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DISCOVER House
Penn State's living-learning community for academic exploration

Special Course Sections for DISCOVER House Residents

2006-2007 Archive

Fall 2006

BI SC 003 (GN) Environmental Science (3 credits) Section 002
Mondays, Wednesdays, 10:10-11:00 a.m., 100 THOMAS Building, and Fridays, 10:10-11:00 a.m., 105 AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES & INDUSTRIES Building (13 spaces)

BI SC 003 will help you to prepare for living in current and future society's mixture of technology and mythology by presenting ideas and concepts about living systems and their environments. Kinds of environments; past and present uses and abuses of natural resources; disposal of human wastes; prospects for the future. Policy makers and citizens need to act with an understanding of ecological principles when handling the environmental problems such as water use, solid waste management, global warming, energy use, conservation of irreplaceable natural resources, overpopulation, and the preservation of biodiversity. An understanding of biological and ecological principles and their application towards environmental challenges can give you the confidence to be a trustworthy and active citizen, a conscientious steward of nature, and an agent of change for making a healthy, sustainable community and society. Regardless of your field of study, as a citizen of both local and global communities, some environmental issues will impact your life. The course objectives are to enable students to:

Taught by Christopher Uhl.

ENGL 015 (GWS) Rhetoric and Composition (3 credits) Section 094
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:45-11:00 a.m., 318 WILLARD Building (24 spaces)

Instruction and practice in writing expository prose that shows sensitivity to audience and purpose. Prerequisite: ENGL 004 or satisfactory performance on the English proficiency examination.

Do you believe almost everything you read? Do you have trouble articulating why you believe what you believe? You are probably expecting English 015 to be an introductory writing class, and it is. However, its goal is much more extensive than simply improving your writing. The goal of English 015 is to help you to become more involved in your communities by critically evaluating others' arguments and constructing effective arguments yourself. Taught by Robert Mull.

KINES 089 (GHA) Student Wilderness Experience (1 credit) Section 004
(40 spaces)

Note: Students can only get credit for KINES 089 once. (KINES 089 is also offered through LEAP and ORION.)

KINES 089 is a 3-day wilderness program that is offered exclusively to Discover House students. This course includes three days of backpacking and a service activity. Students will learn various skills associated with backpacking and wilderness living. The course will emphasize teamwork, group living skills, leadership, and wilderness ethics. For backpacking, students will be placed into small groups of 8-10 participants with an upperclass/graduate student mentor-leader. Discover House students with all levels of experience may take this course. Completed Health History and Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risks forms must be submitted in class on September 5.

There will be three class meetings: Tuesday, September 5, and Thursday September 7, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., and Tuesday, October 10, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The three-day backpacking trip will be the weekend of September 8 to 10. Equipment (other than clothing) is provided. Check the gear list for the clothing students should bring on the expedition. There is an additional $75 charge for this course. Taught by Susanne Dubrouillet Morais.

L ST 097S Library Logistics (1 credit) Section 001
Wednesdays, 1:25-2:15 p.m., 211W PATTEE Library (24 spaces)

The enormous changes in information technology have radically changed the way scholars do research. This course will examine the library behind the scenes. The entire library will serve as a lab to engage the student and provide hands-on experience in how libraries acquire, organize, and make available information in all formats. Students will learn valuable skills that will empower them as university scholars in all disciplines and as lifelong learners through student-centered, active learning situations directed by a team of service-oriented library professionals. This course meets in Pattee Library. Taught by Daniel Mack, Humanities Librarian.

"This is a great class! I learned so much about the library and its resources. When it came time for me to do research for my classes, I knew exactly where to go and how to get the information I needed. The instructors really make class fun and low-stress. Take it—you'll be glad you did!" ~ Patty
"My Library Studies class gave me the opportunity to downsize an overwhelming amount of choices into a clear path for research. I am sure I will use what I learned from this course throughout my career at Penn State." ~ Stephen

SOC 001 (GS) Introduction to Sociology (3 credits) Section 003
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 3:35-4:25 p.m., 10 SPARKS Building (20 spaces)

The nature and characteristics of human societies and social life. Introductory Sociology provides perspectives and information useful in understanding all societies. Learning how sociologists do research provides the tools for understanding the production of knowledge and for evaluating the validity of sociological assertions. Familiarity with systematic theorizing and conceptual development, along with some comprehension of the nature of the scientific method as it is applied in sociology, enhances critical reasoning. What makes sociology interesting, however, is that students have the opportunity to refine their critical thinking skills on "real world" examples from social life as they experience it. This introduction course is often considered by sociologists as the course that is the most "fun" to teach because of the possibilities to draw on some of the more humorous components of social life through (often) bizarre and always entertaining films and examples. Throughout the course, the lectures as well as the readings draw amply on examples from both the U.S. and other cultures. Taught by Samuel Richards.

THEA 102 (GA) Fundamentals of Acting (3 credits) Section 004
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:45-11:00 a.m., 214 HAMMOND Building (20 spaces)

THEA 102 is not an acting course designed to develop fine actors; it is a course about acting. It aims to introduce the student to basic principles of the art and craft of acting, focusing on how and why actors do what they do to prepare for a performance less than on the attainment of performance skills themselves. Students in this course will tap their own powers of concentration, observation, creativity, and imagination. A major focus in the course is the development of the ability to analyze one's own work and the work of peers in the class. Problem-solving in solo, paired, and/or large group contexts is a daily requirement in class. This course is excellent for those interested in developing stronger communication/presentational skills and becoming aware of the potential of their verbal and nonverbal communication. These skills are important for everyone and may be especially helpful for students with an interest in education, advertising/public relations, marketing, law, language studies (e.g., English, Communication Arts and Sciences, Communication Sciences and Disorders, foreign languages) or politics, to name a few.

This page is maintained by the Division of Undergraduate Studies, dus@psu.edu.