History 200

History 200

Syllabus

Fall

Dr. Bruce Haulman

Biography

Classes

Clayoquot Summer Field Program

Bruce Haulman's Home Page

Northwest Studies


First Peoples	Settlement	Modern

WELCOME TO COORDINATED STUDIES!

As residents of the Pacific Northwest, there are many community issues of importance to us in our everyday lives, such as transportation problems, overcrowding, jobs, etc. To understand and help resolve these current problems, we must understand both the human history of this region, as well as the science behind the environmental issues of today.

The primary instructional goals of our course are:

1) Become aware of important environmental issues that face us today and how the history and cultures of the northwest has shaped these issues
2) Recognize how we directly and indirectly impact the environment and how those who preceeded us in the northwest affected the environment
4) Develop sufficient knowledge to understand/evaluate statements made about the environment, culture, and human history in newspapers and on television.
5) Develop skills to work effectively with your peers in the solution of an environmental, cultural, and historical problems.

It seems each week we read in the newspapers of some environmental problem or issue that many times could have been avoided. We hope as a result of this class you will understand more of these problems and issues and will have tools to help solve the problems.

Learning Experiences

The class will provide time for small group discussion of assigned readings and problems, general class discussions, lecture, short and long writing assignments, and brief student presentations.

Quantitative reasoning

1. Student demonstrates problem-solving abilities in individual assignments and in assignments which involve working in small teams and larger groups.
2. Student translates real-world data into symbolic representations and can extract and interpret data from symbolic representations of real-world data.

Demonstrated by:Case Studies, lecture/discussion, and seminars.

Responsibility

1. Student demonstrates a knowledge of and a willingness to accept stated/agreed upon expectations, policies, behavior, and procedures.
2. Student demonstrates clear understanding of assigned readings.
3. Student demonstrates an ability to understand and respond respectfully to perspectives offered by other students.
4. Student shares knowledge and opinions with others in general class discussions.

Demonstrated by:Pre-class clearance documents, preparedness for lecture/discussions, handing in assignments in a timely fashion, attitude and behavior in the class, which will reflect overall class grade.

Verbal Communications

1. Student presents ideas concisely.
2. Ideas are well organized.
3. Student speaks clearly, projects voice well, and makes eye contact with members of the class.

Demonstrated by: Short presentations based on assigned readings, case studies, lecture/discussions, seminars.

Written communications

1. Student demonstrates involvement with the material by expressing a clear sense of purpose, unity, and focus in their writing.
2. Student demonstrates clear organization of their thoughts in written form.
3. Student demonstrates well–organized and logical writing with correct grammar and spelling.
4. Student’s writing illustrates an understanding of the relationship between ideas developed in the course and the experiential assignments.
5. References are reported in standard format

Demonstrated by:Journals, short and long writing assignments.

Aesthetic awareness

1. Student demonstrates the ability to use the physical senses to heighten experiences.
2. Student demonstrates the ability to find order, wholeness, and unity of parts.
3. Student demonstrates the ability to produce work that is neat in appearance.

Demonstrated by:Journals, written assignments, and discussions.

Critical thinking

1. Student recognizes and uses essential components of effective reasoning to evaluate information and to improve the quality of their own thinking.
2. Student provides reasons for the conclusions they reach and assess the relevance and adequacy of those reasons.
3. Student demonstrates active listening and close reading skills.
4. Student connects past learning with current topics.

Demonstrated by:Seminars, journals, case studies, class and group discussions, and short and long writing assignments. Knowledge and awareness of the elements of thought and intellectual standards that are discussed in class.

Differently-abled clause

If you need course adaptations or special accommodations because of a disability, or if you have emergency medical information we should know about, or if you have special needs we should know about, please notify us during the first week of class. You can reach us by phone at 833-9111, ____. Or, you can schedule an office appointment to meet us in the ST Office Building, office number ____ or BI Office Building, office number ___ during our office hours or at an alternative mutually agreeable time. If this location is not convenient for you, we will schedule an alternative place for the meeting. If you use an alternative medium for communicating, please let us know well in advance of the meeting (at least one week) so that appropriate accommodations can be arranged.

