Fall 2023 | GER 3651 Section 001: Thinking Environment: Green Culture, German Literature and Global Debates (32677)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Discussion
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- Student Option
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- In Person
- Class Attributes:
- UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
- Meets With:
- GER 5651 Section 001
- Times and Locations:
- Regular Academic Session09/05/2023 - 12/13/2023Mon, Wed 02:30PM - 03:45PMUMTC, East BankFolwell Hall 112
- Enrollment Status:
- Open (23 of 40 seats filled)
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- How environmental thinking became social-political force through German literature/culture, with comparisons to global or U.S. developments. Authors include Goethe, Christa Wolf, Enzensberger.
- Class Notes:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?GER3651+Fall2023
- Class Description:
- Special Topic: Ecology and Visual CultureHow has visual culture shaped the construction of "ecology" as a discipline and object of study? In this seminar, we will explore the intersection of artistic practice, scientific research, and ecological thoughts from the early modern period to the present. Drawing on the work of artists and scientists from Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and other parts of the globe, we will consider how artists contributed to, drew inspiration from, and critiqued changing conceptions of the environment as an ecological milieu, paying particular attention to exchanges between the arts and sciences; new perspectives opened by media technologies such as microscopy, photography, film, and digital imaging; the legacies of colonialism and resource extraction; and environmental crisis across temporal and geographic scales. Objects to be discussed include natural history illustrations, survey photography, popular science film, and contemporary media art.
This course will include regular field trips to local collections, including Special Collections at the University of Minnesota Library, the Bell Museum of Natural History, the Weisman Art Museum, and Minneapolis Institute of Art. As final projects, students will have the option of developing a research paper, digital exhibition, or creative project. The language of instruction and readings will be in English, with additional reading assignments in German for interested students.
- Grading:
- 10% Visual Analysis Paper20% Research Dossier30% Final Projects (Essay, Digital Exhibition, or Creative Project)40% Participation and Weekly Online Posts
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/32677/1239
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 18 March 2023
Summer 2022 | GER 3651 Section 001: Thinking Environment: Green Culture, German Literature and Global Debates (87416)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Discussion
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- Student Option
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- Completely Online
- Class Attributes:
- UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
- Times and Locations:
- Regular Academic Session06/06/2022 - 07/15/2022Mon, Wed, Thu 10:10AM - 12:10PMOff CampusUMN REMOTE
- Enrollment Status:
- Open (10 of 25 seats filled)
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- How environmental thinking became social-political force through German literature/culture, with comparisons to global or U.S. developments. Authors include Goethe, Christa Wolf, Enzensberger.
- Class Description:
This course looks at how sustainability became part of mainstream culture in Europe. Known as the country of poets and thinkers, German artists and thinkers today have a reputation for being integral to Germany's role in environmental innovation. Public concern about environmental issues is driving social, political, and cultural change in German-speaking countries - Green party successes, renewable energy initiatives, and cradle-to-cradle design have deep historical roots.
We will explore how literary and non-fiction writing, film, and the arts have shaped German and European environmental thinking. While Romantic writers found inspiration in nature and German scientists pioneered principles of ecology, nationalistic glorification of nature was suspect after 1945, due to its negative association with National Socialism. More contemporarily, writers and other public intellectuals have been active in reshaping attitudes about environmentalism. In this course, frequent comparisons will be made with global developments and the U.S. Our starting point is Faust (by Goethe) and a contemporary novel about the early scientist Alexander von Humboldt. Other texts include a novella about Chernobyl, a graphic-format pamphlet, and media works.
- Who Should Take This Class?:
There are no prerequisites for the course: it is taught in English, with assignments in German for students who know the language.
- Learning Objectives:
German 3651 addresses three Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), and reinforces learning you accomplish related to other SLOs.
Master a body of knowledge and mode of inquiry: You will read, interpret, and appreciate many types of texts. Since careful reading lies at the heart of perceptive interpretation, your thinking will grow through varied assignments emphasizing close reading, visual analysis, and cultural literacy.
