MEC August 27th
10 years ago
Thursday, August 27, 2009
HONS 1301 H03 "The Mother Earth Chronicals" (MEC)
Books and the course packet ares in. You may purchase the course packet at Copytech.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
HONS 1301 H03 "The Mother Earth Chronicles" Fall, 2009
HONS 1301 H01
“The Mother Earth Chronicles”
Sophomore Seminar
Dr. Susan Tomlinson
201B McClellan Hall
742-1828
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Office Hours: TBA
Link to the course website can be found on this homepage: http://www.webpages.ttu.edu/sutomlin
Required reading:
Books:
Janisse Ray (Ecology of a Cracker Childhood)
Sue Hubble (A Country Year)
Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees)
Pam Houston (Cowboys Are My Weakness)
Course packet (available from Copytech)
Pattiann Rogers (‘Suppose your Father Was a Redbird;” “Geocentric”)
Gretel Ehrlich (“The Solace of Open Spaces”)
Mary Oliver (Wild Geese;” In Blackwater Woods”)
Annie Dillard (“Heaven and Earth in Jest;” “Chapter Three” from The Writing Life)
Rebecca Solnit (“The Blue of Distance”)
Course Description
“The Mother Earth Chronicles” is a fun, gentle, thought-provoking exploration of literary works about nature, environment, and landscape. In this course, you can expect to cover a wide and diverse range of topics about living with “Mother”—everything from bees, to homesteading, to white water rafting—and the cultural ideas and values that spring from the human relationship to nature. We will focus our efforts on literature written by women, a traditionally underrepresented source of nature writing.
This is also an excellent opportunity to practice writing in a workshop/tutorial format; if you’ve always thought that writing is a boring, excruciating, mind-numbing, pointless exercise in formulaic drivel and pap, well then, you’ve never done any writing like this. This is a reading and writing intensive course focused on developing writing skills through workshops and/or tutorials.
This course satisfies the Texas Tech University core curriculum requirement in humanities.
From the TTU catalog: “The objective of the humanities in a core curriculum is to expand the student’s knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as literature and philosophy, students will engage in critical analysis and develop an appreciation of the humanities as fundamental to the health and survival of any society.”
Course Purpose Statement: Students graduating from Texas Tech University should be able to: think critically, demonstrate an understanding of the possibility of multiple interpretations, cultural contexts, and values.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to;
Learning Outcomes
Assessment Methods
· Evaluate events, ideas, and artistic expressions in terms of multiple cultural contexts and value systems.
· Guided discussion
· Written work (see below)
Think critically about the human relationship to the natural world
· Guided discussion
· Written work (see below)
Read and discuss in a scholarly manner (courteously and critically) works by woman that present ideas about the human relationship to the natural world
· Guided discussion
· Written work (see below)
Write clearly and critically about these works and this relationship
· Written work (see below)
· Editorial workshop participation
Format/Schedule
The course will be divided into themes about the natural world and our relationship to it. We will explore what people have to say about each of these by examining and imitating various genres. There usually will be short weekly writing assignments which we will read and discuss in workshop format, followed by more intense discussions and readings in small group tutorials (time to be arranged for each group). Students will be responsible for providing copies of their writing for each member of their tutorial group, as well as a copy for the instructor. These are due at the beginning of each tutorial.
Students are expected to check the course website for each week’s assignment. A link to the course website can be found on this homepage: www.webpages.ttu.edu/sutomlin
Grading:
Grades will be weighted in the following manner:
40% Weekly written work (includes tutorial work)
20% Midterm and final papers (10% each)
20% Discussion
20% Workshop participation
Late work:
Because we will be having workshops each Tuesday, work that is turned in past that deadline can’t be discussed by the class. I will accept late work for a grade, but there will be an automatic deduction of 20% if it is turned in anytime during the week following the deadline. Late work will not be accepted later than one week following the deadline.
Discussion and workshop participation:
After the second week of class, students will be selected at random each week to lead the class in discussion. The student is expected to have read the material thoroughly and prepared with questions. If a student is found unprepared to lead when chosen, it will result in an automatic grade of 0 for that day’s discussion grade.
All students are expected to contribute to the discussion and workshop. At the end of each class period, I will assign a grade for that day’s work.
Midterm and final papers:
Students will select a weekly paper to expand and polish for each of their midterm and final assignments. Students are encouraged to submit a preliminary draft of the work for suggestions/edits from me no later than ten days before the due date for the final draft.
Midterm papers due: October 15, beginning of class
Final papers due: December 14, 1:30 PM
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor at her office (McClellan Hall 201 B) as soon as possible to request necessary accommodation. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services (Access TECH). No requirement exists that accommodations be made prior to completion of the approved university process.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
“The Mother Earth Chronicles”
Sophomore Seminar
Dr. Susan Tomlinson
201B McClellan Hall
742-1828
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Office Hours: TBA
Link to the course website can be found on this homepage: http://www.webpages.ttu.edu/sutomlin
Required reading:
Books:
Janisse Ray (Ecology of a Cracker Childhood)
Sue Hubble (A Country Year)
Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees)
Pam Houston (Cowboys Are My Weakness)
Course packet (available from Copytech)
Pattiann Rogers (‘Suppose your Father Was a Redbird;” “Geocentric”)
Gretel Ehrlich (“The Solace of Open Spaces”)
Mary Oliver (Wild Geese;” In Blackwater Woods”)
Annie Dillard (“Heaven and Earth in Jest;” “Chapter Three” from The Writing Life)
Rebecca Solnit (“The Blue of Distance”)
Course Description
“The Mother Earth Chronicles” is a fun, gentle, thought-provoking exploration of literary works about nature, environment, and landscape. In this course, you can expect to cover a wide and diverse range of topics about living with “Mother”—everything from bees, to homesteading, to white water rafting—and the cultural ideas and values that spring from the human relationship to nature. We will focus our efforts on literature written by women, a traditionally underrepresented source of nature writing.
This is also an excellent opportunity to practice writing in a workshop/tutorial format; if you’ve always thought that writing is a boring, excruciating, mind-numbing, pointless exercise in formulaic drivel and pap, well then, you’ve never done any writing like this. This is a reading and writing intensive course focused on developing writing skills through workshops and/or tutorials.
