| Survey of Outdoor Education Literature (PE 440 ) |
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| Ron Watters, Professor of Outdoor Education |
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Class Syllabus
Survey of Outdoor Education Literature (PE 440) Summary Class: PE 440 Survey of Outdoor Education Literature Instructor: Ron Watters - 208.282.3912 / wattron@isu.edu Course Website: Outdoor Literature 2 Credits - Fall Semester Tuesday/Thursday 3:30 - 5:00 pm Course PE 440 Survey of Outdoor Education Literature - 2 credits (Fall Semester) Course Instructor, Office and Contact Information Ron Watters is an adjunct faculty member of the Physical Education Department. He is the former director of the ISU Outdoor Program and the author of seven books on outdoor activities. He is one of the founders of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, and is the director of the National Outdoor Book Awards. Note that he is a part time instructor and does not have office hours like full-time faculty. Feel free to contact him via email (wattron@isu.edu). You may reach him at the Outdoor Program Office (236-3912), or feel free to call him at home 232-6857. His university website is located here. University Catalog Course Description "An examination of recent research, literature and contemporary writing in outdoor education. Course work consists of a series of reading assignments followed by oral reports and class discussions." Course Content This is a course on outdoor literature. Outdoor literature, of course, is a broad topic and includes several different genres including writings in outdoor adventure, nature, the environment, and adventure travel writing. To keep things manageable, the emphasis of this course is on outdoor adventure writing: exploration, survival, sailing, mountaineering, whitewater boating, kayaking, etc. But outdoor adventure writing can't be totally divorced from other related genres. There are a number of key works which--although not technically outdoor adventure--have had a profound influence in all outdoor writing. One prime example is Thoreau's Walden. Knowingly or unknowingly, many of the reasons that people offer these days on why they participate in outdoor adventure activities can be traced to the pages of Walden. In addition to covering important works which had an influence on outdoor adventure writing, it is also the purpose of this course to provide some sense of history. Outdoor adventure activities such as mountaineering and river running have a rich history populated with fascinating men and women, and filled with triumphs and failures, and real-life mysteries. A great amount of satisfaction is derived from knowing something about the people and events which shaped outdoor activities. Mountaineering, for instance, is much more alive and you have a greater appreciation for the sport when you understand the struggles that climbers went through in the past. Thus this class encompasses outdoor adventure, its history and the writings which influence outdoor adventure. To provide variety, readings will be selected from a range of different outdoor activities. Some of those activities include survival, mountaineering, horseback riding, river running, arctic exploration, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, desert hiking, and backpacking. Course Objectives Goal 1: Philosophical Foundations Objective 1A: To gain an understanding of the philosophic underpinnings found in outdoor literatureGoal 2: Environmental/Ecological Foundations Objective 2A: To develop an understanding of the relationship between the science of ecologyGoal 3: Outdoor and Wilderness History Objective 3A: To examine some of the major events in outdoor adventure history through outdoor literatureGoal 4: Outdoor Adventure Literature Objective 4A: To read and discuss major works of outdoor literature Texts Three texts are required for the class:
Course Readings The anthology text (listed above) covers the following authors and outdoor personalities: Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain, Edward Whymper, Wallace Stegner, John Wesley Powell, Isabella Bird, John Muir, Mary Kingsley, Robert Falcon Scott, Roald Amundsen, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Roland Huntford, Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olson, Edward Abbey, Colin Fletcher, and Walter Blackadar. Complete citations are provided in the anthology. Other class readings will come from a variety of sources. Included among those are the following: Deschner, Whit. Travels With a Kayak. Baker, Oregon: Eddie Tern Press, 1997. Dillard, Annie. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. New York: Perennial Classics, 1974. Herzog, Maurice. Annapurna. New York: Lyons, 1997. Hayes, David. Passion Below Zero: Essays from Last Chance, Idaho. Ketchum, Idaho: Lost River Press, 1995. Houston, Pam. Cowboys Are My Weakness. New York: Pocket Books, 1992. Gillman, Peter and Leni. The Wildest Dream: The Biography of George Mallory. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 2000. London, Jack. Short Stories of Jack London. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, nd. McPhee, John. Coming into the Country. New York: Bantam, 1976. Service, Robert. Collected Poems of Robert Service. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1968. Russell, Osbourne. Journal of a Trapper. New York: MFJ Books, 1955. Walka, Ann Weiler. Waterlines: Journeys on a Desert River. Flagstaff, Arizona: Red Lake Books, 1990. Williams, Terry Tempest. Refuge. New York: Random House, 1991. Course Requirements & Assessments This is a reading course, and the best way to do well in the class is to keep up with the regularly assigned readings. By keeping up with the readings, you'll be able to fully participate in classroom discussions which are a key part of the learning experience. Assessment of your progress in the class is done through written tests. Most classes will have a short quiz on that day's reading material. Additionally, one mid term and one final exam will be given which cover readings, lectures and classroom discussions. Class Schedule The class is scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. Since a two-credit class normally meets two hours a week, this provides for flexibility in the schedule and allows for some off-days. The off-days will be scheduled during times of particularly heavy reading loads. The hope is to provide you with adequate study time to digest the material and keep up with out-of-class assignments. The instructor will keep you appraised since the schedule will vary depending on class progress. Attendance Policy According to Physical Education Departmental policy, students must attend at least 75% of a class in order to receive a passing grade. Since frequent quizzes will be given and major tests will cover material discussed in class, it is to your advantage to make a concerted effort to attend all classes. Evaluation Criteria and Grading Scale College of Education approved percentage scale is utilized: A = 94 - 100The final grade for the course is based on the following three components: quizzes, mid term and final exam. Each component is 1/3 of the total grade. Here is an example of how final grades are calculated: Total Quiz Score: 87% Assessment Consent A part of institutional and state outcomes assessment requirements, and state and national program accreditation requirements, the College of Education collects copies of performance assessments and assessment data for the purposes of individual and program accountability. By enrolling in this course, you consent to have your assessment information collected and utilized by the College of Education for these purposes and as part of credibility studies supporting the validity, consistency, and fairness of the assessments. To protect your confidentiality, when summary reports are published or discussed in conferences, no information will be included that would reveal your identity. If photographs, videos, or audiotape recordings of you obtained from your performance assessments are used to demonstrate program accountability, then your identity will be protected or disguised, or we will ask you for permission to disclose your identity in order to give you credit for your performance. We may disclose the assessment information we collect about you under other circumstances as permitted or required by law. Assessment data are maintained and disclosed in accordance with Idaho State University policies to insure compliance with the provisions of the Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Peter Denner, Assistant Dean, at 282-4230 or dennpete@isu.edu. Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism and cheating. For more information refer to the ISU Student Handbook found on the following webpage: www.isu.edu/references/st.handbook/conduct.html#CONDUCT. For definitons of cheating and plagiarism, see the ISU Faculty and Staff Handbook (Part 6, Sec. IX, page 6.9.1) found on the webpage: www.isu.edu/fs-handbook/part6/6_9/6_9.html Reasonable Accommodation for Students with Disabilities The Sports Science and Physical Education Department is committed to providing a classroom environment in which all students may achieve their potential. If you have a disability or think you have a disability (physical, learning, hearing, vision, psychiatric) which may need reasonable accommodation, please contact the ADA Disabilities & Resource Center as early as possible. The Center is located in Room 123 of Graveley Hall on the lower Idaho State University Campus. Its phone number is 282-3599. |
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