Dr. Dean Taciuch
George Mason University

Spring 2010


English 302: N07 & N10

These two sections of English 302 Natural Sciences are hybrid sections, using a combination of online and classroom meetings. Section N07 meets on Tuesdays; section N10 meets on Thursdays. Both sections are required to make use of Blackboard on the days the class does not meet.


Course Schedule

Week 1 (Jan 19 - 21): Course Introduction.
National Academy of Sciences: "Evolution and the Nature of Science" (289).
Discussion Post 1

Week 2 (Jan 26 - 28): Darwin Origin Introduction, Chapters 3 and 4.
Discussion Post 2
Preliminary Essay due Jan 28


Week 3 (Feb 2 - 4): Darwin Origin Chapters 6, 9, and 14.
Discussion Post 3


Week 4 (Feb 9 - 11): [
Cancelled due to sbow]
Summary Assignment due Feb 11


Week 5 (Feb 16 - 18):
Darwin's Influence on Science
Bowler "The Evolutionary Synthesis" (319)
Gould "[On Punctuated Equilibrium]" (344)
Eldridge "The Great Stasis Debate" (349)
Discussion Post 4


Week 6 (Feb 23 - 25):

Ian Tattersall: "Out of Africa Again . . . and Again?" (335)
Steven Jay Gould: "The Human Difference" (342)
Hull "Cladistic Analysis" (361)
Padian and Chiape "[Cladistics in Action: The Origin of Birds and Their Flight]" (363)
Discussion Post 5
Essay 1 Due Feb 25

Week 7 (March 2 - 4): Darwin's Influence on Social Thought
Hofstedter "The Vogue of Spencer" (389)
Andrew Carnegie "The Gospel of Wealth" (396)
Nowak, et al "The Arithmetics of Mutual Help" (403)
Discussion Post 6
Developing Research questions
Library research assignment due March 4


Week 8:
Spring Break

Week 9 (March 16 - 18): Wilson "Sociobiology: The New Synthesis" (409)
Gould "Biological Potentiality vs Biological Determinism" (415)
Nancy M Tanner "On Becoming Human" (427)
Evelleen Richards "Darwin and the Descent of Women" (436)
Discussion Post 7


Week 10 (March 23 - 25):
Darwin's Influence on Philosophy and Ethics
Pinker "How the Mind Works" (465)
Jones "The Set Within the Skull" (477)
Daniel Dennett: "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" (489)
Discussion Post 8
Research Proposal due March 25


Week 11 (March 30 - April 1):
Michael Ruse: "Darwinian Epistemology" (493)
Michael Ruse and Edward O Wilson: "The Evolution of Ethics" (507)
Frans de Waal: "Good Natured" (511)
Matt Ridley: "The Origins of Virtue" (517)
Discussion Post 9
Literature Review Essay due April 1


Week 12 (April 6 - 8):
Darwin and Religion
Mainstream Religious Support (527)
Scott "Antievolution and Creationism in the US" (534)
Discussion Post 10
Annotated Bibliography due April 8


Week 13 (April 13 - 15):
Institute for Creation Research "Tenets of Creationism" (555)
Henry Morris: "Scientific Creationism" (557)
Thomas Wheeler: "Review of Morris" (564)
Johnson "Darwin on Trial" (581)
Scott "Review of Johnson" (586)
Discussion Post 11


Week 14 (April 20 - 22):
Behe "Darwin's Black Box" (592)
Dorit "Review of Behe" (601)
Peer review in class April 20 & 22
All revisions due by April 23


Week 15 (April 27 - 29): Wrap up
Kitzmiller v. Dover, pp 62-89
Peer Review collection and course evaluation
Research papers due April 29

 

Dr Taciuch Home

Course Syllabus