Welcome to the Learning Community "Oil and Water." This two-course offering at Wofford College (Spartanburg, SC) integrates a 3-hour freshman Humanities seminar with a 4-hour science course for non-science majors. Two faculty members, Biologist Ellen Goldey and English Professor, John Lane, and two undergraduate "preceptors" design and implement this learning community. A student enrolled in one of these courses is also enrolled in the other. From the topics of "oil and water" emerge complex scientific, historical, cultural, sociological, political, etc. issues that we will explore. Students will experience an active learning environment, and almost every Thursday will be spent "in the field" (see links below under "Thursday Field Experiences with scenes from prior years.").

Some Thursday Field Experiences

Exploring our local "Learning Landscape" Other scenes from Lawsons Fork, More	Macroinvertebrates and the eye of an artist.... Other scenes	"Fountains and Fonts"
Lake Jocassee Voyage		Week 6: "Meet the Creek" outreach with 5th graders from Chapman Elementary School! Pictures from 2003 Pictures from 2002
Rafting the mighty Chattooga River and learning about the river's geology.	Lake Conestee We learn what the Conestee Foundation is fighting for... Additional scenes	Wastewater Treatment Plant (where our sewage goes!) Lake Blalock Water Filtration Plant (where our drinking water comes from!) (a student's tribute to wastewater workers!)
We hosted a Writers' Panel: "Write the Coast or Write It Off"	Our journey to the Belle Baruch Institute for Marine Ecology and Coastal Research	Exploring the Congaree River Swamp with Rudy Mancke!

Extramural funding for this this learning community has included support from the Spartanburg Water System and Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District and the National Science Foundation, the latter as part of a broader freshman learning communities initiative supported by CCLI grant 0126788. To download a AAS-NSF book chapter about our program, click here.

Return to Dr. Ellen Goldey's Home Page.

 

 

Additional web sites of interest

The Palmetto Conservation Foundation

South Carolina Rivers Organizations

The Waterfalls of South Carolina!

See a write-up on the book: The Waterfalls of South Carolina

Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN)