Penn State Altoona May 2023 London Calling Dashboard
Description
“LONDON CALLING: ORDERING THE WORLD”
BRITISH LITERATURE, HISTORY, & CULTURE
ENGLISH 299, 499 or HISTORY 199
SPRING & SUMMER 2023
Drs. Laura Rotunno & Douglas Page
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE
"By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show."
—Samuel Johnson
After this immersion in London, you may, very well, echo Johnson's sentiments. This course lets you, at the very least, test his ideas, because this Study Abroad experience will provide you the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and understanding of British literature, history, and culture through visiting key sites in the Greater London area. That is, a goal is to aid in your recognition of and ability to critically discuss the interrelationships between and cultural significance of British historical events, not just for Britain but for the rest of the world.
Designed to supplement and complement the readings and discussions undertaken in English 225N (WMNST 225N), 403, or 452 OR History 066 or 103, the course will explore different aspects of British historical and literary culture, ranging from the architectural to the intellectual. During the 1-credit spring course, we will do much in terms of practical preparation for the trip; however, beyond that, we will also challenge you to consider your goals in this travel and preparing you to be travelers who are curious about the sustainability efforts, efficiencies, and inefficiencies of the sites. While there will be numerous sites that will show us environmental sustainability efforts at work or needed, we’ll also be explore sites that will help us think about sustainability in terms of the sustainability of cities and communities (two of the UN Developmental Goals). Further goals for the summer/trip portion of this course include: 1) Undertaking international travel as a respectable representative of the U.S. and Penn State Altoona as well as a curious student of British history and culture; 2) Engaging elements of a familiar, yet foreign culture in a hands-on fashion; 3) Evaluating materials you have read in your prerequisite course(s) in respect to experiencing the sites, pieces of art, etc. that you will see in London; 4) Exercising your research, presentation, and writing skills.
Galleries, Timelines, and Maps
There is no content in this group.
Individual Entries
The Kenwood house sits in Hampstead, London north of the Hampstead Heath, an area of park land. Due to its stately nature, it sits in a more rural part of London, which was likely the appeal to the Earl of Mansfeild, who bought the estate.
While it was built before the 1700’s, it was acquired by the Earl of Mansfieldin 1754, not before going through several other owners. The house would be passed down to the 6th Earl of Mansfieldbefore being donated to the public and opened as an Art Center.
Its location made it possible for the estates' orangery, which would need a large and rural space to accommodate its gardens. The whole estate, including the house itself, and the surrounding land accommodates 112 acres, all which can be explored today through the English Heritage Center. This includes the house itself, but also its extensive art collection and the...
moreThe British Museum, founded in 1753 and opened in 1759, is the world's first public national museum. The current collection of artifacts in the British Museum consists of around 8 million items that span across 2 million years of human history. Some of the museums most famous and historic pieces include: The Rosetta Stone from 196 BCE Egypt, The Parthenon Sculptures from 438-432 Athens Greece, The Bust of Ramesses the Great from Egypt’s 19...
more