The opening field trip takes place at the beginning of the course, preferably in the first or second week. It introduces students to the Wadden Sea area and gives them a first impression of the place. If you are able to include this field trip, your institute is probably located close to the Wadden Sea and many students may have visited before, but this may not be true for all students. This field trip brings all students to a field site so that they all have a physical and material experience of the place, and their experience is shared with their fellow students. The field trip thus provides a foundation from which students can proceed to discuss the experiences of others as encountered in literature and other media throughout the course. Students may be introduced to some of the themes of the course, but the opening field trip focuses rather on physical and material experiences and knowing-by-sensing than on critical reflection. If the course includes problem-based learning, the field trip is a likely starting point for introducing the issue in question. If the course works with a visitor centre or other organisation, the organisation may be a likely place to visit. This unit may be combined with the Closing physical field trip as a counterpart or be used as a standalone unit in the course.
This unit may work particularly well with the units on Language and text and Perspectives and place attachment.
Literature and the Wadden Sea 