Course Description
Exploration of the role of water in the development of human civilization, focusing on three key periods: prehistory, the rise of scientific advancements, and the future of water management. Students will critically examine historical narratives and language, challenge Eurocentric views, and investigate the contributions of non-western cultures to water systems.
Athena Title
Water and Civilization
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will explore how groundwater has influenced the development of civilizations, with a focus on its role in shaping societies throughout history and across different cultures.
- Students will develop practical solutions to current groundwater challenges, with an emphasis on sustainable management and long-term environmental responsibility.
- Students will investigate how various cultures, including indigenous communities, understand and manage groundwater, recognizing the diversity of practices and beliefs involved.
- Students will examine how technological advances have changed groundwater exploration and management and assess their societal and environmental effects.
- Students will compare groundwater management strategies across different regions, considering their social, economic, and environmental implications on a global scale.
Topical Outline
- Topic 1: Introduction to Water and Civilization
-Basics and principles of the water cycle and the science of water
-The central role of water in the development and progression of human societies
-The interdisciplinary nature of water (history, science, and culture)
- Topic 2: Age One - Prehistoric Water Management
-Early human interactions with water
-Case studies from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Indus Valley
-Cultural and spiritual significance of water in early civilizations
- Topic 3: Agricultural Revolution and Water Control
-Water Infrastructure, irrigation, and economic growth
- Topic 4: Age Two: Rise of Scientific Progress
-Greek and Roman advancements in water management and systems
-Impacts of advancements in modern society
- Topic 5: Middle Ages and Non-European Cultures
-Water and language in Islamic, Chinese, and Mesoamerican civilizations
-The transfer of water knowledge across cultures and time
- Topic 6: Age Three: Industrial Revolution and Modern Era
-Technological advances in water systems
-The environmental consequences of industrial rise and urbanization
- Topic 7: Modern Water Crisis and Global Systems
-The current state of global water resources: scarcity, pollution, and inequality
-The impacts of climate change on the water cycle
-Political, economic, and social factors influencing water resources
- Topic 8: Cultural Perspectives on Water
-Importance of culture and community values in water governance
-Citizen science and awareness
-Indigenous water management practices and approaches
- Topic 9: The Future of Water
-Global perspectives on the future of water
-Water security and the role of policy
Institutional Competencies
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
