SCI 256
People, Science, and the Environment
John Ensworth- Instructor
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Course Syllabus
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Course Title: |
SCI 256 People, Science, and The Environment |
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Course Schedule: |
Tuesdays Nov 16- Dec 14, 2009 - 11:59pm |
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Course Location/ |
University of Phoenix –MD Campus Directed Study |
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Required Text: |
Botkin, D. B., &
Keller, E. A. (2009). Environmental science: Earth as a
living planet (7th
ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. All
electronic materials are available on your student Web site. |
|
Electronic Resources: |
All class correspondence including submitted homework
(and returned graded homework) must be conducted via the As a backup, you may go to my personal website for resources. www.bikerjohn.com/classes/UoP_environ_sci/ or www.bikerjohn.com | other links | Education | this class link The videos for the optional paper are available only on this site. |
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Instructor’s Name: |
John Ensworth |
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Telephone: |
Use
the online learning system forum for all correspondence. |
|
UOP E-mail Address: |
Use the online learning system forum for all email
correspondence. Only use the emails
below in an emergency (the |
|
Availability: |
Email anytime. Snail-Mail: Available upon request as a last resort! |
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Welcome!
We’re going to explore a WIDE range of
scientific disciplines and political policies.
Come ready to participate in lively discussion of hot topics (drink
extra coffee if you need to!).
Instructor Bio
I am currently the Senior Science
Education Specialist at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies which
is a non-profit organization formed (among other things) to conduct independent
reviews on all Earth and space science education products produced by or for
NASA. My position is the one
responsible for directly conducting these reviews and yearly workshops at NASA
centers and at the large education conferences (i.e. NSTA, NCTM) that introduce
the products that pass on the criteria of scientific accuracy and classroom
usability.
For the last decade I was a masters student and a PhD candidate in meteorology at the
University of Oklahoma. I have earned
undergraduate degrees in physics, astronomy, geography and meteorology with
minors in math and computer science.
I became interested in astronomy in
the 2nd grade and began to teach astronomy to cub scouts and boy
scouts by the 5th grade. I
began to work for the Arizona State University planetarium when Halley’s Comet
paid the inner solar system a visit in 1985-1986 and taught the astronomy labs,
became head TA and eventually taught an astronomy class through the rest of the
80’s (as an undergraduate). I have
worked an internship at Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, Tucson site testing for the placement of the Mt. Graham
observatory complex. I’ve also observed
at the 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak, a 36” telescope at Kitt Peak, and at the
Multi-Mirror Telescope at Mt. Whipple.
More recently, I’ve successfully
run 43 astronomy nights for Norman residents and OU students and have worked at
the Oklahoma City Omniplex Planetarium for 8 years. I’ve taught astronomy for the college degree
completion program at Mid-America Christian University (formerly Mid-America
Bible College) for the last 3 years and am a member of the Oklahoma City
Astronomy Club. I have also served an
internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and am on contract to review
space science and earth science teaching materials for effectiveness and
content. There are other relevant bits
of experience I could put here, but I’ll save them for class when they come to
mind.
In environmental science and related fields, I
began to study meteorology and earth science in the 5th grade when
my telescope got rained on during an freak night time
desert thunderstorm. Convinced I could
forecast better than the guys in Phoenix, I began to study the weather. In
college I conducted the meteorological investigations for the placement (site
testing) of the Mt. Graham Observatory complex and helped astronomers
understand what makes stars twinkle (it is a blurring of the image caused by
turbulence and density currents in the lower few hundred to a thousand feet in
the atmosphere). I also worked on a project to trace the origin of air
pollution in the Grand Canyon. As a graduate student I conducted field research
on lightning, fine scale (time and space) rainfall variations, aided in a
geographic study of rainfall and plant distributions by elevation at Black
Mesa, OK, and chased tornadoes. I taught
meteorology, earth system science and helped with environmental geography
courses throughout the 1990’s and into the 2000’s. I keep the weather channel on enough at home
to burn lines into the TV screen.
Course Description
This
in-depth environmental science course examines how people use science to
understand how they relate to the environment. The course explores
relationships between people and ecosystems and the science behind how
ecosystems work. It reviews the historical development of the environmental
movement, interactions between humans and natural ecosystems, and more
specifically, the role of a growing population and associated pressures on
natural resources. This course further examines how economics, natural systems,
and conservation are interrelated. The many forms of pollution as well as types of energy resources are addressed. This course
challenges students to consider the impact of lifestyle choices on
environmental sustainability.
