Planetary Sensing

New Media Writing

ENGL 4010 | Spring 2023 | https://sensingtheworld.tumblr.com/
Nathaniel A Rivers | nathaniel.rivers@slu.edu | Office Hours: TR 100-200 (Via Calendly)

Course Introduction Course Readings The Logbook

How can we use digital media to not only write
about the world but to also change how the
planet discloses itself to us—to change how we
see, hear, smell and touch where we dwell (and
senses beyond even these)? That is the central
question for this course, and it is the primary work
of this course as well.
The Mushroom at the End of the World. Anna
Lowenhaupt Tsing. 2015.
Additional readings made available electronically
as PDFs through either Tumblr or
GoogleDrive. See calendar below for
readings and schedule.
Following Jennifer Gabrys in How to Do Things
with Sensors, this 2,000-word document should
meticulously outline what and, more importantly,
how you are researching: the methods, digital and
analog tools, research questions, key terms, actors
(human and nonhuman), events, locations, and
sources you employ/deploy.

To focus that work, this course will take up the

Course Projects The Report
Social Annotation & Participation Near the conclusion of your (field) research, you
issue of climate collapse. We find ourselves in a
We share our thoughts on course readings by begin designing and writing your final report, which
moment wherein our individual and collective
using Hypothes.is, an online  annotation should be a sophisticated and compelling
capacities to sense the planetary is vitally
application. Annotations vary from  person-to- document composed to persuasively address (and
important. How can we render ourselves and
person, but our overriding goal is to share possibly redress) your chosen social issue. The
others sensitive to the planet in ways that generate
reactions, questions, interests, and dis/beliefs details of this document will be discussed in more
meaningful responses to issues such as climate
through annotating  our readings together. detail later, but it is important to note here that the
change,  pollution,  environmental degradation,
Annotations take the form of comments, questions, expectations for this document are exceptionally
and resource depletion?
intra-  and inter-connections, and links. high. We devote at least a month to drafting,
Annotations, crucial, add to the readings. designing, laying out and revising this report. I fully
Students develop a research project built
expect this to be one of the most challenging
around the sensing capacities of digital tools
The Issue Survey pieces of rhetoric and writing you have so far
and directed toward a local environmental
This 1,000 word document briefly surveys the produced at SLU. To that end, of course, I
issue. How can one deploy microphones to
issue you plan on researching. At minimum, the promise to provide the tools, instruction, and
investigate the presence or absence of animal life
survey should define the contours of your issue scaffolding necessary to insure your success.
in a particular location? How can one utilize arial
photography (e.g., a drone) to map access to (e.g., themes, locations, human and nonhuman
actors, history, stakes, etc.). This isn't yet your The Research Binder
green spaces? How can one use social media
research proposal or plan, but it should lead you to At the conclusion of this course, you submit a
(e.g., Twitter) to trace the health concerns of
the research questions and methods you research binder. This binder includes every piece
individuals near damaged or otherwise unhealthy
subsequently develop. of paper you generate over the course of the
environments? Student research projects will
semester. The binder is thus a living archive. As
culminate in a sophisticated and compelling report
an archive, it should have an organizational
composed to persuasively address (and possibly
scheme that makes it accessible to both you and
redress) their chosen environmental issue.
your instructor. Individual entries should be dated

