Amanda Maass
Specialized Courses
These specialized courses offered by Catawba Valley Community College allowed students to travel in order to aid understanding of the course. It required students to go through an application process that included a letter of intent, recommendations from teachers, and interviews.
Entomology
This course covers the biology of insects. Topics include harmful and beneficial insects, their identification, classification, life cycles, behavior, distribution, economic importance, and the methods involved in collection and preservation. The course centered around a capstone project of collecting and properly identifying over 100 specimens with 30% being arachnids. It included a 5 day trip along the coast of Florida all the way to the Everglades.
Social Justice
In this course we studied social justice issues around race, age, disabilities and culture. With the emphasis being on Native Americans especially Pueblo and Navajo tribes and included a 5 day trip to four corners. Stops included many historical dwellings and sites. Plus, a visit to a Navajo prep school where they demoed drum playing, how to make rope from yucca, bow and arrow customs, a young mother demonstrated how and why they use cradle boards, and baked fresh fry bread.
