ESC 260: Interpretations of Land and Nature

Goal: The course is an interdisciplinary seminar with the goals of stimulating thought around global environmental issues, while asking students to synthesize different ways of knowing and understanding the world around them. In particular, the course considers different ways of thinking around land and nature. The class will reinforce writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills and culminate in a collaborative Design Thinking project in which students solve real-word problems.
Content: The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the theory, history, and reality of natural spaces. Students will read philosophy and poetry, and explore basic ideas of land ownership, stewardship, exploitation, conservation, and sustainable use. Students will evaluate the idea of the ‘commons’ and the purposes of the sequestration of land into public parks. The course examines current environmental degradation crises and contemporary solutions, and involves students in a culminating Design Thinking project.
Gen. Ed. Category: Synthesizing Perspectives; Diverse and Interdependent World; (SBS).
Cross-Listed as: POL 260.
Credit: 3
Degree Level: Undergraduate