This course satisfies the Texas Tech University core curriculum requirement in humanities.
From the TTU catalog: “The objective of the humanities in a core curriculum is to expand the student’s knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as literature and philosophy, students will engage in critical analysis and develop an appreciation of the humanities as fundamental to the health and survival of any society.”
Course Purpose Statement: Students graduating from Texas Tech University should be able to: think critically, demonstrate an understanding of the possibility of multiple interpretations, cultural contexts, and values.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to;
Learning Outcomes
Assessment Methods
· Evaluate events, ideas, and artistic expressions in terms of multiple cultural contexts and value systems.
· Guided discussion
· Written work (see below)
Think critically about the human relationship to the natural world
· Guided discussion
· Written work (see below)
Read and discuss in a scholarly manner (courteously and critically) works by woman that present ideas about the human relationship to the natural world
· Guided discussion
· Written work (see below)
Write clearly and critically about these works and this relationship
· Written work (see below)
· Editorial workshop participation
Format/Schedule
The course will be divided into themes about the natural world and our relationship to it. We will explore what people have to say about each of these by examining and imitating various genres. There usually will be short weekly writing assignments which we will read and discuss in workshop format, followed by more intense discussions and readings in small group tutorials (time to be arranged for each group). Students will be responsible for providing copies of their writing for each member of their tutorial group, as well as a copy for the instructor. These are due at the beginning of each tutorial.
Students are expected to check the course website for each week’s assignment. A link to the course website can be found on this homepage: www.webpages.ttu.edu/sutomlin
Grading:
Grades will be weighted in the following manner:
40% Weekly written work (includes tutorial work)
20% Midterm and final papers (10% each)
20% Discussion
20% Workshop participation
Late work:
Because we will be having workshops each Tuesday, work that is turned in past that deadline can’t be discussed by the class. I will accept late work for a grade, but there will be an automatic deduction of 20% if it is turned in anytime during the week following the deadline. Late work will not be accepted later than one week following the deadline.
Discussion and workshop participation:
After the second week of class, students will be selected at random each week to lead the class in discussion. The student is expected to have read the material thoroughly and prepared with questions. If a student is found unprepared to lead when chosen, it will result in an automatic grade of 0 for that day’s discussion grade.
All students are expected to contribute to the discussion and workshop. At the end of each class period, I will assign a grade for that day’s work.
Midterm and final papers:
Students will select a weekly paper to expand and polish for each of their midterm and final assignments. Students are encouraged to submit a preliminary draft of the work for suggestions/edits from me no later than ten days before the due date for the final draft.
Midterm papers due: October 15, beginning of class
Final papers due: December 14, 1:30 PM
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor at her office (McClellan Hall 201 B) as soon as possible to request necessary accommodation. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services (Access TECH). No requirement exists that accommodations be made prior to completion of the approved university process.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
HONS 3304 "Bones, Botanicals, Birds: Natural History Illustration" Fall, 2009
HONS 1304 H01
“Bones, Botanicals, Birds:
Science and Natural History Illustration”
SYLLABUS (Fall 2010)
TR 2:00-3:20
Instructor: Dr. Susan Tomlinson
201B McClellan Hall
742-0036 ext. 239
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Office Hours: TR 3:30-4:30; TWR 12:30-1:30
Teaching Blog: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Materials:
Required:
tracing paper pad
Bristol board pad
(smooth paper)
Art kit from Varsity Bookstore
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to the history and tradition of illustrating nature and science, including the contributions of John James Audubon, Titian Peale, Roger Tory Peterson, and others. We will also learn and practice basic illustration techniques, ranging from initial sketches in the field and lab to final product in the studio. This course focuses on drawing and painting techniques as associated with science and nature illustration; students are expected to draw and paint. Required field trips. Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts core curriculum requirements.
Visual and Performing Arts Core Curriculum Objectives (TTU Catalog)
The objective of the visual and performing arts in a core curriculum is to expand the student’s knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as the visual and performing arts, students will engage in critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and develop an appreciation for arts as fundamental to the health and survival of any society.
Competency Statement:
Students graduating from Texas Tech University should be able to: construct, present, and defend critical and aesthetic judgments of works in the creative arts.
Expected learning outcomes for this course are:
1) Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts.
2) Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts.
3) Analyze and summarize aesthetic principles that structure creative works.
Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods
1) Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3) short analysis responses
2) Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3)short analysis responses
3) Analyze and summarize aesthetic principles that structure creative works. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3) short analysis responses
4)Demonstrate drawing basics such as: perspective, proportion, tonal value Drawing, paintings, and journal entries
5)Draw organisms in various formats (i.e., botanical illustration, field guide pages, ecological study) Drawings and paintings
Assignments and Grading
Students will be assigned and expected to complete the following illustration projects:
• 2 natural history studies (20 pts each):
o zoological
o botanical
• 2 pastiches in the manner of 2 natural history/scientific illustrators, accompanied by a short essay response for each, detailing how they are “in the manner of” that illustrator (20 pts each)
• Field sketchbook/notebook (20 pts)
• Midterm: Sample field guide plate with corresponding natural history/identification notes (40 pts)
• Final: a final painting/drawing project of an organism in an environmental setting (40 pts)
Work will be graded on the basis of accuracy, thoroughness, and artistic merit.
Midterm due: October 12
Final project due: Tuesday, December 14, 1:30 pm
Field Trips:
We will be going outside from time to time to do some field drawing. Students are expected to check the teaching blog for each week’s assignment and location of the class.
http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Please check the weather forecast and dress accordingly.
_________________________________________________________________
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor at her office (McClellan Hall 201 B) as soon as possible to request necessary accommodation. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services (Access TECH). No requirement exists that accommodations be made prior to completion of the approved university process.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
“Bones, Botanicals, Birds:
Science and Natural History Illustration”
SYLLABUS (Fall 2010)
TR 2:00-3:20
Instructor: Dr. Susan Tomlinson
201B McClellan Hall
742-0036 ext. 239
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Office Hours: TR 3:30-4:30; TWR 12:30-1:30
Teaching Blog: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Materials:
Required:
tracing paper pad
Bristol board pad
(smooth paper)
Art kit from Varsity Bookstore
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to the history and tradition of illustrating nature and science, including the contributions of John James Audubon, Titian Peale, Roger Tory Peterson, and others. We will also learn and practice basic illustration techniques, ranging from initial sketches in the field and lab to final product in the studio. This course focuses on drawing and painting techniques as associated with science and nature illustration; students are expected to draw and paint. Required field trips. Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts core curriculum requirements.