Course materials:

Course lecture text:

Environmental Science: The Way the World Works required

Study guide optional

The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History required

Three ring binder, dividers for binders, plain 8.5x11 file folder, colored pens or pencils.

Grading

Grade distribution: # given %

Exams                                     2                 35
Journal                                                      15
Quizzes                                   8                 10
Paper/Presentation                                  20
Portfolio                                                    20

Grading scale
94%-100 A 4.0
90-93 A- 3.7
87-89 B+ 3.3
83-86 B 3.0
80-82 B- 2.7
77-79 C+ 2.3
73-76 C 2.0
70-72 C- 1.7
67-69 D+ 1.3
63-66 D 1.0
60-62 D- 0.7
below 60% not passing

Late Policy

Assignments turned in late will be deducted at the rate of 10‰ per day (weekends included). Late is defined as not in my mail box by the time I leave for the day.

Odds and Ends

Lab and quiz points missed because of absence, regardless of the reason, cannot be made up. Therefore attendance and participation are instrumental to success in this class.

Pass/No pass grading options must be declared by the end of the eighth week of school.

Expect to spend up to 14 quality study hours per week, outside the classroom to satisfactorily complete this course. It is expected that you will attend all class meetings.

Instructional philosophy

You probably expect Bruce and Mike to come to class each day. You probably expect Bruce and Mike to come to class each day on time and stay the whole class period. You probably expect Bruce and Mike to come to class each day enthusiastic about the prospects of learning. You probably expect Bruce and Mike to be prepared for class each day and willing to answer questions and share ideas. You probably expect Bruce and Mike to not talk to each other class. You probably expect Bruce and Mike to be able to critically evaluate ideas as they come up in discussion.

We believe this class is a community for learning. Each one of us in the class has the responsibility to meet each other’s expectations for learning and courtesy. If the above list is your expectations for Bruce and Mike what should my expectations for you be? Should they be different, should they be the same. Should you be allowed to think that attending class once in awhile, arriving late when you do show up, and leaving early are an appropriate meeting of my expectations, or for that matter your own expectations of receiving a good grade.

This class is a mixture of traditional lecture, group work, group discussions, and individual presentations. We try to slowly stretch your boundaries and slowly increase your comfort levels to increase your willingness to openly participate in classroom discussions.

Vague Thinking

This is a coordinated studies class that combines history and environmental science. Environmental science is a science. Therefore it is impossible to understand. NOT!! Science scares you. Chemistry scares you even more. But science is much like other fields of endeavor. It is an accumulation of information but what is more important, it is a process. The impetus for doing the process is really to provide clear, precise, definite, specific, concrete, distinct and ever more exact descriptions of the world around us. History looks at the world differently than the sciences, yet the outcome of historical studies is the same. Historians attempt to provide clear, precise, definite, specific, concrete, distinct and ever more exact understandings of the world around us. Thinking in a critical fashion about "doing" the scientific and historical processes and the results of these processes is what is really important. The mortal sin of this class is thinking that is vague, obscure, nebulous, blurred, confused, intangible, indefinite, imprecise, fuzzy, foggy, or indeterminate.

Evaluation of assignments

Tests

This course is divided into 2 units with a test on the last day of each unit (see the Tentative Lecture Schedule). These tests are based on readings assigned and the material covered during lectures, discussions, ticket assignments and seminars. The tests could have objective-type questions, short answer type, and essay-type questions. All tests are comprehensive.

Quizzes

Quizzes can be planned events or unplanned. We like to give quizzes at the beginning of the first lecture period of the week over chapter(s) that we will be studying that week. Sometimes though We will use an unplanned quiz to reinforce an idea or give you time to remember what you already know but are perhaps fearful of blurting out in front of the class. Quizzes usually consist of 6-10 objective questions. Quizzes cannot be taken late..

Journal

This part of the class will help you develop your communication skills and involves buying a specific type of binder and dividing that binder into 4 sections. The sections are;

a. Each week define 10 new vocabulary words (history or environmental science) short definitions are fine

b. Each week write at least two complete paragraphs (1-2 sentence paragraphs are not considered complete paragraphs) using as many of your vocabulary words as you can. One paragraph will focus on historical issues and one paragraph will focus on environmental issues

c. Each week find, read, and comment on at least 2 articles on an historical and environmental issues from any publication. Cut and paste articles neatly into your journal. One article will focus on history of the Pacific Northwest and one article will focus on environmental issues of the Pacific Northwest. Use the elements of thought.

d. Each week make several dated personal entries of observations of the world around you.