 2
and described (e.g., reading notes, field
observations, research entries, etc.). In addition to
quotes, make notes in the margins, write questions
in the header and/or footer of the page, use
Core Course Policies
labeling individual entries, the binder itself should stickies or tape flags. Whatever combination of Attendance
be organized in a coherent, compelling and tactics you choose, the overall strategy should This is an English Department Policy. Regular
accessible way. As an archive, it should trace the result in readings well and truly marked up. attendance is welcomed, expected, and
work of cultivating yourself as a teacher. Either mandatory. Being in class and on time, working
constructively with your colleagues, and taking part
written or typed, your research binder should
follow this format:
Grade Breakdown in class discussions are all equally important. You
may have one unexcused absence over the
Assignment Percent
course of the semester. Starting with your second
Annotations (Field) Notes absence, your final course average will be lowered
Issue Survey 5
by 9 points. So, if you have two unexcused
“Sound” doesn’t exist January 16, 2020 Logbook 15 absences, you lose 9 points. In that case, if your
independent from average were an 84, it would then become a 75.
sensation.. Things don’t All modes of sensation are Report 40
Technology Expectations
so much have a sound as practices of mediation. The Research Binder 30 • ability to interact with the course website
they sound (verb).. experience of sound is a and shared Google Drive
function of the medium of air Social Annotation and Participation 10
• access to word processing
Latour’s example of the (or water), the physiological Total 100 • a suitable email account checked regularly
perfume kit reminds me features of our ears, and the for course-related business
of the beer flight at neurological capacities of our • a Flash drive or other means to backup
breweries and the brains. (And other things CAS Grading Scale coursework
tasting notes. These besides.) A / 4.00 A- / 3.70 B+ / 3.30 Routine work with technology is a component of
notes aren’t simply this course. Students need not be technological
descriptive: they are Latour: helps us engage B / 3.00 B- / 2.70 C+ / 2.30
experts to succeed in this course, but digital
trying to make me more sensation as a practice—a C / 2.00 C- / 1.70 D / 1.00 technology interaction is integral and computer
sense-able, practice of making ourselves problems are not valid excuses for incomplete
F / 0.00
more/differently sensible work. Practice the core principle of digital data
The Latour quote has me work: redundant backup. Digital technology will fail;
rethinking vulnerability “to have a body is to learn to be RWT Course Outcomes be prepared for that eventuality.
—what does it do? I am affected, meaning ‘effectuated’, • Design multimodal arguments and Personal Technology Devices
thinking about moved, put into motion by other persuasive messages for complex Students may use laptops, cell phones, and other
Superman’s super entities, humans or non- situations, including academic, public, and digital devices during class, provided that they do
hearing. One of his super humans. If you are not engaged professional not disrupt other students’ learning. This course is
powers is also an epic in this learning you become • Produce arguments that situate various situated in an increasingly connected multimedia
vulnerability insensitive, dumb, you drop theories of rhetoric & writing within their own environment. Each student is responsible for his or
dead” (Latour 205). historical contexts and in relation to our own her own engagement with class meetings, and
• Use disciplinary knowledge in rhetorical thus his or her resultant success or failure.
history and theory to respond to particular
Annotated Articles: You are expected to fully situations and audiences Collaborative Work
engage the readings of this course. The key to Because one of the most salient features of digital
engaging readings is annotation: highlight key technology is its social aspect, teamwork and


group assignments/projects are required elements
of the course. Student teammates are responsible
for updating each other and the instructor about
project development and progress. Additionally,
student teams are responsible for negotiating all
aspects of their work, including planning, drafting,
revising, file managing, scheduling, and leading
tutorials and presentations. When a group project/
assignment is assigned, students complete
activities that foster successful collaboration. After
the conclusion of group projects, individuals
complete forms to assess the contributions of
group members and the global performance of the
team.
Writing Intensive
This course is part of the Saint Louis University
Core, an integrated intellectual experience
completed by all baccalaureate students,
regardless of major, program, college, school or
campus. The Core offers all SLU students the
same unified approach to Jesuit education guided
by SLU’s institutional mission and identity and our
nine undergraduate Core Student Learning
Outcomes (SLOs).
The Writing Intensive course requirement is one of
19 Core Components. The University Core SLO(s)
that this component is designed to intentionally
advance are listed below:
University Core Student Learning Outcomes
The Core SLO(s) that this component is intentionally
designed to advance are:
SLO 3: Assess evidence and draw reasoned
conclusions
SLO 4: Communicate effectively in writing, speech,
and visual media
Additionally, the Core Component-level Student
Learning Outcomes are listed below:
Component-level Student Learning Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
• Write effectively for specific purposes and
audiences
• Analyze and synthesize claims from a variety of
sources
• Synthesize, summarize, paraphrase, and quote
from a variety of appropriate sources in support of
specific claims
• Engage in processes of invention and revision that
enable evaluation of their own and others’
rhetorical choices in written messages and
arguments
• Reflect on the ways in which rhetorically proficient
written communication contributes to ethical public 