Visual and Performing Arts Core Curriculum Objectives (TTU Catalog)
The objective of the visual and performing arts in a core curriculum is to expand the student’s knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as the visual and performing arts, students will engage in critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and develop an appreciation for arts as fundamental to the health and survival of any society.
Competency Statement:
Students graduating from Texas Tech University should be able to: construct, present, and defend critical and aesthetic judgments of works in the creative arts.
Expected learning outcomes for this course are:
1) Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts.
2) Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts.
3) Analyze and summarize aesthetic principles that structure creative works.
Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods
1) Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3) short analysis responses
2) Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3)short analysis responses
3) Analyze and summarize aesthetic principles that structure creative works. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3) short analysis responses
4)Demonstrate drawing basics such as: perspective, proportion, tonal value Drawing, paintings, and journal entries
5)Draw organisms in various formats (i.e., botanical illustration, field guide pages, ecological study) Drawings and paintings
Assignments and Grading
Students will be assigned and expected to complete the following illustration projects:
• 2 natural history studies (20 pts each):
o zoological
o botanical
• 2 pastiches in the manner of 2 natural history/scientific illustrators, accompanied by a short essay response for each, detailing how they are “in the manner of” that illustrator (20 pts each)
• Field sketchbook/notebook (20 pts)
• Midterm: Sample field guide plate with corresponding natural history/identification notes (40 pts)
• Final: a final painting/drawing project of an organism in an environmental setting (40 pts)
Work will be graded on the basis of accuracy, thoroughness, and artistic merit.
Midterm due: October 12
Final project due: Tuesday, December 14, 1:30 pm
Field Trips:
We will be going outside from time to time to do some field drawing. Students are expected to check the teaching blog for each week’s assignment and location of the class.
http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Please check the weather forecast and dress accordingly.
_________________________________________________________________
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor at her office (McClellan Hall 201 B) as soon as possible to request necessary accommodation. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services (Access TECH). No requirement exists that accommodations be made prior to completion of the approved university process.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
NHH 1302 "Introductory Fieldcraft: Reading Nature as Text"
NHH 1302
“Introductory Fieldcraft”
SPRING 2011
W 2:00-4:50
Dr. Susan Tomlinson
201B McClellan Hall
Honors College
742-0036 x239
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Office Hours: R 2-5; or by appointment
Link to the course website can be found on: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com
Core Curriculum Objectives: Technology and Applied Science:
This course meets Technology and Applied Science credit. The following is a description of the core requirements for technology and applied science curriculum from the TTU catalog: “The objective of the technology and applied science component of a core curriculum is to enable the student to understand how profoundly scientific and technological developments affect society and the environment.”
At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to fulfill the following in order to meet Technology and Applied Science competency requirements: “Students graduating from Texas Tech University should be able to demonstrate understanding of how technology and applied science affects society and the environment and to demonstrate understanding of the relationship of ethics and technology.”
Course Description:
NHH 1302-H01 Introductory Fieldcraft: The Naturalist’s Journal
The field journal is a powerful component in the naturalist’s bag of tools. With it, the naturalist documents plants and animals encountered in the field, creates maps of discovery, and writes about the meaning of it all. In this course, students will learn the cultural significance, history, and purpose behind the naturalist’s journal—both traditional versions, like those of Lewis and Clark, and more contemporary versions, such as those kept today on “blogs.”
These journals span the range of form and time, from the notebooks that Darwin kept on the voyage of the Beagle to the present day blogs. We will conduct a critical examination of their aesthetic and scientific values, and the ways they have helped and continue to help shape our knowledge and understanding of the natural world. Students will also keep their own nature journals—traditional and contemporary—using skills they acquire in class, like drawing, writing, and mapmaking.
Along the way, they will learn to identify flora and fauna, regional ecology/geology, and basic field skills, as this class becomes a “deep study” of the Llano Estacado and the southwestern region of the United States. We will use “The Mappist,” a short story by Barry Lopez, as a guide for method and purpose, and will feature an indigenous plant (Mesquite) and bird (Lesser Prairie Chicken) as subjects of deep study.
LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENTS
A: List and evaluate reasons why human-designed systems, products, and environments need to be monitored, maintained, and improved to ensure safety, quality, cost efficiency, and sustainability.
A: Field journal notes, blog posts (includes species accounts, drawings, and maps), and class discussion.
B: Draw and identify plants and animals of the region, and discuss their importance to past and present human culture. B: Field journal drawings and notes, blog posts.
C: Make maps of important ecological components (plants, animals, geology) of a local area, and identify and interpret these data in a cultural/societal, and/or scientific context.
C: Field maps, journal notes, blog posts.
D: Discuss, in writing, ethical issues regarding the environment, particularly as it concerns the prairie ecosystem. D: Field journal notes, blog posts (written reports and species accounts).
E: Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts. E: Journal and blog analysis of historical naturalist notebooks.
F: Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts. F: Journal and blog analysis of historical naturalist notebooks
Required materials:
Field art kit (available from Varsity Bookstore)
National Geographic Field Guide to North American Birds
Wildflowers of the Western Plains (Zoe Merriman Kirkpatrick)
Recommended (Optional)
How to Keep a Naturalist’s Notebook (Susan Leigh Tomlinson)
Course format:
All classes will be held outside, regardless of weather. Students are expected to be prepared and dress accordingly. Class location will vary from week to week; students are expected to consult the course blog to find out where it will be:
http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Students are expected to bring their field kits to each class. Field kits include the following:
Journal
Art kit
Binoculars (provided)
Compass
Topics to be covered (not necessarily in this order):
The history, aesthetics, and cultural significance of the naturalist notebook
The natural history of the Southern High Plains:
Plants
Animals
Climate
Geology
Environmental issues
Mapmaking
maps as records
maps as cultural/societal/scientific interpretation
Field drawing and notes:
identification
record-keeping
observation
interpretation and personal response
Field Identification
birds
plants
Field Trips
Class location will vary from week to week, with the majority of them held at Lubbock Lake Landmark; students are expected to consult the course blog to find out where it will be:
http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Students are expected to arrive on time (2:00 for campus locations; 2:20 for Lubbock Lake Landmark). They are expected to be mentally focused and prepared for any weather conditions we might encounter. Daily grades will be assigned for how well the students perform in the field.
