Learning Communities

Course Offerings

See past course listings: Fall 2009Summer 2009Spring 2009Fall 2008
Spring 2008Fall 2007

 

In Learning Communities courses, professors team teach and connect the concepts of their disciplines under a common theme or question. You receive credit for each class as if you were taking traditional classes thus transfer and graduation/transfer credits are met.

For example:
Telling Stories = Psychology + English = 6 credit hours!

You can search for learning communities in the e-schedule by searching for “Learning Communities” under Attribute Type.

Course Offerings for Spring 2010

 

Course Offerings at:
Central Park CampusPreston Ridge CampusSpring Creek Campus

 

Central Park Campus

What About Tarzan, Mogli, and Wolfboys? Thinking and Learning in Words

CRN: 20083 COURSE #1: PSYC-2301.C06 INSTRUCTOR: Michael Rose DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MW 8:00 - 9:15 AM
CRN: 20146 COURSE #2: ENGL-1302.C08 INSTRUCTOR: Sonja Andrus
DAY: TIME COURSE #2: MW 9:30 - 10:45 AM

This learning community will afford students the unique opportunity to explore linguistics as an organizing theme for the combination of ENGL 1301 and PSYC 2301 courses. At the most basic level, students will be able to meet core requirements for the AA degree by taking this combined course. Unlike the individual course experiences, however, students of this learning community will not only be challenged to construct written arguments, but they will also be expected to understand and articulate the biopsychosocial bases of successful writing. They will be guided through a practical application of psychological theory to discourse and composition.
Contact: mrose@CCCCD.EDU or sandrus@CCCCD.EDU

U.S History and the Environment

CRN: 20072 COURSE #1: HIST-1302.C02 INSTRUCTOR: Thomas Pickens DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MWF 9:00 - 9:50 AM
CRN: 24047 COURSE #2: ENVR-1401.C01 INSTRUCTOR: Brett Burkett DAY: TIME COURSE #2: MW 9:30 - 10:45 AM
CRN: 24540 LAB: ENVR-1401.C1L INSTRUCTOR: Sonja Andrus DAY: TIME LAB: F 12:00 - 2:50 PM

The development of the United States since reconstruction was due in large part to the environmental characteristics of our nation. The very position of the United States on the globe and its shape controls its particular climate, the indigenous plants and animals, and the potential viability of introduced species, and all have worked together to influence colonization, the industrial revolution, slavery, consumerism, even the Civil War. At the same time, many of the developments of the late 19th and 20th centuries profoundly affected the environment – and our views of it.  Far from being passive and unchanging as many have considered nature and its effects on history, this learning community explores the interconnections between historical events and environmental influences.
Contact: tpickens@CCCCD.EDU or bburkett@CCCCD.EDU


Back To Top

Preston Ridge Campus

Telling Stories

CRN: 24139 COURSE #1: PSYC-2301.P12 INSTRUCTOR: Salena Brody
CRN: 22501 COURSE #2: ENGL-1301.P03 INSTRUCTOR: Karen Hayden
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MWF 10:00-10:50 AM
TIME COURSE #2: MWF 11:00-11:50 AM

How many times have you complained “I have nothing to write about?” Your problems could be solved by enrolling in the learning community “Telling Stories” which pairs English 1301 and Psychology 2301. Students will explore psychological topics such as Stress & Health, the Brain, Disorders, Drugs, Therapy, and Gender in their writing. Class time will also be devoted to exploring the concept of “telling stories” through film. Students will sharpen their analytical skills watching the film Awakenings through a neuroscience lens and will have opportunities to discuss issues of gender and psychological dysfunction critiquing films such as Girl, Interrupted and But I’m a Cheerleader.
Contact: sbrody@ccccd.edu or khayden@ccccd.edu

“Let’s Talk About Sex”: The Politics of Gender and Sexuality in Society

CRN: 21643 COURSE #1: GOVT-2302.P05 INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Debra St. John
CRN: 21647 COURSE #2: SOCI-1301.P04 INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Tracey McKenzie
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MW 9:00-10:15 AM
TIME COURSE #2: MW 10:30-11:45 AM

In this course, we will examine a number of the most politically and sociologically significant debates regarding gender and sexuality. The issues covered will include the following: gender socialization and stratification; discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation; reproductive rights; the regulation of pornography; same-sex marriage; sexual harassment in the workplace; and the right to sexual privacy.
Contact: dstjohn@ccccd.edu or tmckenzie@ccccd.edu

The Chemistry of YOU!