*All graded entries must be stamped weekly by us. On the first class period of the week!!!

*Submit this book during week 10 for review by us.

*We may give you a specific topic to write about.

Portfolios

Portfolios are collections of stamped assignments called tickets and other pre-class clearance assignments that you complete during the course of the class. Portfolios will be collected 3 times during the quarter. We will evaluate 1 or 2 "stamped" tickets selected at random from your portfolio each time we collect them. The assignments regardless of type need to be stamped, We stamp the assignments in class on the day they are due and only on that day. For example, if during a particular unit you have 4 ticket assignments and you only have 2 of them stamped you should hope that those are the two that will be randomly selected from your portfolio or you are going to be one hurtin’ unit. After the assignments are evaluated you will remove them from your portfolio.

About 5 times during the quarter we will lead a seminar/discussion session based on a set of assigned questions. Each student will provide a written set of responses at the beginning of seminar to be stamped. Seminar/discussion involves some group work on a set of pre–assigned questions from your text and/or other sources. Students are placed in groups. w assign one of the questions from the list and the group comes to some sort of understanding about what might be an appropriate response. Then each group will be called upon to present their agreed upon and/or response. W could then ask another group or individual to repeat what the first group said. Or we could open it up to the class to see if somebody else has another idea. We will evaluate at random 1 set of stamped discussion questions at the end of the quarter.

In order to insure that there is no misunderstanding about what is stamped or not stamped here are the rules.

1. The assignment needs to be completely finished in the appropriate format and

2. You and the assignment must be present during the entire discussion of the assignment. Entire means from the time the first word is uttered till the last with respect to the assignment.

Remember these items in your portfolios:

On each assignment have your name, Assignment # Assignment title.

Place assignments in correct order.

Assignments must be stamped in order to be evaluated (no this is not "Brazil").

Place assignments in a plain 8.5x11 file folder, other types of folders will be ignored.

Clip off perforated edges.

To get an assignment stamped it needs to be complete.

To get an assignment stamped it needs to be in the correct format.

To get an assignment stamped you need to be present and participate in the discussion of the assignment.

Paper/Presentation

Topic selection

By the Jan 24, 1997 the student will submit a short paragraph stating a Pacific Northwest historical/environmental science issue they wish to investigate and write about for their paper and presentation. We will then place you in groups according to your interests.

Due dates

The finished paper will be 5 to 7 pages. Peer edit is due on February 28, 1997. Final draft is due on March 7, 1997. One revision is allowed and it is due on March 12, 1997. Group presentations will be given on finals day.

Minimum Requirements

Use APA format.
Paper must be typed and double spaced.
Proper grammar and spelling required.
Any figures, charts, illustrations taken from an outside sources must be referenced.
Suggested structure must be followed.

Paper Structure

Title: The title should be as short as possible and as long as necessary to communicate to the reader the subject of your research. "Logging in Clayoquot Sound: Competing Needs of People and Land." Include your name as well as the names of your team members.

Abstract: Provide 1 to 2 paragraphs that summarize your research.

Introduction: about 1-2 pages long. This section should include background information that sets the stage for your study as well as a clear thesis statement. Be sure to cite all references used besides yourself- i.e., (Starr and Taggart, 1992).

Protocols: about 1-2 pages long. In paragraph form describe what you did including data collection and statistics where applicable.

Discussion: about 2-4 pages long. Set the context for the historical and environmental issue that your research focuses on. Discuss the events, the people, the environment, and the parallel developments as they relate to your topic. Speculate here. Include in this section tables, graphs, figures, or diagrams when ever appropriate. Number the tables, graphs, figures and diagrams, and place them directly following the text where they are cited.

Conclusions: about 1-2 pages long. Explain your conclusions.

References: Include and use at least 8 references, 3 of which must be electronic. For example:

Buxtawhody, Joe. (1953). The effect of logging on the occurrence of dysfunctional lives in the Pacific Northwest. Available: http//www.dufus.net

Willard, Rotan. (2048). Advances in FTL drive components. The 2047 Grolier Multimedia Interstellar Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Danbury:Grolier.

