Futuristics through Literature

Using works of science fiction literature, films, interviews,  and  nonfiction, this course examines the relationships and influences that various human technologies have had in the development of human interactions and the development of societies over the ages. The students will  apply their understanding of the past influences of technology on the human experience by predicting how new and emerging technologies may influence the human experience in the future (futuristics). The students will support their predictions by researching  the predictions of  science fiction authors, past and present.  By the end of the course,  students in Futuristics will have a deeper understanding of  and questions about humans as homo faber, the idea that human beings can control  their fate and their  environment through the use of tools. The students will conduct research, write essays, create multimedia presentations, and participate in class discussions. The students will  use their  skills in thinking, researching, writing, and speaking to fully defend and make a case for their assertions.