Great Issues in Science: Geology, Environment & Society

HSP 124 w/ Lab
CRN 2639 & Lab CRN 2640
Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 10:10 -11:00am
Tuesdays – Lab  2:10 – 5:00am
Palenske 123

"Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice." – Will Durant
In this course, we will examine the implications of this quote for society and for the environment, by investigating the role of geology in our lives.  Topics considered include the origin of the mineral resources upon which civilization depends as well as the constraints placed by geologic hazards.  Woven through the entire course will be discussion of the nature of science.

Course objectives:

This is a laboratory course designed for liberal arts students.  The specific course objectives for each student are as follows:

• to be able to describe the major geological processes that have shaped the earth
• to learn how geologists investigate the earth – what types of geological evidence
  are commonly collected and studied, and how this evidence is interpreted
• to be able to frame and test hypotheses
• to understand how geology affects our lives.

Great Issues in Humanities: Early Travelers to the Mediterranean and Near East

OR

Early Travel and Exploration of the Ancient and Medieval Worlds

HSP           CRN
Tuesdays & Thursday
3:10 – 4:30pm
Observatory Classroom
Dr. Veronica Kalas

This course will explore the practice of traveling for the purpose of gaining knowledge of foreign lands, peoples, and cultures of the ancient and medieval worlds.  We will begin by learning about the tradition of traveling from ancient and medieval authors themselves— including Pausanias of Greco-Roman antiquity and medieval Christian pilgrims like Egeria.  Our focus however will be with the tradition developed by early modern Europeans in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries.  The Grand Tour and related forms of investigation through travel to the sites and monuments of the Mediterranean and Near East will be studied.  Early exploration of the ancient Americas may also be considered.  Students will focus on either a particular theme or traveler, a group of travelers, or a region or site about which our knowledge still very much depends on the first narratives that were developed and created by these explorers.  Themes include travel and the development of the disciplines of archaeology, art history, and photography, women travelers, and travel writing.