Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Alison Holland
|
---|---|
Credit points |
Credit points
3
|
Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
12cp at 100 level or above or (3cp in HIST or MHIS or POL units)
|
Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
Unit description |
Unit description
Australia is one of the oldest and driest continents on earth. It has a distinctive biology which has helped shape a distinctive Australian identity. This unit draws on the history of the Australian environment and human interactions with it to help students understand contemporary environmental questions. It is interdisciplinary, utilising the lenses of politics and the sciences as well as art and literature to provide historical context for today. Themes include Indigenous relationships to land, European ideas about ‘the antipodes’, discovery and settlement, ideas about the interior and the bush, the discovery of native flora and fauna, population debates, water, climate and weather, urban development, the beach and the rise of conservation, environmental and land rights movements.
|
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Late Submission Penalty
“Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.”
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Source Analysis | 20% | No | Friday, 30th March |
Presentation/Contributions | 20% | No | Weekly |
Research Essay | 40% | No | Friday, 18th May |
Reflective Exercise | 20% | No | Friday, 8th June |
Due: Friday, 30th March
Weighting: 20%
Students will be required to write a short essay, using a key resource on climate change and Australian history, to assess how historians and scientists are thinking about/interpreting climate and weather in the colonial period.
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%
There are two parts to this assessment, each worth 10%:
1. An oral presentation. Working either singly or in pairs students select one topic (out of the 13 weeks of tutorial topics) and make an oral presentation on the topic to class. Further instructions are in iLearn.
NB: External students will be required to lead discussion for a chosen week via the online discussion forum in iLearn.
2. Contributions are assessed across the semester. This relates to overall contributions to class discussion and group participation and engagement overall. Further instructions are in iLearn.
Due: Friday, 18th May
Weighting: 40%
Students are required to write an essay, 2500 words, to a pre-formulated essay question (from a bank of questions). Some references are given but students are required to find 3 more to complete the task. The questions and further instructions are in iLearn.
Due: Friday, 8th June
Weighting: 20%
Students will write a 1000 word reflection around a scenario in order to reflect on the themes of the unit. Further instructions are in iLearn.
This unit consists of:
2 x 1hr lecture which are face-to-face (details below);
1 x 1 hr tutorial
The lectures are:
Monday - 12 - 1 (12 Second Way, 226 Tutorial room)
Wednesday - 2 - 3 (25a Wallys Walk, 209 Tutorial room)
The tutorials are:
Monday - 1 - 2 (4 Western Drive, 309 Tutorial room)
Monday - 2 - 3 ( same as above)
Wednesday - 3 - 4 (4 Western Drive, 211 Tutorial room)
The main site of interaction and information for this unit is via iLearn which contains the following:
Submission of Assessment Tasks
All assessment tasks, except the tutorial presentation and contributions, will be submitted via turnitin (links provided).
Late Submission/Extensions
Please read the late submission penalty notice in the 'General Assessment Information' section of this unit guide.
Week | Lectures | Tutorial Topics |
26 February - 2 March |
1. Introduction 2. Australian Environmental History |
Introductory (compulsory) |
5 - 9 March |
1. Aboriginal Environmental Impacts 2. Ecological Imperialism |
What is Environmental History? |
12 - 16 March |
1. British Preconceptions 2. Exploration |
Aboriginal Management |
19 - 23 March |
1. Land and Settlement 2. Pastoralism* |
Acclimatisation |
26 - 30 March |
1. The Empty North 2. Nature Study* |
Agriculture |
2 - 6 April |
1. Water/Irrigation 2. The City and Urban Reform |
Towards Conservation and Nation |
9 - 13 April |
1. Soldier Settlement 2. Research Techniques |
Australian Unlimited |
Break | Break | Break |
30 April - 4 May |
1. Centre and Outback 2. Suburbanisation* |
Drought, Flood and Fire |
7 - 11 May |
1. Australia as Quarry 2. LECTURE FREE (essays due next week) |
Suburbia |
14 - 18 May |
1. Modern Environmental Movement 2. Green and Black Politics |
Atomic Fallout |
21 - 25 May |
1. Fighting for Wilderness 2. Green Bans (film) |
Littel Desert and Coral Reef: Conservation in the 60s |
28 May - 1 June |
1. TBA 2. Green Politics* |
Green Bans |
4 - 8 June |
1. Anthropocene * 2. Summing Up |
Australia and the Anthropocene |
* = Guest Lecturer | ||
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by: