KAP Courses

Kenyon Catalog Descriptions

African American History
American Studies
Arts
Art History
Biology
Chemistry
Drama
English
French
German
Modern European History
Neuroscience
Philosophy
Political Science
Physics
Psychology
Spanish
US History

AMST 108: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN STUDIES

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours)
This course introduces students to the principles of American studies through the exploration of American history and culture, alternating between the 1950s and 1960s, depending on the semester. We will explore the nature of American society in that critical period through the study of the struggle for political reform, the role of women, the civil rights movement and the counter-culture. Guest lectures, films and student presentations complement the course, and students will be asked to engage actively in its development.

ARHS 110: SURVEY OF ART, PART I

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours)
This course surveys Western art and architecture from the Paleolithic to the end of the Middle Ages. Training in visual analysis is emphasized, as are the historical context, religious beliefs and social conditions in which the artwork was produced. This is primarily a lecture class, though discussion is encouraged. Requirements include slide examinations and short papers.

ARTS 102: DRAWING I

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
Color is one of life's great joys. Visual artists and designers learn to orchestrate color, to use it in a particularly sensitive and purposeful manner, just as composers learn to orchestrate sound to create music. This course is about the orchestration of color by design. Students begin by doing a series of formal exercises designed to expand their understanding of color interaction and design principles. They then use what they have learned to complete a series of mixed media collages of their own design. Conceptual and formal growth is stressed, as is creativity. Students work with pigmented paper and "found objects." No prerequisite.

ARTS 106: PHOTOGRAPHY I

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours)
This course is an introduction to the fundamental technical and aesthetic issues of black-and-white photography, with emphasis on using the medium for personal expression. Students will work through a series of problems designed to increase understanding of basic camera operation, black-and-white darkroom techniques and art-making strategies. Regular critiques are scheduled to increase understanding of communicating with an audience and sharpen the ability to analyze and discuss works of art. No prior photographic experience is needed, but a personal manual film camera is required.

ARTS 107: DIGITAL IMAGING I

(.5 unit credit)or 4 semester hours
This introductory course will enable students to explore digital media while engaging in aesthetic and conceptual practices in contemporary art. They will come to understand the fundamentals of visual form and to develop technical skills with a variety of camera and computer tools, including still-image and video editing programs.  Personal studio projects will cover a variety of subjects, such as  the relationship of the arts to popular culture and the liberal arts, the historic role of technology in the arts, and the role of one's cultural and historical context in the creation and interpretation of artwork. Through theory and practice, students will enhance their art-criticism skills, allowing for productive group interactions and the defining of personal aesthetic vision. Presentations and demonstrations by the professor will be supplemented by student research and response to contemporary artists and issues. This course requires at least 10 hours of work per week outside of class.

BIOL 115: ENERGY IN LIVING SYSTEMS

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
Energy flow is a unifying principle across a range of living systems, from cells to ecosystems. With energy flow as a major theme, this course covers macromolecules, cells, respiration and photosynthesis, physiology and homeostasis, population and community interactions, and ecosystems. Throughout the course, the diversity of life is explored. The course also introduces students to the process of scientific thinking through discussion of research methodology and approaches.

CHEM 121: INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
This course provides a thorough introduction to the fundamental concepts, theories, and methodologies of chemistry. Topics may include stoichiometry, theories of molecular structure and bonding, the periodic table, acid-base chemistry, chemical equilibria, and thermodynamics. This course provides a basis for the further study of chemistry. The format is lecture and discussion.

CHEM 123: INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY LAB I

(.25 unit credit) or 2 semester hours
This laboratory course accompanies CHEM 121 and 122 with an introduction to modern experimental chemistry. Laboratory experiments explore inorganic synthesis, molecular structure and properties, and spectroscopy, with an emphasis on laboratory safety, computerized data acquisition and analysis, and the theory of analytical instrumentation. The laboratory work is organized around individual and team projects. Communication skills are developed through proper use of a laboratory notebook. One three-hour laboratory is held per week.

CHEM 124: INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY II

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours

This lecture-discussion course continues the introductory chemistry sequence started in CHEM 121. We will explore the chemical principles of molecular structure, bonding, reactivity, electrochemistry, kinetics, and intermolecular forces.

CHEM 126: INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY LAB II

(.25 unit credit) or 2 semester hours

Biophysical and Medicinal Chemistry Lab section
Laboratory experiments involve the application of chemical principles and techniques to systems of biological and medicinal importance. Possible experiments include synthesis of aspirin, enzyme kinetics and chromatographic analysis.

Nanoscience Lab section
Laboratory experiments involve the synthesis of functional materials, the analysis of their properties and the assembly of materials into working devices. Possible experiments include making solar cells, synthesis of nanocrystalline materials, quantum dots and an independent project.

DRAM 111: INTRODUCTION TO THE THEATER

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
This course examines how theater differs from other arts and how theatrical artists go about their jobs in bringing a play to life on stage. This examination is accomplished through a series of performance or creative assignments. The class is divided into four sections, two meeting in the morning and two in the afternoon. Plays, problems and exercises are performed and discussed in the sectional meetings; about every other week, sections are combined for lectures and demonstrations. The course explores what a play is and how it is structured. Assignments consist of a series of playwriting problems and one acting problem, which students perform in class working in teams.  In addition, students read at least five plays and a series of essays about the theory and practice of the theater, complete a series of brief written assignments and take written examinations. As a culmination of the work, each student writes, directs and presents to the class a final short play, working with fellow students. Any student with a general interest in the theater will find this a challenging course, regardless of previous experience.

ENGL 103/104: INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours for each 103 & 104 for a total of 8 semester hours
Each section of these first-year seminars approaches the study of literature through the exploration of a single theme in texts drawn from a variety of literary genres (tragedy, comedy, lyric poetry, epic, novel, short story, film, autobiography, etc.) and historical periods. Classes are small, offering intensive discussion and close attention to each student's writing. Students in each section are asked to work intensively on composition as part of a rigorous introduction to reading, thinking, speaking and writing about literary texts. During the semester, instructors will assign frequent essays and may also require oral presentations, quizzes, examinations and research projects.

FREN 321: ADVANCED COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
This course is designed to provide advanced students with the opportunity to strengthen their abilities to write, read and speak French. The conversation component of the course will focus on the discussion of articles from the current French and Francophone press, films and other media, and Web sites, and on developing the fluency in French to perform linguistically and culturally appropriate tasks. Through the composition component, students will seek to improve their ability to write clearly and coherently in French. In order to foster these goals, the course also will provide a review of selected advanced grammatical structures and work on literary excerpts.

FREN 323: APPROACHES TO FRENCH LITERATURE I

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
In this course, we will examine representative texts--lyric poems, plays, short stories and novels--from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. In addition to gaining a greater understanding of French literary history and of related social and philosophical trends, students will develop skills necessary for close reading, explication de texte and oral discussion. We will read complete texts rather than excerpts whenever possible. It is especially recommended for students with little or no previous exposure to French literature. The course will be conducted in French.

FREN 324: APPROACHES TO FRENCH LITERATURE II

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of three major literary genres--poetry, theater, and the novel--from the French Revolution to the 21st century. Readings will include the works of authors such as Hugo, Baudelaire, Lamartine, Balzac, Mallarmé, Colette, Cocteau, Camus and Sartre. Students will gain a deeper understanding of French literary history and of its relationship to major social and philosophical movements. In addition to exploring certain themes, we will see how the literature reflects important societal and intellectual debates of the time. The course will continue the development of the skills of literary analysis, guided discussion and essay writing in French. The course will be conducted in French.

GERM 321: ADVANCED COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
In this course, we will explore a wide array of topics in contemporary German culture, in order to provide advanced students with the opportunity to strengthen their abilities to write, read and speak German. Topics may include the impact of reunification on contemporary Germany, religious life and popular music. Textbooks and/or articles from the current press in German-speaking countries, films, other media and websites may provide material for conversation and composition. Students will develop fluency in German in order to perform linguistically and culturally appropriate tasks. The composition component will seek to improve the ability to write clearly and coherently in German. To foster these goals, the course also will provide a review of advanced grammatical structures.

HIST 101D: UNITED STATES HISTORY, 1100-1865

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to United States history from the 12th century to the mid-19th century. Students will gain a more developed understanding of American history by examining the interactions among diverse cultures and people; the formation and use of power structures and institutions throughout the colonial, Revolutionary and antebellum eras; and the processes behind the "Americanization" of the North American continent. Central to this course is a comparison between two interpretations of American history; a Whiggish, or great American history, and the more conflict-centered Progressive interpretation. Not only will students gain a general knowledge of this time period, but they also will understand the ways in which the past can be contextualized. Students are expected to understand both the factual basis of American history as well as the general interpretive frameworks underlying historical arguments.

HIST 102D: UNITED STATES HISTORY, 1865-PRESENT

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
This course is a thematic survey of the United States from the end of the Civil War to the present. Students will examine the transformation of the United States from a rural, largely Protestant society into a powerful and culturally diverse urban/industrial nation. Topics will include constitutional developments, the formation of a national economy, urbanization and immigration. The course also will discuss political changes, the secularization of public culture, the formation of the welfare state, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War as well as suburbanization, the civil rights movement, women's and gay rights, and the late 20th-century conservative politics movement and religious revival.

HIST 131: EARLY MODERN EUROPE

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
Through lectures and discussions, this course will introduce the student to early modern Europe, with special attention to Austria, Britain, France, Prussia and Russia. It will treat such topics as the Reformation, the emergence of the French challenge to the European equilibrium, Britain's eccentric constitutional course, the pattern of European contacts with the non-European world, the character of daily life in premodern Europe, the Enlightenment, the appearance of Russia on the European scene, and the origins of German dualism, as well as the impact of the French Revolution on Europe.

