TA Office location

I have a space in the Brock Hall Annex 2355A. Enter from Walter Gage street next to Buchanon Tower and go up 2 1/2 flights of stairs then turn left. 2355A will be on your left, mine is the 2nd cubicle. My office hours are on Wednesdays, TBA--it is best to email me ahead of time but it is fine to stop by on a Wednesday and see if I'm there.

Video: Pedigree Dogs Exposed

This may prompt some thinking for your Darwin essays:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=44215931

Darwin Readings

Here are the Darwin readings for the next two weeks:

Oct. 26-30:
On the Origin of Species: title page [89], 91-8, 132-148, 175-7, 379-98.

Nov 2-6:
Appendix F: The Descent of Man: 495-533

Recommended, but optional:
-Chronology of Darwin, 73-75
-Appendix A: The Autobiography of Charles Darwin, 425-444
-Appendix B: Voyage of the Beagle, 445-464

If relevant to your topic, any of the Darwin readings can be cited as a source for the Darwin Essay. [They would not qualify as a book or peer-reviewed journal article however.]

See also the "Recommendations for Further Reading" and "Works Cited" sections of the Introduction, pp. 61-72, for research suggestions.

Darwin Essay

Unlike the Descartes/White in-class essay that required you to compare two texts based on your own close reading and thinking about them, the Darwin essay will be a research essay. You will need to choose a topic, find and examine scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources, and develop an argument about some aspect of Darwin’s work, his influence, and/or the development of evolutionary theory. For guidance on writing a research essay, consult the very helpful website: http://www.history.ubc.ca/table/writing-centre/

Plan to devote some time to your research. The quality of your sources will have an impact of the quality of your essay. A preliminary bibliography is due in your discussion groups on Nov. 5/6. It should include a minimum of four sources, at least one of which should be a book and one a peer-reviewed journal article. The essay itself is due in your discussion groups on Nov. 26/27. Late assignments will be penalized 5% of the total possible mark per day, up to a maximum of 30%.

Whatever topic you choose, your essay should maintain some connection to Darwin’s ideas. You may develop a topic in consultation with your instructor, or choose from the following list:

--“Darwin’s Delay”

--Wallace and Darwin

--Social Darwinism

--Evolutionary Theory Before Darwin

--The Story of the Peppered Moth

--Jemmy Button

--Darwin the Traveller

--Darwin and Animals (eg, finches, pigeons, barnacles, earthworms, or monkeys)

--Darwin and Family Life

--Darwin and Religion

Your essay should include a bibliography that may differ from the preliminary one you handed in on Nov. 5/6. The final bibliography should include sources you consulted, paraphrased and quoted from. Cite your sources using the Chicago/Turabian style. Information about this citation style can be found at: http://www.library.ubc.ca/chapmanlearningcommons/citation.html

Essay length: 2000 words or 6-7 double-spaced typed pages (300 words per page). Please include a word count for the body of the essay.

Assignment developed by R. Raglon (Jan. 2009) and adapted by C. Paterson (Oct. 2009)

Schedule for week of Oct. 20 and 22

Tues, Oct 20: In-class essay in regular lecture room
Thurs, Oct 22: We will meet at 8:30 at the reference desk on level 2 of Koerner library. You enter the library on level 3. Go down one flight of stairs; you will see the reference desk ahead, on your left. We will be meeting Keith Bunnell, a reference librarian, who will provide guidance on how to get started on the next assignment, the Darwin Essay.

Also, a reminder that the tutorials tomorrow and Friday will be held in the Memorial Room. See the directions below.

In-Class Essay Questions for Tues. Oct. 20

Instructions: In a well-organized essay, respond to ONE of the following questions. Please double-space and write on one side of the page only. You may use pencil, as long as your writing is legible.

1. On p. 29 of the Discourse on Method, Rene Descartes writes: “…whether we are awake or asleep, we should never allow ourselves to be convinced of anything except by the evidence of our reason; and…I say ‘our reason,’ and not ‘our imagination’ or ‘our senses.’” In the Natural History of Selborne, Gilbert White exemplifies another way of investigating the natural world. Compare the methods of gaining knowledge presented in these two texts.

OR

2. In Part Five of the Discourse on Method, Rene Descartes outlines his understanding of animals. In the Natural History of Selborne, Gilbert White reveals another view of animals. Compare how the two authors perceive animals and the relationship between animals and human beings.

Please note: Film Screening at 8:00 am Thursday, Oct. 15

The film "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" will be shown this Thursday, at 8:00am (not 8:30). History 104 and Science One students will all meet in Swing 122.

Email Exchange Question due Oct. 22

Science students, please send your email by Monday, Oct. 19th to give History students a chance to respond:
"The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill depicts a very close relationship between Mark Bittner and the parrots. Is it possible for a member of one species to ever truly know or understand a member of another species?"

Directions to Memorial Room in Woodward Biomedical Library at UBC

Discussion groups on October 8th and 9th will meet at the Memorial Room in the Woodward Biomedical Library at 2198 HEALTH SCIENCES MALL. The health Sciences Mall is parallel to East Mall. From the University Bookstore, head south on East Mall then take a left on Hospital lane. Go one block and the Library will be on your left. The Memorial room is just inside.
A link for the campus wayfinding map is below. See you there!

http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?show=y,n,n,n,n,y&bldg2Search=n&locat1=536

Readings in the Natural History of Selborne

Starting next week, we will be reading and discussing Gilbert White's The Natural History of Selborne. The book consists of some introductory pages, and then two sets of letters: one to Thomas Pennant and one to Daines Barrington. Please read the following:

two maps following p. xxviii

title page p 1

Advertisement, pp. 3-4

******
Letters to Thomas Pennant

Letters I & II, pp. 7-11

Letter V, pp. 15-19

Letter VIII, pp. 26-28

Letters XI & XII, pp. 34-39

Letters XXVIII-XXXI, pp. 74-80

*************
Letters to Daines Barrington

Letters I-IV, pp. 109-120

Letter X, pp. 134-136

Letter XIII, pp. 139-40

Letter XVII, pp. 151-55

Letter XXIII, pp. 175-177

Letters XXVII-XXVIII, pp. 183-186

Letters XXX-XXXI, pp. 189-192

Letter XXXV, pp. 196-7

Letter XL, pp. 208-210

Letter XLIII, p. 216-9


Enjoy your immersion in the life of an 18th century English village!

Penpal assignment for Oct. 8

"Consider the values that motivated the stakeholders in the
Spruce Grove controversy. Which viewpoint did you find
most compelling and why? In the end, why did one win out?"

History Students--Please send your email to your penpal by Oct. 8

What's so special about humans?

This article explores the dividing line between humans and animals, a topic of discussion which will likely resurface over the course of this class.

To read this entire article, go to the UBC Libary home page (login as a student). Click on: Find--Journal--enter: "New Scientist"--LexisNexis Academic--and in the search terms box, enter: "What's so special about humans." That should take you straight to the article. Post your thoughts on the article if you like.

Citation: "What's so special about humans?" by Christine Kenneally, New Scientist May 2008, 28-34.

Excerpt: "THERE was a time when we thought humans were special in so many ways. Now we know better. We are not the only species that feels emotions, empathises with others or abides by a moral code. Neither are we the only ones with personalities, cultures and the ability to design and use tools. Yet we have steadfastly clung to the notion that one attribute, at least, makes us unique: we alone have the capacity for language.
Alas, it turns out we are not so special in this respect either. Key to the revolutionary reassessment of our talent for communication is the way we think about language itself."