Required Weekend Field Trip
There will be a mandatory field trip to the Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival in Milnesand, NM (April 15-17) Focus: LPC
(Camping supplies, food, and transportation, will be provided by TTU Outdoor Pursuits Center. Students will be required to provide any clothing and personal items recommended by the instructor in charge of the trip.)
Students will work on journal assignments on during the course of each weekly trip. The final project/exam will also result from material gathered during the New Mexico (LPC) field trip. Field deportment will also be graded on these trips and be factored into the Field Skills portion of the final grade.
Course Schedule (by week):
Introduction; binocular check out and use; bird identification
Intro to history of field notebook (survey of tradition and purpose); intro to field sketching (simple shapes; tonal values
Discussion of “The Mappist”; field sketching continued (trees)
History of field notebook continued (sketching styles); Field sketching continued (birds)
Bird identification, notes, sketching
History of field notebook continued (observations and interpretation); field notes (daily logs; daily maps; observations; sketches)
History of field notebook continued (the nature blog); field notes
Ecology of the Llano Estacado (playa lakes and salinas) Field excursion (destination TBA)
Midterm check-in (Nature blog up and running for class presentation)
Ecology of the Llano Estacado (geology); field excursion
Ecology of the Llano Estacado (prairie systems); field Excursion
Museum visit (LPC); ecology of the Lesser Prairie Chicken
Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival
Field drawing (botanical)
Wildflower identification
Weekly homework will be assigned in class and posted on the blog. Students are responsible for knowing the homework assignment.
Grading:
Field notebook 30%
Blog 30%
Field skills (deportment) 10%
Final 25%
Field Notebook
Students are required to keep a comprehensive field notebook as part of this course. As new skills are added, we expect that they will be incorporated and used throughout the semester. Journals will be assessed for comprehensive record keeping, attention and care given to field drawings and notes, and natural history content. Students are expected to keep a daily log and map for each field entry. Failure to do so will result in a lowering of one letter grade for that week’s journal.
The notebook is handed in to Dr. Tomlinson each Tuesday before noon for a weekly grade. No late work will be accepted. Notebooks will be returned the following day after noon.
Blog
Students will be required to start up and keep a personal weblog about their observations and scientific learning in and outside of the field experience. They will be graded on blog design and content. Content will be graded on the basis of thoroughness, scientific accuracy, and contribution to public knowledge about the prairie ecosystem.
Field Skills
Students will also be graded on daily field deportment. That is, they will be graded on attentiveness, preparedness, ability to focus and complete assignments. Failure to arrive on time or dress properly for weather conditions will result in a poor grade for field deportment.
Final Project/Exam
The project/exam will consist of a blog species account for the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC), (including, but not limited to, a report on the habitat and environmental threats), as well as a map, field guide notes, and written response to questions regarding the LPC (including, but not limited to, the student’s thoughts on ethical questions regarding the environmental threats to the LPC). The final will count for 25% of the final grade. The species account will be posted only after instructor approval. Final due Monday, May 9, 4 PM
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor at her office (McClellan Hall 201 B) as soon as possible to request necessary accommodation. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services (Access TECH). No requirement exists that accommodations be made prior to completion of the approved university process.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
“Introductory Fieldcraft”
SPRING 2011
W 2:00-4:50
Dr. Susan Tomlinson
201B McClellan Hall
Honors College
742-0036 x239
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Office Hours: R 2-5; or by appointment
Link to the course website can be found on: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com
Core Curriculum Objectives: Technology and Applied Science:
This course meets Technology and Applied Science credit. The following is a description of the core requirements for technology and applied science curriculum from the TTU catalog: “The objective of the technology and applied science component of a core curriculum is to enable the student to understand how profoundly scientific and technological developments affect society and the environment.”
At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to fulfill the following in order to meet Technology and Applied Science competency requirements: “Students graduating from Texas Tech University should be able to demonstrate understanding of how technology and applied science affects society and the environment and to demonstrate understanding of the relationship of ethics and technology.”
Course Description:
NHH 1302-H01 Introductory Fieldcraft: The Naturalist’s Journal
The field journal is a powerful component in the naturalist’s bag of tools. With it, the naturalist documents plants and animals encountered in the field, creates maps of discovery, and writes about the meaning of it all. In this course, students will learn the cultural significance, history, and purpose behind the naturalist’s journal—both traditional versions, like those of Lewis and Clark, and more contemporary versions, such as those kept today on “blogs.”
These journals span the range of form and time, from the notebooks that Darwin kept on the voyage of the Beagle to the present day blogs. We will conduct a critical examination of their aesthetic and scientific values, and the ways they have helped and continue to help shape our knowledge and understanding of the natural world. Students will also keep their own nature journals—traditional and contemporary—using skills they acquire in class, like drawing, writing, and mapmaking.
Along the way, they will learn to identify flora and fauna, regional ecology/geology, and basic field skills, as this class becomes a “deep study” of the Llano Estacado and the southwestern region of the United States. We will use “The Mappist,” a short story by Barry Lopez, as a guide for method and purpose, and will feature an indigenous plant (Mesquite) and bird (Lesser Prairie Chicken) as subjects of deep study.
LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENTS
A: List and evaluate reasons why human-designed systems, products, and environments need to be monitored, maintained, and improved to ensure safety, quality, cost efficiency, and sustainability.
A: Field journal notes, blog posts (includes species accounts, drawings, and maps), and class discussion.
B: Draw and identify plants and animals of the region, and discuss their importance to past and present human culture. B: Field journal drawings and notes, blog posts.