Coler, R. A., and H. B. Gunner. (1967). Selective feeding of tubificids on bacteria. Nature 216 (5120): 1143-1144.

Mann, Charles C. and M.L. Plummer. (1995). Empowering Species. Atlantic Monthly Online.

Textual citations- author(s), date, title, subscription name, subscription volume #, subscription page #. Cite references as follows:

…(Smith, 1980) …According to Smith (1980),.....

…(Edgar and Jones, 1975) …(Paguras et. al. 1973)

Six to seven pages of text should provide enough space for a well written, well thought through, well organized paper. Remember - this paper should reflect your best work. I recommend starting with an indexing system such as Biological Abstracts, Info-Trac, or General Science index (all of which are found in our library), or electronic sources.

Possible referencing subscriptions found in our library:

Sea Frontiers Bioscience Scientific American

Science News Environment Nature

J. of Herpetology Copia Biological Abstracts

PNW Quart. Oregon Historical Quar.

Western Hist. Quart. Columbia etc.

Class at a Glance

Northwest Studies

Tentative Class Schedule

WK# Readings*

1 Education of a Symbolic Analyst Close read due on 1/3

2 Ch N1&N2

Howell due 1/8 Warren due 1/9

3 Ch N3 & N4

White due 1/14, Turner due 1/15, Limerick due 1/16

4 Ch N5 & N6

Allen due1/21, Haulman due 1/22, Slotkin due 1/23

5 Ch N8-N11

Ch S1

6 Ch N18 & N19

Ch S2

Midterm

7 Ch N 10 & N18

Ch S3, S4, & Cook Profile

8 Ch N6 & N7

Ch S5, S6, S7, S8, Whitman Profile, Limerick due 2/18, & Jeffries due 2/18

Grading option changes due this week

9 Ch N20 & N21

Ch S9-S14, & Villard Profile

10 Ch N12-N17

Ch S15-19, & Hutton Profile

11 Ch N12-N17

Ch S20-S22, McCall Profile & Epilog

12 Final Exam meeting: Thursday, 3/20 9-11 am & Friday 3/21 11-1

*N before a chapter number indicates Nebel and Wright and S before a chapter number indicates Schwantes

Portfolio Assignments

Stamping Date: 1/6/97

Ticket Assignment #1

Determine the logic of "The Education of the Symbolic Analyst" by section (1-6, section to be assigned.

Format of Ticket

I. Restate the assignment in your own words.
II. Give the purpose of the assignment in terms of what we are studying and will study.
III. State what the problem, underlying issue, or underlying question is and why.
IV. Do the assignment.

To get tickets or seminar questions stamped you have to attend class, participate, and have your assignment completed in the correct format !!!

Ticket Assignments

Ticket Assignment #1 1/6/97

Determine the logic of "The Education of the Symbolic Analyst" by section (1-6, section to be assigned

Ticket Assignment #2 1/10/97

Select a culture that has collapsed (Incan, Mayan, Pacific Northwest Indian). Describe factors brought that brought about that collapse. Draw parallels and counter parallels between the current global situation and the prelude to the collapse of your selected culture.

Ticket Assignment #3 1/14/97

What do you think would have happened if Congressman Greenbury Fort’s bill would have been signed by President Grant

Ticket Assignment #4 1/17/97

Farmers are managers of ecosystems. Consider a cornfield in Eastern Washington. Describe 5 ways in which the cornfield ecosystem differs from the original steppe it replaced. What trophic level does the farmer fill?

Ticket Assignment #5 1/2197

Which view of the west can you identify with the best, Turner, or New Western Historians? Why

Turn in your portfolios (ticket assignments 1-5 only) 1/24/96

Ticket Assignment #6 1/24/97

Which one of the historical and which one of the environmental perspectives that we have discussed in the last three weeks have affected you the most? Why? Draw parallels and counter parallels between the two perspectives. Use examples

Ticket Assignment #7 1/29/97

Is the Pacific Northwest a hinterland? Why? Use examples.

Ticket Assignment #8 1/31/97

What is the logic of "Who is Responsible For Maintaining the Soil" p232 Nebel

Ticket Assignment #9 2/5/97

Are the 3 Native American cultural groups defined by the services that the ecosystems they live in provide? Why? Use examples.

