Course Descriptions

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2, 6 and 8. This literature course will introduce students to the growing interdependence of the people of the world through a close study of drama. Studying drama written by various writers around the world will allow students to develop an understanding of and an appreciation for the human condition and culture. The course will also cover the basic elements and concepts of drama.

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2, 6 and 7. This literature course will involve students in a close reading of selected novels that focus on individual and group differences in both the U.S. and abroad. Attention will be paid to the traditions and values of the writers and as portrayed in the literature. Basic concepts and elements of the novel also will be studied.

This course meets MnTC Goal Areas 2, 6 and 10. This course will focus on texts written by great nature writers. While special emphasis will be placed on those works that stress conservation and ecology, others will enable students to see the human struggle with the environment as protagonist. Material may also include travel writing, as well as the more recent directions toward urban nature and nontraditional/multicultural perspectives. Texts may include nonfiction, novels, poetry and plays. Students will gain experience in reading critically and writing logical, sound papers that deal with environmental issues and text analysis.

Meets MnTC Goal Area 2, 6 and 7. This course is an in-depth study of literature that has been banned or challenged. The course focuses primarily on the study of literature, but part of the lectures, discussions and student responses will address the topic of censorship. Students will read from a variety of genres.

This course meets MnTC Goal Areas 2 and 6. This course is an in-depth study of literary texts that fall under the category of horror and/or supernatural fiction. While the focus is on this genre, the course may also address sub-categories of detective fiction, science fiction and fantasy.

This course meets Goal Areas 2, 6 and 10. The course is an in-depth study of travel literature. It focuses primarily on modern travel literature, but some readings of early explorers will establish context for changes within the genre; for example, from medieval pilgrimages and the Victorian Grand Tour to travelogues and road narratives. The course will also address various purposes for travel, such as adventure, exploration and spirituality, as well as trends in modern travel writing including blogs and ecotourism.

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2, 6 and 7. This course introduces students to children's literature. Students read and respond to diverse, traditional and contemporary texts. Emphasis is placed on reading, analyzing, interpreting and evaluating children's literature from various contextual frameworks, such as the development of the genre, cognitive development, censorship and depictions of family, race and gender.

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2, 6 and 7. This course introduces students to the enduring appeal of Young Adult Literature (YAL). Students will read and respond to diverse historical and contemporary texts. Emphasis is placed on reading, analyzing and evaluating YAL from various contextual frameworks, such as the development of the genre, critical perspectives, social issues and adolescent experiences.

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2 and 6. This course focuses on the study of poetry and poetic techniques through the lyrics of rock music. Specifically, the course will include studies of artists from the rock 'n' roll era (1950s through today).

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2 and 6. This course serves as a general introduction to the role that humanities such as the arts, literature and philosophy play in shaping humanity's conception of itself and society. This course serves to expand the student's knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially the values expressed in works of human imagination and thought.

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2, 6 and 7. This course is an interdisciplinary study of the social and cultural life of Native Americans, primarily the Plains Indians. Students consider traditional and contemporary expressions of Native peoples as well as the history from which these expressions spring, especially the impact that contact with European peoples had and continues to have on Native American ways of life.

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2 and 6. This course offers students an overview of the elements that comprise "telling stories on film." Students will study shot, angle, lighting, mise en scene, movement, editing, sound, etc. The course will also consider how film elements work to present various ideologies. Students will become familiar with open and closed forms and the distinctions between realism, classicism and formalism. Students will participate in film analysis using the concepts above.

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2, 6 and 8. Developments in the arts, architecture, science, philosophy and education and studies in human interaction are often provoked by changes in technology. Early changes in military technology made it possible for civilizations to take charge of various places on the world's stage. However, over time, changes in how the world was understood, motivated by general advances in global exploration, astronomy and other sciences as well as specific inventions such as movable type, proved even more instrumental in driving people to new and different understandings of what it means to be human. This course explores how technology impacts developments in a culture's world view and tries to anticipate how future changes in technology might alter the course of otherwise established ways of life.

Meets MnTC Goal Areas 2 and 6. The term "hero" is sometimes used synonymously with the term "role model," and in this class we will identify what characteristics are present in the heroic figure as well as explore the motives of the hero. Why do we expect our heroes to suffer? The vast majority of heroes are single; why? Is it related to the notion of "incorruptibility," or is it to spare them the "hard decisions" (to save a spouse or three other strangers)? Are there links or analogies to the story of Jesus? What do we admire about heroes? Is it the chameleon property? What kinds of things can be considered "superpowers" and what do they represent figuratively, metaphorically, mythically, symbolically, morally and culturally? Are heroes archetypically different according to gender, or are heroes gender-neutral? Are heroes representatives of the culture they originate in, or are they products of that culture, or both? Are heroes representatives of a particular moral position, or are they a "generic good?" These are the types of questions we will explore in this class.

This course meets MnTC Goal Area 2. Students will begin to develop collegiate-level, transferable skills as they are introduced to the M State core abilities and liberal arts and sciences shared values. Students will begin to learn how to critically evaluate information and ideas, how to determine the ethical implications that come with decision making, and how to communicate effectively as they develop an understanding of course materials through written and oral exercises. Students will establish a digital folio, which will allow them to demonstrate their growing understanding and mastery of the shared values and core abilities.