Mock Experiental Learning Proposal
This assignment is to pick something that you would like to do or something that you are planning on doing and create a mock proposal that you could submit to be accepted for an honors experience, which you need 5 of by graduation.
Basic Information
Full Name: Hope Dehner
UC Email: [email protected]
College: McMicken College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Psychology
Title of Project: Legacies and Landscapes of Yucatan
Thematic Area: Global Studies
Expected Project Start Date: December 13, 2014
Expected Project End Date: December 21, 2014
Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
Many Americans never travel out of their home state, let alone the country. I am striving to break that trend. I have already traveled to China in January 2013 with my high school but that wasn’t enough. I want to keep going places and meeting people of different cultures and widening my horizon of cultural literacy. A way that I plan on doing this is by traveling to Yucatan, Mexico in December 2014. I will be traveling with the class “Legacies and Landscapes of Yucatan” offered by UC. Throughout the fall semester we have spent time reading and learning about the history of Yucatan and the changing landscape and life.
While on this trip I plan on seeing and experiencing all the things I have been learning about. The class and I are visiting Ancient Maya archaeological sites and we are going to “haciendas.” A hacienda was a large plantation of land that one man, typically a Spaniard, owned. He was in control of all the people and everything there. The people worked for him and in return they were given homes and food and allowed to live on the land. The creation of haciendas started in the late 1500s and most of them have been broken up and no longer exist. We will be visiting one of these places that are still in use today. We are also visiting a “cenote.” A cenote is a large underground pool and they were naturally created by rivers that run underground in Yucatan. They were used by the native people as a place for worship, graves, and drinking.
Along with visiting all of these places we will have to use Spanish with English to talk to people. My major is psychology but I have a minor in Spanish. This trip would be a great opportunity for me to have hands on experience with the Spanish language. It is one thing to learn in a classroom and to read and write in a language but it is something completely different to talk with someone in his or her own country. Spanish is a huge passion of mine. This year I am completely my fifth year learning the language; I had taken four years in high school.
Trip Itinerary (as provided by Dr. Robert South):
December 13th: Depart Cincinnati and arrive in Merida, Mexico
December 14th: Periodic Market in Merida
Archaeological trip to Uxmal
December 15th: Maquila Tour and Flamingo Reserve in Celestun
Beach at Celestun
December 16th: Hacienda/ejido School in Holactun
Henequen Plant
Izamal Church
December 17th: Archaeological trip to Chichen Itza
December 18th: Land use field trip (on the way to Cancun)
Archaeological trip to Ek Balam
Cenote Dzitnup
December 19th: Economic development in Cancun
December 20th: Tourism
Free day in Cancun
December 21st: Depart Cancun, Mexico and arrive in Cincinnati
Places We Are Staying
December 12-15: La Mision de Fray Diego Hotel (Merida)
December 16-17: Hacienda Hotel (Chichen Itza)
December 18-21: JW Marriott Hotel (Cancun)
Clearly and thoroughly address how each of the following elements will be exhibited in your work:
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area.
Possess global literacy, including knowledge of geography, history, current world issues and similarities and differences among cultures:
One can’t expect to travel anywhere and just suddenly know how to behave and act and know what they should and shouldn’t do. They must learn how to behave and what is acceptable and what isn’t. They need to learn how to speak to people, especially if they’re traveling somewhere that doesn’t speak their language. Through my class at UC I am expected to become globally literate but mainly focused in Yucatan. I would like to believe that I am. We have spent the semester learning about the history and geography of the Yucatan and along with the increase in tourism and change to the livelihood of the people who live there. I feel like I have learned as much as I can about the area I am traveling to but actually going there would fill in any gaps I have left.
Participate in a global society and understand the role of a global citizen:
To participate in a global society one has to actually go somewhere “global.” The society I am going to travel to is one that is very different to the one that I am used to experiencing everyday in America. Mexico is very different from Ohio but I would like to able to understand the difference and be able to participate there just like I would here and not feel out of place or weird. The role of a global citizen is to follow the rules and laws and cultural norms wherever they have traveled to and to not be critical of anything that they might deem to be different or strange.
3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories.
A. This project relates to my future because I would like to become fluent in Spanish and I would also like to continue traveling places outside of the USA so that I can understand the world better and the people in it.
B. Reading materials (provided by Dr. Robert South):
“Physical Environments and Environmental Issues” – Brian W. Blouet
“Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Cancun” – Bryon Augustin and Brain Cooper
“Historical Geography” – Brain W. Blouet and Olwyn M. Blouet
“Modernizing Mexico” – Peter Rees
4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity
A unique contribution I can have for this trip is that I am nearly fluent in Spanish. I can read and write fluently but I have a little trouble speaking but that shouldn’t be a problem on this trip. A previous experience that I have had that can help me on this trip is the fact that I have been to another country before now. There is only one other person on the trip (besides the teacher) who has been outside of the country. I have demonstrated initiative by helping pick out plane tickets and share my experiences from China with others to help them understand what going to another country will be like.
5. Reflection
I will be writing in a journal daily while on this trip. Everyday I will address three questions in my journal “What is something I learned today?” “In what ways did I see today that show that Mexico different from America?” and “What is something I can take home with me today?” When I return from this trip to Yucatan I will write an essay answering these questions but covering the entire time in a summary.
6. Dissemination
I am planning on taking pictures during my trip of the places and things I am going to be doing. After I have returned from Mexico I am going to put all of my pictures into a photo book with captions about each of them. I will put this book in the honors suite for others to see.