Ticket Assignment #10 2/10/97

Describe and discuss using examples how native art impacts your life everyday.

Ticket Assignment #11 2/11/97

Diamante

Ticket Assignment #12 2/14/97

What is the logic of "The Mega-Extinction Scenario p471 Nebel

Turn in your portfolios (ticket assignments 6-11 only) 2/14/96

Ticket Assignment #13 2/20/97

What is the optimum human population? What is the maximum human population? Are the 2 numbers the same ordifferent? Why?

Ticket Assignment #14 2/21/97

What is the logic of why Schwantes in Ch. 8 groups Native Americans, Blacks, Asians, Mormons and Women together? Use examples.

Ticket Assignment #15 2/25/97

Compare and contrast Hill and Villard using examples.

Ticket Assignment #16 2/26/97

What is the the logic of "Trading Wilderness for Energy in the Far North" p 545 Nebel

Ticket Assignment #17 2/28/97

What is the logic of "Cogeneration: Inustrial Common Sense" p 549 Nebel

Ticket Assignment #18 3/4/97

Schwantes develops the concept of "wage workers frontier." What is the logic of this concept? Why? Use examples.

Ticket Assignment #19 3/6/97

What is the logic of "Lake Washinton Recovery" p304 Nebel

Ticket Assignment #20 3//97

Find the logic of why Schwantes choses Tom McCall as the representative of the modern Northwest.

Ticket Assignment #21 3/14/97

What is the logic of the "Rights of Smokers" p394 Nebel

Turn in your portfolio (ticket assignments 12-21 and seminars 1-5) due 3/14

Seminar Questions

Seminar #1 Questions 1/17/97

1. Describe the range of ways people in different parts of the Northwest live and interact with their environment.

2. Describe how ecofeminists view the different interactions in question 1 above.

3. Nebel and Wright Thinking Environmentally #3 p19.

4. Given you answer to #3 above what are the contingent events in your life that lead you to this set of prerequisites.

5. Nebel and Wright Thinking Environmentally #4 p49.

6. Based on your answer in #5 above are you a Turnarian or New Western Historian? Why? Use examples.

Seminar #2 Questions 1/31/97

Map Exercise

1. What was your orignal definition of the PNW and your rational for that definition?

2. What have you revised about your defintion? What is your rationale for changing or not changing?

3. How would your biologicall, geologically, and environmentally define the PNW?

Seminar #3 Questions 2/14/97

1. What was the pattern of exploitation of otters and beavers on the 2 fur frontiers? Why? Use examples.

2. What pattern of exploitation of resources do you see in the world today? Use examples.

3. Select an endangered or threatened species in the PNW and describe its past present and future.

4. What natural resources did Lewis and Clark share with the Pacific Northwest natives? Use examples.

5. What does maximum sustainable yield mean? What factors complicate its application? Use examples

6. Compare and contrast Native American ideas of maximum sustainable yield with our concept of it. Use examples.

Seminar #4 Questions 2/21/97

Before coming to class identify at least 3 major ideas from the last 2 weeks of environemtal science and link each to a major event or issue from PNW history. This is a typed, double spaced assignment 1 to 3 pages in length. (Hint 3 ideas = 3 paragraphs?)

Seminar #5 Questions 3/7/97

1. What is the logic of "Showdown in the New West" p568 Nebel?

2. What is the logic of "A Test of Fire" p570 Nebel?

3. What is the logic of "Radiation Phobia" p574 Nebel

THINKING ABOUT THINKING

How can we know what to believe when the facts are confusing and experts disagree? As you learn about environmental science-in this book and elsewhere-you will find many issues about which the data are indecisive, leading reasonable people to disagree on how they should be interpreted. How can we choose between competing claims? Is it simply a matter of what feels good at any particular moment, or are there objective ways to evaluate arguments? Critical thinking skills can help us form a rational basis for deciding what to believe and do. These skills foster reflective and systematic analysis to help us bring order out of chaos, discover hidden ideas and meanings, develop strategies for evaluating reasons and conclusions in arguments, and avoid jumping to conclusions. Developing rational analytic skills is an important part of your education and will give you useful tools for life.

