War and Our World; REVISED Spring 2009   (See Fall 2008 syllabus here.)

Professors. K.G. Aiken, G. Machlis, and G. Williams; Mentor Mitchell Odom

CRN 32765/32766, Core 127/177                                                                       

Mon/Wed, 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm, TLC 023/041

 

Course Schedule and Reading Assignments, Spring 2009
NOTE:  READINGS PRECEDED BY A DOUBLE NUMBER SIGN ## APPLY ONLY TO SECTION 01 (WILLIAMS) 

 

CORE 177, REVISED SYLLABUS, SPRING 2009

 

23 (M)   General Theme: Science and War

                        Topic: Heisenberg and Bohr

                        Instructor(s): Aiken (TLC041), Williams (TLC023)

                        Activity/Assignment: Discussion of Copenhagen

                        Reading(s): Copenhagen Act One

            25 (W)  General Theme: Science and War

                        Topic: Performing Copenhagen

                        Instructor(s): Aiken (TLC041), Williams (TLC023), then together in TLC041

                        Activity/Assignment: Discussion of Copenhagen; view scene performed by T&F students

                        Reading(s): Copenhagen Act Two and ## Postscript

 

            30 (M)   General Theme: Science and War

                        Topic: The Manhattan Project

                        Instructor(s): Machlis (TLC041)

                        Activity/Assignment: Lecture, discussion; research paper draft returned

                        Reading(s): Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Ch. 7 (p. 168-97) + 272-75

            31 (T)   Evening presentation by Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, 7 p.m. SUB Ballroom

April

              1 (W)  General Theme: Science and War

                        Topic: The Manhattan Project

                        Instructor(s): Machlis (TLC041)

                        Activity/Assignment: Lecture; Frayn/Rhodes paper assigned

                        Reading(s): Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Ch. 14 (p. 443-485)

              6 (M)   General Theme: Science and War

                        Topic: The Manhattan Project

                        Instructor(s): Visitor Lawrence Johnston (TLC041)

                        Activity/Assignment: Discussion; response to Bruntland due

                        Reading(s): Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Ch. 18 (p. 617-678)

              8 (W)  General Theme: Science and War

                        Topic: The Manhattan Project's Results

                        Instructor(s): Aiken (TLC041); Williams (TLC023)

                        Activity/Assignment: Reading discussion

                        Reading(s): Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Ch. 19 (p. 679-747)


            13 (M)   General Theme: Weapons of Mass Destruction

                        Topic: The Atomic Bomb as a Cultural Archetype

                        Instructor(s): Williams (TLC041)

                        Activity/Assignment: View John Adams opera: Doctor Atomic

                        Reading(s): Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, ##Epilogue (749-88); ##John Donne, “Holy Sonnet 14” (online)

            15 (W)  General Theme: Weapons of Mass Destruction

                        Topic: The morality of atomic weaponry

                        Instructor(s): Machlis (TLC041)

                        Activity/Assignment: 

                        Reading(s):  None

 

            20 (M)   General Theme: Peace Movements

                        Topic: 1960s American anti-war movements

                        Instructor(s): Aiken, Williams (TLC041)

                        Activity/Assignment: Lecture, presentation skills; Frayn/Rhodes paper due

                        Reading(s): TBA

            22 (W)  General Theme: Peace Movements

                        Topic: One man’s convictions

                        Instructor(s): Guest speaker: Rich Wekerle, peace activist (TLC041)

                        Activity/Assignment: Lecture

                        Reading(s): None

 

            27 (M)   General Theme: The Future of War in Our World

                        Topic: Projections and Predictions: Climate Change and Conflict Refugees

                        Instructor(s): Aiken (TLC041), Williams (TLC023)

                        Activity/Assignment: Lecture, discussion, assignment of report rooms/teams, research paper due

                        Reading(s): Keegan, Ch. 5: "Can There Be an End to War?" (p. 61-74); ##Horgan, "Countering Students' Fatalism Toward War" (online)

            29 (W)  General Theme: War and the Environment: Research

                        Topic: Your work

                        Instructor(s): Aiken (TLC041), Williams (TLC023)

                        Activity/Assignment: Research presentations (4 groups)

                        Reading(s):

May

              4 (M)   General Theme: War and the Environment: Research

                        Topic: Your work

                        Instructor(s): Aiken (TLC041), Williams (TLC023)

                        Activity/Assignment: Research presentations (4 groups)

                        Reading(s):

              6 (W)  General Theme: Year Summary Evaluation

                        Topic: All of us

                        Instructor(s): Aiken, Williams, Machlis (TLC041)

                        Activity/Assignment: Summary of course; assign personal essay

                        Reading(s):                             

           

            15 (F)   Personal Essay due by noon