Communicate effectively: In this class, you will exercise communication skills applicable in many contexts (e.g., in other classes, personal communications, and work settings). We will engage in a variety of activities (e.g., large and small group discussions, informal and formal writing, and presentations) to discover the significance of literary texts. This work will strengthen your ability to articulate your views.
Understand the role of creativity, innovation, discovery, and expression across disciplines: We will explore the nature of creativity in literary expression by noticing the attention writers give to their artistic craft (e.g., word choice, imagery, and performative aspects) and exploring the creative dimensions of literary works through exercises and projects.
- Class Format:
- Remote on Zoom
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/87416/1225
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 17 February 2022
Fall 2020 | GER 3651 Section 001: Thinking Environment: Green Culture, German Literature and Global Debates (17590)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Discussion
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- Student Option
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- Completely Online
- Class Attributes:
- UMNTC Liberal Education RequirementOnline Course
- Meets With:
- GER 5651 Section 001
- Times and Locations:
- Regular Academic Session09/08/2020 - 12/16/2020Mon, Wed 11:15AM - 12:30PMOff CampusUMN REMOTE
- Enrollment Status:
- Open (36 of 55 seats filled)
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- How environmental thinking became social-political force through German literature/culture, with comparisons to global or U.S. developments. Authors include Goethe, Christa Wolf, Enzensberger.
- Class Notes:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?ether040+GER3651+Fall2020 This course is completely online in a synchronous format. The course will meet online at the scheduled times.
- Class Description:
- Known as the country of poets and thinkers, Germany today leads in environmental innovation. This course (taught in English, with assignments in German for students who know the language) looks at how sustainability became mainstream. We will explore how literary and non-fiction writing, film, and the arts shaped German environmental thinking. Public concern about environmental issues drives social, political, and cultural change in German-speaking countries now, but trends like Green party successes, renewable energy initiatives, and cradle-to-cradle design have deep historical roots. Sustainability concepts developed in early forestry practices, Romantic writers found inspiration in nature, and German scientists pioneered principles of ecology. After 1945 (due National Socialist glorification of nature), however, environmental activism was suspect. This course explores how the involvement of writers and other public intellectuals changed those attitudes. Frequent comparisons will be made with global developments (like the current migration crisis) and the U.S. Our starting point will be Faust (by Goethe) and a contemporary novel by Daniel Kehlmann about the early scientist Alexander von Humboldt. We will analyze a novella about the Chernobyl, a comic book, and other media. Course work will include an extended simulation project related to renewable energy. Graduate students will be asked to engage in more extensive assignments.
- Who Should Take This Class?:
- This course is open to graduate students and undergraduates using 5610 to satisfy the capstone/major project requirement in GSD. Capstone students will be asked either to produce an extended, research-based paper (approximately 15 pages in either English or German). Contact the instructor for further information. For fuller explanation about the course content, see GER 3651.
- Grading:
- 15% in-class presentation, 15% class participation, 15% mid-term exam, 30% papers, 25% final project
- Exam Format:
- Midterm exam: short-answer format
- Class Format:
- 40% Lecture
20% Film/Video
15% Discussion
15% Small Group Activities - Workload:
- 30-75 Pages Reading Per Week1 Exam2 Papers1 Presentation1 Special Project
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/17590/1209
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 29 March 2020
Fall 2019 | GER 3651 Section 001: Thinking Environment: Green Culture, German Literature and Global Debates (32831)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Discussion
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- Student Option
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- In Person Term Based
- Class Attributes:
- UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
- Meets With:
- GER 5651 Section 001
- Times and Locations:
- Regular Academic Session09/03/2019 - 12/11/2019Mon, Wed 01:00PM - 02:15PMUMTC, East BankPeik Hall 28
- Enrollment Status:
- Open (30 of 55 seats filled)
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- How environmental thinking became social-political force through German literature/culture, with comparisons to global or U.S. developments. Authors include Goethe, Christa Wolf, Enzensberger.
