Rivers and Tides: A Biography of the River Thames, London

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

One of the most significant topographical features in the landscape are great rivers such as the Amazon, Nile and Ganges whose hydrology and liquid waters flow through vast landscapes and offer an insight into sustainability from fluid standpoints. The environment of these rivers is central to human existence for nourishment, agriculture, mobility and commerce, for example. In this course, we take the River Thames as a case study and chart the biography of the river from its earliest beginnings to the present day. We will draw upon a range of sources from ancient fish traps and trackways, the remains of ships and boats, foreshore archaeology, literature, material culture, museum collections, maps and the environmental water-worlds that ebb and flow with the ever-changing tides. Through classroom discussion and written work, you will develop the ability to articulate clear, well-supported, and engaging commentary on the role of rivers in our work on the environment and sustainable practice. The course will have a strong focus on group discussions with a mixture of lectures, excursions, and small group projects. By the end of the course students will be familiar with the environmental and social history of the River Thames and be aware of the potential a case-study approach offers to sustainable thinking.