EN 100 Syllabus Introduction to Environmental Sciences COURSE DESCRIPTION: Interdisciplinary approach to environmental imperatives involving the natural sciences, sociology, psychology, and economics. COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course will familiarize students with some of the environmental issues confronting our modern society and impart students with a greater understanding of environmental problems, their causes, and possible solutions. Additionally, upon completion of this course, students will have developed an appreciation for the complex nature of environmental science, the effects of human actions on environmental systems, and interactions between society, industry, and the environment. REQUIRED TEXT: Cunningham, W.P., M.A. Cunningham, and B.W. Saigo. Environmental Science: A Global Concern. 8 th Ed. McGraw Hill Higher Education. TIME and LOCATION: Lecture: 12:20-1:10 PM---MWF---Bibb Graves Hall 102 Laboratory: Section 1---12:30-2:20 PM---TH---Bibb Graves Hall 104 Section 2---2:30-4:20 PM---TH---Bibb Graves Hall 104 ATTENDANCE: Attendance is expected at all lecture and laboratory meetings. Absences may be excused by the instructor due to school activities, medical reasons, or other circumstances. A student cannot receive credit for a course if he or she does not attend at least two-thirds of the class meetings, regardless of the reason for the absences, regardless of the student s grade in the course.
STUDENT EVALUATION: Lecture Exams: Four lecture exams will be given at the completion of each course section as indicated on the tentative course outline. Each lecture exam will be worth 100 points. Exams may consist of any or all of the following question formats: multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, true/false, diagram drawing/labeling, and short essay. Laboratory: One laboratory report is required for an exercise of each student s choosing over the course of the semester. Details concerning laboratory reports will be discussed in the first laboratory session. The report will be worth 90 points. Additionally, attendance at each laboratory exercise is worth up to 10 points based on participation and exercise summary turned in at the end of each laboratory period. Reading Assignments: There will be three reading assignments involving articles drawn from scientific literature where students will be required to read and answer a few short questions concerning the article. Reading assignments are each worth 50 points. Final Exam: A comprehensive final exam worth 150 points will be given at the end of the semester on the date indicated. Students with 90% of possible points or better will not be required to take the final exam. MAKE UP POLICY: Lecture Exam: Lecture exam make-ups will be offered for excused absences only and will be essay format. Makeup exams will be scheduled at a time convenient for the instructor. Laboratory Exercises: Students missing a laboratory will be required to complete an additional assignment to get the 10 points for the laboratory exercise. Lab make-ups are available only for excused absences. SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE POINTS: Points Lecture Exams (4) 400 Lab Report 90 Lab Attendance 110 Reading Assignments (3) 150 Final Exam 150 Total Available Points 900 2
GRADE DETERMINATION A = 90.0-100% of total points B = 80.0-89.9% of total points C = 70.0-79.9% of total points D = 60.0-69.9% of total points F = Less than 60.0% of total points PERSONAL CONDUCT POLICY: You are expected to conduct yourself as an adult at all times, in a respectable manner in following with university policy. Additionally, tobacco in any form, talking other than organized discussion or questions to the instructor, and habitual tardiness will not be tolerated. Wireless communication devices (cell phones, beepers) are to be turned off during class and laboratory exercises. ACADEMIC CONDUCT POLICY: Students are expected to produce and provide personally generated academic work. Academic misconduct includes the unacknowledged use of materials and/or test/quiz responses prepared by another person and forwarded to the instructor for completion of an assignment. Incidents of plagiarism and/or academic misconduct may be adjudicated by the instructor or reported by the instructor to the appropriate authority. Use of materials not authorized by the instructor while taking quizzes or exams is considered to be academic misconduct. 3
TENTATIVE LECTURE OUTLINE Week of Subject(s) Chapter(s) 23 Aug. Instructor expectations and course introduction 1 Environmental Ethics and Philosophy 2 30 Aug. Lab Report Directions-Print from Blackboard Energy and Ecosystem Function 3 Species, communities, and populations 4,6 Human populations 7 6 Sept. Environmental Economics 23 Global biomes and resource distribution 5 13 Sept. Biodiversity 11 Lecture Exam 1 (Friday 17 September) 20 Sept. Atmospheric Processes 15 Air Pollution 16 27 Sept. Air Pollution 4 Oct. Water distribution and use 17 11 Oct. Water pollution 18 Lecture Exam 2 (Friday 15 October) 18 Oct. Food and Agriculture 9 Pest Control 10 25 Oct. Pest Control Land Use: Forest and Range 12 1 Nov. Preservation 13 Conventional Energy 19 8 Nov. Sustainable Energy 20 Lecture Exam 3 (Friday 12 November) 15 Nov. Energy 22 Nov. Thanksgiving Holidays 29 Nov. Toxic and hazardous waste 21 Environmental Geology 14 6 Dec. Environmental Toxicology 8 Lecture Exam 4 (Wednesday 8 December) 4
TENTATIVE LABORATORY OUTLINE Exercise 26 Aug. No Lab Meeting 2 Sept. Estimation of population size* 9 Sept. Human Survival Rates* 16 Sept. Data Representation Workshop Meet in Library Computer Lab 23 Sept. Library Bibliographic Instruction Meet in Library Computer Lab 30 Sept. Successional changes*--meet behind baseball stadium 7 Oct. Report work day No Lab Meeting 14 Oct. Field Trip on site training center---meet in Lab 21 Oct. Water Treatment* 28 Oct. Oil Spill Cleanup* 4 Nov. Effective insulation* 11 Nov. Report work day No Lab Meeting 18 Nov. Probability and risk 25 Nov. Thanksgiving Break 2 Dec. Paper Recycling 9 Dec. No Lab Meeting 5