- Class Notes:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?melin005+GER3651+Fall2019
- Class Description:
- Known as the country of poets and thinkers, Germany today leads in environmental innovation. This course (taught in English, with assignments in German for students who know the language) looks at how sustainability became mainstream. We will explore how literary and non-fiction writing, film, and the arts shaped German environmental thinking. Public concern about environmental issues drives social, political, and cultural change in German-speaking countries now, but trends like Green party successes, renewable energy initiatives, and cradle-to-cradle design have deep historical roots. Sustainability concepts developed in early forestry practices, Romantic writers found inspiration in nature, and German scientists pioneered principles of ecology. After 1945 (due National Socialist glorification of nature), however, environmental activism was suspect. This course explores how the involvement of writers and other public intellectuals changed those attitudes. Frequent comparisons will be made with global developments (like the current migration crisis) and the U.S. Our starting point will be Faust (by Goethe) and a contemporary novel by Daniel Kehlmann about the early scientist Alexander von Humboldt. We will analyze a novella about the Chernobyl, a comic book, and other media. Course work will include an extended simulation project related to renewable energy. Graduate students will be asked to engage in more extensive assignments.
- Who Should Take This Class?:
- This course is open to graduate students and undergraduates using 5610 to satisfy the capstone/major project requirement in GSD. Capstone students will be asked either to produce an extended, research-based paper (approximately 15 pages in either English or German). Contact the instructor for further information. For fuller explanation about the course content, see GER 3651.
- Grading:
- 15% Midterm Exam30% Reports/Papers20% Special Projects20% In-class Presentations15% Class Participation
- Exam Format:
- Midterm exam: short-answer format
- Class Format:
- 40% Lecture
20% Film/Video
15% Discussion
15% Small Group Activities - Workload:
- 30-75 Pages Reading Per Week1 Exam2 Papers1 Presentation1 Special Project
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/32831/1199
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 3 May 2017
Spring 2019 | GER 3651 Section 001: Thinking Environment: Green Culture, German Literature and Global Debates (66230)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Discussion
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- Student Option
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- In Person Term Based
- Class Attributes:
- UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
- Meets With:
- GER 5651 Section 001
- Times and Locations:
- Regular Academic Session01/22/2019 - 05/06/2019Mon, Wed 01:00PM - 02:15PMUMTC, East BankNicholson Hall 125
- Enrollment Status:
- Open (34 of 60 seats filled)
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- How environmental thinking became social-political force through German literature/culture, with comparisons to global or U.S. developments. Authors include Goethe, Christa Wolf, Enzensberger.
- Class Description:
- Known as the country of poets and thinkers, Germany today leads in environmental innovation. This course (taught in English, with assignments in German for students who know the language) looks at how sustainability became mainstream. We will explore how literary and non-fiction writing, film, and the arts shaped German environmental thinking. Public concern about environmental issues drives social, political, and cultural change in German-speaking countries now, but trends like Green party successes, renewable energy initiatives, and cradle-to-cradle design have deep historical roots. Sustainability concepts developed in early forestry practices, Romantic writers found inspiration in nature, and German scientists pioneered principles of ecology. After 1945 (due National Socialist glorification of nature), however, environmental activism was suspect. This course explores how the involvement of writers and other public intellectuals changed those attitudes. Frequent comparisons will be made with global developments (like the current migration crisis) and the U.S. Our starting point will be Faust (by Goethe) and a contemporary novel by Daniel Kehlmann about the early scientist Alexander von Humboldt. We will analyze a novella about the Chernobyl, a comic book, and other media. Course work will include an extended simulation project related to renewable energy. Graduate students will be asked to engage in more extensive assignments.
