Portland's Water

Instructor Name: 
Catherine Howells
CRN: 
63523
Course Description: 

Portland's Water: History and Challenges. This course is designed to give students an opportunity to learn about tap water and create community outreach products for the Portland Water Bureau.  Our community partner for this class is the Portland Water Bureau. This class will focus on the Bull Run watershed (the source of Portland's drinking water) and the work of the Portland Water Bureau -- how they deliver our water to our taps. We will learn about the history of the water system, the delivery system, water quality, regulations, current issues, and other topics that peak our interest during the term.  The class will work with the Water Bureau to develop community outreach products to inform our fellow citizens about our water system.

 

Course Objectives:

  • The ability to do research, writing, and presentation in written and visual formats.

  • The ability to understand the historical record, written or visual, as integral to understanding social inquiry in general, with an emphasis on issues of public history.

  • To have hands-on experience with creating an informative exhibit and  to enhance students' facility and confidence with written and oral communication.

  • The ability to work collaboratively, with an emphasis on making interdisciplinary connections in your various assignments and projects.

  • To develop a meaningful public program for the community partner.

  • To facilitate students' building of healthy and functional relationships around both differences and likenesses experienced within the classroom community and with the community partner's constituencies.

Project Description: 

Students, the instructor, and the community partner will determine the exact format and content of the project. I will use the following guidelines to assess the project:

  • Project was completed
  • Group met project deadlines
  • Project shows exceptional initiative, care, and the effort of all participants
  • Project served partner needs
  • Group members collaborated successfully with one another using evaluation criteria developed by the students and instructor and handed out prior to program
  • Changes requested by the community partner, the instructor, and/or other classmates were made
  • Product was professional