Ecology: Natural History

Using Acadia National Park as a case study, this course will explore the various facets of "the national park idea" and what it means for Americans in terms of history and identity. Through direct experiences in one of the "crown jewels" of the park system, the class will examine the historical, ecological, cultural, social, legal, economic, and spiritual context in which national parks are formed and continue to exist in the 21st century. We will work with National Park Service professionals to look at various aspects of park management and day-to-day challenges of implementing the "national park idea." Through weekly field trips, journaling, service learning opportunities, and projects, we will be immersed in the management and experience of Acadia. We will explore, through reading and writing, the broader themes of wilderness preservation, attitudes toward nature, the history of conservation, and the commodification of nature. This experiential class is specifically geared toward first-year students and they will be given preference for enrollment. Assignments will include journal writing, short exercises, a group project/service learning opportunity, short presentations, and papers.

The global demand for food and fiber will continue to increase well into the next century. How will this food and fiber be produced? Will production be at the cost of soil loss, water contamination, pesticide poisoning, and increasing rural poverty? In this course, we examine the fundamental principles and practices of conventional and sustainable agriculture with a primary focus on crops. By examining farm case studies and current research on conventional and alternative agriculture we develop a set of economic, social, and ecological criteria for a critique of current agricultural practices in the United States and that will serve as the foundation for the development and analysis of new farming systems. Evaluations are based on two exams, class presentations, participation in a conference on potato production, and a final paper.

In 1903, American naturalist John Burroughs triggered a fierce public debate when he accused some of his peers of writing “sham natural history.” These other naturalists, Burroughs claimed, had given in to the major temptation lying in wait for all nature writers: “the danger of making too much of what we see and describe—of putting in too much sentiment, too much literature—in short, of valuing these things more for the literary effects we can get out of them than for themselves.” The ensuing debate over the responsible depiction of nonhuman nature went on for five years in the pages of popular magazines, drawing in dozens of writers and one U.S. president. More than a century later, we remember it as the “nature faker” controversy. But though this episode has taken its place in the history books, its unresolved tensions and questions live on, occupying nature writers and filmmakers to this day: How can writers tell stories that spark human interest in the natural world while doing justice to that world’s alterity? What does it mean to value nonhuman animals “for themselves” and not for the reasons we might project onto them? Are emotion and imagination incompatible with good nature writing?

In this writing class, students will not only get to know this longstanding conversation; they will also be asked to weigh in. Students will study the strategies that help experienced writers make their own marks on existing debates: strategies for posing rich problems, analyzing texts, representing and responding to other voices, giving and using feedback, and otherwise developing a sustainable writing practice. Students will become better navigators of writing for various contexts and audiences by studying and practicing the ways in which public and scholarly writers convey their ideas to readers. Students will be evaluated on a rhetorical analysis of a single text; an analytical essay that incorporates multiple sources and makes an original argument; a reflection that analyzes their own approach to writing; participation in in-class work; and the completion of short, low-stakes assignments preparing them for class. This course will be helpful for new college students looking to establish a base of knowledge about analytical writing, as well as for students at any point in their college careers who want to dedicate some time to working on their writing.

What are our moral obligations to other animals? Should non-human animals have legal rights and moral standing? If so, on what basis? How does the moral treatment of animals change across the contexts of food, research, captivity, and the home? Historically, western philosophers construct the animal in opposition to the human. Why? What is an “animal” and why is the “human” contrasted with it? How does language shape and produce our relationships with animals? How is the animal represented and characterized, and how does this representation impact our thinking about animal ethics?

This discussion-based course explores the relationships between humans and non-human animals. Drawing on fiction, philosophy, and ethology, we will examine our beliefs and assumptions regarding animals, human-animal relations, and the ethical implications of the human-animal binary. This course will focus on a wide range of theoretical approaches, including the traditions of animal liberation and animal rights as articulated by thinkers such as Tom Regan and Peter Singer, the growing field of animal studies as represented by thinkers like Jacques Derrida, and current debates in practical ethics, such as animal experimentation, hunting, and invasive species.

Upon completion of the course, students will have refined their understanding of the concept of the animal and they will be familiar with the key legal and ethical debates regarding human-animal relationships. Course requirements include class discussions, weekly writing exercises, a midterm exam, and a final paper or project. Students should come to this class prepared to read challenging philosophical essays and to share their ideas with others.

This course introduces students to the molecular and cellular processes that are essential for life. We will initially cover some basic chemistry to develop a common language for discussing the complex molecular events that are the basis of the structure and function of cells. This class will explore cellular processes involved in metabolism, communication, growth, and reproduction. There is a strong emphasis on the understanding the genetic basis of these processes as well as how these processes are controlled, and we will delve into the structure and function of the DNA molecule in some detail. We will examine how our understanding of genetic processes and genome sequencing has led to applications in research, medicine, agriculture, and industry, with time also devoted to discussion of the social and ethical consequences attached to these technological innovations. Students will be evaluated on participation, performance on problem sets and quizzes throughout the term, and a final oral presentation.

This is one half of a 20-week, two-term introductory course in biology, providing an overview of the discipline and prerequisite for many intermediate and advanced biology courses. The course will emphasize biological structures at the level of whole organisms and organs and their role in the survival and reproduction of individuals and the evolution of populations . We will explore principles of evolution, classification, anatomy and physiology, epidemiology, behavior, and basic ecology. The primary focus of the course is on vertebrate animals and vascular plants, but we will make forays into other phylogenetic lineages at intervals. Weekly field and laboratory studies introduce students to the local range of habitats and a broad array of protists, plants, and animals. Attendance at two lectures and one lab each week is required; course evaluation is based on class participation, exams, preparation of a lab/field notebook, and a presentation. It should be stressed that this course emphasizes the unity of the organism within its environment. Ideally students will subsequently enroll in Biology:Cells and Molecules in order to further their exploration of issues in a more reductionist form, but neither course is a pre-requisite for the other.