- Who Should Take This Class?:
- This course is open to graduate students and undergraduates using 5610 to satisfy the capstone/major project requirement in GSD. Capstone students will be asked either to produce an extended, research-based paper (approximately 15 pages in either English or German). Contact the instructor for further information. For fuller explanation about the course content, see GER 3651.
- Grading:
- 15% Midterm Exam30% Reports/Papers20% Special Projects20% In-class Presentations15% Class Participation
- Exam Format:
- Midterm exam: short-answer format
- Class Format:
- 40% Lecture
20% Film/Video
15% Discussion
15% Small Group Activities - Workload:
- 30-75 Pages Reading Per Week1 Exam2 Papers1 Presentation1 Special Project
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/66230/1193
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 3 May 2017
Fall 2017 | GER 3651 Section 001: Thinking Environment: Green Culture, German Literature and Global Debates (34546)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Discussion
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- Student Option
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- In Person Term Based
- Class Attributes:
- UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
- Meets With:
- GER 5651 Section 001
- Times and Locations:
- Regular Academic Session09/05/2017 - 12/13/2017Tue, Thu 01:00PM - 02:15PMUMTC, East BankNicholson Hall 125
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- How environmental thinking became social-political force through German literature/culture, with comparisons to global or U.S. developments. Authors include Goethe, Christa Wolf, Enzensberger.
- Class Notes:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?melin005+GER3651+Fall2017
- Class Description:
- Known as the country of poets and thinkers, Germany today leads in environmental innovation. This course (taught in English, with assignments in German for students who know the language) looks at how sustainability became mainstream. We will explore how literary and non-fiction writing, film, and the arts shaped German environmental thinking. Public concern about environmental issues drives social, political, and cultural change in German-speaking countries now, but trends like Green party successes, renewable energy initiatives, and cradle-to-cradle design have deep historical roots. Sustainability concepts developed in early forestry practices, Romantic writers found inspiration in nature, and German scientists pioneered principles of ecology. After 1945 (due National Socialist glorification of nature), however, environmental activism was suspect. This course explores how the involvement of writers and other public intellectuals changed those attitudes. Frequent comparisons will be made with global developments (like the current migration crisis) and the U.S. Our starting point will be Faust (by Goethe) and a contemporary novel by Daniel Kehlmann about the early scientist Alexander von Humboldt. We will analyze a novella about the Chernobyl, a comic book, and other media. Course work will include an extended simulation project related to renewable energy. Graduate students will be asked to engage in more extensive assignments.
- Who Should Take This Class?:
- This course is open to graduate students and undergraduates using 5610 to satisfy the capstone/major project requirement in GSD. Capstone students will be asked either to produce an extended, research-based paper (approximately 15 pages in either English or German). Contact the instructor for further information. For fuller explanation about the course content, see GER 3651.
- Grading:
- 15% Midterm Exam30% Reports/Papers20% Special Projects20% In-class Presentations15% Class Participation
- Exam Format:
- Midterm exam: short-answer format
- Class Format:
- 40% Lecture
20% Film/Video
15% Discussion
15% Small Group Activities - Workload:
- 30-75 Pages Reading Per Week1 Exam2 Papers1 Presentation1 Special Project
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/34546/1179
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 3 May 2017
Spring 2016 | GER 3651 Section 001: Thinking Environment: Green Culture, German Literature and Global Debates (67395)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Discussion
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- Student Option
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- In Person Term Based
- Class Attributes:
- UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
- Meets With:
- GER 5610 Section 001
- Times and Locations:
- Regular Academic Session01/19/2016 - 05/06/2016Mon, Wed 01:00PM - 02:15PMUMTC, East BankFolwell Hall 12
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- How environmental thinking became social-political force through German literature/culture, with comparisons to global or U.S. developments. Authors include Goethe, Christa Wolf, Enzensberger.
