Overview of Course

This course helps students develop skills in reading, writing, speaking and also their abilities to work independently and collaboratively. Students interpret, analyze, and contextualize literary/cultural texts, thus teaching them critical thinking skills. Specifically, in this class we analyze texts from various genres and from each of the countries we visit. We use observing, listening, talking, close reading, and writing as tools for engaging sustained and supported comparative critical thinking about how and why the borders we encounter during our voyage impact the local people and us. We consider these foundational questions: how and why are borders defined; what kinds of borders have the greatest impacts; what are the impacts; where and why are national/geopolitical borders increasingly relevant; when do intersectional factors (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, culture, religion, violence, and human rights) matter most in the making of borders; and, what would a borderless world look like? Our work is collaborative and dialogic, so that we can practice key 21st century skills (e.g., adaptability, resilience, empathy, self-awareness; awareness of others) that aid us in becoming successful global citizens and problem-solvers. Assignments include written and video reflections, participation in class discussions, and composition of formal synthesis essays.