6 Courses That Have ‘Outdoor’ Content
UAlberta Arts Courses for Fall 2020 — Post 2 of many to come
Ahhhhh… the great outdoors! If you’re rethinking your Fall schedule, consider taking one of the 6 courses below offered by the Faculty of Arts that will get you thinking outside.
Bonus info — we’ve got the details about how the course will be delivered (synchronously, asynchronously, or a combo). This is the second post of many to come highlighting courses from across the entire Faculty of Arts for Fall 2020 so be sure to check back for more posts leading up to the start of classes.
*Please note that course content, delivery method and instructors are subject to change. Refer to the course syllabus for full and final details.
1. Classics 220 (CLASS 220): Introduction to the Methodology, Theory, and Practice of Classical Archaeology
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Steven Hijmans
Delivery Method: All sections of this course will have a combination of “anytime learning” (asynchronous delivery) AND “real-time” (synchronous delivery)
Course Time: M/W/F from 12–12:50 pm MDT (Note: Course will require some participation in synchronous components, these requirements are TBD. Synchronous components, when scheduled, will take place during the normal course day/time)
Pre-requisite: None
Course Description: The course is about the history of Classical (Greek and Roman) Archaeology and Current theory and practice in Classical Archaeology. Part of the course will survey and discuss major archaeological projects (past and present). Another important component of the course is the history of political and ideological use and abuse of Classical Archaeology (think Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, Napoleonic France, Imperial Britain, etc.) up to the present, heated debates on the place of Classical Archaeology in current academia, and the importance of decolonizing the discipline.
Why Take This Course: This course prepares you for a career working Internationally or working in the Museum/Public History Industry.
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: All programs
Note: CLASS 220 is obligatory for all students seeking to obtain the newly introduced Certificate in Archaeology. This certificate certifies that the student has completed a comprehensive and balanced undergraduate program in all aspects of archaeology. The program is offered jointly by the departments of Anthropology and History / Classics.
2. English 430 (ENGL 430 A1): Studies in Theory: A Geopoetics of Habitat
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Sarah Krotz
Delivery Method: A combination of “anytime learning” (asynchronous delivery) AND “real-time” (synchronous delivery)
Course Time: T/R from 9:30–10:50 am MDT
Pre-requisite: 12 credits of senior English, 6 units of which must be at the 300-level.
Course Description: The course introduces students to the method ecocriticism, exploring the ecological dimensions of literature. Students will develop their own literary ecology and “habitat studies” likely involving the river valley.
This course will introduce students to the theoretical and methodological approaches of ecocriticism and geocriticism, focusing specifically on their fertile points of intersection in the development of an ecological, place-based reading of ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan) / Edmonton.
The “spatial turn” in the humanities (of which geocriticism is an expression) constitutes a multi-faceted elaboration of spatiality, dwelling, and mobility that opens our relationships not only to literary spaces, but also to our own stories and conceptions of place / here / home. Ecocriticism — particularly literary ecology and the methods of “habitat studies” — explores the ecological dimensions of both reading and our sense of place. Our readings in this seminar will range across these intersecting theoretical fields. After familiarizing themselves with them, students will deepen their engagement through the development of habitat studies projects focused on a space or species in our local environment. These projects will replace the final exam in this course. Students can also expect to spend considerable time outside in the river valley, especially in the first (warmer) part of the term. o check out the books you will be reading this term, click here.
Why Take This Course: This course prepares you for a career working in Sustainability, working with marginalized groups, and because it involves writing, a career in Communications (advertising, marketing, journalism, as a writer/editor, etc).
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: Education and ALES
3. Anthropology 486 (ANTHR 486) — Seminar in Archaeology and/or Biological Anthropology (Human Journeys — Migration & Anthropology)
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: John W. (Jack) Ives
Delivery Method: A combination of “anytime learning” (asynchronous delivery) AND “real-time” (synchronous delivery)
Course Time: T from 2–4:50 pm MDT (Note: Course will require some participation in synchronous components, these requirements are TBD. Synchronous components, when scheduled, will take place during the normal course day/time)
Pre-requisite: ANTHR 206 is a preferred pre-requisite but senior-level students in many Arts, ALES or Science departments can bring welcome interdisciplinary perspectives to course subject matter.