- Class Notes:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?melin005+GER3651+Spring2016
- Class Description:
- Known as the country of poets and thinkers, Germany today leads in environmental innovation. This course (taught in English, with assignments in German for students who know the language) looks at how sustainability became mainstream. We will explore how literary and non-fiction writing, film, and the arts shaped German environmental thinking. Public concern about environmental issues drives social, political, and cultural change in German-speaking countries now, but trends like Green party successes, renewable energy initiatives, and cradle-to-cradle design have deep historical roots. Sustainability concepts developed in early forestry practices, Romantic writers found inspiration in nature, and German scientists pioneered principles of ecology. After 1945 (due National Socialist glorification of nature), however, environmental activism was suspect. This course explores how the involvement of writers and other public intellectuals changed those attitudes. Frequent comparisons will be made with global developments (like the current migration crisis) and the U.S. Our starting point will be Faust (by Goethe) and a contemporary novel by Daniel Kehlmann about the early scientist Alexander von Humboldt. We will analyze a novella about the Chernobyl, a comic book, and other media. Course work will include an extended simulation project related to renewable energy. Graduate students will be asked to engage in more extensive assignments.
- Grading:
- 15% Midterm Exam30% Reports/Papers20% Special Projects20% In-class Presentations15% Class Participation
- Exam Format:
- Midterm exam: short-answer format
- Class Format:
- 40% Lecture
20% Film/Video
15% Discussion
15% Small Group Activities - Workload:
- 30-75 Pages Reading Per Week1 Exam2 Papers1 Presentation1 Special Project
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/67395/1163
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 28 October 2015
Fall 2013 | GER 3651 Section 001: Thinking Environment: Green Culture, German Literature and Global Debates (34972)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Discussion
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- Student Option
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- In Person Term Based
- Meets With:
- GER 5610 Section 002
- Times and Locations:
- Regular Academic Session09/03/2013 - 12/11/2013Mon, Wed 11:15AM - 12:30PMUMTC, East BankFolwell Hall 112
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- How environmental thinking became social-political force through German literature/culture, with comparisons to global or U.S. developments. Authors include Goethe, Christa Wolf, Enzensberger.
- Class Description:
- Known as the country of poets and thinkers, Germany is claiming the title of land of ideas for environmental innovation. This course (taught in English, with assignments in German for students who know the language) looks at how sustainability became mainstream, proposing that German literature and culture, exploring how literary and non-fiction writing, film, and the arts helped reshape environmental imagination. Public concern about environmental issues drives social, political, and cultural change in German-speaking countries today, a trend visible in the success of the Green party, plans to decommission nuclear power plants, and cradle-to-cradle design. The origins of this movement have deep historical roots in German culture. Notions of sustainability developed around early forestry practice and writers, like the Romantics, found inspiration in the natural sublime. Later, important German scientific discoveries fundamentally defined environmental inquiry. After 1945 (and National Socialist glorification of nature), however, environmental activism lagged behind. This course explores how the involvement of writers, artists, film makers, and other public intellectuals helped connect the components necessary for sustainability to succeed (economy, society, and environment). Frequent comparisons will be made with global developments, particularly the U.S. Our starting point will be Faust (by Goethe) and a contemporary novel by Daniel Kehlmann about the early scientist Alexander von Humboldt. We will also read a novella about the Chernobyl, excerpts from a science fiction novel, and analyze films and other media. Course work will include a simulation focused on the turn to renewable energy. Graduate students will be asked to engage in more extensive assignments.
- Grading:
- 15% Midterm Exam
30% Reports/Papers
20% Special Projects
20% In-class Presentations
15% Class Participation - Exam Format:
- Midterm exam: short-answer format.
- Class Format:
- 40% Lecture
20% Film/Video
15% Discussion
15% Small Group Activities - Workload:
- 30-75 Pages Reading Per Week
1 Exam(s)
2 Paper(s)
1 Presentation(s)
1 Special Project(s) - Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/34972/1139
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 10 April 2013
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