Lesson #1: What Is Animal Studies?
Have you ever thought about the role non-human animals play in your life? Consider the photograph on the right. Many Americans have companion animals like my dog, Hermes, but how many other animals do we interact with on a daily basis without realizing it? How would our lives and the lives of those other animals be different if we gained a better understanding of our relationship with them?
In this lesson, you'll answer questions like these as you learn about animal studies, an interdisciplinary field that explores humans' relationship with other animals. You'll also consider all of the animals you interact with in a day. Lesson Objectives By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Lesson Assessments As evidence that you've met the objectives, you'll complete the following assessments:
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By Stephen Vrla
Animal studies is an interdisciplinary field that explores humans' relationships with other animals.
For a more thorough definition, go to the conceptual toolbox. By Toolbox_icon.jpg: Tanemoriderivative work: ויקיג'אנקי - This file was derived from: Toolbox icon.jpg:, CC BY 2.1 jp, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26463947
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Learn
For the Learn activity, please watch the Lesson #1 Presentation and read the Journal Entry #1 Example, Journal Entry #1 Rubric, Forum Comment Example, and Forum Comment Rubric. In the Lesson #1 Presentation, I define animal studies as an interdisciplinary field that explores humans' relationships with other animals and explain that definition in greater detail. In particular, I focus on how animal studies is interdisciplinary. It includes insights from natural science disciplines like biology, social science disciplines like sociology, and humanities disciplines like philosophy. After explaining how animal studies is interdisciplinary, I introduce the Apply, Reflect, Share, and Discuss activities.
The Journal Entry #1 Example will give you an idea of how to write an entry in your Reflective Journal, and the Journal Entry Rubric will give you an idea of how to assess your entry. The Forum Comment Example will give you an idea of how to comment on other students' forum posts, and the Forum Comment Rubric will give you an idea of how to assess your comments. For this lesson's journal entry, which I describe in more detail below, you'll be listing every non-human animal you interact with directly or indirectly in a day. Then, you'll be reflecting on how listing those interactions affected your understanding of your interactions with other animals and the animal-human relationship. Once you've written your entry, you'll share it with me so I can give you feedback on it. Next, you'll post it in the course forum so other students can read and comment on it. Once you've posted it, you'll comment on other students' posts.
Checklist:
The Journal Entry #1 Example will give you an idea of how to write an entry in your Reflective Journal, and the Journal Entry Rubric will give you an idea of how to assess your entry. The Forum Comment Example will give you an idea of how to comment on other students' forum posts, and the Forum Comment Rubric will give you an idea of how to assess your comments. For this lesson's journal entry, which I describe in more detail below, you'll be listing every non-human animal you interact with directly or indirectly in a day. Then, you'll be reflecting on how listing those interactions affected your understanding of your interactions with other animals and the animal-human relationship. Once you've written your entry, you'll share it with me so I can give you feedback on it. Next, you'll post it in the course forum so other students can read and comment on it. Once you've posted it, you'll comment on other students' posts.
Checklist:
Apply
Before starting the Apply activity, open the Multispecies Imagination Reflective Journal template, and make a copy of it. Rename the copy by deleting "Copy of" and replacing "LASTNAME" with your last name, and share it with me (my email address is in the template).
For the Apply activity, you'll be listing every animal you interact with directly or indirectly in a day. By directly, I mean interactions in which you see or otherwise sense another animal, such as feeding a dog. By indirectly, I mean interactions in which you do not see or otherwise sense another animal, such as eating a turkey sandwich. At first, you may struggle to think of many interactions. However, in time, you'll probably struggle to remember all of them long enough to list them!
Checklist:
For the Apply activity, you'll be listing every animal you interact with directly or indirectly in a day. By directly, I mean interactions in which you see or otherwise sense another animal, such as feeding a dog. By indirectly, I mean interactions in which you do not see or otherwise sense another animal, such as eating a turkey sandwich. At first, you may struggle to think of many interactions. However, in time, you'll probably struggle to remember all of them long enough to list them!
Checklist:
- Open the Multispecies Imagination Reflective Journal template, make a copy of it, rename it, and share it with me (my email address is in the template).
- In your journal, begin Journal Entry #1 by listing every non-human animal you interact with directly or indirectly in a day.
Reflect
For the Reflect activity, you'll be responding to prompts about the Apply activity. Now that you've listed all of the non-human animals you interacted with in a day, or at least as many of them as was practicable, it's time to check your understanding of animal studies and reflect on how listing those interactions affected your understanding of your interactions with other animals and the animal-human relationship. If it didn't affect your understanding, that's okay. I'd like to know if the activity doesn't accomplish its aim so I can improve it. If it did affect your understanding, I'd like to know how.
Checklist:
Checklist:
- Complete Journal Entry #1 by defining animal studies in your own words, explaining why animal studies is an important field, and explaining how listing your interactions with other animals affected your understanding of your interactions with other animals and the animal-human relationship.
- Email me when you've completed Journal Entry #1 so I can give you feedback on it.
Share
For the Share activity, you'll be reading my feedback on your journal entry and revising your entry, then posting it to the course forum's #animalstudies channel. Reflection is an important part of the learning process, but so is sharing your reflections with others. As you write about animal studies, your interactions with other animals, and the animal-human relationship, you're creating new knowledge. If you share that knowledge with others, you'll be contributing to their learning and the field of animal studies.
Checklist:
Checklist:
- Read my feedback on your Journal Entry #1 and revise your entry.
- Post your revised entry in the course forum's #animalstudies channel.
Discuss
For the Discuss activity, you'll be reading and commenting on other students' forum posts. Just as sharing your reflections with others is an important part of the learning process, so too is comment on other students' reflections. As you agree with, ask questions about, or even challenge other students' thoughts on animal studies, their interactions with other animals, and the animal-human relationship, you're also creating new knowledge. By discussing the forum posts, you'll be contributing to others' students' learning and the field of animal studies even further.
Checklist:
Checklist:
- Read at least one other student's forum post.
- Comment on the student's forum post.
Works Cited
None