Version:
2/8/12

picture of the week

thought-bite of the week:

electric eel (top) and freshwater dolphin (bottom)
click on image to see full-size graphic

"In this paradise of American jungles, as everywhere else, a long , sad experience has taught all living beings that gentleness is rarely linked to might."
(Humboldt, "Personal Narrative", from Jaguars and Electric Eels, ed. & trans. Wilson, p. 66)

mini-text of the week (start):

"In Calabozo, in the middle of the llanos, we found an electric machine with great discs, electrophori, batteries and electrometers…"

Humboldt, "Personal Narrative", from Jaguars and Electric Eels, ed. & trans. Wilson, pp. 57-8, 62 (read more)

(X') = anticipated time in minutes (total=75)

(0001) etc.=item in Humboldt Project document collection

Key to notes added AFTER the class meets:

√ = topic / activity that was adequately dealt with during the class

+ = topic that was started but needs more attention & will be resumed at next / subsequent meeting(s)

- = a topic / activity that was proposed though not begun, but will be taken up later

Struckthrough text like this = a topic / activity that was proposed but not included is not going to be taken up after all

Italic bold green text like this = comments after the meeting

√

(5') Thought-bite of last week and last Thursday's folk holiday: ground hogs, marsupials, and the difference between Old World and New World creatures - including the philosophical & theological implications. This week's thought-bite and mini-text: "Nature red in tooth and claw"; relation between mechanical and biological forces & substances.

√

(10') SINQing the Humboldt canoe (wrapup, literally [learn how to use this word correctly]): We never answered the question, So what could that boat hold?

Assuming the canoe had an inside diameter of 3 feet, its displacement was about 140 cubic feet (1.5 squared x pi x 20), or 8680 pounds (fresh water weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic foot), or a little more than 4 tons. With 12 smallish people in it (= 1500 pounds) it could take on a cargo - loaded to the gunwales - of no more than 2.5 tons (much less in rough water). The Costa Concordia, which foundered off the Italian coast in January of 2012, was/ is 952 feet long, 116 feet wide, and 27 feet deep. It displaces 115,000 gross tons and was carrying 3,229 passengers and 1,023 crew when it foundered. Columbus' largest ship, the Santa Maria, was 60 feet long, displaced about 100 tons, and carried 25 people. It was built to sail the Mediterranean, not the Atlantic. The Mayflower was probably 110 feet long, with a beam of 25 feet and a displacement of about 180 tons. It carried about 130 people (when it started out). A modern airliner… A Tri-Met bus…

importance of DATA (for Humboldt, for us; about Humboldt); example: how many position measurements did H make in a day? How many other measurements?

So now they're / we're / you're on board. We're just getting into the systematic discussion of sustainable environmentalism. We're finishing the basic reading (have you?), and now need to branch out for more reading.

√

(15') About classification of species:

Ungraded quiz: Which of these life-forms do you recognize when you encounter their biological (Latin!) names? - Ursus horribilis, Cannabis sativa, Pseudotsuga menziessi, Canis lupus (familiaris), Sphenicus humboldti, Metacarcinus magister (formerly Cancer magister), Bos primigenius, Sus domesticus (and farmer talk: "bossy" and "soo-ee"). Can you see and smell the difference between Quercus rubra and Quercus alba (sounds like a city in New Mexico, doesn't it)?

Linnaean classification of a Humboldt-named species; why shellfish are called "shellFISH" but aren't actually fish (also: crawfish, crayfish, crawdad); illustration of a "type specimen" (C. humboldtiana); get ready to choose "your" Humboldt-named species.

We're getting into controversial territory here (see thought-bite of the previous week), so we can expect some strong opinions to come out. For the moment: Relation of science to religion as science emerged as a recognized endeavor - it has been sometimes harmonious, sometimes not. How long have people known that fossils were fossils and dinosaurs were dinosaurs? Bishop Ussher's famous dating of the age of the world according to the best knowledge and science of the time.

