This course uses rhetoric, the study of persuasion, to analyze the cultural, political, and scientific importance of plants. We examine Indigenous knowledge related to plants and the environment as well as debates about plant communication, urban tree coverage and inequality, and environmental justice issues. We also explore the social and health benefits of community gardening, horticultural therapy, and forest bathing. Students reflect on their own relation to land as they deepen their knowledge and appreciation of plants and develop expertise in communicating with public audiences through multimodal writing projects (such as podcasts and video essays) and local field trips.
This course uses rhetoric, the study of persuasion, to analyze the cultural, political, and scientific importance of plants. We examine Indigenous knowledge related to plants and the environment as well as debates about plant communication, urban tree coverage and inequality, and environmental justice issues. We also explore the social and health benefits of community gardening, horticultural therapy, and forest bathing. Students reflect on their own relation to land as they deepen their knowledge and appreciation of plants and develop expertise in communicating with public audiences through multimodal writing projects (such as podcasts and video essays) and local field trips.
