I am currently in my 11th year teaching Social Studies in the Ridgway School District. I grew up in Colorado, spent my high school years in Germany, and went to college in Iowa, where I majored in International Studies, Political Science, and History. I am near the end of my master's in history at Adams State University. I have lived many years outside of Colorado in Germany, Iowa, Kentucky, and Minnesota, and am back in Colorado for good. I have traveled internationally extensively, only have two continents to go, and love to experience new places and cultures. I enjoy cooking, spending time outdoors with my family and dogs hiking, fishing, and exploring.
Courses:
World History
This course is a survey of World History with a broad stroke on history from antiquity to the present. We approach the material in a thematic way, such as colonialization. Students will explore primary sources and secondary sources to help understand the cause and effect of cross-cultural interactions through time and space.
College World History
College World History is an introductory college-level history course. Students cultivate their understanding of world history from antiquity to the present by analyzing historical sources and learning to make connections and craft historical arguments as they explore concepts like humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions, and organization, and technology and innovation. This is a two-semester course, with semester one content covering antiquity to about 1500 and semester two covering from 1500 to the present.
Human Geography
This course explores geographic themes throughout the world, including history, culture, language, religion, economics, and government. Connections to current events are a focus of this course. We use a variety of materials, including primary sources, articles, news and government sites, and a variety of online resources. Students will produce a variety of items for assessment, including discussion and debate, writing, projects, and presentations. This class will address current world events and will include topics that can be controversial. I expect that students will be open to learning new points of view and respect those with differing opinions. Students are expected to be prepared for class which includes having the needed materials for the day, homework completion, and other assigned preparatory materials. Students are also expected to be respectful of the school and classroom environment. Students and parents are responsible for communicating with me any concerns and needs.
AP Human Geography
The curriculum for this two-semester course consists of topics drawn from seven interrelated units of study outlined in the AP Human Geography Course Description booklet published by the College Board. The purpose of the course is to utilize geographic processes to systematically study and understand the following concepts: Geography: Its Nature and Perspective; Population; Cultural Patterns and Processes; Political Organization of Space; Agricluture and Rural Land Use; Industrialization and Economic Development; Cities and Urban Land Use. For more information about the course, the College Board, or other AP classes, please go to https://apstudent.collegeboard.org.
Course Description
APHuG introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the Earth’s surface. Students will make use of spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools that geographers use in applying their science and practices. APHuG allows students to learn about world population issues, border disputes, and international conflicts. In addition, students are exposed to economic theories and models as well as world religions and the origins and diffusion of languages. Students will study urban development, industrialization, and city planning. APHuG prepares students for intermediate and advanced level college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by a one-semester introductory level college course. Students must be able to draw upon factual knowledge in order to exercise analytic skills intelligently. Solid reading and writing skills, along with a willingness to devote time to independent reading, homework, and study, are necessary to succeed. This course is vocabulary intensive and relies on a comprehensive understanding of a large and specific vocabulary. APHuG students can potentially earn college credit. College credit is determined both by the student’s score on the national AP Exam and by individual university policies. Students and parents should understand that the focus of this course is to understand and apply concepts as defined and outlined by The College Board for this course. Whether or not students intend to take the AP Exam, they will be required to meet all expectations of the course. Students should register at the AP Student Section (https://apstudent.collegeboard.org) of the College Board website. This will allow them to access a variety of resources as well as register for the AP Exam.
Culinary Arts
Students will build basic cooking skills and a broad understanding of food preparation as we tackle easy and more difficult cooking techniques and cuisines.