FS 201 Descriptions (Fall 2019)

FS 201 courses complete the required FS sequence and also count for elective credit in the department offering the course. Because FS 201 forms a bridge between the first-year FS courses and the Junior Seminar, students are expected to take FS 201 in the sophomore year. Some majors and minors require an FS 201 course in that specific program; in these cases, the same FS 201 course may be used to satisfy both the FS requirement and the major/minor requirement.

Please consult WebAdvisor to confirm the days, times, and locations of these sections.

FSBIO*201
Investigative Approaches in Bio
Various
An investigative laboratory course that emphasizes experimental design, modern experimental techniques and instrumentation, analysis and interpretation of data, and written and oral presentation. The course consists of three multi-week project modules designed to illustrate investigative approaches at different levels of biological organization-molecular/cellular, organismal/physiology, and population/ecosystem. There is an emphasis on independent and cooperative laboratory/field work, and on writing and speaking in the sciences. Two 3-hour meetings per week. Must be taken on the letter-grade basis. Prerequisite: BIO 220. This course is required for Biology majors and minors.
FSCHE*201
Research Methods in Chemistry
Chapp, T
An introduction to writing, speaking, and research methods in the discipline of chemistry. Topics include experimental design, statistical analysis of data, ethical conduct of research and selected classical, spectroscopic and chromatographic methods of analysis. Analytical techniques are discussed in the context of laboratory projects that are designed, performed, and interpreted by the class. Must be taken on the letter-grade basis. Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in CHEM 122.
FSCOM*201
Communication, Space & Culture
Mehler, M
An introduction to the practices of critics and makers within communication studies, encompassing film, media, rhetoric, and theatre. Examining creative and critical works through concepts of space and place – including bodies, objects, and environments; geographies, institutions, and ideologies – students learn the practices of reading/viewing as communication and theatre scholars. Students analyze the work of a range of critics and makers in order to develop their own critical analyses of how space and place maintain an interdependent relationship with culture.
FSECO*201
Government and the Economy
Baskan, A
An inquiry into the tensions and the interactions between governments and the economy. Questions such as what are the responsibilities and obligations of the government to society and what responsibilities do economic decision makers (consumers, producers, etc.) have to fulfill regarding one another will be investigated. The context of these investigations will be current events in the global context. Examples of such contexts are government regulation of business activity, health care and education, proposed policy changes in US immigration and refugee acceptance, biopolitics.
FSENG*201
The Afterlives of Literature
Miller, J
An introduction to literary methods as a set of tools for listening to and reanimating dead thinkers, voices, and ideas. Students read and analyze texts about death in order to understand literature’s unique ability to grapple with life’s big questions. We then delve into the diverse schools of interpretation critics have developed to understand how those questions, in turn, are affected by the very language we use to ask them.
FSENV*201
Environmental Problem Analysis
Various
An interdisciplinary analysis of modern controversial environmental issues. Students examine scientific, economic, cultural and political underpinnings of issues. Areas of study address environmental degradation, natural resource use and misuse, human-environmental interactions, and environmental justice. Written assignments and oral arguments and presentations are emphasized. Must be taken on the letter-grade basis. Prerequisite: ENVSC 110.
FSGEO*201
Field Geology
Tamulonis, K
Applied principles and field methods in geology and environmental geology. Students are exposed to critical analysis and communication in the geosciences through field and laboratory projects involving topographic maps, aerial photographs, geologic maps, rock and soil properties, subsurface drilling and geophysical data, and computer applications. Geologic mapping and hazards, landfill siting, environmental pollution, and oil exploration issues provide context for the projects. May include a multi-day field trip. Field work or laboratory, one period. Must be taken on the letter-grade basis.
FSGHS*201
Topics/Approach Global Health
Runestad, P
An introduction to writing and speaking in the discipline of Global Health Studies. Students are introduced to the research methods and modes of communication used in the field of global health and use case studies to investigate different approaches to identifying, analyzing, and responding to global health issues. We read primary and secondary research, interpret data, evaluate tools for communicating effectively to different audiences, and explore various research methods. Ethical, cultural, and interdisciplinary dimensions of global health research and work are emphasized throughout. Must be taken on the letter-grade basis.
FSHIS*201
The American Dream
Ribeiro, A
An introduction to research, writing, and speaking in the discipline of history. Students approach historical thinking by considering the notion of the American Dream. The course focuses on skills central to producing historical accounts as students explore ideas about changing societal values in the United States and representations of American diversity.
FSPHY*201
Investigative Approaches in Phys
Poynor, A
An investigative laboratory course that emphasizes experimental design and analysis, interpretation of data, and written and oral presentation. This course stresses independent and cooperative laboratory work. Writing and speaking in the physical sciences is emphasized through written, oral and poster presentations. Must be taken on the letter-grade basis.