Insects and Human Culture
The influence of insects on human society extends far beyond the realm of
science. Insects inspire artists, musicians and writers. They are revered as
religious symbols and used as metaphors for what we fear most. They spread
deadly disease and have influenced the course of human history. In some cultures
insects are a prized culinary delicacy. And, they are the most abundant and
diverse group of animals on our planet. Through readings, discussion, short
writing assignments and student designed projects we will investigate ways in
which insects intersect and influence human culture.
29433 Section
14 TTh 11:00-11:50 Sci
2200 Tracey
Anderson - Biology
Bottom Dwellers in an Ocean
of Air
We live on the bottom of an ocean of a mix of gases and vapors which is kept in
constant, chaotic motion by uneven heating and planetary rotation, thus evading
our control. We humans are often
on the defense or in a role of passive adaptation with regard to weather. Are humans victims or actors on the
stage of global atmospheric dynamics?
Would your life be different if you lived in a desert, a place of daily
torrential rains, or of six-month darkness, or in an area prone to tropical
storms? We will explore these
questions using discussions, readings, observation projects, lectures, design
projects, and a semester-long project on recording personal weather
experiences.
29698 Section
19 TTh 1:00
-1:50 Sci
3665 Sylke
Boyd - Physics
29700 Section 21 TTh 2:00 -2:50 Sci 3665 sboyd@morris.umn.edu
Power and the Moving Body: Approaches in Dance and Martial Arts
We will examine power as defined by movement
techniques in Asian martial arts and western performance dance. Students will have experiences in a
variety of forms and discussions of films and related source material. Readings will include writings of Bruce
Lee and The Book of Five Rings by JapanÕs greatest swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi,
and writings by dance innovators such as Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham and
Alvin Ailey. Films will include
the work of martial artists and dances by renowned 20th century
choreographers. Students will
explore and reflect the physical and philosophical differences between eastern
and western movement techniques. Requirements include participation in class, the online group
discussion board, a culminating movement presentation, and a final paper.
29432 Section
13 TTh 11:00-11:50 SS 202 Sommers-
Dance/Conner – English
jsommers@morris.umn.edu connerm@morris.umn.edu
Out of Africa – The Peopling of Europe, Asia
and the Americas
Genetic evidence indicates modern humans (Homo
sapiens) had their origin
in Africa. This course will explore the geologic and climatic influences on
human migration to Europe, Asia, and ultimately the Americas. We will also
discuss changes that resulted from this migration, the end of Neanderthal, new
technologies, and the development of racial variations. Finally, we will discuss intelligence
tests in light of the out of Africa theory.
29704 Section
25 TTh 3:00-3:50 Sci
2185 James
Cotter – Geology
Imperialism
and After
Since
Rudyard Kipling exhorted Americans a century ago to "take up the white
man's burden," imperial struggles have shattered and redrawn the political
map again and again. But empire has also left subtler traces on the world's
cultures, including the complicated ways in which we condemn or celebrate the
differences between peoples. Exploring empire through the literature of both
colonizers and colonized peoples, this course asks how imperialism has affected
the ways men and women think about their own identities and the meaning of
humanity.
29421 Section
2 MW 9:15-10:05 SS 203 Bradley
Deane, English
29422 Section
3 MW 10:30-11:20 SS 203 deaneb@morris.umn.edu
East Asian Elements in 21st Century
Hollywood Movies: Acculturation or
Assimilation?
Recent Hollywood movies such
as Kong Fu Hustle, Hero, and Memoirs
of a Geisha represent a trend toward
greater cultural diversity. But
only easily-identifiable elements of Asian culture are chosen—violence,
revenge, exotic costume, dance—that often result in cultural
assimilation. This class will go
beyond the elements presented by the media to examine the Asian philosophies
and cultures behind them, such as the understanding of life and death,
friendship, and peacefulness of the soul.
Students will use movie clips and critiques as well as traditional
materials.
29701 Section
22 TTh 3:00-3:50 SS
217 Fang
Du, MSP
A Family Drama
Tolstoy said, "All families resemble one another, but
each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." This course will examine the concept and idea of
"family" in drama, concentrating on both their commonalities and
unique qualities. We will read
plays and view films that encompass a diverse range of periods and cultures, as
well as various configurations of family, ranging from the traditional nuclear
unit to alternative notions of "family". We will also explore these ideas in action by engaging in projects
that allow you to express yourself thorough improvisation and theatrical
production.
29435 Section
16 TTh 12:00-12:50 HFA 18 Kimberly
Glover, Theatre
29437 Section 18 TTh 1:00-1:50 HFA 18 gamradtk@morris.umn.edu
Explaining the Inexplicable: 20th Century Genocides
This course examines a couple of the contemporary worldÕs largest and most important dilemmas. Why did we see in the last century, a time of incredible scientific progress, all the now familiar campaigns of mass murder based on racial and ethnic hatred? Why, in addition, have we been so slow to learn from this experience? Why, in short, have we been so unsuccessful in honoring our pledge of Ònever again?Ó Through history, memoir, and film we will examine these questions and try to understand and answer them from both an historical and a moral perspective.
29431 Section
12 TTh 11:00-11:50 SS 203 Stephen
Gross – History
29434 Section 15 TTh 12:00-12:50 SS 203 grosssj@morris.umn.edu
Sex (and Race and Class) and the City
Why do we have downtowns with skyscrapers? Why do
people live in sprawling suburbs and shop in malls? Why do folks drive hours to
shop at places like WalMart? What's happened to our public places? In fact, why
do we go to cities at all anymore, since everything they once offered--work,
housing, entertainment, shopping--can be gotten elsewhere, more cheaply and
more conveniently? We'll look at the development of American cities, big and
small, to see how processes of industrialization, suburbanization, sprawl,
transportation, shopping, and entertainment have shaped and been shaped along
the lines of gender, race, ethnicity, and class. WeÕll read classic essays, play urban simulation games, and
possibly make a field trip to Minneapolis.