7. Project Advisor(s)
Dr. Robert South
Title: Associate Professor
Office: 400C Braunstein Hall
Tel: 513-556-3427
Email: [email protected]
8. Budget (if applicable)
$790 (price to be paid to UC) + $529.12 (airplane ticket) + $50 (baggage) + $200 (food) = $1,569.12
Basic Information
Full Name: Hope Dehner
UC Email: [email protected]
College: McMicken College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Psychology
Title of Project: Legacies and Landscapes of Yucatan
Thematic Area: Global Studies
Expected Project Start Date: December 13, 2014
Expected Project End Date: December 21, 2014
Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
Many Americans never travel out of their home state, let alone the country. I am striving to break that trend. I have already traveled to China in January 2013 with my high school but that wasn’t enough. I want to keep going places and meeting people of different cultures and widening my horizon of cultural literacy. A way that I plan on doing this is by traveling to Yucatan, Mexico in December 2014. I will be traveling with the class “Legacies and Landscapes of Yucatan” offered by UC. Throughout the fall semester we have spent time reading and learning about the history of Yucatan and the changing landscape and life.
While on this trip I plan on seeing and experiencing all the things I have been learning about. The class and I are visiting Ancient Maya archaeological sites and we are going to “haciendas.” A hacienda was a large plantation of land that one man, typically a Spaniard, owned. He was in control of all the people and everything there. The people worked for him and in return they were given homes and food and allowed to live on the land. The creation of haciendas started in the late 1500s and most of them have been broken up and no longer exist. We will be visiting one of these places that are still in use today. We are also visiting a “cenote.” A cenote is a large underground pool and they were naturally created by rivers that run underground in Yucatan. They were used by the native people as a place for worship, graves, and drinking.
Along with visiting all of these places we will have to use Spanish with English to talk to people. My major is psychology but I have a minor in Spanish. This trip would be a great opportunity for me to have hands on experience with the Spanish language. It is one thing to learn in a classroom and to read and write in a language but it is something completely different to talk with someone in his or her own country. Spanish is a huge passion of mine. This year I am completely my fifth year learning the language; I had taken four years in high school.
Trip Itinerary (as provided by Dr. Robert South):
December 13th: Depart Cincinnati and arrive in Merida, Mexico
December 14th: Periodic Market in Merida
Archaeological trip to Uxmal
December 15th: Maquila Tour and Flamingo Reserve in Celestun
Beach at Celestun
December 16th: Hacienda/ejido School in Holactun
Henequen Plant
Izamal Church
December 17th: Archaeological trip to Chichen Itza
December 18th: Land use field trip (on the way to Cancun)
Archaeological trip to Ek Balam
Cenote Dzitnup
December 19th: Economic development in Cancun
December 20th: Tourism
Free day in Cancun
December 21st: Depart Cancun, Mexico and arrive in Cincinnati
Places We Are Staying
December 12-15: La Mision de Fray Diego Hotel (Merida)
December 16-17: Hacienda Hotel (Chichen Itza)
December 18-21: JW Marriott Hotel (Cancun)
Clearly and thoroughly address how each of the following elements will be exhibited in your work:
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area.
Possess global literacy, including knowledge of geography, history, current world issues and similarities and differences among cultures:
One can’t expect to travel anywhere and just suddenly know how to behave and act and know what they should and shouldn’t do. They must learn how to behave and what is acceptable and what isn’t. They need to learn how to speak to people, especially if they’re traveling somewhere that doesn’t speak their language. Through my class at UC I am expected to become globally literate but mainly focused in Yucatan. I would like to believe that I am. We have spent the semester learning about the history and geography of the Yucatan and along with the increase in tourism and change to the livelihood of the people who live there. I feel like I have learned as much as I can about the area I am traveling to but actually going there would fill in any gaps I have left.
Participate in a global society and understand the role of a global citizen:
To participate in a global society one has to actually go somewhere “global.” The society I am going to travel to is one that is very different to the one that I am used to experiencing everyday in America. Mexico is very different from Ohio but I would like to able to understand the difference and be able to participate there just like I would here and not feel out of place or weird. The role of a global citizen is to follow the rules and laws and cultural norms wherever they have traveled to and to not be critical of anything that they might deem to be different or strange.
3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories.
A. This project relates to my future because I would like to become fluent in Spanish and I would also like to continue traveling places outside of the USA so that I can understand the world better and the people in it.
B. Reading materials (provided by Dr. Robert South):
“Physical Environments and Environmental Issues” – Brian W. Blouet
“Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Cancun” – Bryon Augustin and Brain Cooper
“Historical Geography” – Brain W. Blouet and Olwyn M. Blouet
“Modernizing Mexico” – Peter Rees
4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity
A unique contribution I can have for this trip is that I am nearly fluent in Spanish. I can read and write fluently but I have a little trouble speaking but that shouldn’t be a problem on this trip. A previous experience that I have had that can help me on this trip is the fact that I have been to another country before now. There is only one other person on the trip (besides the teacher) who has been outside of the country. I have demonstrated initiative by helping pick out plane tickets and share my experiences from China with others to help them understand what going to another country will be like.
5. Reflection
I will be writing in a journal daily while on this trip. Everyday I will address three questions in my journal “What is something I learned today?” “In what ways did I see today that show that Mexico different from America?” and “What is something I can take home with me today?” When I return from this trip to Yucatan I will write an essay answering these questions but covering the entire time in a summary.
6. Dissemination
I am planning on taking pictures during my trip of the places and things I am going to be doing. After I have returned from Mexico I am going to put all of my pictures into a photo book with captions about each of them. I will put this book in the honors suite for others to see.
7. Project Advisor(s)
Dr. Robert South
Title: Associate Professor
Office: 400C Braunstein Hall
Tel: 513-556-3427
Email: [email protected]
8. Budget (if applicable)
$790 (price to be paid to UC) + $529.12 (airplane ticket) + $50 (baggage) + $200 (food) = $1,569.12