Library – Chesapeake Forum

Course Library

All Chesapeake Forum Library Courses are now available FREE OF CHARGE. Registration is required to access the course recording links. Your Registration Confirmation from Chesapeake Forum will have the YouTube links for the course session(s). If you want to be on our mailing list for the Course Offering mailer that goes out prior to each semester, be sure to include your full mailing address when registering.

20,000 Years of History from One Oyster Reef in the Choptank River

A sonar mapped oyster reef reveals geologic history of the Chesapeake Bay from 20,000 years ago.

2022 Distinguished Visiting Scholar Event: Exploration, Adventure, and Science: What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?

Join ‘Pan’ Conrad, noted Mars Mission astrobiologist and Episcopal priest and pastor, for a wide-ranging conversation that ties together geographic exploration on earth, space exploration and tourism, empire building and colonialism, science fiction and moral discernment.

230 Years of Presidential Elections: Washington to Trump, 1788-2018

A virtual magic carpet ride through the past 230 years to see the facts, foibles, and fallacies of U.S. Presidential Elections.

500 Years of Fake News: From False Facts and Fictitious Fallacies to Forgotten Foibles

Tour the past 500 years to see for yourself if “fake news” is a new phenomenon or just “business as usual.”

A (Re)tired Math Teacher Looks at the “Alice” Trilogy

Who knew that Lewis Carroll ever contemplated or wrote a draft of the third book of the Alice Trilogy? We will explore some of the hidden meanings in Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, and Exeunt Alice.

A Journey through the Developing World

A humorous and not so humorous “one man’s trek” through the most difficult places on the globe.

A Traveler’s Guide to Black Holes

If black holes emit no light and swallow all that surrounds them, how can we know anything about them? Come and explore what we know about black holes and how we know this.

A Walk on the Wild Side: A Photo Tour of The Great Pacific Flyway (Recording)

RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE! Join a wildlife photographer as she explores the birds of the Great Pacific Flyway, a major north-south migratory path over the Sacramento Valley of California. As a wildlife rescuer, she will also show what happens when wildlife clashes with humanity.

A Woman’s Province? Pensioning Two Eastern Shore Heroines

Anna Ella Carroll and Harriet Tubman are asking for government pensions. You will decide.

Aging with Healthy Communication Skills

RECORDING STILL AVAILABLE! Communication needs change as we age, whether naturally or due to neurological challenges. Ms. Cornette will address some of the challenges as well as ways to acquire lasting communication skills.

AI 101 – A Brief Look at Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is the science and practice of systems that exhibit characteristics we associate with intelligent human behavior. This two-session overview course emphasizes interactive discussions regarding the implementations of AI in the United States and abroad.

Airship 103

Each session is a separate video production accessible to registered participants. Climb aboard Airship 103 and enjoy the flights, the views, and technical and operational aspects unique to blimps.

Art across Cultures

From Tokyo to Istanbul, the Freer Gallery program will transport you across its many rich holdings.

Birds and Birding in our Eastern Shore Backyard

In collaboration with Pickering Creek Audubon Center, three (virtual) classes that focus on Eastern Shore songbirds that grace the Eastern Shore landscape. No birding experience needed.

Birds and Birding on the Eastern Shore: Special Birds in Special Places

Got waterfowl? Want to see some loons and gannets? How about a warbler or two and maybe even an elusive rail? A “yes” to any or all of these questions qualifies you for this course, with no birding experience necessary.

Birds and Birding on the Eastern Shore: Special Birds in Special Places (Part 1)

Two classes coupled with two day-long field trips will focus on waterfowl and coastal specialties likely to be seen in selected birding hotspots on Maryland's Eastern Shore. No birding expertise necessary.

Birds and Birding on the Eastern Shore: Special Birds in Special Places (Part 2) (Recording)

Two classes coupled with two all day field trips will focus, respectively, on songbird migrants and shorebird transients likely to be seen on selected birding hotspots in Maryland and Delaware.

Birds, Ecology and Conservation: Birds and Our Working Landscape

Participate in class sessions and field trips to identify local birds while learning ecological concepts that both inform and challenge our working landscape past, present and future.

