General Description

Welcome to General Environmental Science online!

Environmental science is a combination of many sciences such as biology, ecology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, hydrology, and oceanography. Since environmental science focuses on how humans and the environment interact, the issues we will study impact every member of society and our society depends on the environment. Overall, environmental science is fun, important, and practical, and I hope that even those of you who “hate science” will enjoy this course and embrace the principles you will learn. 

My simple goal for this course is to provide you with the basic vocabulary, concepts, and tools used in environmental science. Armed with this knowledge, you can make well-informed decisions regarding important and current issues, such as human population growth, genetically engineered foods, water pollution, global climate changes, fossil fuels versus renewable energy resources, and logging versus endangered species. For each of the lessons in this course, imagine that you are at a social gathering and someone has the opposing view on a specific topic. How would you articulate, communicate, and justify your view in an intelligent and logical manner? 

Important tip for success: Learning any science is like learning a new language—you must master the vocabulary. I will strive to highlight these important terms, and if at any time you do not understand a term, just ask for clarification. The better you communicate with me, the better I can facilitate your individual learning style.

Let’s begin!

[top of page]

Course Textbook

Your textbook for the course is Botkin and Keller, Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet, 7th edition (2009).

This is a well-written, easy to follow book full of current topics and critical thinking questions. It includes six important themes discussed throughout the chapters: human population, sustainability, a global perspective, the urban world, people and nature, and science and values. I encourage you to start this course by reading the preface as an overview of the book’s features and content. Then review the brief table of contents to get a general idea of what we will cover. Finally, locate the appendices and the glossary for easy future reference. 

You can order your textbook from Friday Center Books & Gifts at the Friday Center either online or by using the book order form.

Required Reading

For each lesson, chapters from your textbook are listed for your required reading assignment.

Internet Resources

Your textbook comes with an online Student Companion Site that has fantastic student resources, including environmental debates and virtual field trips. References to the companion Web site are listed in each lesson under the Self-Help Activities section.

[top of page]

Written Assignments

For each lesson, you will have a list of vocabulary words to define (listed under the Self-Help Activities section), a set of study questions to answer, and a critical thinking exercise. These assignments will serve as your study guides for the final exam.

Each critical thinking exercise consists of a one- to two-page essay on a potentially controversial topic in environmental science. You will learn about the topic and then take a position on it. Note that there really aren't any right or wrong answers for these essays. You will be evaluated on your knowledge of the topic (how well you researched it), your evaluation of both sides of the issue, and how well you justify your position. Form you own opinion. Do not try to match what you believe I think about the issue.

Start your essays with an introductory sentence or paragraph and end with a conclusion sentence or paragraph summarizing your paper. You should use in-text citations where appropriate, and all references must be listed at the end of your response (including a link or copy of the articles you are evaluating). Your references are not included in your page limit. You are expected to use APA citation for your written assignments.

Use the “Submit Assignment” button at the end of each assignment section to submit your assignments for grading as e-mail attachments. If you are unsure what format to save an attached file in, please contact me before sending in your assignment. Clicking the button will open an e-mail message pre-addressed to me and Student Services. (The e-mail message containing your assignment must go to both addresses to make sure you get credit for your work.) The subject line of the e-mail is pre-addressed with the course number and the correct submission number for that particular assignment. You just need to enter your full name at the end of the subject line, and attach the file containing your assignment to that e-mail message.

[top of page]

Grading and Exams

Grading

• Written Assignments (Lessons 1–10): 70 percent
• Final Exam: 30 percent

Grading will be on a 100-point scale.

Final Exam

You must pass the final exam (with at least a D) to pass this course. You must arrange to take the exam under appropriate supervision. Click here for details.

The final exam includes twenty-five multiple-choice questions (2 points each) and five short answer questions (2–3 paragraphs in length; 10 points each).

[top of page]

Course Schedule

[top of page]

Lesson 1