discourse
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is honest, truthful & responsible
conduct in all academic endeavors. The mission of
Saint Louis University is "the pursuit of truth for the
greater glory of God and for the service of
h u m a n i t y. " A c c o r d i n g l y, a l l a c t s o f
falsehood  demean & compromise the corporate
endeavors of teaching, research, health care, &
community service via which SLU embodies its
mission. The University strives to prepare students
for lives of personal and professional integrity, and
therefore regards all breaches
of  academic  integrity  as matters of serious
c o n c e r n .  T h e g o v e r n i n g U n i v e r s i t y -
level  Academic  Integrity  Policy was adopted in
Spring 2015, & can be accessed on the Provost's
Office website at:  https://tinyurl.com/wxlnb9m.
Additionally, each SLU College, School, and
Center has adopted its own academic integrity
policies, available on their respective websites.  All
SLU students are expected to know and abide by
these policies, which detail definitions of violations,
processes for reporting violations, sanctions, &
3
appeals.  Please direct questions about any facet
of  academic  integrity to your faculty, the chair of
the department of your academic program, or the
Dean/Director of the College, School or Center in
which your program is housed. Specific CAS
Academic Honesty Policies and Procedures may
be found at: https://tinyurl.com/y9sqxycn.
Title IX Statement
Saint Louis University and its faculty are
committed to supporting our students and seeking
an environment that is free of bias, discrimination
and harassment. If you have encountered any
form of sexual misconduct (e.g. sexual assault,
sexual harassment, stalking, domestic or dating
violence), we encourage you to report this to the
University. If you speak with a faculty member
about an incident of misconduct, that faculty
member must notify SLU's Title IX coordinator,
Anna R. Kratky (DuBourg Hall room
36;  anna.kratky@slu.edu; 314.977.3886) and
share the basic fact of your experience with her.
The Title IX coordinator will then be available to
assist you in understanding all of your options and
in connecting you with all possible resources on
and off campus. If you wish to speak with a
confidential source, you may contact the
counselors at the University Counseling Center at
314.977.TALK. View SLU's sexual misconduct
policy: https://tinyurl.com/wnlb72m.
Disability Services
Students with a documented disability who wish to
request academic accommodations are
encouraged to contact Disability Services to
discuss accommodation requests and eligibility
requirements. Please contact Disability Services,
located within the Student Success Center, at
disability_services@slu.edu or 314.977.3484 to
schedule an appointment. Confidentiality will be
observed in all inquiries. Once approved,
information about academic accommodations will


