HON 261 - Nature

3 credits

 
This is a variable-content course that provides students with opportunities to observe the natural world through the lens of one or more academic disciplines, cultures, and/or religions.  Students will assess how inquiry is structured by the selected discipline/culture/religion to develop ways of knowing and valuing the natural world.  Selected natural systems will be evaluated in terms of distinguishing characteristics and ecological interactions as learned through literature readings, expert presentations, and immersive experiences (e.g. field trips, study abroad, outdoor campus activities).  Emphasis will be placed on challenging participants to critically analyze their own attitudes towards nature and how these attitudes shape support for conservation and/or exploitation.  Key questions that will drive the course's inquiry include:  What is nature/life? How do humans understand and view nature?  What relationships do humans have with nature?  How does the natural world inform, enhance, and/or inhibit human successes? Successful completion of this course satisfies the Nature requirement of the Honors Program. If a student leaves the Honors Program, this course will count toward the Science in a Changing World category of University Explorations. Course may be taken multiple times for credit.