Description
HIS212: “FEATHERS ON THE FRONTLINE: THE LEGACY OF BIRDS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR”
Please note that this course is offered as an on-line live-streamed course via Zoom only.
New Course Offered: 2022 Term 2.
Day and Time: four consecutive weekly sessions beginning on Tuesday 31 May, 5:30-6:30pm, with the final session offered on 21 June. One hour sessions only.
Other Time Zone equivalents:
-
- Honolulu, Hawai’i: 7:30-8:30pm, Monday 30 May 2022
- US Pacific: 10:30-11:30pm, Monday 30 May 2022
- US Eastern: 1:30am-2:30am, Tuesday 31 May 2022
- London, UK: 6:30-7:30am, Tuesday 31 May 2022
- New Delhi, India: 11:00am-12:00pm, Tuesday 31 May 2022
- Sydney, Australia: 3:30-4:30pm, Tuesday 31 May 2022
If the time doesn’t suit you can always watch the recorded video sessions, which are available the next day.
Distance learning: This course is offered as an on-line live-streamed course via Zoom only, and there is no in-person component.
Location: On-line via our live-streamed interactive Zoom sessions, or through video recordings posted the next day.

COURSE OUTLINE:
- Week 1 (31 May 2022): The Legacy of Birds in WWI—An Introduction

- Week 2 (7 June 2022): Shaping Memories—Birds in the Trenches

- Week 3 (14 June 2022): Chronicling the War—Ornithological Journals in 1914-1918

- Week 4 (21 June 2022): Unsung Heroes—Carrier Pigeons in the First World War

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course.
Distance Learning: This course is only offered as a live-streamed interactive course via Zoom only and has no in-person component. Students have two options for attending our courses once they have registered:
- attend our live on-line classroom sessions via Zoom at the regular scheduled day and time,
- watch the live-recorded class sessions at your leisure, at a time, day and place more suited to your schedule.
These options can be mixed and matched throughout the course to suit your own availability and location.




Michael Burton Smith is returning to teach his second course for EarthDiverse. 20-year-old Michael is in his third year as a full time student at Victoria University in New Zealand’s windy capital city. With a triple major in political science, history, and international relations, he still makes time for policy advising for Forest & Bird Youth and regular birding rambles. Since the age of six, Michael has been captivated by everything bird. Understanding birds for Michael has always been more than just understanding a living organism. Michael’s other love is history and this passion has led him to explore how humankind’s journey over the past few millennia has been inextricably tied to the masters of the skies, and how our relationship with birds has changed for the better or the worse with new discoveries, technologies, and political regimes.

DISTANCE-LEARNING OPTIONS:
This course is offered on-line only and has no in-person component. Live-streamed classes are available via free Zoom software, which allows you to participate fully in your own learning, ask questions of the instructor and participate fully in the same way as if you were in the physical classroom.
Those unable to attend the scheduled date and time of the actual class sessions, or those who need to miss a class or two due to previous engagements or unexpected illness, can watch any or all of the live-recorded video sessions on their computers, laptops, tablets or mobile devices and study at their own pace and in their own time.
Detailed instructions on how to access our distance learning sessions will be sent after completing your registration. There are no additional fees for this service. However, distance learners will need access to a desktop or laptop computer with a good quality web-camera (tablet devices and mobile phones can also access our live-streamed classes), a built-in microphone (most modern laptops have built-in microphones) or a headset with a microphone. You will also need to download and install the free Zoom software on your computer or device. Those accessing the video recordings will be able to do so with a simple web browser on any device.
- Any Term can be taken independently of the others, and there are no prerequisites for any of the Term courses.
- This class has no assignments, required readings, quizzes, tests or exams.
- All classes encourage questions and group discussion.
- PDF copies of each class presentation, where appropriate, are emailed to all participants the next day so that you are free to focus on class content rather than taking notes. You are most welcome to come, sit back, relax, take part in and enjoy the discussions!
- Course fees include a short tea/coffee/snack break somewhere in the middle of each session.
- There are no refunds for missed classes. Missed classes can be made up by watching the on-line recording of the class session, which is usually posted within 24 hours.
- Guests of registered participants are welcome to attend a single class at no charge.
- Certificates of Completion for any particular Term Course or Series are available for Professional Development purposes upon request at the end of each Term or Series.
Cost per person per Term (4 one-hour classes):
- Waged: $65 (includes GST + online registration fee)
- Unwaged (unemployed, students, seniors): $50 (includes GST + online registration fee)
Prices for Waged and Unwaged registrants remain the same regardless of your chosen method for accessing our courses. This means that you have the option to mix and match access between accessing our live class sessions on-line via Zoom at the regularly scheduled class meeting time (no matter where you are located), or watching the video-recorded sessions anywhere at a time and date of your choosing. This allows you to study at your own pace and in your own time.
Once registered, you have two choices for attending your course:
- Zoom in to our live classroom sessions and participate in discussions,
- access the live-recorded class sessions each week. This allows you to register for an entire course, even though the scheduled class session day/time may not be suitable to your schedule. You may also use this option to watch any recorded session for review, or in case you may miss a class session due to prior engagement, being away, or due to illness. This allows you to catch up with any “missed” sessions at a more suitable time.
Once registered, you will receive detailed instructions on how to access our courses via either of the distance-learning options, i.e. live access via Zoom, or watching the video-recorded sessions.
LOCATION: This course is offered as an on-line live-streamed Zoom course only. Details for access will be sent once registration has been completed.
DISTANCE LEARNING: You get to choose your location when you Zoom in to our live classroom sessions, or access our classes at your leisure and at a time and day of your choosing by watching the video recorded sessions from each class. This allows you to study at your own pace and access class content from anywhere in the world.



