Learning Communities

Chicano Studies and Critical Analysis

Courses:
CHST 120 Identity and Culture and
ENGL 202 Critical Analysis

Students must enroll in both courses for a total of 10 credits.
5 credits toward the Humanities requirement and 5 credits toward the Writing Skills requirement (with a grade of "C" or better).

Faculty:
Heather Ryan, English
Jaime Ramirez, Chicano Studies

This learning community focuses on critically investigating the production and consumption of Chicano/a forms of culture/identity through examining Chicano/a culture and identity. Students will interpret the Chicano/a culture primarily through literature, but also through theater, poetry, art, film and music. This learning community will also focus on the writing process of planning, revising and editing essays. Students will learn to respond to Chicano/a literature and poetry through writing expository/ argumentative responses. Additionally, students will also gain research and appropriate documentation skills.

Drawn to Geology

Courses:
ART&110 Drawing 1 and
GEOL& 101 Introduction to Physical Geology

Students must enroll in both courses for a total of 10 credits.
5 credits toward Humanities and 5 credits toward a lab science.

Faculty:
Marlin Peterson, Art
Kelsay Stanton, Geology

Uniting these two fascinating fields will provide students a much deeper understanding of both. Classroom and online work will help us develop our skills, and field trips will allow us to apply our skills using landscapes and outcrops. We’ll use field time to complete a geology and drawing notebook. We’ll also collect rocks and fossils in the field to use in classroom drawings and projects. The integration of these subjects will help us develop drawing skills while learning about local and regional geology.

No drawing experience is necessary.

Form and Function in Nature

Courses:
Biology 217 Introduction to Ornithology and
Art 110 Drawing 1

Students must enroll in both courses for a total of 10 credits.

Faculty:
Scott Bailey, Art
Dr. Dan Stephens, Biology

Form and Function in Nature combines Biology 217 Introduction to Ornithology and Art 110 Drawing 1 into a ten-credit class that integrates art and science. This field-oriented learning community will help students develop a deeper appreciation of the natural history in and around the Wenatchee Valley.

Students will move between the lecture classroom, drawing studio, biology lab and field trips to prime bird-watching areas in the region. They will also keep field notebooks for observations about birds in the forms of writing, diagrams and drawings.

No drawing experience is necessary.

Northwest Nature Writing: Integrating Northwest Environments and Writing

Courses:
Biology 127 Northwest Environments and
English 135 Creative Writing

Students must enroll in both courses for a total of 10 credits (5 credits of Natural Sciences lab and 5 credits of either Humanities or Elective Requirements).

Faculty:
Derek Sheffield, English
Dr. Dan Stephens, Biology

Join northwest writer Derek Sheffield and noted northwest naturalist Dr. Dan Stephens for a unique learning experience.

The course will focus on various aspects of nature writing while in the field. The names and ecology of a number of plant and animal species will be learned and will provide the basis for writing assignments in poetry and fiction. The aesthetic and spiritual aspects of nature will also be discussed and written about.