CRN: 22421 COURSE #1: BIOL-1406.P03 INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Amy Helms
CRN: 22927 COURSE #2: PHIL-1412.P01 INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Dawn Richardson
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MW 11:30 - 12:45 PM
TIME COURSE #2: MW 10:00-11:15 AM
RECITATION: M 1:00-1:50 PM

The disciplines of Biology and Chemistry are inextricably linked and essential for studying life. This course focuses on the study of chemical processes that are associated with living organisms at the molecular level. It takes many different types of molecules to make up the even tiniest living cell. Think about how many kinds of molecules and then cells, tissues and organs are required to make YOU. For centuries, people have been obsessed with understanding and explaining “life.” Life at all physiological levels is rooted in chemistry. “The Chemistry of YOU” will utilize chemistry to take a close look at the makeup and function of biological organisms.
Contact: ahelms@ccccd.edu or drichardson@ccccd.edu

Dissecting History: The Interaction Between Science and Society

CRN: 24141 COURSE #1: BIOL-1408.P01 INSTRUCTOR: Sukanya Subramanian
CRN: 24140 COURSE #2: HIST-1302.P17 INSTRUCTOR: Brett Adams
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MW 10:00-11:15 AM
TIME COURSE #2: MW 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM

This Learning Community will explore the social and historical context of scientific discovery. It will investigate how science and scientific discoveries have altered American politics, diplomacy, culture and religion and conversely how those have influenced the direction of scientific investigation. Using biology as the representative science the class will investigate this interaction between science and history using case studies such as the impact of Social Darwinism, the Scopes Trial, the eugenics movement, the development of modern vaccines, the “pill,” stem cell research, etc.
Contact: ssubramanian@ccccd.edu or badams@ccccd.edu

Unknown Products: The Algebra of Chemistry

CRN: 24142 COURSE #1: CHEM-1405.P04 INSTRUCTOR: John Hardesty
CRN: 24143 COURSE #2: MATH-1314.P13 INSTRUCTOR: Bill Ardis
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: TR 11:30-12:45 PM
TIME COURSE #2: TR 10:00-11:15 AM
RECITATION: R 1:00-1:50 PM

“The Laws of nature are written in the language of mathematics,” attributed to Galileo. As the spirit of Galileo’s statement implies, mathematics plays a crucial role in describing relationships within all of the sciences, whether modeling a falling object in physics or describing the chance of inheriting a certain trait in biology. In chemistry, mathematics is used to describe and model a variety of phenomena including: summarizing mass relationships in chemical reactions, expressing energy relationships between reactants and products, modeling the behavior of gases/ liquids/solids/solutions, modeling systems in chemical equilibrium, and measuring physical properties such as pH. In 2000, the National Academy of Sciences published the report Strengthening the Linkage Between the Sciences and the Mathematical Sciences and one of their recommendations was that institutions implement “…cooperative programs between the sciences and the mathematical sciences.” This learning community will integrate the language of mathematics (specifically algebra) with the fundamental theories of chemical science to explain and model chemical phenomena. This learning community will be especially appealing to students that have no prior chemistry background (and thus must take CHEM 1405 – Introduction to Chemistry) and that must also take MATH 1314 – College Algebra (the prerequisite for taking CHEM 1411 – General Chemistry I).
Contact: bardis@ccccd.edu or jhardesty@ccccd.edu

America: Under the Influence

CRN: 22645 COURSE #1: ENGL-1302.P15 INSTRUCTOR: Lauryn Angel-Cann
CRN: 21209 COURSE #2: HIST-1302.P13 INSTRUCTOR: Wendy Gunderson
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: TR 10:00 - 11:15 AM
TIME COURSE #2: TR 11:30 - 12:45 PM

This course addresses United States History (Reconstruction to the present) through the prism of popular culture. We will examine how “pop” culture has both impacted our society and been influenced by historical events and interpretations of that history. The course covers the history and literature from the latter part of the nineteenth century through today. Students will learn the issues, conflicts, social and literary movements that have shaped our country by analyzing their own perspective of “pop” culture. Students will have an opportunity to explore their own biases and values through their perceptions of changing trends.
Contact: lacann@CCCCD.EDU or wgunderson@CCCCD.EDU

Fight for a Republic: Centuries of Citizenship, Birth and Disputes of the Constitution

CRN: 21555 COURSE #1: GOVT-2301.P11 INSTRUCTOR: Karen Stewart
CRN: 21562 COURSE #2: HIST-1301.P13 INSTRUCTOR: Nicole Coffelt
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: TR 1:00 - 2:15 PM
TIME COURSE #2: TR 2:30 - 3:45 PM

This course examines the conception, interpretation and disputes of the constitution and its Amendments by focusing on the policies and attitudes of historical figures from Colonial America through the Civil War.
Contact: kstewart@CCCCD.EDU or ncoffelt@CCCCD.EDU