C: Make maps of important ecological components (plants, animals, geology) of a local area, and identify and interpret these data in a cultural/societal, and/or scientific context.
C: Field maps, journal notes, blog posts.
D: Discuss, in writing, ethical issues regarding the environment, particularly as it concerns the prairie ecosystem. D: Field journal notes, blog posts (written reports and species accounts).
E: Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts. E: Journal and blog analysis of historical naturalist notebooks.
F: Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts. F: Journal and blog analysis of historical naturalist notebooks
Required materials:
Field art kit (available from Varsity Bookstore)
National Geographic Field Guide to North American Birds
Wildflowers of the Western Plains (Zoe Merriman Kirkpatrick)
Recommended (Optional)
How to Keep a Naturalist’s Notebook (Susan Leigh Tomlinson)
Course format:
All classes will be held outside, regardless of weather. Students are expected to be prepared and dress accordingly. Class location will vary from week to week; students are expected to consult the course blog to find out where it will be:
http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Students are expected to bring their field kits to each class. Field kits include the following:
Journal
Art kit
Binoculars (provided)
Compass
Topics to be covered (not necessarily in this order):
The history, aesthetics, and cultural significance of the naturalist notebook
The natural history of the Southern High Plains:
Plants
Animals
Climate
Geology
Environmental issues
Mapmaking
maps as records
maps as cultural/societal/scientific interpretation
Field drawing and notes:
identification
record-keeping
observation
interpretation and personal response
Field Identification
birds
plants
Field Trips
Class location will vary from week to week, with the majority of them held at Lubbock Lake Landmark; students are expected to consult the course blog to find out where it will be:
http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Students are expected to arrive on time (2:00 for campus locations; 2:20 for Lubbock Lake Landmark). They are expected to be mentally focused and prepared for any weather conditions we might encounter. Daily grades will be assigned for how well the students perform in the field.
Required Weekend Field Trip
There will be a mandatory field trip to the Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival in Milnesand, NM (April 15-17) Focus: LPC
(Camping supplies, food, and transportation, will be provided by TTU Outdoor Pursuits Center. Students will be required to provide any clothing and personal items recommended by the instructor in charge of the trip.)
Students will work on journal assignments on during the course of each weekly trip. The final project/exam will also result from material gathered during the New Mexico (LPC) field trip. Field deportment will also be graded on these trips and be factored into the Field Skills portion of the final grade.
Course Schedule (by week):
Introduction; binocular check out and use; bird identification
Intro to history of field notebook (survey of tradition and purpose); intro to field sketching (simple shapes; tonal values
Discussion of “The Mappist”; field sketching continued (trees)
History of field notebook continued (sketching styles); Field sketching continued (birds)
Bird identification, notes, sketching
History of field notebook continued (observations and interpretation); field notes (daily logs; daily maps; observations; sketches)
History of field notebook continued (the nature blog); field notes
Ecology of the Llano Estacado (playa lakes and salinas) Field excursion (destination TBA)
Midterm check-in (Nature blog up and running for class presentation)
Ecology of the Llano Estacado (geology); field excursion
Ecology of the Llano Estacado (prairie systems); field Excursion
Museum visit (LPC); ecology of the Lesser Prairie Chicken
Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival
Field drawing (botanical)
Wildflower identification
Weekly homework will be assigned in class and posted on the blog. Students are responsible for knowing the homework assignment.
Grading:
Field notebook 30%
Blog 30%
Field skills (deportment) 10%
Final 25%
Field Notebook
Students are required to keep a comprehensive field notebook as part of this course. As new skills are added, we expect that they will be incorporated and used throughout the semester. Journals will be assessed for comprehensive record keeping, attention and care given to field drawings and notes, and natural history content. Students are expected to keep a daily log and map for each field entry. Failure to do so will result in a lowering of one letter grade for that week’s journal.
The notebook is handed in to Dr. Tomlinson each Tuesday before noon for a weekly grade. No late work will be accepted. Notebooks will be returned the following day after noon.
Blog
Students will be required to start up and keep a personal weblog about their observations and scientific learning in and outside of the field experience. They will be graded on blog design and content. Content will be graded on the basis of thoroughness, scientific accuracy, and contribution to public knowledge about the prairie ecosystem.
Field Skills
Students will also be graded on daily field deportment. That is, they will be graded on attentiveness, preparedness, ability to focus and complete assignments. Failure to arrive on time or dress properly for weather conditions will result in a poor grade for field deportment.
Final Project/Exam
The project/exam will consist of a blog species account for the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC), (including, but not limited to, a report on the habitat and environmental threats), as well as a map, field guide notes, and written response to questions regarding the LPC (including, but not limited to, the student’s thoughts on ethical questions regarding the environmental threats to the LPC). The final will count for 25% of the final grade. The species account will be posted only after instructor approval. Final due Monday, May 9, 4 PM
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor at her office (McClellan Hall 201 B) as soon as possible to request necessary accommodation. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services (Access TECH). No requirement exists that accommodations be made prior to completion of the approved university process.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
NHH 3306 "Current Readings in Natural History"
NHH 3306 H01
Current Readings in Natural History
Spring 2009
MWF 11-12:20*
*until tutorials are scheduled
DR. SUSAN TOMLINSON
201B McClellan Hall
742-0036 ext. 239
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Course teaching blog: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Spring 2009 Office Hours (tentative): MW 1:30-3, or by appt.
Course Description
Dude ranches, Eskimos, animal tracking, bats and caves—what do these have in common? They are all part of the everyday conversation in “Current Readings in Natural History.”Together we will explore the desert, the Rocky Mountains, the great American prairie, and other places with us as we engage in a variety of topics related to nature, the environment, and life. There will be an optional one-day field trip to Carlsbad Caverns. This course is reading and writing intensive.
The purpose of this course is to examine representative works from the field of nature writing. We will look not only at the ideas presented by the authors we study, but at the ways they present them. We will “read as writers” in order to improve our own skills in communicating via the written work.
