Rationale for Poland Study Tour, June 16-29, 2014
Polish Landscapes of Remembrance
Dr. Michelle Brym
Ms. Heidi Vaughn
This course will provide students with the opportunity to engage in
transformative learning outside of the classroom. Through pre-departure meetings,
assigned readings and site visits students will explore historical interpretation and
preservation of the past, daily life during communism, the post-communist
transformation and present day economic development in Poland.
To learn more about the construction of a national identity in these countries
students will study the complex relations between neighbors in the region, the present
day remembrance of World War II and the Communist past and how the complex
cultural is represented on the landscape.
As students explore the cultural landscape they will learn more about the
religious diversity in the region (Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Jewish and Orthodox)
and pluralistic ethnic identities that are a result of changes in political structures and
migration patterns in the region.
Our tours of museums, memorials, monuments and other historic sites will
enable students to apply and develop knowledge and skills regarding historical
interpretation and preservation. Students will learn how historic structures, objects,
photographs, and text contribute to cultural and national identities and the lifestyle of
people that lived in the region.
In addition to content knowledge of Poland, students will develop leadership
skills through on-site presentations. Problem solving skills will be developed through a
research paper, research poster and journal entries that will demonstrate students’
analyses of observations, and interpretation of site experiences and information
presented. Students will also learn to navigate through a non-English speaking country.