Earlier words for "science" and "scientist". While we are at it: "cosmos" / "nature" (and what "cosmos" has to do with "cosmetic" and "galaxy" has to do with "milk")

√

(20' MAX) About the midterm: a) available Thursday; b) choices: 1) do it, with midterm counting 10% and final 20%; 2) not do it, and the final counts 30%; 3) not do it, and the 10% will be distributed over your entire grade; c) if you do it, download it, write it, print it, hand it in by the following Thursday (16 Feb. - absolute deadline, or you'll revert to choices [b] or [c])

Let's take the occasion to discuss what you should be learning. But I will NOT tell you precisely what (which facts) you need to know for the tests. That's not critical thinking. Maybe you can think critically and tell me what those facts could be…

The core reading (Helferich bio of AvH, Jaguars and Electric Eels):

1) Why we don't (or do!) talk about it in class. 2) Small groups: walk through the "plot" so far - can your group highlight maybe 5 significant facts about AvH and 5 memorable moments in his life (so far)? Do you know (from the other assigned reading - Wikipedia, etc. - how the story will end? 3) Plenary (=full) group: What issues of sustainable environmentalism have come up in the reading (and been presented / discussed in class). 4) What difficult / controversial / puzzling issues and exciting (Indiana Jones) moments have appeared in your reading, and have you brought them up in class / workshop? If not, why not?

2) Goals of the reading and the course: a) It was DIFFERENT then and there (and yet there are some similarities). b) Those people did momentous work (heavy lifting to get data, heavy thinking to put it together) - not just because they were working earlier than we are, but because they were giants. c) AvH has a lot (what?) to tell us about sustainable environmentalism. It's time that this course turns to that, now that we've got AvH well into his work and the crew of the Humboldt (un)SINQ(able Canoe on board (including you yourself?).

Adjustments to the writing and the group project: a) no "hot-button" activity, no writing assignment about controversial Humboldt-related issue. Some other assignments also now eliminated. See the newly revised schedule page.

Final exam: 1) factual info (identify and describe, NOT just recite facts, and not trick or trivial facts); 2) objective writing about a text (serious periodical article) having to do with sustainable environmentalism - you'll have access to the article at least a week ahead of time; 3) reflection about yourself and the course (think about the "Leaving Home" reflection)

√

(20') More about writing assignment #3 and how it relates to later parts of this course.

How many have talked this over with: friends? siblings? parents? former teachers? current teachers (other courses)? employers? Aaron (individually)? me (individually)?

Main points: 1) School (but NOT necessarily COLLEGE!) curricula and competent lesson plans must relate to standards. 2) Educating the young(ish) learner about sustainable environmentalism requires systematic learning mapped onto standards. Here is an example of a Humboldt-related lesson plan related to standards: Field Trips conducted by the Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu. (How do you think the State of Hawaii's standards compare to Oregon's standards?)

Here is Enchanted Learning - but one of many sources of learning activities, especially for younger learners. Here's their "Explorers" page about Humboldt. Here's their section about "astronomy:Earth", with activities that could be inspiration for learning activities for Humboldt-named schools.

Here's a blog article, from Scientific American, that attacks state science education standards, including Oregon's, as "'mediocre to awful'"

How this relates to later activities:

1) Writing activity about a Humboldt-related species remains as announced at the start of the course.

2) The truth is out (from talks about class and my "free lunch" offer): you people do have interests, abilities, and communication skills. So the "book report" activity will remain, but will be converted to a choice of: a) writing, to close specifications, about a medium-size article which you'll choose from a list of about 10; OR b) reading a book carefully selected according to your high-interest topic choice, with considerable latitude, though less considerable longitude :-) of response. Texts to be available by the end of week 7.

3) The group project will proceed generally as announced at the start of the course, but its scope will be limited to draft / outline (Big Idea for a Major Project), rather than finished, packaged product. Reasons: a) never enough time; b) we're contemplating another SINQ (summer, maybe) and even a Humboldt Capstone. This course's group projects will be handed off (anonymously) to your successors for further development. Into the projects we'll integrate the species descriptions and the foundation for learning materials of use to Humboldt-named schools, or just about any school. You learn best when you have to teach what you've learned. To be an educated, committed citizen is both to learn and to teach.

:-) Should we offer the Humboldt-named schools a lesson plan organized around a banquet of Humboldt-named plants and animals? Maybe with a fund-raiser?

+

(5') Checkups & Previews: See "schedule and assignments" page (week 4) for directions about getting smart phone apps for the course. (WWHD?) What shall we do with/to the people who haven't gotten on board the SINQing Humboldt Canoe - haven't come forward with information about their interests and skills? Maybe we can find an idea in Walls's description of loading the canoe.:-)

about writing skills - comments about the "Humboldt Portrait" and "Leaving Home" assignments will be posted soon (and emailed). Preview: what do these words have