This page contains a list of all of the clases I've taken at Dartmouth. I've included descriptions for nearly all of them (some are no longer offered as of the time of writing, so I'm going to have to work to find descriptions for those). Also included are personal comments for some of them.

Anthropology

• Anthropology 9: Introduction to the Study of Language and Culture
  This course will introduce students to the study of human language as a species-specific endowment of humankind. In this investigation we will examine such issues as:

  1. the relationship between language use (e.g., metaphoric creativity) and cultural values
  2. the relationships between language diversity and ethnic, political, economic stratification
  3. language use and the communicating of individual identity, thoughts, and intentions in face-to-face interaction
  4. the cultural patterning of speech behavior
  5. whether or not the structure of specific languages affects the characteristics of culture, cognition, and thought in specific ways

Astronomy

• Astronomy 1: Exploration of the Solar System
  An introduction to the study of the nine major planets and their natural satellites, together with asteroids and comets. Topics to be discussed include formation and evolution of the early solar system, Terrestrial and Jovian planetary surfaces and atmospheres, comparative planetology, and the collision of planetary bodies. Course material will include results from recent planetary spacecraft missions. Labs include making observations with telescopes.

Classical Studies

• Classical Studies 14: Greek History: Archaic and Classical Greece
  This course surveys the history of Greece from the Bronze Age to the fourth century B.C. The political and constitutional development of the individual city-states will be emphasized; related questions will include the degree and nature of individual participation in government and the factors precluding the formation of larger political units in ancient Greece.

  Comments: This one is tied with Greek 29 as my most enjoyable course at Dartmouth. It was also quite possibly my hardest course at Dartmouth.

Computer Science

• Computer Science 5: Introduction to Computer Science
  This course provides an introduction to fundamental concepts and techniques of computer science. The framework is an object-oriented programming language. Both programming and algorithm analysis are covered. Programming topics include basics of data and control; problem decomposition; recursion; simple graphics; objects and abstraction; arrays and pointers; and files. Good programming style is emphasized throughout the course. Algorithm topics include searching, sorting, and linked lists.

• Computer Science 18: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
  A challenging introduction to programming languages and computer science that emphasizes alternative modes of algorithmic expression. Topics include recursive and higher-order procedures, performance analysis of algorithms, proof of program correctness, probabilistic algorithms, symbolic hierarchical data, abstract data types, polymorphic functions, object oriented programming, infinite data types, simulation, and the interpretation of programs.

• Computer Science 37: Computer Architecture
  The architecture and organization of a simple computer system is studied. Topics covered include how information is represented in memory, machine-language instructions and how they can be implemented at the digital logic level and microcode level, assembly language programming, and input/output operations. Speedup techniques, such as pipelining and caching, are also covered.

• Computer Science 82: Reading Course

English

• English 5: Literature and Composition
  This course, founded upon the principle that clear thought, intelligent reading, and effective writing are interdependent activities, aims to develop the student's capacity for understanding and using language. Each section will study at least one major work of literature, and essays will be assigned frequently.

French

• French 8: Exploring French Language and Culture
  Practice in the active use of the language combined with an introduction to major aspects of French society. Each week students will write papers and participate in discussions based on books, articles, and films emphasizing social and historical concepts.

• French 10: Introduction to French Literature: Masterworks and Great Issues
  These courses, offered each term by various members of the Department, deal in major figures, themes, or issues of modern French literature, and of those earlier periods which have particular relevance to today's world. Techniques of critical reading and interpretation are studied as an approach to these topics, which reflect the interests of the teaching staff.

French and Italian

• French and Italian 93: Second Language Teaching and Learning: Theory and Practice
  This course examines the notion that language teaching theory and classroom practice are two sides of the same coin. After a historical overview of language pedagogy, the course will survey current theoretical models and methods of second language teaching and learning based on a solid foundation of recent empirical evidence. Topics will include Krashen's "Input Hypothesis," the "Rassias Method" and the recently developed theory of "Conceptual Fluency." In the second part of the course, we will shift our focus to the practical questions of curriculum design, classroom activities and the development of teaching materials.

German

• German 1: Introductory German
  Introduction to written and spoken German. Intensive study of basic grammar and vocabulary through readings, drills, composition exercises, conversation, and practice in the laboratory.

• German 2: Introductory German
  Continuation of German 1. Continued intensive work on the fundamentals of oral and written German in classroom and laboratory.

Greek

• Greek 1: Introductory Greek
  Study of Greek grammar, syntax, and vocabulary accompanied by reading of simple Greek prose selections.

• Greek 3: Intermediate Greek
  Continued study of Greek grammar and syntax. Readings in Greek prose authors.

• Greek 10: Readings in Greek Prose and Poetry
  Readings in Greek prose and poetry at the intermediate level, typically including selections from Plato and/or Euripides.

• Greek 29: New Testament
  A brief introduction to the language, vocabulary, and idiom of New Testament Greek, followed by readings in the Gospels and the Epistles of St. Paul.