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course, student should be able to:
• write clear, effective expository and personal narrative essays
• Read literature critically for comprehension, retention, and improvement in writing skills
• Discuss the readings critically (both content and techniques)
Assessment
Weekly annotations on readings 50%
Two Essays (6-10 pages, double spaced) 25% each
• Annotations: Two-page, double-spaced, typed papers regarding the previous week’s reading. Use quotations, references, and argument to support your claims. Attribute all work to its proper source and provide a list of references (not to be include in the one-page limit). These will emphasize examination of content/ideas and technique employed by the author.
• Essays: These are formal essays based on themes arising from the texts. Students must arrive at their own thesis statements (the proper work of all writers), and use quotations, references, and argument to support claims. All essays must be double-spaced, stapled, and turned along with first and final drafts. Each draft must include a list of references, or risk a 10-point deduction from the assignment grade.
Writing will be assessed on the following (not in any particular order):
o Development of argument
o Organization of thought
o Clarity of meaning
o Use of language
Required Texts (in approximate order)
• A Field Guide to Getting Lost (Rebecca Solnit)
• PrairyErth (William Least Heat-Moon)
• Where Rivers Change Directions (Mark Spragg)
• Point Last Seen (Hannah Nyala)
• The River Why (David James Duncan)
• The Survival of the Bark Canoe (John McPhee)
• The Moon by Whalelight (Diane Ackerman)
Class Meeting Schedule
• Weekly discussion: The class will meet as a full group once weekly on Mondays for discussion of the readings.
• Tutorials: The class will be subdivided into small groups for weekly tutorial sessions. The tutorials are for the purpose of further discussion of the readings and critique/editing/revising of essays and weekly annotations. Times to be arranged.
Writing schedule
Weekly writing assignments for each tutorial group will be posted on the teaching blog: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Students are responsible for checking the blog for the schedule.
Class Deportment
• Late Work: Because all student writing will be critiqued in a weekly tutorial, late work will not be tolerated. I understand that occasionally things happen, and in extreme circumstances exceptions can be made, but please do not abuse my good nature by being late.
• Attendance is mandatory. Exceptions may be made for university related activities, family emergencies, personal illness, and religious holidays or observances, and other unforeseen forces of nature. Please do not abuse my good nature, and please notify me in advance.
• Academic Dishonesty: Cheating will not be tolerated in this class. Punishment will be meted out according to the severity of the infraction, and may include but not be limited to: grade reduction, failure on an assignment, failure in the course, and a report to the academic dean.
• Plagiarism: The Texas Tech University Student Affairs Handbook asserts that plagiarism is “The use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement,” and, “the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials” (22).
• Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Punishment will be meted out according to the severity of the infraction.
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the
course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary
arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide
classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from Student Disability
Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the Student Disability
Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
Current Readings in Natural History
Spring 2009
MWF 11-12:20*
*until tutorials are scheduled
DR. SUSAN TOMLINSON
201B McClellan Hall
742-0036 ext. 239
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Course teaching blog: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Spring 2009 Office Hours (tentative): MW 1:30-3, or by appt.
Course Description
Dude ranches, Eskimos, animal tracking, bats and caves—what do these have in common? They are all part of the everyday conversation in “Current Readings in Natural History.”Together we will explore the desert, the Rocky Mountains, the great American prairie, and other places with us as we engage in a variety of topics related to nature, the environment, and life. There will be an optional one-day field trip to Carlsbad Caverns. This course is reading and writing intensive.
The purpose of this course is to examine representative works from the field of nature writing. We will look not only at the ideas presented by the authors we study, but at the ways they present them. We will “read as writers” in order to improve our own skills in communicating via the written work.
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course, student should be able to:
• write clear, effective expository and personal narrative essays
• Read literature critically for comprehension, retention, and improvement in writing skills
• Discuss the readings critically (both content and techniques)
Assessment
Weekly annotations on readings 50%
Two Essays (6-10 pages, double spaced) 25% each
• Annotations: Two-page, double-spaced, typed papers regarding the previous week’s reading. Use quotations, references, and argument to support your claims. Attribute all work to its proper source and provide a list of references (not to be include in the one-page limit). These will emphasize examination of content/ideas and technique employed by the author.
• Essays: These are formal essays based on themes arising from the texts. Students must arrive at their own thesis statements (the proper work of all writers), and use quotations, references, and argument to support claims. All essays must be double-spaced, stapled, and turned along with first and final drafts. Each draft must include a list of references, or risk a 10-point deduction from the assignment grade.
Writing will be assessed on the following (not in any particular order):
o Development of argument
o Organization of thought
o Clarity of meaning
o Use of language
Required Texts (in approximate order)
• A Field Guide to Getting Lost (Rebecca Solnit)
• PrairyErth (William Least Heat-Moon)
• Where Rivers Change Directions (Mark Spragg)
• Point Last Seen (Hannah Nyala)
• The River Why (David James Duncan)
• The Survival of the Bark Canoe (John McPhee)
• The Moon by Whalelight (Diane Ackerman)
Class Meeting Schedule
• Weekly discussion: The class will meet as a full group once weekly on Mondays for discussion of the readings.
• Tutorials: The class will be subdivided into small groups for weekly tutorial sessions. The tutorials are for the purpose of further discussion of the readings and critique/editing/revising of essays and weekly annotations. Times to be arranged.
Writing schedule
Weekly writing assignments for each tutorial group will be posted on the teaching blog: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Students are responsible for checking the blog for the schedule.
Class Deportment
• Late Work: Because all student writing will be critiqued in a weekly tutorial, late work will not be tolerated. I understand that occasionally things happen, and in extreme circumstances exceptions can be made, but please do not abuse my good nature by being late.
• Attendance is mandatory. Exceptions may be made for university related activities, family emergencies, personal illness, and religious holidays or observances, and other unforeseen forces of nature. Please do not abuse my good nature, and please notify me in advance.
• Academic Dishonesty: Cheating will not be tolerated in this class. Punishment will be meted out according to the severity of the infraction, and may include but not be limited to: grade reduction, failure on an assignment, failure in the course, and a report to the academic dean.
• Plagiarism: The Texas Tech University Student Affairs Handbook asserts that plagiarism is “The use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement,” and, “the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials” (22).
• Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Punishment will be meted out according to the severity of the infraction.
