Study off-campus in May and June
| IDIS W47 Who Owns the West? An Introduction to Federal Land and Resource Management. (MAY) | ||
| The federal government owns almost one third of the total land area of the United States, making it the single largest and most important land owner in the nation. Decisions about federal land and resources are fundamentally political decisions, and political conflicts over these lands have become increasingly contentious. Federal land policy and management raise fundamental questions about conservation and environmental protection. What constitutes wise use of these public treasures? What “public” or “publics” should be served? What standards should we use to determine land health and quality? Course participants will examine existing answers to these questions and works with others in the West to identify new answers for the 21st century. The class will travel to Oregon from May 24 to June 16, spending time in the high desert of eastern Oregon, the Klamath River Basin, the Cascade Mountains, and the Oregon coast. Students will learn how federal land agencies carry out their responsibilities to balance land and resource use with environmental protection and how these decisions impact the people and the landscape of the American West. In particular, they will learn how federal agencies make management decisions and how they as citizens can participate in the process. Students will be evaluated on the basis of their engagement with a wide range of guests—ranchers, federal employees, ecologists, etc.—their notes, and two short reflection papers. This course may fulfill an elective in the Geography and Environmental Science majors as well as the Environmental Studies minor. Course dates: May 24-June 16. | $2,313* | James Skillen, GGES (jrs39@calvin.edu) |
| CAS W40 English Language by Rail | ||
| Students explore the dialects of the English Language within a historical context. While in Great Britain, students travel by rail through different regions, collecting samples of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish dialects and visiting important linguistic sites. By collecting samples from each of these regions, students learn about the history of English as it is spoken in the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as in the United States. Students must present on the features of the dialect samples they collect and write papers that summarize their readings, analyses of data, and interviews in each region. Students are evaluated on papers, presentations, transcriptions and discussions. This course will satisfy one elective for a Speech Pathology and Audiology major. CCE credit is also available with additional readings and journal assignments. Course dates: May 23 - June 10. | $3996* | Judy Vander Woude, CAS (jvwoude@calvin.edu) |
| GEOL 151 Big Sky Geology: Montana Field Experience | ||
| (Field version of on-campus Geo 151) This course in Physical Geology is based in SW Montana, a location with superb geologic exposures within reasonable driving distances. This course fulfills the Physical World core and emphasizes outdoor, field-based investigation and learning. Students will be introduced to the breadth of geological study leading to responsible Christian appreciation and stewardship of the Earth. Topics include rocks and minerals, volcanoes, weathering, rivers and streams, geologic time, plate tectonics, natural resources and geologic hazards. Afternoon field activities are an important part of each day and field work complements morning lecture and lab activities. Included among the many visited localities are Butte, Yellowstone National Park and Craters of the Moon National Monument. As a graded course, quizzes and exams will cover lecture, lab and text. Students will be required to complete lab assignments and maintain a written field log. NOTE: This 2-week Interim course begins immediately after spring semester exams. Four semester hours. Course dates: May 21 - June 3. | $1100* | R. Stearley, GGES (rstearle@calvin.edu) Gerry VanKooten, GGES (gkv2@calvin.edu) |
| IDIS W44 Exploring Japan. (MAY) | ||
| This 17-day trip around Japan will include most of the famous historical sites in Japan, including Kyoto, Nara,Hiroshima, and Hirado (where Christianity and Dutch trade first came into Japan). Daily life will be examined in large cities such as Fukuoka as well as in smaller towns like Hikone. Students will have the chance to do home stays with Japanese families in two different locations around Japan, including Hikone and Hirado. This will afford them the chance to learn much about daily life in this island nation. This trip als o gives students the opportunity to improve their Japanese language skills, given the large amount of time devoted to home stays and close interaction with Japanese people. This course may fulfill an elective in the Japanese Language and Asian Studies majors and in the Asian Studies and Japanese Study Group minors. This course will fulfill the CCE requirement. One year of Japanese language preferred, although not required. The homestays are with Japanese families in which one member at least speaks some English. But the trips’s value is enhanced for the students with Japanese language and culture background, and they are the principal audience for this course. Course dates: May 24 to June 12. | $3975* | Larry Herzberg Asian Languages (herz@calvin.edu) |
*Please note that these are estimated costs, set by the instructor 11 months before interim. Usually these costs don't fluctuate, but please contact the instructor to ensure that the listed cost is still accurate.
