Natural and Cultural History of the American Southwest

Catalog description

This course will examine the geography of the American Southwest. Emphasis will be placed on the physical, historical, social, natural, and cultural geography of this region. Topics include: geologic formation of the Grand Canyon, the animals of the Southwest, Native American cultures, and socioeconomic problems of the region. This course requires a field trip with associated fees to the region during spring break. Students will have the opportunity to observe animals in the Grand Canyon and Kartchner Caverns, to visit the Navajo Nation, and to analyze the differences between the natural geography and organisms of the Southwest and New England. In addition, we will visit cultural sites such as Montezuma Castle Native American ruins, Jerome ghost town and historic mine, and Canyon De Chelly; see significant natural sites such as Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest; and visit communities that illustrate important regional differences within our country.