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the
course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary
arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide
classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from Student Disability
Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the Student Disability
Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
HONS 1304 "Landscapes"
Instructor: Dr. Susan Tomlinson
McClellan Hall 201B
Office Hours: MW 1:00-4, or by appointment
742-0036 ext 239
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Teaching blog: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
MATERIALS REQUIRED:
drawing kit available from Varsity Bookstore
course reading packet available from Copytech
Course Description:
What is a landscape? How do landscapes shape us, and how do we shape them? This course explores these questions by looking at the many different landscapes around us (“wilderness,” parks, gardens, farms, cemeteries, food…) and their meanings through reading, discussion, writing, and art. Students will also study and think about landscapes through painting and drawing, and create landscape journals using book- and journal-making techniques. Students do not need artistic “talent” to benefit from this course, only a willingness to explore and work hard. This course includes required field trips around Lubbock. Students must have access to a bicycle. This course is reading and writing intensive.
This course satisfies the Texas Tech University core curriculum requirement in the visual and performing arts.
This course will cover three broadly-defined “Landscape” topics:
• Neighborhoods (the garage, homes, third places, main street, etc.)
• Nature (gardens, cemeteries, “wilderness,” the mall, etc.)
• Food (markets, farms, backyard gardens, kitchens, the table, etc.)
Readings will include works from:
John Stilgoe (Outside Lies Magic)
Ray Oldenburg (The Great Good Place)
William Cronon (Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature)
Virginia Scott Jenkins (The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession)
Jennifer Price (Flight Maps: Adventures with Nature in Modern America)
Michael Pollan (Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education)
Barbara Kingsolver (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life)
Amy Stewart (From the Ground Up: The Story of a First Garden)
Visual and Performing Arts Core Curriculum Objectives (TTU Catalog)
The objective of the visual and performing arts in a core curriculum is to expand the student’s knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as the visual and performing arts, students will engage in critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and develop an appreciation for arts as fundamental to the health and survival of any society.
Competency Statement:
Students graduating from Texas Tech University should be able to: construct, present, and defend critical and aesthetic judgments of works in the creative arts.
Expected learning outcomes for this course are:
1) Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts.
2) Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts.
3) Analyze and summarize aesthetic principles that structure creative works.
Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods
1) Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3) short analysis papers
2) Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3)short analysis papers
3) Analyze and summarize aesthetic principles that structure creative works. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3) short analysis papers
4)Demonstrate drawing basics such as: perspective, proportion, tonal value Drawing, paintings, and journal entries
5)Draw organisms in various formats (i.e., botanical illustration, field guide pages, ecological study) Drawings and paintings
Further explanation of expected learning outcomes:
Painting and drawing offer the World Observer (that would be you) an opportunity to slow down and examine the landscape carefully. Although “talent” is not a requirement for this class, given a little coaching and patient practice, most people are capable of a decent drawing or painting. Accordingly, I expect to see honest effort and demonstrable improvement in skills over the course of the semester.
• Students should learn to examine “landscapes” in a cultural context
o Students should be able to answer the following questions by the end of the semester:
what are landscapes?
how are they shape by human interaction?
how does the physical environment shape human culture?
what does the manner in which landscapes are depicted reveal about culture?
o Students should be able to make an aesthetic argument about a landscape by the end of the semester
Methods for assessing this expected learning outcome: weekly journal entries (drawings and paintings; discussion-directed writing); midterm and final papers
Students in this class are expected to master the ability to examine both landscapes and their artistic depiction and develop an original argument regarding their influence on culture and vice versa. Students will be expected to present these arguments through cogent discussion and writing.
Students should develop an appreciation and their own understanding of different local “landscapes” by the end of the semester (and be able to draw and paint them)
Students should master the art of observation
Methods for assessing this expected learning outcome: weekly journal entries (drawings and paintings; discussion-directed writing); midterm and final papers
Grading:
There will be a midterm and final writing project in this class that reflect the reading material and discussions covered in the class.
Students will also be given weekly assignments (read: homework!) that consist of journal assignments.
In the event that you must miss class for an unavoidable reason, please notify me immediately. A penalty will be assessed accordingly in the form of points deducted from that weekly grade.
Weekly assignments (cumulative) 50%
Exams 25% (each)
Project Due Dates:
Midterm project due: March 23
Final project due: May 8, 4:30 PM
Other Information:
You can expect to walk and sit/stand outside in any given class period. Please pay attention to the weather report and dress accordingly. We will go outside REGARDLESS OF WEATHER. We will walk and sit in rain, snow, sleet, dust, wind, and sunshine. Landscapes don’t occur only in fair weather. I’m not kidding. Ask any of my former students whether I’m serious about this. You can call me names when you’re sitting there in the snow in your shorts and T-shirt, but it’s your bad, because you were warned.
You might also consider bringing sunscreen, bug repellent and a Crazy-Creek-type ground cushion for sitting.
We also occasionally will take mini-field trips during the class period (to coffee houses, cemeteries, supermarkets, etc.). Transportation will be arranged in the class meeting prior to the class in which the trip will occur. Some of these field trips will be made by bicycle, so it is imperative that you have access to a working bike. Bikes can be rented for a very reasonable fee from the Outdoor Pursuits Center (OPC). Also, be aware that the TTU Credit Union now offers a $500 interest free loan toward the purchase of a bicycle. Other trips will require transportation by car, so for students mooching rides off your generous classmates, please express your appreciation by contributing gas money, a cup of coffee, the Enchilada Special, etc.
Finally: PLEASE wear a helmet. Though we will take all precautions when we are riding our bikes, nobody ever plans to have an accident.
NOTE: Please check the teaching blog before class each week for assignments and to note the location where we will meet: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the
course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary
arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide
classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from Student Disability
Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the Student Disability
Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
McClellan Hall 201B
Office Hours: MW 1:00-4, or by appointment
742-0036 ext 239
susan.tomlinson@ttu.edu
Teaching blog: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
MATERIALS REQUIRED:
drawing kit available from Varsity Bookstore
course reading packet available from Copytech
Course Description:
What is a landscape? How do landscapes shape us, and how do we shape them? This course explores these questions by looking at the many different landscapes around us (“wilderness,” parks, gardens, farms, cemeteries, food…) and their meanings through reading, discussion, writing, and art. Students will also study and think about landscapes through painting and drawing, and create landscape journals using book- and journal-making techniques. Students do not need artistic “talent” to benefit from this course, only a willingness to explore and work hard. This course includes required field trips around Lubbock. Students must have access to a bicycle. This course is reading and writing intensive.
