Adult Education
Course Schedule

Fall 2009 Courses

Trees of Center City Philadelphia, Professor Alfred E. Schuyler. This is a field class that will meet at various locations throughout Philadelphia. Thursday, September 24, 2009, beginning at 6:30 PM and 4 Saturday field trips beginning at 10:00 AM. The Academy of Natural Sciences, 19th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 4 outdoor sites. This class will identify trees that grow in Center City Philadelphia. This course requires preregistration and is limited to 20 students.

To preregister, call 215-763-6529, ext. 23, beginning Monday, September 14, 2009. Students may sign up for one, two, or three trips at $5.00 per trip or four trips at $15.00.

Physics and the World Wars: How Technology Shaped the Path of History, Professor Paul J. Angiolillo. Wednesday, September 30, 2009, beginning at 6:15 PM. 8 Wednesdays. (No class Wednesday, November 11, 2009). Wynnefield Branch of the Free Library, 5325 Overbrook Avenue. This course will offer a smorgasbord for those wishing to get a better grasp of the interplay between war and technology. No preregistration required.

On Heavens and Humans: A Brief History of Astronomy and its Influence on Our Lives, Professor Sylwester Ratowt. Tuesday, October 6, 2009, beginning at 6:30 PM. 9 Tuesdays. Independence Branch of the Free Library, 18 S. 7th Street. This heavily illustrated and interactive course will give students an appreciation for how the remote objects in the heavens have affected the lives of humans for millennia. No preregistration required.

Death, Aging, and Mortality: Cultural and Biosocial Perspectives, Professor Janet Monge. Monday, October 19, 2009, beginning at 7:00 PM. 6 Mondays. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 33rd and Spruce Streets. This course will explore death from a bio/cultural perspective including the evolution of life history, as well as an archaeological perspective and early history of mortuary practices.  No preregistration required.

Spring 2010 Courses

Fungi and Plants, Professor Karen Snetselaar. Wednesday, January 20, 2010, and then Monday, January 25, 2010 for 5 Mondays beginning at 6:30 PM. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street. There are over 100,000 species of fungi. This course will look at groups of fungi that are particularly important to plants and to people who are interested in plants. This course requires preregistration. To preregister, call 215-763-6529, ext. 23, beginning Monday, November 16, 2009.

Evolution in Action: A Study of Species' Options Over Time, Professor Mary Beth Davis. Wednesday, January 20, 2010, beginning at 6:30 PM. 8 Wednesdays. Independence Branch of the Free Library, 18 S. 7th Street. Charles Darwin proposed that in nature, changes in the environment present species with three possible evolutionary scenarios: adaptation, migration, or extinction. This course will examine these responses in depth through case studies of the natural history of individual species. No preregistration required.

Global Change, Mass Extinctions, and Biodiversity in the Fossil Record, Professor William B. Gallagher. Saturday, January 30, 2010, beginning at 10:15 AM. 10 Saturdays. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 33rd and Spruce Streets. This course will consider the linkages between environmental change and biodiversity fluctuations by studying the geologic record of mass extinctions. It will also look at biotic recovery and diversity rebounds after extinctions. No preregistration required.

Introduction to Pollination Biology, Professor Tatyana Livshultz. Monday, April 5, 2010, beginning at 6:30 PM. 6 Mondays. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street. This course will survey the science of pollination biology, including the discovery of plant pollinations in the late 17th century, plant adaptation to animal pollination and how they evolve, and the importance of pollination to human society. This course requires preregistration. To preregister, call 215-763-6529, ext. 23, beginning Monday, November 16, 2009.

Introduction to Birding in the Delaware Valley, Professor Clifford Hence. Wednesdays, April 7 - April 28, 2010 (6:30-7:45 PM) and Saturdays, May 1, 8 &15 (3 field trips from 8:00-11:00 AM). Independence Branch of the Free Library, 18 S. 7th Street and three field trips to local parks. This course will provide an introduction to birding in the region, including when and where to bird, and how to identify species in the field. No preregistration required.

To order a copy of the catalog and a full description of courses, please email info@wagnerfreeinstitute.org or call 215-763-6529, ext. 21.