Summer 2011 Learning Communities

Why Is the Sky Blue? Writing About Physics (10 credits) – ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/ PHYS& 100
Learn why the sky is blue and why planes fly–and then develop the skills to articulate this clearly through writing. This course combines conceptual physics and English composition in a Learning Community designed to knock your socks off. Hybrid course with four hours of online work per week through Moodle.  

Talking Together (D) (10 credits) – AESL 103/ CMST& 210
This learning community combines Interpersonal Communication (CMST& 210) and Reading (AESL 103) to examine how conversational style, language, and culture affect communication in relationships.
Permission required from Christa Schulz. Call (360) 416-7974.

Fall 2011 Learning Communities

Choices (11 credits) ENGL 097/READ 097/CSS 100 –For TRIO Program students only–
You will appreciate “Choices” if you want to improve your reading, writing, and study skills. Work with other students in a supportive atmosphere to gain essential skills for future academic success. Meets 10 hours per week in class and 1 hour per week on additional project work outside of class.

Reading Between the Numbers (S) (10 credits) READ 097/MATH 096
Have trouble reading those word problems? Learn strategies to help you succeed in your math class as well as general reading comprehension for all of your college classes. Skills Designated: Speech. 

HiStory/HerStory/MyStory (D) (10 credits) ENGL 099/CMST& 210
In this course we will use the study of writing to understand the role of interpersonal communication in the construction of self-identity and the significant relationships we create with others.  

The Art of Wondering: Writing About Philosophy (S) (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/PHIL& 101
This composition Learning Community focuses on an intensive study of philosophy and its social/political influences within human relationships. Skills Designated: Speech.  

Contested Boundaries & Visions in 19th Century America (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/HIST& 147
This course links United States history and composition to investigate a tumultuous century of American history: westward expansion, the “vanishing” Indian, women’s rights, and the War Between the States. Hybrid course: 2 hours online on Fridays.  

Psyched! (R) (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/PSYC& 100C
Students will develop critical thinking and writing skills as they gain an understanding of fundamental concepts in psychology. Skills Designated: Reading.  

Diving into Oceanography: The Salish Sea and Northwest Coast (R) (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/OCEA& 101
An exploration of the relationships between the ocean, particularly the North Pacific, and the Salish Sea Bioregion through writing and scientific inquiry. Lab course: Lab required (see schedule). Skills Designated: Reading. Hybrid course: ENGL 101 meets online Tuesday and Friday. Some Friday OCEA& 101 field trips. Prerequisite: Recommended that students complete Math 99 with a C or better prior to taking this course.  

Talking Together (D) (10 credits) CMST& 210/AESL 103
This learning community combines Interpersonal Communication (CMST& 210) and Reading (AESL 103) to examine how conversational style, language and culture affect communication in relationships. Permission required from Christa Schulz. Call (360) 416-7974.  

Sights and Sounds of Society (S, D) (10 credits) ART 141/MUSC& 105 As an introduction to the visual and aural arts, this course will explore the relationship between fine art and music and their connection to society throughout history. Skills Designated: Speech.  

Decoding Science 1 (Q) (7 credits) CSS 100/PHYS& 121 or PHYS& 221
This Learning Community combines the content and process of science with an examination of the skills specifically needed to read science textbooks and take exams-i.e., how to decipher science epistemology. Lab course: Lab required (see schedule). Lab Fee: $40. Skills Designated: Quantitative Reasoning. CSS 100 is a hybrid course: it meets 1 hour per week in class and 1 hour per week online. Please check prerequisites for Physics courses.  

Decoding Science 2 (7 credits) CSS 100/BIOL& 211 or CHEM& 161
This Learning Community combines the content and process of science with an examination of the skills specifically needed to read science textbooks and take exams-i.e., how to decipher science epistemology. Lab course: Lab required (see schedule). Lab Fee: $40. Chem 161 Skills Designated: Quantitative Reasoning. CSS 100 is a hybrid course: it meets 1 hour per week in class and 1 hour per week online. BIOL& 211 is a hybrid course: it meets 3 hours per week lecture, 2 hours per week lab, and 1 hour per week online. Please check prerequisites for Biology and Chemistry courses.  

Pox & Present (R) (10 credits) BIOL& 100/HIST& 127
This fully collaborative course will study diseases and other biological factors and explore their linkage to the development of world cultures from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. There are weekly lab activities and a hybrid element that includes an online discussion forum. Lab course: Lab required (see schedule). Lab Fee: $40. Skills Designated: Reading. This is a hybrid Learning Community: Biology lecture meets online one hour per week; labs meet every other Wednesday and online on alternating weeks. History section meets online Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

Winter 2012 Learning Communities

Making Every Word Count (R) (10 credits) ENGL 099/MATH 097
Learn to solve equations and present your writing ideas in a supportive environment where thinking strategies for one class help you with the other. It’s math-the “write” way. Skills Designated: Reading.  

Here and Now: Reading and Writing About Where We Live (10 credits) ENGL 097/READ 097
Gain skills, self-confidence, and a deepened awareness of the place that we live and its people. You will work with other students to improve reading comprehension, writing ideas, and sentences.  

Thinking the Unthinkable: The Dilemmas of Politics (S) (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103P/POLS& 101
This course explores perennial questions of politics: theories of human nature and of government. Through discussion, writing, and reflection, we will study diverse approaches to resolving the dilemmas of politics. Skills Designated: Speech.  

Jazz: An American Art Form (S, D) (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/MUSC 128
Students will explore the history and development of jazz and the ways in which jazz reflects American society through writing, giving presentations, and attending live performances. Skills Designated: Speech.  