This course satisfies the Texas Tech University core curriculum requirement in the visual and performing arts.
This course will cover three broadly-defined “Landscape” topics:
• Neighborhoods (the garage, homes, third places, main street, etc.)
• Nature (gardens, cemeteries, “wilderness,” the mall, etc.)
• Food (markets, farms, backyard gardens, kitchens, the table, etc.)
Readings will include works from:
John Stilgoe (Outside Lies Magic)
Ray Oldenburg (The Great Good Place)
William Cronon (Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature)
Virginia Scott Jenkins (The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession)
Jennifer Price (Flight Maps: Adventures with Nature in Modern America)
Michael Pollan (Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education)
Barbara Kingsolver (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life)
Amy Stewart (From the Ground Up: The Story of a First Garden)
Visual and Performing Arts Core Curriculum Objectives (TTU Catalog)
The objective of the visual and performing arts in a core curriculum is to expand the student’s knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as the visual and performing arts, students will engage in critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and develop an appreciation for arts as fundamental to the health and survival of any society.
Competency Statement:
Students graduating from Texas Tech University should be able to: construct, present, and defend critical and aesthetic judgments of works in the creative arts.
Expected learning outcomes for this course are:
1) Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts.
2) Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts.
3) Analyze and summarize aesthetic principles that structure creative works.
Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods
1) Identify and describe a body of works (individually and collectively) in the creative arts. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3) short analysis papers
2) Explain and differentiate creative works as expressions of values within cultural and historical contexts. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3)short analysis papers
3) Analyze and summarize aesthetic principles that structure creative works. 1) discussion-directed journal entries
2) mid-term and final papers/projects
3) short analysis papers
4)Demonstrate drawing basics such as: perspective, proportion, tonal value Drawing, paintings, and journal entries
5)Draw organisms in various formats (i.e., botanical illustration, field guide pages, ecological study) Drawings and paintings
Further explanation of expected learning outcomes:
Painting and drawing offer the World Observer (that would be you) an opportunity to slow down and examine the landscape carefully. Although “talent” is not a requirement for this class, given a little coaching and patient practice, most people are capable of a decent drawing or painting. Accordingly, I expect to see honest effort and demonstrable improvement in skills over the course of the semester.
• Students should learn to examine “landscapes” in a cultural context
o Students should be able to answer the following questions by the end of the semester:
what are landscapes?
how are they shape by human interaction?
how does the physical environment shape human culture?
what does the manner in which landscapes are depicted reveal about culture?
o Students should be able to make an aesthetic argument about a landscape by the end of the semester
Methods for assessing this expected learning outcome: weekly journal entries (drawings and paintings; discussion-directed writing); midterm and final papers
Students in this class are expected to master the ability to examine both landscapes and their artistic depiction and develop an original argument regarding their influence on culture and vice versa. Students will be expected to present these arguments through cogent discussion and writing.
Students should develop an appreciation and their own understanding of different local “landscapes” by the end of the semester (and be able to draw and paint them)
Students should master the art of observation
Methods for assessing this expected learning outcome: weekly journal entries (drawings and paintings; discussion-directed writing); midterm and final papers
Grading:
There will be a midterm and final writing project in this class that reflect the reading material and discussions covered in the class.
Students will also be given weekly assignments (read: homework!) that consist of journal assignments.
In the event that you must miss class for an unavoidable reason, please notify me immediately. A penalty will be assessed accordingly in the form of points deducted from that weekly grade.
Weekly assignments (cumulative) 50%
Exams 25% (each)
Project Due Dates:
Midterm project due: March 23
Final project due: May 8, 4:30 PM
Other Information:
You can expect to walk and sit/stand outside in any given class period. Please pay attention to the weather report and dress accordingly. We will go outside REGARDLESS OF WEATHER. We will walk and sit in rain, snow, sleet, dust, wind, and sunshine. Landscapes don’t occur only in fair weather. I’m not kidding. Ask any of my former students whether I’m serious about this. You can call me names when you’re sitting there in the snow in your shorts and T-shirt, but it’s your bad, because you were warned.
You might also consider bringing sunscreen, bug repellent and a Crazy-Creek-type ground cushion for sitting.
We also occasionally will take mini-field trips during the class period (to coffee houses, cemeteries, supermarkets, etc.). Transportation will be arranged in the class meeting prior to the class in which the trip will occur. Some of these field trips will be made by bicycle, so it is imperative that you have access to a working bike. Bikes can be rented for a very reasonable fee from the Outdoor Pursuits Center (OPC). Also, be aware that the TTU Credit Union now offers a $500 interest free loan toward the purchase of a bicycle. Other trips will require transportation by car, so for students mooching rides off your generous classmates, please express your appreciation by contributing gas money, a cup of coffee, the Enchilada Special, etc.
Finally: PLEASE wear a helmet. Though we will take all precautions when we are riding our bikes, nobody ever plans to have an accident.
NOTE: Please check the teaching blog before class each week for assignments and to note the location where we will meet: http://doctortteaching.blogspot.com/
Accommodation for Disabled Students:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the
course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary
arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide
classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from Student Disability
Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the Student Disability
Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.
Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days
A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Academic Integrity (TTU O.P. 34.12)
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student or the attempt to commit such an act. The university definitions of academic dishonesty and policies for dealing with it are laid out in the Code of Student Affairs and in University Operating Policy 34.12. You should be familiar with these definitions.
Cheating of any form, but especially plagiarism (i.e., the representation of someone else’s work or ideas as your own) will be dealt with harshly. At a minimum, the offending essay will receive a grade of 0, which will be averaged into your overall grade. Flagrant or repeated cases of plagiarism may result in a grade of F for the course. All cases of cheating will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and to the Honors College dean, who may take additional disciplinary action as they see fit.
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