Certain attitudes, tendencies and dispositions are essential for critical or reflective thinking. Among these are;

Skepticism and independence. Question authority. Don't believe everything you hear or read, including this book. Even the experts can be wrong.
Open-mindedness and flexibility. Be willing to consider differing points of view and entertain alternative explanations.
Accuracy and orderliness. Strive for as much precision as the subject permits or warrants. Deal systematically with parts of a complex whole.
Persistence and relevance. Stick to the main point and avoid allowing diversions or personal biases to lead you astray.
Contextual sensitivity and empathy. Consider the total situation, feelings, level of knowledge, and sophistication of others as you study situations. Try and put yourself in another person's place to understand his or her position.
Decisiveness and courage. Draw conclusions and take a stand when the evidence warrants doing so.
Humility. Realize that you may be wrong and that you may have to reconsider in the future.

Critical thinking is sometimes called metacognition or "thinking about thinking." It is not critical in the sense of finding fault but rather is an attempt to rationally plan how to think about a problem. It requires a self-conscious monitoring of the process while you are doing it and an evaluation of how your strategy worked and what you learned when you have finished. Assembling, understanding, and evaluating data are important steps, but critical thinking looks beyond simple facts to ask what reasons underlie and argument as well as what implications flow from a set of claims. These are some steps in critical thinking.

Identify and evaluate premises and conclusions in an argument. What is the basis for the claims made? What evidence is presented to support these claims, and what conclusions are drawn from this evidence? If the premises and evidence are correct, does it follow that the conclusions are necessarily true?
Acknowledge and clarify uncertainties, vagueness, equivocation, and contradictions. Do the terms used have more than one meaning? If so, are all participants in the argument using the same meaning? Are ambiguity or equivocation deliberate? Can all the claims be true simultaneously?
Distinguish between fact and values. Can the claims be tested? (If so, these are statements of fact and should be verifiable by gathered evidence.) Are claims or appeals being made about what we ought to do? (If so, these are value statements and probably cannot be verified objectively.) For example, clams of what we ought to do to be moral or righteous or to respect nature are generally value statements.
Recognize and interpret assumptions. Given the backgrounds and views of the protagonists and this argument, what underlying reasons might there be for the premises, evidence, or conclusions presented? Does anyone have an ax to grind or a personal agenda concerning this issue? What do they think I know, need, want, believe? Is a subtext based on race, gender, ethnicity, economics, or some belief system distorting this discussion?
Determine the reliability or unreliability of a source. What makes the experts qualified in this issue? What special knowledge or information do they have? What evidence do they present? How can we determine whether the information offered is accurate, true, or even plausible?
Recognize and understand conceptual frameworks. What are the basic beliefs, attitudes, and values that this person, group, or society holds? What dominating philosophy or ethics control their outlook and actions? How do these beliefs and values affect the way people view themselves and the world around them? If there are conflicting or contradictory beliefs and values, how can these differences be resolved?

In logic, an argument is made up of one or more introductory statements, called the premises, and a conclusion that supposedly follows from the premises. It is useful to distinguish between these kinds of statements. Premises usually claim to be based on facts; conclusions are usually opinions and values drawn form or used to interpret those facts. Words that often introduce a premise include as, because, assume that, given that, since, whereas, and we all know that. Words that often indicate a conclusion or statement of opinion or values include and so, thus, therefore, it follows that, consequently, the evidence shows, we can conclude that. Remember, even if the facts in a premise are correct, the conclusions, drawn from them may not be.

As you go through this book, you will have many opportunities to practice these critical thinking skills. Try to distinguish between statements of fact and opinion. Ask yourself if the premises support the conclusions drawn from them. Although I will try to present controversies fairly and evenhandedly, I, like everyone, have biases and values-some that I may not even recognize-that affect how I present arguments. Watch for areas in which you must think for yourself and use your critical thinking skills.

Universal Intellectual Standards

Universal intellectual standards are standards which must be applied to thinking whenever one is interested in checking the quality of reasoning about a problem, issue, or situation. To think critically entails having command of these standards. To help students learn them, teachers should pose questions which probe student thinking, questions which hold students accountable for their thinking, questions which, through consistent use by the teacher in the classroom, become internalized by students as questions they need to ask themselves.

