SCS | Think Again Spring 2010 Schedule of Classes

Spring 2010 course registration is now available. Visit ActiveNet to establish an account.

History

At Gettysburg with Lee's Army
In the spring of 1863, the Confederates of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia seemed invincible. Following his stunning victory over his Union adversaries at Chancellorsville in May, Lee took his army north, into Pennsylvania. This course, which meets on five consecutive Monday nights, explores the reasons behind the Pennsylvania campaign, the circumstances that led to the bloody clash near the small town of Gettysburg, and the impact of this 3-day battle on the outcome of the Civil War. The instructor will provide a suggested reading list prior to the class, and will also provide useful handouts during class.

Dates: Monday, Mar 1-Mar 29
Time: 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
CRN: HIS210.18 | Fee: $169
Status: New
Instructor: John Mountcastle
John W. Mountcastle
Ph.D., retired Brigadier General, US Army, and former Chief of Military History

Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit
Soldiers. Charioteers. Archers. Musicians. Generals. Acrobats. Nearly 2,000 years ago, thousands of life-size clay figures were buried in massive underground pits to accompany China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, into the afterlife. Their discovery outside the city of Xi'an in 1974 is one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. Now, you can stand face-to-face with these terra cotta warriors at the National Geographic Museum's exhibition, which will feature treasures from the tomb complex including these life-size figures, weapons, armor, coins and more. Don't miss this chance to see the largest collection of significant artifacts from China ever to travel to the United States! Your guide for the day is Dr. Ken Ostrand, ancient historian, archaeologist and two-time visitor to the Warriors in Xi'an. He will give a background presentation on the bus, revealing some of the hidden details that might otherwise be overlooked. After viewing the Terra Cotta Warrior exhibit, you'll have free time on your own to explore the other exhibits in the museum. We will then go to the Museum Mall, where you'll have time to visit other museums and have lunch on your own. Course fee includes ticket to the exhibit, presentation by Dr. Ostrand, and deluxe coach transportation.

Date: Saturday, Mar 13
Time: 8:00 AM-6:00 PM
CRN: HIS210.70 | Fee: $89
Status: New
Instructor: Ken Ostrand

Instructor, University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies

Date: Sunday, Mar 14
Time: 8:00 AM-6:00 PM
CRN: HIS210.71 | Fee: $89
Status: New
Instructor: Ken Ostrand

Instructor, University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies

Genealogy on the Web - Beyond the Basics
This class focuses on identifying and using Web resources specific to your family history. It also includes individualized research assistance. Develop skills in researching online documents, such as census records, immigration records, military records, newspapers, digitized books and pictures. Explore online records available from national and international sources, such as libraries, archives, and genealogical organizations. Learn about ways to share and obtain family history information from other researchers. You will receive an extensive Web source listing as well as information on software and periodicals to help you in your continued family history research. This class builds on 'Genealogy - The Basics', or is appropriate for individuals who have done some genealogy research on the Web.

Dates: Tuesday, Thursday, Feb 16-Feb 23
Time: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
CRN: HIS210.08 | Fee: $69
Status: Scheduled
Instructor: Donna Shumate
Donna M. Shumate
Adjunct Assistant Professor, active since 2000
B.A., M.Ed. (Virginia Commonwealth University), Retired Human Resources Manager, Virginia Retirement System

Genealogy on the Web - The Basics
The Internet is a vast resource that can hold many clues and details about your ancestors - if you just know where to look. This is an introductory course on how to use the Web to find information about your ancestors. You will learn basic genealogy and Internet research techniques and become familiar with the major resources on the Web. To benefit from this class, you will need to have some experience using the Internet. It is also helpful to have some experience, or to have completed the course 'Genealogy - Getting Started'.

Dates: Tuesday, Thursday, Feb 2-Feb 9
Time: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
CRN: HIS210.09 | Fee: $69
Status: Scheduled
Instructor: Donna Shumate
Donna M. Shumate
Adjunct Assistant Professor, active since 2000
B.A., M.Ed. (Virginia Commonwealth University), Retired Human Resources Manager, Virginia Retirement System

Hello Richmond! What You Always Wanted to Know
Whether you are new to Richmond or have lived here for some time, chances are you have driven by a monument, marker or museum and thought, 'Hmm...I wonder what the history on that is?' This course will give you the opportunity to learn more about the history that has gone on here since before there was a place called Richmond on the James, and do it in a fun way!

