Syllabus 15-16

Course Description

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately…” – Henry David Thoreau

We will go to the woods to experience and capture nature in summer – kayaking, canoeing, hiking, yoga & meditation, taking pictures, journaling and blogging. We’ll begin by looking at those who have come before us – writers, poets, philosophers – who were led to the woods, learning their techniques of observation and practicing them for ourselves. We will then journey outdoors – to parks and trails, forests and fields – to experience the beauty and power of nature. Day trips will include hiking, canoeing and/or kayaking, and practicing yoga in Dayton MetroParks and other area locations. We’ll capture our experiences by keeping a written and visual blog.

Learning Objectives

During this course, students will:

· learn the basics of kayaking, hiking and/or canoeing as well as safety procedures necessary for these activities.
· read, discuss, and practice the nature-writing genre (authors will include Henry David Thoreau, Annie Dillard, Barbara Kingsolver, Wendell Berry, Anne Lamott, Emily Dickinson, and others).
· learn and practice basic yoga, meditation, and contemplative thought.

Final Product & Grades

For this STEMmersion you’ll create, design and maintain a personal blog where you’ll post (at least) one entry each day of our course (a journal-like entry and a writing piece we learn and practice that day). Each entry needs to describe the day’s activities and must contain photos and/or video as well as the writing piece you create each day. Additionally, your entry should be polished, thoughtful, and proofread for errors in MUGS (mechanics, usage, grammar, spelling). Additionally, you’ll create a keepsake photo album to display your experiences and favorite nature-writing pieces during Exhibition Night.

Planned Trips

Thur. 5/19 - Cox Arboretum MetroPark
Fri. 5/20 - Woodman Fen (walking trip)
Mon. 5/23 – Delco Park (walking trip)
Wed. 5/25 – Possum Creek MetroPark
Thur. 5/26 – Bellbrook Canoe
Tues. 5/31 – Aullwood Audubon
Wed. 6/1 – possible local walking trip

You’ll receive daily participation points (10pts) for your behavior and participation during writing workshops, trips, and other activities.

The following rubric will be used to grade your daily blog entries (10pts):

Blog Entry Expectations	Accomplishes Expectations (2pts)	Needs Improvement (1pt)	Limited/Not Included (0pt)
Description of the day’s activities	Detailed, organized, and completely summarizes the day’s activities	Somewhat detailed and/or organized; does not completely summarize the day’s activities	Limited or does not include a description of the day’s activities
Visuals	Includes several photos and/or videos to capture the day’s activities as well as captions or descriptions	Includes 1 photo and/or video to capture the day’s activities	No photo/video included
Writing piece or activity (ex. poems written as part of class activity)	Includes the day’s writing piece or activity		Writing piece or activity is not included
Visual design & organization	Entry is visually appealing and easy to read (colors, spacing, padding around photos, etc.)	Entry could be improved in regards to visual design & organization	No attempts at visual design or organization
MUGS (Mechanics, Usage, Grammar, Spelling)	1-2 errors in MUGS (*use a Word doc to draft)	2-5 errors in MUGS	More than 5 errors in MUGS (it’s clear no proofreading occurred)
TOTAL	10pts

Required Materials
comfortable shoes
yoga mat
sunscreen
water bottle
notebook

Optional Materials
hat/sunglasses
camera
bug spray
rain jacket/poncho