Course Description: You will develop a nuanced appreciation of social science approaches to migration, with an eye to sophisticated ways of interpreting archaeological records for the fundamental reality of human population movements throughout prehistory and history. Students will gain insights into several of the more dramatic instances of human migration from a global perspective, practice seminar and presentation skills, and have the opportunity to do in-depth research into a human migration of particular interest to them.
Why Take This Course: This course prepares you for a career working in Government or Law.
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: Science and ALES
4. History of Art, Design & Visual Culture 213 (HADVC 213): History of Art in Latin America
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Elizabeth Boone
Delivery Method: All sections of this course are being offered in “anytime learning” (asynchronous delivery)
Course Time: M/W from 2–3:20 pm MDT
Pre-requisite: None
Course Description: Take a trip through Latin America to learn about Mesoamerican, pre-Hispanic Andean, Colonial, and post-Independence art and cultural history. The Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and Inka cultures will be followed by artistic production from the Spanish viceroyalties and the modern period. Artists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who will be discussed include José María Velasco (Mexico), Francisco Oller (Puerto Rico), Xul Solar (Argentina), Tarsila do Amaral (Brazil), Oswaldo Guayasamín (Ecuador), Wilfredo Lam (Cuba), and Frida Kahlo (Mexico).
Why Take This Course: It prepares you for a career working internationally, Teaching, or in Communications (advertising, marketing, journalism, as a writer/editor, etc).
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: Education and Native Studies
5. Religion 111 (RELIG 111): Comparative Themes in World Religions. The Ends are Nigh: Apocalypses in Antiquity and the Modern world. (Religious Studies)
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Glen Fairen
Delivery Method: All sections of this course are being offered in “anytime learning” (asynchronous delivery)
Course Time: M/W/F from 2–2:50 pm MDT
Pre-requisite: None
Course Description: Derived from the Greek word apokalypsis, meaning “uncovering” or “revelation,” the contemporary English usage of the word “Apocalypse” has become synonymous with various cataclysmic and “end of the world” scenarios. Beginning with the more traditional apocalyptic narratives (such as the Christian Book of Revelation and the Jewish Dead Sea Scrolls) this class will explore a variety of “end of the World” concepts such as of “Eastern” religious narratives (such as the cycles of creation and destruction as found in Buddhism and Hinduism), Nordic myths of Ragnarök or the “Death of the Gods,” modern apocalyptic groups such as Christian Dispensationalists, and even secular or scientific “apocalyptic” narratives such as climate change, global pandemics, or some extinction level event. While all come from different perspectives, it seems that the idea that the “End is Nigh” has been a sporadic feature or concern and as such provoked a variety of responses depending on time, place, and position of those who promote and receive them. By looking at these various “apocalyptic” ideas from a range of materials, this class will contrast and compare what “the end” has meant, and does still mean, in a variety of contexts, and to a variety of people.
Why Take This Course: This course will prepare you for a career working in Government or Communications (advertising, marketing, journalism, as a writer/editor, etc).
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: Native Studies and Computer Science
6. Human Geography and Planning 250 (HGP 250): Natural Resources and Environmental Management
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Robert Summers
Delivery Method: All sections of this course are being offered in “anytime learning” (asynchronous delivery)
Course Time: M/W/F from 9–9:50 am MDT
Pre-requisite: None
Course Description: Students will learn diverse perspectives on environmental sustainability policy. This is a social science course so the focus is on the social, economic, and political institutions related to environmental sustainability.
Why Take This Course: This course prepares you for a career working in Sustainability, Government, or Law.
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: ALES and Science
