Syllabus, Frontiers 100.001, Fall 2006
WEEK 1--
Wed. 8/30: Course introduction to some basic course concepts: navigation, orientation, voyaging, and identity. "Identity" as a function of one's location in transit with respect to known reference points. "Voyaging" as a life-transforming experience, including intellectual voyages that take the mind to unfamiliar places. Skymarks, seamarks, landmarks, mnemonic locators: what reference points have told you where you are today, where you are headed and where you have been? Launch "Intellectual Life-Voyage Webs" project. Sign up for CTLT instruction in the use of FrontPage if you are not already proficient in using a web page design program.
Fri. 9/1: Voltaire, Candide, vii-ix, xix-xxiv, xlii-xlv, 1-17.[Arnie stands watch today, but also today we will divide the class into three "watches" to lead class discussions for the rest of the semester (see boldfaced numbers following each day's assignment for what days you are standing watch to guide our exploration).]
WEEK 2--
Mon. 9/4: Labor Day Vacation--read ahead in Voltaire! See what the "intellectual life-voyage web" project is all about.
Wed. 9/6:Voltaire, Candide, 18-43 1 [Anniversary of 9/6/1847, 159 years ago, Thoreau leaves Walden]
Fri. 9/8:Voltaire, Candide, 43-72 2
Week 3--
Mon. 9/11: Voltaire, Candide, 72-87 Jamie and Lizzie
Wed. 9/13:Voltaire, Candide, 87-100 Chris A and Chris M
Fri. 9/15: First "intellectual life-voyage web" assignment discussion and workshop.
WEEK 4--.
Mon. 9/18: Thoreau, Walden, 1-36 (Economy) Jeremy and Lizzie
Wed. 9/20: Thoreau, Walden, 36-74 (Economy, Where I Lived and What I Lived For, Reading) Jamie and Chris M
September 21 is the Autumnal Equinox--day and night are exactly 12 hours each; in the Northern Hemisphere, days grow shorter and nights longer as the sun appears to rise and set further into the south each day until 12/21, the Winter Solstice; an effect of the earth's yearly axial tilt through 23 degrees of angle toward and away from the sun.
Fri. 9/22: Thoreau, Walden, 74-112 (Sounds, Solitude, Visitors, The Bean Field) Lizzie and Chris A
WEEK 5--
Mon. 9/25: Thoreau, Walden, 112-148 (The Village, The Ponds, Baker Farm, Higher Laws). Jeremy and Jamie
Wed. 9/27: Thoreau, Walden, 148-187 (Brute Neighbors, House Warming, Former Inhabitants and Winter Visitors, Winter Animals) Chris M and Lizzie
Fri. 9/29: Thoreau, Walden, 187-221 (The Pond in Winter, Spring, Conclusion) Chris A and Jeremy
WEEK 6--
Mon. 10/2: Second "intellectual life-voyage web" assignment discussion and workshop.
Wed. 10/4: Barrett, "The English Pupil," (34-46); "Birds with No Feet" (103-22).Jamie and Lizzie
Fri. 10/6: Barrett, "Ship Fever," (159-87) Jeremy and Chris M
WEEK 7--
Mon. 10/9: Barrett, "Ship Fever," (187-221) Chris A and Jamie
Wed. 10/11: Barrett, "Ship Fever," (221-54) Lizzie and Jeremy
Fri. 10/13: Midsemester Break
WEEK 8--
Mon. 10/16: Warner, Beautiful Swimmers, xv-61 (Preface, The Bay, Autumn, Deal Island, Winter) Chris M and Chris A
Wed. 10/18: Warner, Beautiful Swimmers, 62-119 (Follow the Water, Beautiful Swimmers) Jeremy and Jamie
Fri. 10/20: Warner, Beautiful Swimmers, 120-184 (Spring, Lester Lee and the Chicken-Neckers) Chris M and Lizzie
[Saturday, 10/21, Peak of Orionid Meteor Shower coincides with a New Moon, almost ideal observation conditions]
WEEK 9--
Mon. 10/23: Warner, Beautiful Swimmers, 185-237 (To Market, Summer and Scraping) Chris A and Jeremy
Wed. 10/25: Warner, Beautiful Swimmers, 238-291 (The Islands, Looking Ahead, Out Main Bay, Crisfield) Jamie and Chris M
Fri. 10/27: Third "intellectual life-voyage web" discussion and workshop.
WEEK 10--CLASSES CANCELLED
WEEK 11—
Mon. 11/6: Aeibi, Maiden Voyage, (Chapters 1 & 2, pp. 11-43--NYC to Bermuda) Lizzie and Chris A
Wed. 11/8: Aeibi, Maiden Voyage, (Chapters 3-4, pp. 44-92--St. Thomas to Panama) Jeremy and Chris M
Fri. 11/10: Aeibi, Maiden Voyage, (Chapters 5-6, pp. 93-132--Galapagos, Marquesas) Jeremy and Lizzie
WEEK 12—
Mon. 11/13: Aeibi, Maiden Voyage, (Chapter 7, pp. 133-63--Tahiti, Wallis Island) Lizzie and Chris A
Wed. 11/15: Aeibi, Maiden Voyage, (Chapter 8, pp. 164-97--Vanuatu, Sri Lanka) Chris M and Chris A; Fri.
11/17: Aeibi, Maiden Voyage, (Chapter 9-10, pp. 198-255--Djibouti, Port Sudan, Red Sea, Suez Canal) Chris M and Jeremy
WEEK 13—
Mon. 11/20 Aeibi, Maiden Voyage, (Chapters 11-12+Epilogue, pp. 230-72—Mediterranean, Gibraltar, North Atlantic Crossing, NYC) Jeremy and Lizzie; (Frontiers buys lunch)
Wed. 11/22-Sun. 11/26: Thanksgiving Vacation
WEEK 14—
Mon. 11/27: Sterling, "Swarm," 239-257 Chris A and Chris M
Wed. 11/29: Sterling, "Spider Rose," 258--271 Chris M and Jeremy
Fri. 12/1: Sterling, “Cicada Queen," 272-300 Jeremy and Lizzie
WEEK 15--Mon. 12/4: Sterling, “Twenty Evocations,” 313-319 Arnie stands watch (and Frontiers buys lunch)
Wed. 12/6: Last day of classes--course evaluations. What have you learned from our readings about life-changing voyages, and how have you changed since August? What new skills have you learned and what new sources of information have you discovered? Where do you want to go next?
Monday, 12/11: Student "intellectual life-voyage" web sites should be fully operational for evaluation and play by 5 PM. In the event of server or other Internet access malfunction, make sure you have backed up your web work on a flash drive, CD-ROM, or DVD, each time you complete a major addition/revision of its structure. See CTLT (x6066)