A Sand County Almanac

In “The Problem of Nature Writing,” Jonathan Franzen makes the argument that specific techniques beyond mere description of the beauties of nature are required to appeal to a general audience. How would Franzen evaluate Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac? What are your own criteria for effective conservation writing, and does Leopold meet these criteria?

Teaching Suggestion: Students began this unit by learning about the wider world of conservation writing and how Aldo Leopold fits into this context. Now that students have given detailed consideration to Leopold’s book, this prompt brings them back to the larger context again. It asks them to consider Franzen’s criteria for effective nature writing and then, in the process of evaluating Leopold’s book against these criteria, decide how their own personal criteria might differ from Franzen’s. This prompt can be answered in writing or through discussion. Even if students answer in writing, they may enjoy debating their personal criteria for effective conservation writing afterward so that they can hear a wide variety of opinions.

Differentiation Suggestion: A thorough answer to this prompt requires that students keep track of several elements: what Franzen is claiming in his essay, what their own beliefs about conservation writing might be, and how Leopold’s content and style match up to both of these standards.