Week One Discussion Topic

  

This week we surveyed how the land in Wisconsin and neighboring states has been used by the different groups of individuals living and profiting off the landscape. Your first blog post is to describe for us the land-use history of your own hometown or region.

Keep this history brief (around 300-500 words) and try to incorporate key information from pre-European (or indigenous) settlement all the way through to the present. What social, environmental, and economic forces have shaped the land (air, soil, water, agriculture, urban development, etc.) of your hometown over the course of history? How has the land been used? What are the major industries that shaped the area? How, perhaps, have those industries impacted ecology, and what are some of the ecological issues in your hometown today? Feel free to do a little research and check your state's historical society websites for information about your home.

Each week you are required to make a minimum of two  contributions to the course blog: one post in response to the topic and one reply as a comment to another student's post. Your comment on the post of a peer should reflect thoughtful engagement with their writing. What stood out to you in their description? Do you recognize similarities between their local land-use histories and your own? Do you have any questions for them? And please feel free to respond to your replies! We take any above-and-beyond participation into consideration at the course's terminus. 

Discussion blog participation contributes to your discussion grade, which is 20% of the total grade. Your posts should...

1. be written clearly

2. be relevant to the topic and/or question of interest and respond fully to the prompt

3. Use specific examples and support from course material where possible

4. respond to other students/instructors in a positive, constructive, and encouraging manner, facilitating group discussion

*I trust that we will not have to remind you to use respectful language at all times and to cite outside sources when necessary.