Cherry Blossoms: A Smithsonian Adventure (Recording)

(Recording Now Available!) Join Chesapeake Forum for a docent led virtual tour of the renowned Cherry Blossom Exhibit at the Freer Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian Museum.

Chesapeake Crabs: The Story of the Bay’s Most Iconic Seafood

Explore the diverse story of Blue Crabs, the Bay’s staple seafood, and their complex adaptation.

Climate Change: Policy and Process

Although Congress has yet to enact legislation to address ‘Climate Change,’ the U.S. Government has pursued and funded various initiatives for the problem of a rapidly changing climate.

Conversation: “What’s Good and Bad About Talbot County”

Compare Talbot County with other Maryland counties to see the differences in education, rates of crime, housing availability, etc.

Conversation: Setting Expectations for Our Youth

COURSE IS NOW OVER. RECORDING IS AVAILABLE. Join a discussion based on excerpts from the films “Stand and Deliver” and “The Ultimate Gift” to explore whether we are setting appropriate expectations for our nation’s next generations.

Conversations on Race: An American Dilemma

What does ‘systemic racism’ really mean? Is there a difference between ‘equality’ and ‘equity’? Join our program presenters and hear a panel of Talbot County community leaders discuss what’s happening in the County.

Conversations on Race: Community Roundtable Discussion

The community leaders who will be participating in the Round Table Panel that is the final discussion of the Series "Conversations on Race: An American Dilemma" will be: Deborah Short, Program Director of BAAM, Nancy Andrew Director of the Talbot Family Network, and Capt. Anthony Smith, Chief of the St. Michaels Police Department. The discussion will be moderated by Chesapeake Forum Board President, Lynn Randle.

Decoding the Personal Letters of Union and Confederate Soldiers

Examine Civil War soldiers’ letters home and decode historical memorabilia. Within the "casual" comments, what was really being said?

Doc, I Need a Drink

A Philatelist (stamp collector) looks at National Prohibition and the stamps that paid the tax.

FIGHTING WORDS: How Newspapers Reported the American Civil War from the Polarized Perspectives of North vs South

Using a "magic carpet" of old newspapers, view the Civil War from very different perspectives.

Financial Concerns When You Are 55 or Better (Recording)

This course will cover the tax handling of retirement accounts; how your tax returns affect Medicare eligibility; planning for the unexpected; and preparing a retirement budget.

Frederick Douglass: In His Time and In Ours

Professor David W. Blight’s virtual live lecture will draw past and present together by focusing on Frederick Douglass’ key legacies. You are welcome to join a live Q&A following the lecture.

Friending Shakespeare (Recording)

This fun introduction to Shakespeare is full of hints to help you enjoy and understand his plays in the way that works best for you.

From a Flight by Balloon to Men on the Moon (Recording)

(Course Recording Now Available) A History of Aviation as reported in the newspaper press over four centuries from 1783 through 2021.

Fun Flight in a P-51 Mustang

Watch the video of “Crazy Horse” P51 from a Skyship 600 Airship and then jump into the Mustang.

Great Decisions 2021 Discussion, Part I

Discuss four of the eight important global topics in the 2021 Great Decisions Briefing Book (included). Look for Part II in the Fall 2021 semester offerings.

Great Decisions 2021 Discussion, Part II

Part 2 of this popular geo-political discussion group will continue with four more important global topics from the 2021 Great Decisions Briefing Book (available for an additional $10).

Great Maritime Literature

In this new course, we will explore the themes of human freedom and authority in a sampling of maritime literature.

Happy Hour Forum: Tapping into Chesapeake History With Bob Random

You may be wondering about this fellow and why he had it in for the Eastern Shore. You will receive clues to consider one week before the great reveal. Sharpen your wits, grab a beverage, and join us for a most entertaining happy hour class.

Hemingway: An Examination of Selected Short Stories

We will explore the import and tension created by Hemingway’s objective point of view.

History of Cyberwarfare – Yesterday and Today (Recording)

(Recording Now Available) Recent cyber-attacks by nation states are causing disruptive damage to their targets. Examples are presented and discussed in terms of their approach, magnitude, and perceived motivations. Historical perspectives are addressed.

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