29430 Section
11 TTh 10:00-10:50 SS 202 Richard
Heyman - English
29702 Section
23 TTh 3:00-3:50 SS 203 heymanr@morris.umn.edu
School and Diversity
Students will examine the issues of school diversity
that include race, gender, socio-economic status, language, religion and
ability. Assignments will involve
readings, discussions, research, interviews, and presentations. A course
project will allow students to focus in depth on a particular aspect of
diversity. In addition, all students will collaborate on a Jamboree
presentation sharing their understanding of the ways in which diversity issues effect
studentsÕ attitudes and values.
29427 Section
8 MW 3:30-4:20 Edu
102 Hsing-Wen
Hu - Education
Why We Eat What We Eat
We
will consider the diverse culinary traditions of the world, seeking to
understand the biological, historical and cultural origins of eating patterns
in the U.S. and in other regions of the world. Our explorations will include readings, lectures and
discussions, a project in which students will document their own culinary
traditions, and opportunities to sample the aromas and flavors that
characterize the worldÕs major cuisines.
As student interest dictates, we also will examine some current food
issues, such as the politics of food, the safety of genetically modified
organisms, organic food production, Òfast foodÓ vs. the Òslow foodÓ movement,
vegetarianism, etc. Please note
that this course will require several evening meetings in lieu of regularly
scheduled class periods
29703 Section
24 TTh 3:00-3:50 Sci
1030 Margaret
Kuchenreuther, Biology
29706 Section
27 TTh 4:00-4:50 Sci
1030 kuchenma@morris.umn.edu
Exploring Public Issues
This course is about some issues of our times such as
"the responsibility of being a super power: United States and the rest of the World.Ó Several of these issues are
non-economic in nature; while others provide classic illustrations of the core
of economic analysis. Many are
controversial and thus likely to evoke non-economic reactions to them. However, the one feature that ties all
of these issues together is that they illustrate the importance of critical
thinking in understanding the world around us, and they teach us the
application of economic tools to scientifically analyze economic and
non-economic issues.
29424 Section
5 MW 11:45-12:35 SS 203 Pareena
Lawrence, Econ/Mgmt
The
Garden of Forking Paths, the Universal Library and the WWWeb
There are already more web pages than people on the
planet, in hundreds of languages, and the number goes up and up. Who is
putting all that stuff out there, and why? Politics, religion,
nationalism, salesmanship, vanity? Can we trust what we Google? How
can others find and trust what we publish? Can (should?) the Web replace
the library? We'll read some literature, scholarly and otherwise, and
investigate the collective production of perhaps billions of our peers.
We'll ask "who's on?," "who's not?," "who's
watching?," "who decides?" and more. NO technical expertise
necessary!
29428 Section
9 TTh 9:00-9:50 SS
203 David
Loewi, Computing Services
29699 Section
20 TTh 2:00-2:50 SS
203 dloewi@morris.umn.edu
The
Human Experience of Geometry
The influence of geometry in human culture as it has affected different aspects of art, science, and everyday life. Topics include: symmetry in 1 and 2 dimensional patterns (pottery decoration, textiles, wallpapers, etc.), deliberate breaking of symmetry; proportion in architecture and figures; tessellations and tilings; geometry of weaving; the Platonic solids and related solids; origami and other paper folding; perspective and its relationship to projective geometry; maps and ways of representing 3 dimensional information and 2 dimensionally; the fourth dimension and higher dimensions; fractals and their appearance in nature (clouds, coastlines, plant forms, etc.).
29420 Section
1 MW 9:15-10:05 Sci 4655 Mark
Logan - Math
29429 Section
10 TTh 10:00-10:50 Sci 2185 loganm@morris.umn.edu
Public Schooling in the United States
What are the ultimate aims of public schooling in the United States? How do peopleÕs race, ethnicity, gender, language, religion, ability, and socioeconomic status affect the quality of their educational experience? What are the conflicting ideological perspectives competing for public acceptance? We will explore these and other educational issues that are of particular interest to the students in this FYS section.
29425 Section
6 MW 11:45-12:35 Edu 211 Carol
Marxen, Education
Roots
Music: Why, Where, and How?
Films such as O brother, where art thou? and albums such as Moby's Play have both reflected and helped increase interest in
American roots music. This broad
heading includes an incredible diversity of styles and types, including (among
others) blues, hillbilly and country, cajun and zydeco, gospel, and good old
polka music. In these FYS sections
we will begin to explore the history and sources of this diversity, as well as
its impact on music and culture today.
Our final project will include an opportunity to produce a radio show at
KUMM.
29436 Section
17 TTh 12:00-12:50 Sci 3665 Nic
McPhee – Computer Science
29705 Section
26 TTh 3:00-3:50 Sci
3665 mcphee@umn.edu
The
Empire Strikes Back: Europe
Confronts the Colonial Past
The legacies of imperialism are still part of everyday
life in Europe. In these sections
of the First Year Seminar, we will explore contemporary questions about
European identity that are fundamentally about human diversity. What has it traditionally meant to be
ÒEuropean?Ó How do geographic,
cultural, religious and economic distinctions enter into the answer to that
question? In what ways has the
arrival of immigrants from EuropeÕs former colonial possessions disrupted
traditional understandings of ÒEuropeanÓ culture, race and boundaries?
29423 Section
4 MW 10:30-11:20 SS 115 Marynel
Ryan, History
29426 Section
7 MW 1:00-1:50 SS
203 mkryan@morris.umn.edu