A Water-Humanities Integration Project

FAIN: AKA-265758-19

University of Wisconsin, Whitewater (Whitewater, WI 53190-1705)
Susan Huss-Lederman (Project Director: October 2018 to September 2020)
Prajakti Bhattacharyya (Project Director: September 2020 to present)
Prajakti Bhattacharyya (Co Project Director: March 2019 to present)
Marjorie Rhine (Co Project Director: February 2021 to present)

Planning for an interdisciplinary general education pathway focused on the study of fresh water.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UW-W) and the College of Integrated Studies (CIS) request funds to enhance and augment an existing sequence of core courses to provide a thematic curricular pathway in the undergraduate, general education curriculum. The Water-Humanities Integration Project (WHIP) will connect the humanities more intentionally with social and natural sciences to examine the importance of freshwater in Wisconsin and elsewhere. WHIP will develop team-taught courses that include course-based, experiential learning opportunities in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences at UW-W and the CIS. The CIS recently merged with UW-W; this project will foster more intentional ties between the two campuses and help create a more seamless transfer experience. New courses, including a domestic travel-study, will be developed.

Associated Products

WHIP Winterim Workshop (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: WHIP Winterim Workshop
Author: susan Huss-Lederman
Author: Prajukti Bhattacharyya
Author: Marjorie Rhine
Author: John Frye
Author: Dale Splinter
Author: Elena Levy-Navarro
Author: Ted Witt
Abstract: Anticipated Workshop Outcomes: 1 Course development plans (proposals for new courses/modifications of existing courses (with schedule of necessary work for submitting course proposals through curriculum committees 2 Travel study proposal timeline, including approximate budget information for site visits 3 Ideas for collaboration with speakers who are coming in 4 Possibly "float" Celebration of Teaching and Learning workshop in May
Date Range: January 14-16, 2020
Location: UW Whitewater Rock County Campus

Creating Compelling Stories of Water, Land and Family (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Creating Compelling Stories of Water, Land and Family
Author: Juk Bhattacharyya
Author: Marjorie E. Rhine
Abstract: This presentation shares how two faculty members developed assignments based on ArcGIS story-maps after grant travel plans, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, were quashed by Covid-19 restrictions. Unable to explore sites for domestic travel-study, we sought alternative ways to create experiential learning around freshwater issues. We developed digital story-map assignments using ArcGIS, a software that allows dynamic ways to visualize geographical statistics but also allows students to create compelling stories to relay research findings. By creating a visually appealing story combining narrative, photographs, maps and video links, students are immersed in a high-impact learning experience, challenged to translate their newly acquired knowledge to a wider, public audience. This presentation shares how we developed, scaffolded and assessed ArcGIS story-map assignments in Freshman Composition and an Environmental Geology course.
Date: 04/09/21
Primary URL: https://www.wisconsin.edu/spring-conference/download/OPID-2021-Spring-Conference-Program.pdf

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