HIST 132: MODERN EUROPE

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
The European continent is incredibly diverse: geographically, culturally, economically, ethnically and politically (to name only the most obvious factors). Throughout the semester we will explore this diversity of experiences since the end of the 18th century. We will look at issues of race, class and gender, as well as violence, poverty, faith, nationalism, technology and art. We will read novels and memoirs, watch films and listen to music as we hone our historical knowledge and sensibilities regarding modern Europe, its peoples and its governments. We will examine the fates of a variety of nations, using examples from across the continent.

HIST 175: EARLY BLACK HISTORY

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
In August 1619, twenty and odd negars" were traded for food by the crew of a Dutch sailing vessel. That commercial transaction represented the first recorded incident of a permanent African presence in America. Over the next 146 years, this population of Africans would grow to create an African American population of over four million. The overwhelming majority of this population was enslaved. This course will be an examination of those enslaved millions and their free black fellows--who they were, how they lived, and how the nation was transformed by their presence and experience. Particular attention will be paid to the varieties of African American experience and how slavery and the presence of peoples of African descent shaped American social, political, intellectual and economic systems. Students will be presented with a variety of primary and secondary source materials; timely and careful reading of these sources will prepare students for class discussions. Students will be confronted with conflicting bodies of evidence and challenged to analyze these issues and arrive at conclusions for themselves.

HIST 176: CONTEMPORARY BLACK HISTORY

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
This is an introductory lecture and discussion course in the history of African Americans in the United States. Beginning with Emancipation, the course traces the evolution of black culture and identity and the continuing struggle for freedom and equality. Topics will include the tragedies and triumphs of Reconstruction, interracial violence, black political and institutional responses to racism and violence, the Harlem Renaissance, jazz, blues, and the civil rights and black power movements.

NEUR 212: NEUROSCIENCE

(.50 unit of credit) or 4 semester hours
This course begins with a definition of neuroscience as an interdisciplinary field, in the context of the philosophy of science. After covering the basics of cellular neurophysiology, the course examines the development and organization of the human nervous system in terms of sensory, motor, motivational, emotional and cognitive processes. The neurological and biochemical bases of various brain and behavioral disorders also are examined. Prerequisite: AP score of 5 in biology. 

PHIL 110: INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
The central question in ethics is "How should I live my life?" This course explores this question by examining major ethical traditions such as honor ethics, Stoicism, Aristotelian virtue ethics, sentimentalism, utilitarianism, Kant's practical philosophy, Nietzsche's critique of morality, Buddhist ethics, and feminist ethics. The emphasis is on classical texts, as well as their connections with our contemporary life.

PHYS 140: CLASSICAL PHYSICS

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
This lecture course is the first in a three-semester, calculus-based introduction to physics. Topics include the kinematics and dynamics of particles and solid objects: work and energy: linear and angular momentum: and gravitational, electrostatic and magnetic forces. PHYS 140, 145, and 240 are recommended for students who may major in physics, and they also are appropriate for students majoring in other sciences and mathematics. The course will be taught using a combination of lectures, in-class exercises, homework assignments and examinations.

PHYS 131: Intro to Exp. Physics I (lab)

(.25 unit credit) or 2 semester hours

PSCI 101Y-102Y: THE QUEST FOR JUSTICE

( 1 unit credit) or 8 semester hours
This course explores the relationship between the individual and society as exemplified in the writings of political philosophers, statesmen, novelists and contemporary political writers. Questions about law, political obligation, freedom, equality and justice and human nature are examined and illustrated. The course looks at different kinds of societies such as the ancient city, modern democracy and totalitarianism, and confronts contemporary issues such as race, culture, and gender. The readings present diverse viewpoints  and the sessions are conducted by discussion.

PSCI 200D: LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
The course explores the guiding principles, major institutions and national politics of the American political system. The Founders' view of liberal democracy and of the three branches of our government (presented in the <italic>Federalist Papers</italic>) will provide the basis for consideration of the modern Supreme Court, presidency, bureaucracy, Congress, news media, and political parties and elections. The course concludes with Tocqueville's broad overview of American democracy and its efforts to reconcile liberty and equality. The themes of the course will be illustrated by references to current political issues, events and personalities.

PSYC 100: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
Psychology is the study of behavior and mental processes. In this introductory course, prerequisite for all other psychology courses, you will explore a variety of areas in which psychologists conduct research: the biological foundations of behavior, sensory and perceptual processes, cognition, learning and memory, developmental psychology, personality and social psychology, psychological disorders, and variability in behavior related to culture.

SPAN 321: ADVANCED GRAMMAR, CONVERSATION AND COMPOSITION

(.5 unit credit) or 4 semester hours
This course is designed to give advanced students the opportunity to refine and increase their abilities to write, read and speak Spanish. The course will have a strong emphasis on oral proficiency. Cultural and literary readings, writing software, and selected Spanish-language films are among the materials on which class discussion and assignments may be centered. A grammar review, focused mainly on typical areas of difficulty, will be included.