BIOL 1080 (Sec. 1N)             Environmental Science                                             Fall 2008

 

3 credit hours

Class Meeting: On-line

 

Instructor: Dr. John Campbell

Text: G. Tyler Miller. 2007. Living in the Environment 15th ed. 628pp.

Office: SM 254  Phone: 6140                                    

Email: Via Blackboard Email or john.campbell@northwestcollege.edu

Office Hours: 9-10 MTWThF

Class Web Pages: On Blackboard and http://biology.northwestcollege.edu

 

Course Objectives:

Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary study of problems that have been caused by human use of the natural world. To understand these complex problems and in order to devise solutions to them, three major areas of information must be understood. First, we must understand the natural processes, both physical and biological, that operate in the world. Second, we must appreciate the role of technology in society, its capacity to alter natural processes and how it can be used to solve problems caused by human impact. Third, the complex cultural and social processes of human populations must be understood and integrated with technology and natural processes in order to interpret the role of humans in the world today.

 

Two central themes are at the core of this course. First is the concept that environmental issues are generally global issues that are not contained by political boundaries.  Secondly, the role people play in environmental problems is tightly connected to their social and cultural connections. To understand both the problems and their solutions requires us to investigate and be aware of these connections.   

 

During the course, you will gain skills in expressing information and opinions both verbally and in a written form.

 

Learning Outcomes:

 By the end of this course you should be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of the major biological principles pertinent to Environmental Science

2. demonstrate sound scientific reasoning and use it to assess environmental problems.

3. explain the role of culture and beliefs in environmental issues

4. be able to organize, analyze and interpret data.

5. demonstrate written communication skills.

 

 Course Outline:

 

Topic                                                                                      Chapter Reading

 

Introduction and Overview                                                                1

 

Ecosystem Structure and Function                                                     3 and quiz

 

Community Ecology                                                                           7

 

Populations and population dynamics                                                8 and quiz

 

Human Population Ecology                                                                9

           

Sustaining Biodiversity- Ecosystem Approach                                  10 and quiz

 

Sustaining Biodiversity- Species Approach                                        11

 

Water Resources                                                                                 14 and quiz

 

Non-renewable Energy Resources                                                      16

 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Resources                                    17 and quiz

 

Air Pollution                                                                                       19

 

Climate Change                                                                                  20 and quiz

 

Water Pollution and Solid Waste                                                       21 and 22

 

Environmental Economics                                                                  24

 

Environmental Politics and Ethics                                                      25 and 26 and quiz

 

Exams and grading:

Grades will be based on your understanding of the basic scientific principles of each issue discussed, your understanding of the role of culture and society in creating and solving environmental problems, your understanding of the implications to society of each issue, and your contributions to the class.  Thus, grading specifically will be based on a) seven non-comprehensive quizzes, (15% each), b) four position papers or other assigned writing (20%) c) and participation in online discussions (20%). Details and instructions for writing the position papers will be on the class home page on the Internet.

 

Quizzes will be held every two weeks and will be available on Sunday and Monday of that week.

 

Absence policy: The quality of the class is largely dependent on contribution of the students. Your addition to the class is important and you are expected to contribute regularly to online discussions each week class. This online class is NOT self-paced. The official College absence policy may be reviewed in the College Catalog and the Student Handbook. Lack of contributions will be reflected in your participation grade.

 

Missed quizzes and assignments: A makeup quiz will be allowed only if the absence was excused. All college-sponsored activities must be excused in advance. Please notify me via Blackboard email if you are not able to participate or complete a quiz. Absences not dealt with in the above manner will not be considered excused and any makeup exam, if allowed, will be worth only 80% of a normal exam (two letter grade penalty).

Late Materials: Late assignments will be accepted after the due date, but they will only be worth 80% of their original value.

 

Policy on Academic Integrity: You are expected to strictly observe NWC rules regarding academic honesty. These rules are detailed in your Student Handbook.  These rules require you to abstain from cheating on exams, properly reference published written and electronic material, and only submit work that is your own. If you have any questions regarding what behavior is proper, including what constitutes plagiarism, please do not hesitate to ask. Quizzes are taken on the honor system in this class and your integrity is critical to our continued offering of online classes.

 

Students with Special Needs: Students who qualify for specific accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should notify the instructor in the first week of class to ensure that their needs are met in a timely manner. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of his/her needs and to provide the necessary documentation to the Student Success Center before any classroom accommodations can be made. To contact the Director of the Student Success Center, call 754-6204 or stop by the Center located in the basement of Colter Hall.

 

General comments:

Many of the ideas and concepts in Environmental Science are ones that you likely are familiar with through your regular life or previous classes. However, many new ideas, vocabulary words, and theories will be presented. I hope you will be introduced to new perspectives on older ideas, and that you and I will be intellectually challenged. This is a science class, and we need to formulate ideas, opinions and speculations based on a foundation of factual information.

 

The speed of the course will be based on the assumption that you regularly read and study the textbook or other supplemental materials.

 

The list of topics in this syllabus is very broad, but does not cover the entire textbook. Please feel free to read other chapters in the text as your curiosity leads you. You may also want to look at some of the early, basic science chapters to review concepts that might be confusing to you.