Cities in Conflict: Theory and Practice, Fall 2003

Abstract:: This course's aims are two-fold: 1) to offer students the theoretical and practical tools to understand how and why cities become torn by ethnic, religious, racial, nationalist, and/or other forms of identity that end up leading to conflict, violence, inequality, and social injustice; and 2) to use this knowledge and insight in the search for solutions. As preparation, students will be required to become familiar with social and political theories of the city and the nation and their relationship to each other. They also will focus on the ways that racial, ethnic, religious, nationalist or other identities grow and manifest themselves in cities or other territorial levels of determination (including the regional or transnational). In the search for remedies, students will be encouraged to consider a variety of policymaking or design points of entry, ranging from the political- institutional (e.g. forms of democratic participation and citizenship) to spatial, infrastructural, and technological interventions.

No Strings Attached

Teaching Science to Young Children: Practical Advice

Abstract:: Traditionally, in England at least, science has not been taught formally to young children in a thorough systematic way. Adults who are middle aged or older now, frequently had very little science education, if any at all. Nowadays things have changed considerably for the better, but this does mean that primary school teachers find themselves having to teach science to their young charges with little confidence in their own knowledge and little experience from their own childhood. This module offers practical advice on teaching science to children aged 5 ?7 in a fun and effective way.