Metadata

Secondary Title(s): 

Tutorial, Fall 2000

School: 

Grinnell College

Language: 

English

Record Type: 

Syllabus

Identifier:

oai:dspace.lasrworks.org:10349/946

Creator: 

Rommereim, John Christian

Publisher: 

Grinnell College

The goals of this course are: 1) to develop your skills in the areas of critical thinking, writing, and oral communication. 2) to integrate you fully into the college environment by providing you with advice regarding your course of study and other necessary assistance. Although the subject matter is expansive and interesting in its own right, we should remember that the readings are not an end to themselves, but are intended to be a springboard to facilitate the development of your skills. We will consider the impact of Darwin's thought in four areas: 1) the relationship between science and religion, 2) the question of design in nature, 3) current scientific understanding of the origin of life on earth (and related questions regarding extra-terrestrial life), and 4) application of Darwin's ideas to questions regarding human nature. For each reading assignment, you will be given a set of study questions. The questions are intended to help you read more actively and to absorb the material more fully. You should come to class prepared to answer the questions. The more thoroughly you are prepared for class, the more fruitful and interesting our discussions are likely to be. At various times, you will also be asked to submit questions to the internet discussion forum, and to submit responses to other students' questions. In addition to discussion of the regular readings, we will set aside a few minutes of each class session for short studies in grammar and logic. For the most part, these short units will rely on mini-lectures and handouts, so they won't require homework preparation. Toward the end of the semester, we will apply what we have learned as we evaluate the arguments given in various writings.