Landscapes of the Mind

For students and non-students alike.

Interested in Yellowstone's volcanoes? Always wanted to try your hand at dinosaur paleontology? Determined to learn more about Montana's history?

Landscapes of the Mind, a program created by the College of Letters & Science (L&S) and co-sponsored by Burns Telecom Center, offers these opportunities and more to students and non-students through a new series of unique summer workshops. Topics span the subjects of L&S disciplines and include weekend learning experiences (credit optional) as well as intriguing one-day learning adventures. Join world-class researchers and outstanding teachers for a mini-vacation, an enjoyable way to earn an extra credit, or just as an opportunity to expand your learning landscape.

For registration information, contact:

Burns Telecom Center
204 Culbertson Hall
(406) 994-6683
E-mail: outreach@montana.edu
http://cls.wilson.montana.edu/summer.htm

WEEKEND LEARNING EXPERIENCES (One credit optional)

Mining Town Women
HIST 280, Sec. 01, June 10-12
Delve into women's experiences in western mining communities through reading, discussion, and a one-day field trip to Virginia City. Mary Murphy, History professor and winner of the Montana Book Award 2003 for Hope in Hard Times: New Deal Photographs of Montana, introduces you to the work and family lives of miners' wives and daughters, the experiences of prostitutes, and the creative spark that mining-town life engendered in female writers like Mary MacLane, Anne Ellis and Mary Ronan.

Law and Order in the Old West
SOC 280, Sec. 01, June 17-19
Join Jason Clark-Miller, Sociology professor who specializes in criminology and social movements, on a trip to Virginia City/Bannock to explore the myths about lawlessness and violence in the American Old West in their historical setting. This workshop will scrutinize these stories through the lens of contemporary scholarship in criminology and historical sociology, and emphasize the many forms of social control employed by western communities to promote social order.

Dinosaur Paleontology at Egg Mountain
GEOL 280, Sec. 01, June 24-26
Frankie Jackson, a well-published dinosaur enthusiast and Museum of the Rockies research scientist, introduces you to the geology and paleontology of the Two Medicine Formation near Choteau, Montana, in a unique, two-day field experience. Explore the Egg Mountain fossil locality and find out how paleontologists use fossils, rocks, extant animals and modern environments to formulate interpretations about the past. No previous experience is necessary to register for this course, which will teach you how to differentiate between fossils, understand depositional environments, and gain a better understanding of Montana's pre-history.

Super Volcanoes
of Yellowstone National Park
GEOL 280, Sec. 02, July 22-24
Todd Feeley, Geology professor who has studied active, extinct and erupting volcanoes all over the world, takes you on a two-day field excursion to Yellowstone National Park and Island Park, Idaho, to explore the history of volcanic activity in this amazing region. Examine the history of volcanic activity in the area, the spectrum of volcanic products and features, and proposed explanations for the origin of large-scale volcanism in the region. Non-geologists will be treated to explanations designed to help everyone appreciate one of the most spectacular volcanic regions on Earth.

ONE-DAY LEARNING ADVENTURES (Non-credit)

Western Women Writers
June 4
What difference does gender make in producing regional writing? Investigate how western women writers depict the American West and how their depictions contrast with the popular image of the area as a wild space and an antidote to modernization and urbanization. Susan Kollin, author of Nature's State: Imagining Alaska as the Last Frontier, will also take you on an afternoon outing to Livingston, where you will meet with local Montana author Diane Smith and discuss the future of western writing by women.

Shakespeare and Power
June 25
Join fellow Shakespeareans at Montana's Shakespeare in the Parks for a one-day encounter with Taming of the Shrew, one of the playwright's most popular comedies. This learning adventure includes an exclusive meeting with the director Joel Jahnke and cast members, who will share their insights and offer a peak into the production. English professor and Shakespeare expert Sharon Beehler will accompany you to the evening's play and provide historical and literary background about Shakespeare's themes of power as food for discussion.

Terroir and the Geology of Wine
July 9
Discover the geological secrets of wine-making in a learning adventure with Geology professor and wine aficionado Dave Lageson. Learn about the complex interaction of geology, climate, weather, soil, culture and time, and how they all affect the flavor and texture of wine. This course includes a field trip to study the geology of the Bozeman area and concludes with late afternoon wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres at a local venue.

Railways Under the Big Sky
July 16
Let Dale Martin guide you through the growth and operations of the rail network and its crucial role in the development of Montana's economy, government and society. Martin, a railway enthusiast and History instructor who has been watching and riding trains on four continents, will cover the topic of railway work and life during a field trip to Livingston, where evidence of the nearly century-long dominance of the Northern Pacific Railway is still visually prominent in the town's landscape.