GS 1001 - Freshman Studies I

4 lecture hours 0 lab hours 4 credits

Course Description
This course emphasizes close reading of “texts,” including not only printed material but also art, photographs, maps, film, music, and other documents. At the same time, this course requires students to shift focus from the “micro” level of a text to the “macro” level of its context in a way that allows them to understand a problem in terms of the larger system(s) of which it is part. Critical thinking skills are developed as students interpret and synthesize these “micro” and “macro” elements of text and context. Similarly, personal growth is encouraged as students make connections between course material and their own experiences, beliefs, and values. A primary course focus will be rhetorical strategies for communicating ideas clearly, concisely, and correctly. Students will engage in some form of civic activity in the form of experiential learning that involves the larger community and society outside of MSOE. Thematic subject matter varies by instructor. Note: Students cannot earn credit for both GS 1001 and EN 131. (prereq: none)

Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Demonstrate familiarity with contemporary social issues, cultural perspectives, and historical perspectives
Communicate information, ideas, and results via written means
Demonstrate aesthetic engagement through exposure to literature, philosophy, and the arts
Demonstrate expectations of responsible citizenship (civic engagement)
Demonstrate understanding of how knowledge is derived in the humanities and social sciences
Exercise critical thinking skills in an interdisciplinary context
Demonstrate understanding of basic documentation and citation of sources

Prerequisites by Topic

None

Course Topics

Introduction to the disciplines of the humanities and social sciences (2 classes)
Discussion of rhetorical concepts and the role of synthesis as a meaning-making tool in the humanities (2 classes)
Tour of Grohmann Museum and/or other cultural institutions (1 class)
Student analysis and discussion of art (2 classes)
Classroom activities/discussions, film viewing, field trips, etc., exploring subject materials related to the selected course topic-for example, “sustainability,” “globalization,” etc. (10 classes)
Analysis and interpretation of assigned readings from course texts, including rhetorical analysis of texts (10 classes)
Discussion/exercises on research methods in the humanities and social sciences (2 classes)
Writing workshops (10 classes)

Coordinator
Katherine Wikoff

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GS 1001 - Freshman Studies I