The ultimate goal, then, is for these questions to become infused in the thinking of students, forming part of their inner voice, which then guides them to better and better reasoning. While there are a number of universal standards, the following are the most significant:

1. CLARITY: Could you elaborate further on that point? Could you express that point in another way? Could you give me an illustration? Could you give me an example? Clarity is the gateway standard. If a statement is unclear, we cannot determine whether it is accurate or relevant. In fact, we cannot tell anything about it because we don't yet know what it is saying. For example, the question, "What can be done about the education system in America?" is unclear. In order to address the question adequately, we would need to have a clearer understanding of what the person asking the question is considering the "problem" to be. A clearer question might be "What can educators do to ensure that students learn the skills and abilities which help them function successfully on the job and in their daily decision-making?"

2. ACCURACY: Is that really true? How could we check that? How could we verify if that is true? A statement can be clear but not accurate, as in "Most dogs are over 300 pounds in weight."

3. PRECISION: Could you give more details? Could you be more specific? Could you be more exact. A statement can be both clear and accurate, but not precise, as in "Jack is overweight." (We don't know how overweight Jack is, one pound or 500 pounds.)

4. RELEVANCE: How is that connected to the question? How does that bear on the issue? A statement can be clear, accurate, and precise, but not relevant to the question at issue. For example, students often think that the amount of effort they put into a course should be used in raising their grade in a course. Often, however, the "effort" does not measure the quality of student learning, and when this is so, effort is irrelevant to their appropriate grade.

5. DEPTH: How does your answer address the complexities in the question? How are you taking into account the problems in the question? Is that dealing with the most significant factors? A statement can be clear, accurate, precise, and relevant, but superficial (that is, lack depth). For example, the statement "Just say No" which is often used to discourage children and teens fro using drugs, is clear, accurate, precise, and relevant. Nevertheless, it lacks depth because it treats an extremely complex issue, the pervasive problem of drug use among young people, superficially. It fails to deal with the complexities of the issue.

6. BREADTH: Do we need to consider another point of view? Is there another way to look at this question? What would this look like from a conservative standpoint? What would this look like from the point of view of...? A line of reasoning may be clear accurate, precise, relevant, and deep, but lack breadth (as in an argument from either the conservative or liberal standpoint which gets deeply into an issue, but only recognizes the insights of one side of the question.)

7. LOGIC: Does this really make sense? Does that follow from what you said? How does that follow? But before you implied this and now you are saying that; how can both be true? When we think, we bring a variety of thoughts together into some order. When the combination of thoughts are mutually supporting and make sense in combination, the thinking is "logical." When the combination is not mutually supporting, is contradictory in some sense, or does not "make sense," the combination is not logical.

How To Make A Great Poster

Introduction

A great poster has four primary hallmarks; it is readable, legible, well organized, and succinct. With respect to the latter, studies show that you have only 11 seconds to grab and retain your audience’s attentions so make the punchline, i.e. your title, prominent and brief. Most of your audience will absorb only the punchline. Those who are directly involved in related research will seek you out anyway and chat with you at length so you can afford to leave out all the details and tell those who are really interested the "nitty gritty" later. For out purposes we are all really interested.

Procedure

1. Decide what the main message is, keep it brief, and make this your title. Use the active voice and avoid the verb "to be" whenever possible.

2. Lay out your elements crudely before you start making the final copy to be sure everything will fit the space you will have.

3. Eliminate all extraneous material that is peripheral to your focus. Remember you time constraints.

4. Lay out your poster bearing in mind that people approach visual information in a spatial sequence: center, top to bottom, left to right. By that principle, put your title (the punchline) at the center top in large letters. By adhering to the center–top–bottom–left–right principle, you will arrange the elements so that they are easily followed.

5. Remember to leave space on your poster. Posters that are crammed with information are tiring to read and are seldom read in their entirely.

6. Choose font styles and sizes for legibility. A good rule is to stand 6 feet back from your poster. If you, a person who is familiar with the material can’t read it just imagine what an apathetic audience will be able to glean.

7. Use color to add interest and variation to your poster. If your poster includes color figures, be sure that they are well reproduced.