Dates: Tuesday, Mar 16-Apr 20
Time: 5:30 PM-7:30 PM
CRN: HIS210.25 | Fee: $169
Location: The third class will be held at the Valentine Richmond History Center, where you will enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour!
Status: New
Instructor: Alyson Taylor-White
Alyson Taylor-White
Instructor, Office of Community and Professional Education, University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies

Italy Dinner and Lecture - Off the Beaten Track
Rome, Florence and Venice - these are three of the world's most familiar and emblematic cities and among the best Italy has to offer. But join us as we go off the beaten track to some of Italy's other gems! First, a complete Italian meal! Based on traditional Italian recipes (not just pizza!) you'll enjoy a four course meal and fine Italian wine. Then it's off on our tour of lesser-known cities in Italy. Tonight's guide will be historian Ken Ostrand, a frequent visitor to Italy. Armed with a sense of humor, a historian's perspective and PowerPoint slides and pictures, he'll take us to some of Italy's other places - underground to visit mummies, high atop Medieval towers, and into an Italian Alpine village where they still ring church bells to scare off evil spirits! Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30p.m.

Date: Friday, Mar 12
Time: 6:30 PM-9:00 PM
CRN: HIS210.20 | Fee: $59
Status: New
Instructor: Ken Ostrand

Instructor, University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies

Mummies, Mummies Everywhere!
Since childhood many of us have held a peculiar fascination, revulsion and even reverence for mummies. Sometimes macabre, occasionally humorous and always intriguing, mummies are a tantalizing subject for young and old as we indirectly and unconsciously confront our own mortality, as well as remains of an earlier age. Our guide will be nationally-recognized mummy authority Dr. Ken Ostrand. He'll use slides, handouts and even specimens to illustrate his points. Artifact or natural, human or animal, ancient, medieval or even modern - Dr. Ostrand will examine the various types of mummies. And while our focus will be on Egyptian mummies, we'll look at mummies from around the world too - they are a phenomenon far more widespread than many realize! Smoked, freeze-dried, salted and even stuffed - join us as we visit the wonderful world of mummies!

Date: Monday, Mar 8
Time: 6:30 PM-9:00 PM
CRN: HIS210.21 | Fee: $29
Status: New
Instructor: Ken Ostrand

Instructor, University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies

National Park Service: Preserving America's Herita
Come and take a dynamic and in-depth look at 'America's best idea.' Explore the many facets of the National Park idea from its earliest origins in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the present day-to-day struggle for survival of Yellowstone's wolves in the chambers of the Federal Court system. Through engaging lectures, class discussions and projects, students will learn not just about the nature and history of the 391 sites that the National Park System preserves, but also the politics and environmental issues that have challenged the parks' development and administration from the very beginning. Details of each lecture on the geology, biology, ecosystems, culture or military history of the various parks will be highlighted by numerous photographs and materials. Whether you're an avid NPS enthusiast, nature lover, history buff, or just a desperate parent looking to dazzle the kids on the next family road trip, this course is designed to give you a whole new appreciation for the National Park Service and the treasures it protects.

Dates: Monday, Mar 22-Apr 26
Time: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
CRN: HIS210.02 | Fee: $139
Status: Scheduled
Instructor: William MacDonald
William MacDonald
J.D., former park ranger and museum educator

Revolution in the Southern Colonies-1st Civil War
It is generally estimated that throughout the course of the Revolutionary War, only one third of the American public consistently supported the cause of independence, another third firmly remained loyal to the British Crown, and the decisive final third tended to support whichever army was currently camped out in their neighborhood. Nowhere was this division of opinion more violently played out than in the Southern colonies. This class will examine the origins and outcomes of the tensions between families, neighbors, economic and social classes, races, religions, and nationalities that plagued the South through almost nine years of continuous warfare. In addition to details on the military campaigns and battles, students will explore political and social themes that continue to have relevance in contemporary regional, national and international affairs.

Dates: Wednesday, Mar 24-Apr 28
Time: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
CRN: HIS210.03 | Fee: $139
Status: Scheduled
Instructor: William MacDonald
William MacDonald
J.D., former park ranger and museum educator

The Godfather as History
Few novels and films have influenced American popular culture as deeply as has The Godfather. More than a lurid expose or organized crime, The Godfather is a tragedy in the classical sense, which unmasks persistent truths about human nature, society and history that the complexities of modern life obscure. Study The Godfather to discern the insights that the novel and the films offer into such perennial questions as the nature of power, the sources of individual and social corruption, the consequences of sin, the character of the good society, the meaning of virtue, the efficacy of religion, and the relations between traditional and modern society. Students should read The Godfather prior to class. Machiavelli's The Prince is suggested (but not required) reading.

Dates: Monday, Feb 1-Mar 15
Time: 6:30 PM-9:30 PM
CRN: HIS210.19 | Fee: $199
Status: New
Instructor: Mark Malvasi
Mark Malvasi
Instructor, Office of Community and Professional Education, University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies

Think Again - Spring 2010

History