Unfinished Stories (D) (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/ENGL 202
“Unfinished Stories” examines the ways in which writers tell stories that challenge accepted norms. Students will explore how poetry, fiction, and film seek to change the world. This is a hybrid Learning Community: 4 hours per week in class and 1 hour per week online. 

Writing in the Sciences (10 credits) ENGL& or ENGL 103/BIOL& 212 or CHEM& 162 or PHYS& 122 or PHYS& 222
This Learning Community will provide an introduction and practice for science majors in the kinds of writing and research used in their disciplines. Students must co-enroll in one of the science classes and its lab and in ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103. Lab course: Lab required (see schedule); lab fee $40, but no required lab or lab fee for CHEM& 242. CHEM& 162, PHYS& 122, and PHYS& 222 Skills Designated: Quantitative Reasoning. BIOL& 212 is a hybrid course: it meets 4 hours per week lecture, 2 hours per week lab, and 1 hour per week online, with two required Friday field trips. Please check prerequisites for science courses.  

Earth Exposition (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/GEOL& 110
As writers and geologists, investigate environmental issues and hazards in the Pacific Northwest: volcanoes, earthquakes, water and air pollution, global warming, and energy use and production. English class is hybrid. Lab course: Lab required (see schedule). Lab Fee: $40.  

Talking Together (D) (10 credits) CMST& 210/AESL 103
This learning community combines Interpersonal Communication (CMST& 210) and Reading (AESL 103) to examine how conversational style, language, and culture affect communication in relationships. CMST& 210 is a hybrid course: 4 hours per week in class and 1 hour per week online. Permission required from Christa Schulz. Call (360) 416-7974.  

Scientific Ethics: A Paradox (S) (10 credits) CHEM& 105/ PHIL 215
Students will learn the scientific concepts necessary to have meaningful discussions centered on the ethics of politically charged topics, including nuclear power, stem cell research, and “Plan B” emergency contraception. Skills Designated: Speech.  

Poetry Alive! (D) (8 credits) CMST 141/ENGL& 113
Poetry slams, poetry jams. From the Beats to what’s sweet. Jive and thrive with live poets from the 2012 Skagit River Poetry Program. Speak, read, create, and live poetry.  

Performance Peace (3 credits) CMST 100/MUSC 151
Music majors will hone their recital skills by learning techniques to reduce anxiety, interact effectively with audiences, and increase their confidence and competence in communicating orally and through music. Requires co-enrollment in SVC Applied Music Instruction or permission of MUSC instructor.

Spring 2012 Learning Communities

Numbers on the Rocks (10 credits) MATH 097 or MATH 098/GEOL& 100
An application of mathematical tools applied to the study of Earth and neighboring planets. Learn powerful and essential mathematics along with geology, meteorology, and astronomy.  

Contemporary Social Problems: Perspectives, Policies, and People (R) (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/SOC& 201
Students will deepen their understanding of social problems throughout the world through reading and writing about the problems and through studying and applying sociological perspectives and social policies. Skills Designated: Reading. This is a hybrid Learning Community: it meets 8 hours per week in class and 2 hours per week online.  

Clash of Civilizations? (R, D) (10 credits) ENGL& 101 or ENGL 103/HIST 242
Students in this learning community investigate and write about the contemporary history of countries in the Middle East, linking nationalism and imperialism to their political development and relation to current events. Fridays will be online, and there will be integrated Moodle assignments on films, readings, and guest speakers. Skills Designated: Reading. This is a hybrid Learning Community: it meets online 2 hours Fridays.  

Foreign Exchange: The Literature of Asia (S, D) (10 credits) ENGL& 101/ENGL 103/ENGL& 254
Experience the lands, cultures, and peoples of Asia through reading, discussing, and writing about the poetry, fiction, and drama of Asian countries. Skills Designated: Speech. This is a hybrid Learning Community: it meets online 2 hours Fridays.  

Talking Together (D) (10 credits) CMST& 210/AESL 103
This learning community combines Interpersonal Communication (CMST& 210) and Reading (AESL 103) to examine how conversational style, language, and culture affect communication in relationships. CMST& 210 is a hybrid course: 4 hours per week in class and 1 hour per week online. Permission required from Christa Schulz. Call (360) 416-7974.  

Pathways to Sustainability (10 credits) CHEM& 105/SOSC 100
Humanity faces problems due to population, energy use, and food supply. We will explore the nature of these problems and potential solutions to them from socio-economic and scientific perspectives.  

Framed: Representations of “the Other” in American Film (S,D) (10 credits) ENGL 115/ETHNC 201
Students will study how cinematic technique and narrative structure in American film have communicated ideas about ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Additional “lab” hours for screening films (see schedule). Skills Designated: Speech.  

Ethics in the Sciences (S) (10 credits) PHIL 215/BIOL& 213 or CHEM& 163 or PHYS& 123 or PHYS& 223C
This Learning Community focuses on an intensive study of philosophy and its social/political influences within human relationships. Lab required (see schedule). Lab Fee: $40. Skills Designated: Speech. BIOL& 213 is a hybrid course: it meets 6 hours per week in class and 1 hour per week online, with one required Friday field trip.  

These Genes are Made for Walking (Q) (7 credits) BIOL& 100/PE 100/PE 111
This fully collaborative Learning Community will combine the study of the human body with concepts of wellness. There are weekly lab activities, a hybrid element of both lecture and laboratory, and an active aerobic conditioning component. Labs required (see schedule). Biology lab fee $40; fitness lab fee $20. Skills Designated: Quantitative Reasoning. This is a hybrid Learning Community: 1 hour of lecture and 1 hour of lab online per week.