ESRM 100 Introduction to Environmental Science Course Introduction

Transcription

1 ESRM 100 Introduction to Environmental Science Course Introduction 5 credits Instructor: Rob Harrison (robh@uw.edu) Instructor's Office Hours are by appointment. Write to eschelp@uw.edu to schedule an appointment. Contact TAs for questions about the class, course material, and requirements by using eschelp@uw.edu Overview Welcome to ESRM100. This class provides a comprehensive overview of environmental science. By using an "earth systems" approach, you will recognize society and the environment as an interrelated system. Throughout the course, we will examine environmental issues and investigate realistic solutions. The class will use narrated Powerpoints and video clips to introduce environmental topics. By the end of this course, you will have a greater understanding of the relationships between the environmental factors that affect our world. Course Objectives Goals You will understand the many environmental issues affecting our world and how we can affect them in the future, and the environmental impacts behind past and current world topics. Learning Objectives When you have finished this course, you will be able to explain the basic chemistry and biology behind environmental issues; explain the interactions between humans and other organisms within environmental issues; and describe how we can affect environmental issues in the future. Requirements Course Prerequisites There is no pre-requisite except an interest in the Environment. Technology Requirements The only technology requirement is access to the internet for course materials and ing the TAs. Completion Requirements To successfully complete this course, you must do the following: read the textbook and view/listen to lectures; finish weekly quizzes complete and submit the class project; submit at least two discussion posts; and attend at least two exams. 1

2 Communicating with Your Instructor and Student Peers Please communicate with the instructor and TAs exclusively through . Make sure and put ESRM100 Subject YourName in the subject line where Subject is what your is about and YourName is the name the UW uses for you. Course Materials Required Textbook Friedland, A., Relyea, R., and Courard-Hauri, D. Essentials of Environmental Science, First edition. New York, NY: Freeman and Company, ISBN: About This Course There are nine lessons in this course. Each Lessons represent one week s worth of textbook reading and lectures. The written requirements for this class are a project (research project, book report or environmental service) and two discussion posts. There are three exams that cover 5-6 chapters. Discussion Forums The discussion forum conversations are required. The idea of the discussion list is to provide a forum where you can think about and talk about issues of interest to the class in Environmental Science. Conversation topics will be posted at the beginning of the quarter. You must post in at least two of the discussion forums for a total of 15% of your grade. Discussion posts should respond to previous posts in the thread and can take the form of a question related to the topic thread or an answer that adds to the resolution of a question initially posted to the list. Add to the existing conversations by posting additional material, including additional questions, under existing topics. About the Lessons Lesson One: Chapters 1 and 2: Introduction and Matter, Energy, and Change This lesson introduces the basic ideas and chemistry behind environmental science. Quizzes: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 Lesson Two: Chapters 3 and 4: Ecosystem Ecology and Evolution, Biodiversity, and Community Ecology This lesson covers ecology at different levels (individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere). Quizzes: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 Lesson Three: Chapter 5: Human Population Growth This lesson covers human population growth and the environmental impacts. Quizzes: Chapter 5 Lesson Four: Chapters 6 and 7: Geologic Processes, Soils, and Minerals and Land Resources and Agriculture This lesson introduces geology and soils and the effects on forestry and agriculture. Quizzes: Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 Lesson Five: Chapters 8: Nonrenewable and Renewable Energy This lesson describes the various sources of energy and their impacts on the environment. Quizzes: Chapter 8 2

