Adult Education
Course Schedule

Spring 2013 Courses

How Plants Work: Topics in Practical Plant Physiology for Gardeners, Professor Karen Snetselaar. 1 Tuesday and 5 Mondays, January 22 - February 25, 2013, 6:30 - 7:30 PM. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street (20th and Arch Streets). This course will examine how plant structure and growth is influenced by water, minerals, and other chemical compounds and provide you with a better understanding of how to meet their needs.

This course is full.

To be placed on the waiting list, please call 215-763-6529 x23.

Genetics: From Mendel to Watson & Crick and Beyond, Professor Mary Beth Davis.

6 Wednesdays, January 23 - February 27, 2013, 6:30 - 7:45 PM. Independence Branch of the Free Library, 18 S. 7th Street (between Market and Chestnut). This course is an informal “introduction to genetics” with a focus on learning what genes are and how they function. Practical applications of genetic technology will also be discussed.

No preregistration required.

Vertebrate Anatomy, Professor Jason Downs.

8 Saturdays, January 26 - March 16, 2013, 10:30 AM - Noon. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 33rd and Spruce Streets. This course will examine the vertebrate body and show how biological form reflects function, ontogeny (growth and development), and phylogeny (evolutionary relationships).

This course requires preregistration.

Preregistration begins Monday, November 26, 2012.

You may register online here or call 215-763-6529 x23.

Avant-garde Science, Avant-garde Art: The Artistic Response to the Scientific Revolution of the 19th Century, Professors Michael J. Lewis and David Hewitt.

6 Tuesdays, January 29 - March 5, 2013, 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Historic Landmark Building, 118 N. Broad Street. This course, a discourse between an art historian and a biologist, will look at the way in which 19th century artists and architects responded to the insights of the natural sciences.

This course is full.

To be placed on the waiting list, please call 215-763-6529 x23.

Reading the Landscape of Philadelphia, Professor David Hewitt.

6 Mondays, April 1 - May 6, 2013, 6:30 - 7:30 PM. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street (20th and Arch Streets). Through a series of illustrated case studies, this course will provide reconstructions of a variety of historic landscapes throughout Philadelphia. Implications for urban greening will also be discussed.

This course is full. Please note change in dates of classes. Class now starts April 1.

To be placed on the waiting list, please call 215-763-6529 x23.

MEMBERS ONLY WORKSHOP: CANCELLED

Beetle Basics with Professor Robert T. Allen.

8 Thursdays, March 7 - April 25, 2013, 6:30 - 8:00 PM. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 19th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia. An introduction to the most diverse and prolific group of multicellular organisms on our planet -- Beetles, the Insect Order Coleoptera.

This special hands-on workshop is limited to 10 students. To enroll, you must be a member of the Wagner. In addition, there is a $25 registration fee.

Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, it was necessary to cancel this workshop. We apologize and look forward to offering other workshops in the future.

Fall 2012 Courses

More Physics and Chemistry in the Kitchen, Professor Paul J. Angiolillo.

8 Thursdays, September 27 - November 15, 2012, 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Saint Joseph’s University, Science Center (Room 317), City Avenue and Lapsley Lane, Philadelphia. This course will explore the scientific foundations of cooking and cooking practice; in particular the chemistry and physics of food preparation (molecular and physical gastronomy).

No preregistration required.

What is in the Kitchen? An Evolutionary and Global Perspective on Food and Diet, Professor Janet Monge. 6 Tuesdays, October 2 - November 6, 2012, 6:30 - 8:00 PM. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 33rd and Spruce Streets. This course addresses the issue of what constitutes an optimal diet for humans using an evolutionary and adaptive perspective.

No preregistration required.

History of Photography: Art, Science, and Technology, Professor Jane E. Boyd.

7 Wednesdays, October 3 - November 14, 2012, 6:30 - 7:45 PM. Independence Branch of the Free Library, 18 S. 7th Street (between Market and Chestnut). This course will explore the history of photography from many points of view: artistic, scientific, technological, and cultural.

No preregistration required.

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To receive information by mail, please call 215-763-6529, ext. 21 or email info@wagnerfreeinstitute.org.