We Are What We Eat

CRN: 22357 COURSE #1: BIOL-2402.P03 INSTRUCTOR: A. Shaham-Albalancy
CRN: 24572 COURSE #2: BIOL-1322.P04 INSTRUCTOR: Amy Chen

How does your meal being digested supply energy? How are fat and your hormones associated? Why do you need to have sodium in your diet – but not too much? How does your body work? What do you eat to stay healthy? How do nutrients improve the physiological functions of your body? How do you train for health and eat to boost performance? This learning community is designed to answer these questions and more by combining two different but highly related disciplines – General Nutrition and Anatomy and Physiology II.
Contact: aalbalancy@CCCCD.EDU or achen@CCCCD.EDU



Back To Top


Spring Creek Campus

Sensational Trials in Modern American History: Lizzie, Manson, OJ, and More

CRN: 24028 COURSE #1: CRIJ-1301.S01 INSTRUCTOR: David Marble
CRN: 20850 COURSE #2: HIST-1302.S08 INSTRUCTOR: Matthew Coulter
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MWF 10:00-10:50 AM
TIME COURSE #2: MWF 11:00-11:50 AM

“Sensational Trials in Modern American History: Lizzie, Manson, O. J., and More” takes a series of important trials as starting points from which to explore important concepts in American History and Criminal Justice. For example, analysis of the Lindberg kidnapping case illustrates the growing impact of media sensationalism in the 1920’s; the Scottsboro trial (1931) allows for consideration of the role of juries, legal representation, and the impact of racism in America; the Rosenberg trial (1951) illustrates the issues of the Cold War as well as moral dimensions of the death penalty; Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) and Miranda v. Arizona (1966) provide insights into changing social attitudes during the 1960’s as well as evolving practices of law enforcement. The course will also consider historical and criminal justice questions raised in the JFK Assassination and the O. J. Simpson Trial.
Contact: dmarble@ccccd.edu or mcoulter@ccccd.edu

Raising Polly Nomial

CRN: 24018 COURSE #1: TECA-1354.S02 INSTRUCTOR: Leda Cott
CRN: 24618 COURSE #2: MATH-1314.S08 INSTRUCTOR: Tom Mobley
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MWF 10:00-10:50 AM
TIME COURSE #2: MWF 11:00-11:50 AM

Raising Polly Nomial is a learning community that combines TECA1354, Child Development, and MATH 1314, College Algebra, in an experiential, hands-on learning environment. Students will learn about Child Development and College Algebra by doing and demonstrating in a supportive environment.
Contact: lcott@ccccd.edu or tmobley@ccccd.edu

Deep Impact: Exploring Media Influences on Human Development

CRN: 24019 COURSE #1: TECA-1354.S03 INSTRUCTOR: Sharon Hirschy
CRN: 21790 COURSE #2: PSYC-2314.S01 INSTRUCTOR: Jennifer Brooks
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MW 10:00-11:15 AM
TIME COURSE #2: MW 11:30-12:45 PM

Watching television, surfing the net, and playing video games for roughly five-and-a-half-hours a day is typical for children ages two to 18. It is commonplace for children to multitask, “engaging in more than one media-related activity at the same time” (Clay, 2003). How does media use affect emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development in children? What about media’s affect on adults? This course will explore the impact of media, such as television and movies, video games, the internet, and music on human development.
Contact: shirschy@ccccd.edu or jbrooks@ccccd.edu

Writers and Ruins: Paintings and Poets

CRN: 21483 COURSE #1: HUMA-1301.S16 INSTRUCTOR: Dallie Clark
CRN: 22669 COURSE #2: ENGL-1302.S25 INSTRUCTOR: Scott Yarbrough
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MW 2:30-3:45 PM
TIME COURSE #2: MW 4:00-5:15 PM

Alfred North Whitehead once said that “[a]rt flourishes where there is a sense of adventure.” Learning, too, flourishes where there is a sense of adventure. Thus, this dual credit course is not only about adventure but will be an adventure. This course will take students on an imaginary journey through time and place from the ancient world to modern times. On the way, students will experience the adventures of men and women as immortalized in the art, music, and literature of times past and present. Students will learn how to analyze and recognize the uniting features of visual and performing arts, music, architecture, and literature, as well as begin to understand the artistic journey of inspiration, creation, and human expression. Students will also learn how to recognize and interpret the key genres of literature, including poetry, drama and short fiction, as well as the key elements of other artistic mediums, while developing critical thinking, research, and writing skills essential for all college classes. Join us on a journey of journeys, a course in which we will explore the adventures of individuals and nations as captured in the art and literature of the past and of the present. Learn more about the world; learn more about art and literature; learn more about yourself. Note: This course will meet the requirements for both Huma1301 and Eng1302.
Contact: dclark@ccccd.edu or syarbrough@ccccd.edu

