An on-campus course offered during the Winter or May term. May be offered for .5 course credits or as a co-curricular (0 credit). Counts toward satisfying the Extended Studies requirement.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Variable |
Winter Term information
Dana Dudle,Rose Keith
184A: Crops, Cures, Capital: Plants in Human Cultures
Course Time: 9:30am-12:30pm MTRF
Fees: $75
Prerequisites: None
Plants influence all contemporary humans: plants and plant products form the basis of our diet, our medicine, and our material culture. Conversely, humans have influenced the evolution and ecology of thousands of plant species on this planet. Even before Homo sapiens walked the earth, our ancestors used plants to feed, clothe, cure, protect, and kill. The extensive interactions between plants and humans all have a scientific contexts as well as a cultural contexts. Understanding the morphology, genetics, evolution, ecology, and physiology of plants can help us better understand the human species and its diverse cultures. We will cover such topics as: history of agriculture, crop breeding, genetic engineering of crop plants, the interaction between food and medicine, traditional and current uses of medicinal plants, and the effects of specific plant species and plant products (e.g. rice, tobacco, nutmeg, poppies, etc.) on the distribution of wealth and power in human cultures. This hands-on course is meant to appeal to students who love science and also students who are unsure whether they enjoy science, but who have lingering questions about the natural (and human-influenced) world. Almost every class session will include lab or greenhouse activities, during which students will gain hands-on experience with planting, observing, and/or collecting data on a range of plants and plant products. Students will also design experiments and report on their results. (This course does not count toward majors or minors in the Biology department.) not open to students who have taken BIO230 (Plant Biology) or HONR 101 (FYS:Crops, Cures, and Capital).