Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - EDUC 843 G001

Embodiment and Curriculum Inquiry (5)

Class Number: 4184

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 7, 2026: Tue, 4:30–9:20 p.m.
    Surrey

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

The scholarship on embodiment and its implications for the body as a site for knowledge and its relationship to contemporary curriculum inquiry will be studied with specific emphasis on the area of performative and narrative inquiry and arts education. Central to this course will be the investigation of embodiment from both a philosophical perspective and a literary/poetic perspective. Equivalent Courses: EDUC712

COURSE DETAILS:

Each class will consist of lecture, group discussion, writing, and practices of physicality as movement, walking, and somatic practices. We will occasionally meet in other locations to facilitate the connection to physicality as well as access to galleries. There will be several field trips including visits to Surrey Art Gallery, Vancouver Art Gallery, Green Timbers Urban Forest in Surrey and Holland Park in Surrey. A detailed schedule will be given out in the beginning of the semester.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

This course will examine the scholarship on embodiment and its implications for the body as a site for knowledge, arts education, and embodied ways of inquiry. Emphasis will be on a poetic and visceral perspective rooted in movement, dance, walking and physicality in a variety of forms, including our limitations. Attention will be given to the relationship between embodied knowing and relevance to us as researchers, educators, artists, and human beings. Somatic/movement practices and writing from the body will be integrated in the class to facilitate embodied connections to learning.

Grading

  • Body Narrative 20%
  • Presentation on Chapters 20%
  • Bodygraphy-Final Project 50%
  • Participation 10%

NOTES:

Writing from the body practice will be inside and outside class.

Somatic and movement practices will also be inside and outside class.

Details will be outlined in the beginning of the semester.

A longer syllabus with details of course and grading requirements will be available in fall.

Attendance and active participation in class is expected.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Snowber, C. (2016). Embodied inquiry. Sense Publishing.
ISBN 978-94-6300-753-5
E-Book ISBN:9789463007559 


Selected journal articles and chapters.

Walsh, B. Bickel, & C. Leggo (Eds.). (2015). Arts-based and contemplative practices in research and teaching: Honoring presence.: Routledge.
ISBN 9781138286740

RECOMMENDED READING:

Abram, D. (1996). The spell of the sensuous: Perception and language in a more- than-human world.  Vintage. ISBN: 0-679-77639-7


Friedman, L. & Moon, S. (Eds.) (1997). Being bodies: Buddhist women on the paradox of embodiment. Shambhala. ISBN 1-57062-324-4


Lamothe, L. K. (2015). Why we dance: A philosophy of bodily becoming. Columbia University Press. ISBN: 978-0-231-17105-2

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.