3 Lesson Six: Chapters 9 and 10: Water Resources and Water Pollution and Air Pollution This lesson discusses water use and treatment of water and air pollution. Quizzes: Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 Lesson Seven: Chapters 11 and 12: Soil Waste Generation and Disposal and Human Health Risk This lesson describes the methods of waste disposal and the risks to human health. Quizzes: Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 Lesson Eight: Chapters 13 and 14: Conservation of Biodiversity and Climate Alteration and Global Warming This lesson discusses changes to environments such as habitat destruction and climate change. Quizzes: Chapter 13 and Chapter 14 Lesson Nine: Chapter 15: Environmental Economics, Equity, and Policy This lesson covers how economics and policies affect environmental issues. Quizzes: Chapter 15 About the Assignments The Class Project will include a research paper, book report, or environmental service report. You will choose one of these options and describe the environmental issues that are important in your chosen topic, book or environmental service. This project is worth 20% of your total grade. Assignment Submission Guidelines You will submit your assignments by using the "Upload a file" link for the class project. You will receive an assessment of your work in the form of a rubric score (see Criteria for Grading) together with detailed individual feedback and a grade from your instructor. About Exams This course includes three exams the first exam covers chapters 1-5, the second exam discusses material from chapters 6-10, and the third exam covers chapters If you do the readings, watch the online lectures, and do the quizzes, these exams should not be difficult. Each exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions. You will be able to take the first and second exams a second time during the third exam to improve your grade. While there are three exams, only your two highest exam grades will be used to calculate your final grade. Assessment and Grading In this course, you are assessed and graded on your class project (research paper, book report, or environmental service), discussion forums posts, weekly quizzes, and highest two exam grades. Assessment Criteria The class project will be graded according to the instructions on the class website. Discussion board posts instructions and grading details are found in each week s Discussion Forum. 3

4 Grading Your grade is based on the following assignments and exams: Project Topic 5% Class Project 20% Discussion Posts 15% Weekly Quizzes 10% Best Two of Three Exams 50% Study Tips 1. Keep up. The easiest pitfall in a class that is largely internet-based is to fall behind on readings and assignments. Keep up with the pace that the syllabus sets for you, and you'll find the amount of material and work to be easier to handle. 2. Use the lecture slides and the textbook together. The textbook will cover nearly any particular concept comprehensively, but the lecture slides will help you focus on key concepts, and give you even more "real world" examples. Pay attention to both, and you won't miss a thing! 3. Participate in the weekly quizzes. Weekly quizzes are required, but they also help you learn the material for the exams. They allow you to test your knowledge before the exams. 4. Go to the CLUE sessions, if you can. We offer CLUE sessions in Mary Gates Hall. These sessions are dedicated to helping you better understand any course concepts that are giving you trouble. A typical night would involve the discussion of a number of sample exam questions, for example. The whole session is based on the questions you have. Come prepared to ask questions, and we'll figure out the answers together! Students who have attended these CLUE sessions typically score very well on the exams. 5. Use your TAs. Have you ever had a class that offers office hours for 10+ hours per week? Well, you have one now! Stop by and get help on everything from projects to exam prep. Can't make office hours? No sweat! You have nearly around the clock access to your TA's via e mail. Drop us a line, and we'll get right back to you! 6. Put extra effort into your discussion posts. Don't forsake these two assignments, as together they make up 15% of your grade! Also, two questions on each exam will come from the discussion list. These assignments are easy! Easy to forget, easy to slack off on...but give them good effort, and they should be easy to ace as well! 7. Get your project on the right track early. Read through the instructions today, so that you have a sense for what is expected of you. Form your project topic early so that you can maximize the amount of time you have to work on your project. Take advantage of the TA office hours to get the technical know-how you need, as well as help troubleshooting any problems. 8. Do the Extra Credit. How about this for a deal...the Extra Credit projects can only increase your final grade. They are fun, have sometimes led to jobs for ESRM100 students, and are almost always healthy exercise. You also get the satisfaction of doing something volunteery and good. Wow...sign me up, TAs! That's eight steps. Eight may be a lucky number, but if you follow these steps, you won't need luck to ace ESRM100. 4

5 About the Developers Kim Littke and Rob Harrison are the developers for this course. Rob joined the faculty of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences in Kim was a teaching assistant for ESRM 100 for five years before graduating with a PhD in She is currently a post-doc with the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Rob and Kim s main activities are teaching and experimental research. Their research involves nutrient availability and carbon sequestration in Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir forests. 5