Logic and Language: Math and Reading for the Millennium

CRN: 24366 COURSE #1: MATH-0305.S17 INSTRUCTOR: Rashid Ansari
CRN: 23967 COURSE #2: READ-0305.S05 INSTRUCTOR: Pamela Sawyer
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: TR 8:30-9:45 AM
TIME COURSE #2: TR 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

This course will explore the common bond between logic and language. Students will read mysteries and solve math problems at the same time. As a recent TV series stated, “We use math to solve mysteries every day.” We will be discovering the connection between reading and math for the entire semester.
Contact: ransari@ccccd.edu or psawyer@ccccd.edu

Teaching as a Creative Art: Classrooms, Communication, and Community

CRN: 24021 COURSE #1: EDUC-1301.S01 INSTRUCTOR: Elaine Wilkinson
CRN: 22248 COURSE #2: SPCH-1315.S07 INSTRUCTOR: Ralph Long
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: TR 10:00-11:15 AM
TIME COURSE #2: TR 11:30-12:45 PM

This course is an introductory study of practice, analysis, and presentation within school cultures, classroom understanding that teachers are communicators. We will explore the relationship of self in professionalism, nonverbal behaviors and cultural variations, while blending technology, observations, delivery and ethical applications. The student will explore the theories of American Education and competent communication. Through oral presentations, delivery methods, and evaluation skills, the course will develop competent and confident teachers for dynamic classrooms.
Contact: ewilkinson@ccccd.edu or rlong@ccccd.edu

Arguing Politics

CRN: 22923 COURSE #1: ENGL-1302.S39 INSTRUCTOR: Kay Mizell
CRN: 20566 COURSE #2: GOVT-2302.S21 INSTRUCTOR: Betsy Brody
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: TR 10:00-11:15 AM
TIME COURSE #2: TR 11:30-12:45 PM

This course explores key concepts in American politics through the lens of Rhetoric, paying particular attention to the ways that political actors, the media, and the public frame critical issues. Students will be encouraged to think critically about questions of civil rights, civil liberties, social welfare policy, immigration, security, foreign policy, globalization, and the war on terror by exploring different perspectives on these issues which animate contemporary American democracy. The centrality of political rhetoric in a democracy will be examined as well as the value of trust in sustaining the body politic.
Contact: kmizell@ccccd.edu or bbrody@ccccd.edu

Navigating and Understanding the Social World Throughout One’s Life-Span

CRN: 21911 COURSE #1: SOCI-1301.S12 INSTRUCTOR: Larry Stern
CRN: 21861 COURSE #2: PSYC-2314.S03 INSTRUCTOR: Barbara Lusk
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: TR 10:00-11:15 AM
TIME COURSE #2: TR 11:30-12:45 PM

We will explore various aspects of the human condition from birth to death from the overlapping yet distinct perspectives of sociology and psychology. Over the life span, how do individuals develop within different social contexts? What biological predispositions, psychological dynamics, and social factors ultimately shape the individual over time? We shall explore various topics, such as parenting styles and socialization processes, coming of age stories, parental, sibling, peer, and cultural conflict, personal and societal tensions and contradictions, issues based on age/race/gender, and social justice.
Contact: lstern@ccccd.edu or blusk@ccccd.edu

Music: Science and Literature

CRN: 24623 COURSE #1: MUSI-1307.S01 INSTRUCTOR: Kimberly Harris
CRN: 23135 COURSE #2: PHYS-1410.S01 INSTRUCTOR: Greg Sherman
CRN: 23135 COURSE #2: PHYS-1410.S1L INSTRUCTOR: Greg Sherman
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: TR 1:00 - 2:15 PM
TIME COURSE #2: TR 2:30 - 3:45 PM LAB: T 8:30 - 11:20 AM

This course will explore the physics governing production, transmission, and perception of sound through the study of selected works in music literature from major periods of music history. One focus of the course will be the investigation of the physical characteristics of sound and music as related to musical styles, forms, and composers from the Medieval period to the present. The course will incorporate laboratory exercises and guided listening experiences as important enhancements to lecture material.
Contact: kharris@ccccd.edu or gsherman@ccccd.edu

Businomics: Modern Business and the Economic Environment

CRN: 21885 COURSE #1: BUSI-1301.S04 INSTRUCTOR: Mark Clark
CRN: 22824 COURSE #2: ECON-2302.S05 INSTRUCTOR: Clay Randall
DAY: TIME COURSE #1: MW 1:00 - 2:15 PM
TIME COURSE #2: MW 2:30 - 3:45 PM

Blending Principles of Microeconomics and Business, students will be exposed to theoretical and empirical environments of modern markets.
Contact: mclark@ccccd.edu or crandall@ccccd.edu



Back To Top