8. Posters should be neatly prepared, well done, in a sense attractive. Sloppiness detracts from the poster and the presentation, often to the point of, Oh is that a Marvin the Martian t-shirt.

9. And don’t forget the four hallmarks; is it readable, legible, well organized, and succinct.

Seminaring

Introduction

Seminar is the heart of this class, it is one of the things that sets this class apart from other classes you will take. So what is a seminar? What is your role as a student in a seminar? Good questions. The key to the correct answer is participation.

Seminars bring together interested learners to share and develop understandings, after having read, studied, and thought about a book, reading an article, watching a film et cetra. Individual preparations is essential. This preparation should include note taking from interesting passages, reviewing important sections, and organizing one’s thoughts.

In the seminar the group is responsible for exploring the text and the ideas people have brought from reading and thinking about it. This is the time to work it over as a group, to think outloud about it, to test some ideas against the group. Seminar is a special time for a unique intellectual activity. It is focused but still free–flowing, searching, questioning, going deeper to understand ideas from a text, from others, and within yourself.

Seminar behavior

1. Be prepared and willing to discuss ideas and raise questions by completing the required reading and writing beforehand.

2. Be on time. If you must be late, do not join in the discussion until you are certain that you know exactly what is being discussed.

3. Listen attentively to what is said by others and take notes on the general discussion. Participants must learn to listen actively to each other and speak openly, not just to the leader. The group must learn to be sensitive to the needs of all.

4. Everyone should speak during each seminar. Speak in turn and allow others to finish their thoughts; do not interrupt another person. Silent periods are natural. Silence gives time to process thoughts, try to become comfortable with it. Address an idea or argument by connecting it to what someone else has said. Summarize the point you are responding to, then provide your idea.

5. Don’t break down into one–on–one conversations or be distracted with whispering side conversations. Keep the whole group focused on the one central point.

6. The discussion must be focused on the topic or question at hand by POINTING TO THE TEXT (page and paragraph). Then go on to EXPLAIN THE TEXT (what I think this is saying is… ). Then go on and ARGUE WITH THE TEXT or compare it to another or each other.

7. Take notes on the discussion. One use of such notes is to remind you, an hour after you wrote something down, that it might fit in the discussion now. Whereas it did not fit when you first thought of it and jotted it down.

Implementation

I use seminar and seminar techniques in this class, in lecture and in lab to stimulate thought, learning, and especially student student interactions. If I ask a question and no one responds I bring out the infamous 3x5 cards, which show no bias, are completely impartial in deciding who will answer. They have your name on them and marks indicating how many times you have answered, attempted to answer, said I don’t know, or just weren’t there.

Frequently during the quarter we will have seminars on sets of questions you have been assigned. Sometimes you will have time in small groups to assess the value of your answer within the group before it is presented to the class. Small groups are an opportunity to work together to find answers to the question your group will be responsible for answering but also other questions on the assignment. If I notice that instead the groups are talking about the latest release by "Nine Inch Nails" or the microbial fauna now occupying the swill in the lunchroom out will come the 3x5 cards. I © the 3x5 cards.

Student Understandings

I understand the standards in this course and that I am responsible for monitoring my own learning.

I understand that when we are working in small groups I am responsible to take an active part in advancing the assigned work of the group.
I understand that I will be held responsible for assessing my own work using criteria and standards discussed in class.
I understand that if at any time in the semester I feel unsure about my "grade", I may request an assessment from the instructor.
I understand that nearly every class period will have something due, ticket, quiz, seminar questions, labs etc.
I understand that the ticket and seminar assignments will be prepared using the format discussed.
I understand that the ticket and seminar assignments must be completed before coming to class if they are to be stamped.
I understand that ticket and seminar assignments will be stamped if and only if I am available to participate.
I understand that only about one-half of the ticket and one-fifth of the seminar assignments will be evaluated.
I understand that the ticket and seminar assignments that are evaluated will be selected at random.
I understand that I am responsible for my own learning.
I understand the use of the quizzes employed in this class is to prepare for the coming week.
I understand that some projects will be worked on in pairs or larger groups.
I understand that the work of the course requires consistent classroom attendance and active participation.
I understand that the choice is mine not the instructors.

Date _____ Print Name ________________ Signature _______________