine/20071028_KILIMANJARO_GRAPHIC.html?#step9
Thirst in the Mojave
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/topics/water/
Sharks in San Francisco Bay (KQED)
http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/view/820
Holding on to Hanna Ranch (Rocky Mountain News)
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/videos/detail/holding-hanna-ranch/
Superball Fission (KQED)
http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/super-ball-fission
Large Hadron Rap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM
One in 8 million (NYT)
http://nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/index.html
February 10
(Writing assignment #3 due). Discussion of assignment. Writing a multiple sourced news/feature story. Research techniques, resources and sources for writers. Who’s a reliable source? Warning signs of bogus science. Discussion of midterm exam and your final project: Write a 750-1,000 word critique of at least three recent science news stories (one of which may be a news release) that describe the same discovery or finding.
February 12
Guest Speaker: Sherry Seethaler, Director of Science Education Outreach UCSD—Thinking Critically About Scientific Controversies and Communicating Science to School Kids. Assignment #4: Prepare a 10 minute talk geared to high school students about a scientific discovery.
February 17
Midterm Exam
Reading assignments for next class: Will be handed out in class.
February 19
Guest Speaker, Dennis Meredith, author of Explaining Research
February 24
Class presentations of Assignment #4 Discussion and critiques of presentations.
February 26
Class presentations, continued. Discussion and critiques of presentations.
March 3
Class presentations continued. Discussion and critiques of presentations. Discussion of radio script or You-tube video assignment.
March 5
Text of radio scripts/You-tube videos due. Presentation of You-Tube videos and radio scripts.
March 10
Presentation of radio scripts continued. Review and ask questions about final project.
March 12
Final projects due
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