be shared with course instructors via email from
Disability Services and viewed within Banner via
the instructor's course roster.
Student Success Center
In recognition that people learn in a variety of ways
and that learning is influenced by multiple factors
(e.g., prior experience, study skills, learning
disability), resources to support student success
are available on campus. The Student Success
Center, a one-stop shop, which assists students
with academic and career related services, is
located in the Busch Student Center (Suite, 331)
and the School of Nursing (Suite, 114). Students
who think they might benefit from these resources
can find out more about:
• Course-level support (e.g., faculty member,
departmental resources, etc.) by asking
your course instructor.
• University-level support (e.g., tutoring
services, university writing services,
disability services, academic coaching,
career services, and/or facets of curriculum
planning) by visiting the Student Success
Center or by going to www.slu.edu/success
Writing Services
Students are encouraged to take advantage of
University Writing Services (UWS); getting
feedback benefits writers at all skill levels. Trained
writing consultants can help with writing projects,
multimedia projects, and oral presentations. UWS
offers one-on-one consultations that address
everything from brainstorming and developing
ideas to crafting strong sentences and
documenting sources. For more information, visit
https://tinyurl.com/ss8mt7s or call the Student
Success Center at 314.977.3484.
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“And yet we haven’t lacked for warnings. The sirens
Basic Needs Security have been blaring all along. Awareness of ecological
Students in personal or academic distress and/or disasters has been longstanding, active, supported by
who may be specifically experiencing  challenges arguments, documentation, proofs, from the very
beginning of what is called the ‘industrial era’ or the
such as  securing food or difficulty navigating
campus resources,  and who believe this may
‘machine age.’ We can’t say that we didn’t know. It’s just
that there are many ways of knowing and not knowing at
affect their performance in the course, the same time.”
are  encouraged to contact the Dean of Students —Bruno Latour, Facing Gaia
Office (deanofstudents@slu.edu or 314.977.9378)
for support. Furthermore, please notify the
instructor if you are comfortable in doing so, as this
will enable them  to assist you with finding the
resources you may need.
Submission of Work
The Saint Louis University Department of English
is committed to excellent and innovative
educational practices. In order to maintain quality
academic offerings and to conform to relevant
accreditation requirements, we regularly assess
our courses and programs for evidence of student
learning outcomes achievement. For this purpose,
we keep on file representative examples of student
work from all courses and programs such as:
assignments, papers, exams, multimedia
presentations, portfolios, and results from student
surveys, focus groups, and reflective exercises.
Thus, copies of your work for this course—
including exams, presentations, submitted papers
or other assignments—may be kept on file for
institutional research, assessment and
accreditation purposes. All samples of student
work will be anonymized before they are used in
assessment exercises. If you prefer that the
Department of English does not keep your work on
file, you need to communicate your decision in
writing to your instructor.

Course Calendar 2.23 Introduction: Hot to Do Things with Sensors”

& “How to Construct Tool Kits,” Jennifer
4.18 Report Workshop

4.20 Report Workshop

1.17 Course Introduction Gabrys
Icebreaker: Practices Introduce Logbook
Research Project Brainstorming
4.25 Report Workshop
1.19 “Are You Really So Different From the Blue
Sea Blob?” Sabrina Imbler 4.27 Report Workshop
Introduce Research Binder 2.28 “Non-Representational Research
Methodologies,” Phillip Vannini
5.2 Report Workshop
1.24 “Sensing Practices,” Jennifer Gabrys and 3.2 “The Grammar of Action in the Critical
Helen Pritchard Zone,” Bronislaw Szerszynski 5.4 “Environmental Rhetoric,” Jenny Bay et al
“Sensitizing,” Bruno Latour Report Workshop

1.26 “Wind Matters,” Marina Peterson 3.7 Logbook Workshop

“Air,” Bruno Latour 5.11 Report Due
3.9 Logbook Due
“Air,” Talking Heads Research Binder Due
“Whiteout,” Rosa Menkman
“The Desert,” Meg Bernhard 3.14 No Class: Spring Break

3.16 No Class: Spring Break

1.31 “Trajectories,” Edgar Gómez Cruz
“Drones and Everything After,” Benjamin
Wallace-Wells
Macro | Meso | Micro | Meta
2.2 “How to Talk About the Body?” Bruno Latour
2.7 Introduce Issue Survey
The Mushroom at the End of the World,
Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing (selections)
2.9 The Mushroom at the End of the World,
Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing (selections)
3.21 Introduce Report
“Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction,” Ursula K. Le
Guin
3.23 “Weak Theory in an Unfinished World,”
Kathleen Stewart
3.28 Explore Sample Reports and Analogs
3.30 “Storytelling Earth and Body,” Pavithra
Vasudevan et al

2.14 The Mushroom at the End of the World, 4.4 Research Workshop
Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing (selections)
Issue Survey Workshop 4.6 No Class: Easter Break

2.16 The Mushroom at the End of the World,

Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing (selections)
2.21 “A Vast Experiment,” Elizabeth Kolbert
Issue Survey Due
Issue Survey Presentations
4.11 Archive Trip
“And yet with every shot, the most constructive thing
4.13 “The People Who Draw Rocks,” Zoey Poll that can be done is to increase the chances for more
Guest Speaker: John Encarnacion, Earth shots—generate more branches in the network of
& Atmospheric Sciences possibilities, more information.”
—Keller Easterling, “No You’re Not”