  Comments: This course is tied with Classical Studies 14 as my most enjoyable course at Dartmouth. I took it during my senior spring term along with Hebrew 4 (biblical Hebrew), which gave me a touch of what seminary might be like. :-)

Hebrew

• Hebrew 4: Classical Hebrew
  An introduction to Biblical Hebrew for those with no knowledge of the language. After teaching how to read Biblical script with vowel points and some punctuation, the course imparts a basic grammar and vocabulary for recognition purposes, focusing on decoding authentic Biblical texts, with selections from such books as Esther and Ruth.

Latin

• Latin 1: Introductory Latin
  Introduction to Latin grammar, vocabulary, and syntax through prose readings of gradually increasing difficulty.

• Latin 3: Intermediate Latin
  Continued study of Latin grammar, vocabulary, and syntax with reading of selected literary texts.

Linguistics

• Linguistics 1: Introductory Linguistics
  An introduction to the description of human language and language use. The first part of the course will present methods used in characterizing the sound system of language (phonology) and the modification and arrangement of words in well-formed sentences (morphology and syntax). The second part will present approaches to semantics and pragmatics. Some important implications of linguistic inquiry for the study of human cognition and cultural behavior will be discussed.

• Linguistics 15: Historical Linguistics
  An introduction to historical linguistics and the comparative method. Linguistic change on all levels (phonetic/phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic) will be studied, with special attention to the problems of historical reconstruction. The course will investigate families in general, with emphasis on the Indo-European languages.

• Linguistics 21: Introduction to Phonology
  Phonology is the study of the system underlying selection and use of sounds in languages of the world. The course will introduce students to investigation of these topics from the perspective of recent theories of phonology. Readings, class discussions, and homework problems will provide a basis for understanding the origin, role, and uses of sound systems in spoken languages.

• Linguistics 22: Syntax
  This course aims to familiarize the student with some of the leading theories in syntax. We will begin with an overview of Structuralism (both American and Prague Schools) and move on to an in-depth examination of the so-called Chomsky revolution, from its beginnings in Transformational Grammar (TG) to current theories in Government-Binding.

• Linguistics 24: Discourse Analysis
  Discourse analysis examines linguistic structures that exist beyond the sentence level. In this course we will consider the structures of naturally occurring spontaneous speech (such as conversations, interviews, oral narratives) and those in written texts. Special attention is given to the global properties of connected speech and writing, including mechanisms of coherence and cohesion. Other topics include narrative structures, new and old information, topicalization, foregrounding and backgrounding, and the methods of conversation analysis and variation analysis.

• Linguistics 50: Special Topics in Linguistics

• Linguistics 50: Special Topics in Linguistics
  This course provides an overview of issues that arise in collecting language data in the field. We will examine techniques used in the gathering and analysis of data and practical problems that confront the fieldworker.

• Linguistics 85: Independent Study and Research
  This course offers qualified students of linguistics the opportunity to pursue work on a topic of special interest through an individually designed program.

Mathematics

• Mathematics 3: Introduction to Calculus
  A study of polynomials and rational functions leads to the introduction of the basic ideas of differential and integral calculus. The course also introduces exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. The emphasis throughout is on fundamental ideas and problem solving.

Music

• Music 4: Music of Non-Western Peoples
  A survey of music and music-making whose origins are in the non-European world. Examples include Indian raga, Middle Eastern maqam, West African drumming, Javanese gamelan, and Native American ceremonial music. A central issue in the course is the present-day intermingling of non-Western and Western musical styles and performance practices. Course work will include weekly listening and reading assignments. Where possible, visiting musicians will be invited to demonstrate and discuss the musics under consideration.

Psychology

• Psychology 3: Introduction to Neuroscience
  This course provides students with an introduction to the fundamental principles of neuroscience. The course will include sections on cellular and molecular neuroscience, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, and cognitive neuroscience. Neuroscience is a broad field that is intrinsically interdisciplinary. As a consequence, the course draws on a variety of disciplines, including biochemistry, biology, physiology, pharmacology, (neuro)anatomy and psychology. The course will begin with in-depth analysis of basic functions of single nerve cells. We will then consider increasingly more complex neural circuits, which by the end of the course will lead to a analysis of the brain mechanisms that underlie complex goal-oriented behavior.

Religion

• Religion 12: Religion and Society in America
  A study of contemporary religious groups and movements in this country, ranging from the major institutional faiths to religious protest groups, cults, and the religions of the `counter-culture.' Special attention is given to the social forces which shape contemporary religious expression in America.

• Religion 66: The Theology of Aquinas
  An examination of the doctrinal system of Thomas Aquinas in its principal parts: the concepts of Revelation, God, the Trinity, Creation, Christ, the Church and Sacraments and Eschatology. At certain major points Aquinas' theories will be compared critically with those of other leading medieval theologians: Bonaventura, Duns Scotus, and Ockham.

Sociology

• Sociology 7: First-Year Seminar in Sociology