EMBLEMATIC SPECIES NARRATIVE | a personal essay on the biodiversity crisis
Elizabeth Kolbert, in her Pulitzer Prize winning book The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, uses
narrative rich, science-based communication to help the public understand the current biodiversity crisis.
In each chapter, Kolbert tells the story of a species that is in some way emblematic of (i.e., a “poster child”
for) the broader crisis. Her writing at times focuses on the very scientific and at times focuses on the
personal—her own personal experiences and responses to the biodiversity crisis as well as the
experiences and responses of scientists and conservationists whose work addresses threats to
biodiversity. Kolbert also implicitly, and at times explicitly, reminds us of the dynamic nature of life on the
planet over geologic time as well as the dynamic nature of science as an evolving consensus of experts.
Narrative rich, science-based communication like Kolbert’s can help promote a cultural shift in terms of
our understanding of our relationship with the environment and all of the “more than human” living
beings that we are inextricably connected with. For this assignment, you will practice this kind of
communication by writing a creative non-fiction essay (this genre’s mantra is "true stories, well told")
using Kolbert’s writing as a model. You will write about an emblematic species of your own choosing.
Select a species whose story is illuminating and can help us better understand the current biodiversity
crisis. Instructions for your essay follow:
 Choose your focal species. Start by identifying the key point(s) about the broader biodiversity
crisis that you want to make. Don’t just pick a species that you admire/love; choose one whose
story helps you best make a point that you feel the public needs to better understand in order to
understand the biodiversity crisis.
 Write a 1200-1500 word essay about your species in the style of Kolbert.
 Your audience is a general public audience; make your essay engaging and accessible. Avoid long
sentences and long paragraphs.
 Weave together science and narrative/personal elements to convey an understanding of your
chosen species and its plight. One way or another, make sure that you emphasize the broader
relevance of your species’ story. One clear way to do this is to identify the other species or kinds of
organisms whose story is represented by your focal species and write about them too.
 For the science thread, include at least one key concept that we have focused on this semester
(planetary boundaries, Anthropocene, keystone species, etc.). Consider using metaphor to explain
a scientific concept that may be foreign to your public audience.
 Pour your mind, your heart, and your own voice into writing this piece. Feel free to use personal
experience, philosophical reflection, humor, imagination about the future, and other
creative/narrative/personal elements to connect with readers and deepen their understanding.
 Choose a short title that doesn’t reference the name of the species, but rather communicates (or at
list hints at) the key message of your essay. See Kolbert’s chapter titles as examples.
 Sources: You must use and cite at least eight scientific sources, and at least five of your sources
must be peer-reviewed academic/scholarly journal articles. Look for relatively recent studies;
literature review articles are ideal sources as they synthesize a whole body of research in one
article. You may not cite website text, but you may cite reports published by credible
organizations that are available online. Do not use direct quotes from sources—paraphrase and
then attribute the idea/information by citing the source. Provide a list of your sources at the
bottom and use in-text citations throughout your essay. You may choose your citation style (APA,
Chicago Author-Date, CSE), but be consistent.

RUBRIC: EMBLEMATIC SPECIES NARRATIVE
 Clearly connects species' story to the story of the broader biodiversity crisis _____ 20 pts
 Content meets other requirements; illuminates key concept(s) of the biodiversity crisis: _____ 50 pts
- provides clear scientific understanding of focal species and its plight
- includes at least one key concept we’ve learned this semester
- narrative/creative elements deepen understanding of focal species and its plight
- title communicates key message of essay
- style is engaging and accessible (appropriate for a public audience)
 Sources list meets requirements; consistent formatting _____ 20 pts
 Quality of writing: clear writing that flows logically and is free of errors _____ 10 pts
TOTAL _____ 100 pts

I will select the strongest student essays for one or both of the following opportunities for broader
exposure and impact:
1. Publication on my Emblems of the Anthropocene website, which features essays written by me and
previous students (see website snapshot below).
2. Inclusion in the Climate Stories Showcase on Instagram. The showcase is a project of the Climate
Stories Collaborative, a transdisciplinary learning community at Appalachian focused on growing
the capacity of both faculty and students to be more creative and compelling climate storytellers.
The Collaborative's previous Climate Stories Showcases have featured creative climate stories
works produced by hundreds of students in classes around the university (photos below).