Topics and Objectives
Week One:
Environmental Science
·
Describe the
historical development of the environmental movement.
·
Identify human
population impacts on the environment.
·
Explain how
principles of system theory apply to the Earth as a living system.
Week Two: Ecosystem
Structure, Function, and Change
·
Describe
structural and functional dynamics of ecosystems.
·
Identify how
humans affect biogeochemical cycles.
·
Explain how
knowledge about ecosystem structure and function can be applied to ecosystem
management and restoration.
Week Three: Natural
Resource and Energy
·
Identify impacts
to ecosystems and wild species from a growing human population.
·
Compare benefits
and risks associated with use of nonrenewable and renewable energy resources.
·
Identify
management practices for sustainability and conservation of natural resources.
Week Four:
Environmental Pollution
·
Describe water
management and its effects on the environment.
·
Identify
potential impacts of environmental pollution to human and ecosystem health.
·
Identify causes
of pollution and its treatments.
·
Explain the
causes and effects of global warming.
Week Five:
Environmental Economics, Policies, and Choices
·
Perform an
economic analysis of environmental issues.
·
Analyze the role
of global, national, and regional policies and decisions on environmental
issues.
Point Values for the Course Assignments
|
ASSIGNMENTS |
Due |
Points |
|
Course Work |
|
|
|
Environmental Science Worksheet |
W1 |
15 |
|
Biotic Components Paper |
W2 |
15 |
|
Natural Resources and Energy Paper |
W3 |
20 |
|
Environmental Pollution Outline |
W4 |
15 |
|
Economic
Analysis Presentation |
W5 |
15 |
|
Discussion Questions |
W1-W5 |
20 |
|
|
|
100 total |
Course Changes
Please note
that the instructor’s assignments may vary from the original syllabus you
received from the student web page. Assignments in this document take priority.
While the reading assignments and learning objectives remain the same, some of
the assignments in this syllabus have been customized for this particular
section. (Instructors note: I’ll be
sticking to the planned course unless unusual circumstances arise. Any changes made will be advertised in the
Online Learning System Forums and on the course web site.
http://www.bikerjohn.com/classes/UoP_environ_sci/
Policies and Procedures
Online Learning System Forums
Assignment Submission
Assignments are due at 11:59pm on their due date via the OLS
Forum. See the section on the Online
Learning System Forums below.
Attendance
is defined as weekly contact with the assigned faculty member. This student contact with the faculty member
may be either written or verbal communication, including the submission of
required course assignments. Assignments
are due at 11:59p.m. on the due date beginning with
your Week 1 assignment being submitted on the first date listed
If you are absent
for a total of two weeks during a five or six-workshop course, an automatic
withdrawal will occur. In other words, you will not earn course credit or a
letter grade for the course. A “W” or “F” will be entered for the course. A “W”
grade will be issued if the student attends at least one workshop of a course
and withdraws from the course with a passing grade or withdraws before week
3. An “F” grade will be issued if the
student attends three or more workshops of a course and the work submitted is
below 60% or the student fails to submit assignments.
The
Forums Themselves
We
will have a set of Online Learning System forums available to us during this
class. To access the forums, click on the Go
to class link on your student website.
These
web-based forums provide you with:
- a common area solely for our class group (Main forum) where you can post questions between our on-campus
workshop meetings;
- a Chat Room forum which you can use
for non-class interactions with classmates (be sure to honor the Student
Code of Conduct in this, and every, forum!);
- electronic access to the course syllabus which will be used in this
class (see the syllabus in the Course
Materials forum);
- electronic venues for Learning Team meetings and team paper drafts to use as
each team deems best (I will assign a specific Learning Team forum for each team’s use during our first
on-campus workshop meeting). Learning Team meetings should be documented
here regardless of the mode students chose to actually meet; and
5. a personalized electronic drop-box – Individual Forum - for completed
assignments. Students will not be able to see or access any private forum
except the one created for him or her individually.
The
forums exist to enhance our ability to communicate throughout the course.
If
you have any questions about the class forums, please inform me.
Attendance and
participation
You should be present for all sessions. UOP
policy allows you only one absence from class. If you know that you will be
absent from a session, please let me know. Students who exhibit excessive
tardiness and leaving early will have points deducted in their overall course
grade and will not be rendered the
grade “A.” Students do not allow lateness or absenteeism to be the demise of your
grade; showing up is half way on the road to success.
EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR WRITTEN WORK:
|
Science Content |
50% |
|
Writing
Flow/Readability/Appearance (see APA guidelines or similar) |
20% |
|
Correct Length (not
relying heavily on large chunks of quoted material) |
10% |
|
Spelling/Grammar |
10% |
|
Citations/Bibliography
(+correct format) |
10% |
Late assignments
ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE ON THE DAY THEY
ARE DUE. A 10%
penalty per week, beginning the week after the assignment is due, will be
assessed for all late work. That is, I
will score the paper and then deduct 10% of the total from that score. The assignment of an A in cases of late work
will be rare (for all practical purposes, impossible), as timeliness is a
requisite in defining excellence.
Paper Replacement Offer: You
may replace any individual (non-extra credit) paper with a one page write up of
your opinions after watching both:
"An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore (DVD - Rental, Library etc or my
class Website called Video for Paper 1) and
"Exposed: Climate of Fear" by Glenn Beck (YouTube in 6 parts)
See class Website for link called Video for Paper 2.
http://www.bikerjohn.com/classes/UoP_environ_sci/
Feedback
I will make comments on each of
your written assignments and return weekly. Please keep track of your score to
help give yourself a weekly report of how you are doing in class. Seven days after the end of your class, you
may pick up your last paper and any additional feedback reports from the front
office.
How
points and percentages equate to grades
|
100-95 |
A |
|
76-74 |
C |
|
94-90 |
A- |
|
73-70 |
C- |
|
89-87 |
B+ |
|
69-67 |
D+ |
|
86-84 |
B |
|
66-64 |
D |
|
83-80 |
B- |
|
62-60 |
D- |
|
79-77 |
C+ |
|
59
or < |
F |
Week One
Environmental Science
·
Describe the
historical development of the environmental movement.
·
Identify human
population impacts on the environment.
·
Explain how
principles of system theory apply to the Earth as a living system.
Course
Assignments
1. Readings
·
Read Ch. 1–4 of
the text.
·
Review
animation and video clip resources available for these chapters.
·
Read this
week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Nongraded Activities and Preparation
·
Become familiar
with WileyPlus, an interactive supplemental Web site
designed to provide the chapter readings for this course. In addition to the
readings, WileyPlus provides additional resources
such as video clips, animations, interactive activities, and so forth, to help
clarify the concepts covered in this course. The links to WileyPlus
are available on the weekly course pages.
3.
Individual Assignment: Environmental Science Worksheet
·
Complete the worksheet found
in Week One on the student Web site.
4. Discussion Questions
·
In
your opinion, what are the benefits and constraints of using the scientific
method to analyze environmental decisions?
·
In
your opinion, why is it significant to think about the age composition of a
human population?
·
Why
is it difficult to calculate the increase of the human population?
·
What
is an example of a J-curve population in nature? Explain.
·
What
are some social, economic, aesthetics, and ethical issues involved in a current
environmental controversy? Explain.
·
What is zero population growth? Is this a reasonable
and attainable goal for the global human population?
________________________________________________________________________________________
Week Two
Ecosystem Structure,
Function, and Change
·
Describe
structural and functional dynamics of ecosystems.
·
Identify how
humans affect biogeochemical cycles.
·
Explain how
knowledge about ecosystem structure and function can be applied to ecosystem
management and restoration.
Course
Assignments
1. Readings
·
Read Ch. 5–6
& 9–10 of the text.
·
Review
animation and video clip resources available for these chapters.
·
Read this
week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2.
Individual Assignment: Biotic Components Paper
· Select a representative natural ecosystem in your area such as preserves or parks that are managed for native species.
· Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper explaining:
o
The
major structural and functional dynamics (processes) of that ecosystem
including change over time
o
How
humans may have affected biogeochemical cycles in that ecosystem
o
How
knowledge about that ecosystem’s structure and function can help or has helped
to develop plans for its management and restoration
·
Include two outside
references.
·
Format your
paper according to APA standards.
3. Discussion Questions
·
Identify
a natural ecosystem in which you live or one near to where you live? How does
this ecosystem support you? At what tropic level are you? Why?
·
Why
can it be difficult to identify the boundaries of an ecosystem? How can
environmental scientists resolve this boundary issue when studying an ecosystem?
·
Why
is understanding biogeochemical cycles important to environmental science?
Provide an example.
·
What
are the similarities and differences between an ecosystem and an ecological
community? How does this apply to your community?
·
Because
ecosystems change and may recover naturally from disturbance over time, what
factors affect decisions about whether human intervention is needed to help
ecosystem recovery? Provide examples.
·
What
are some human impacts on the natural cycling process of ecosystems in your
community?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Week
Three
Natural Resource and
Energy
·
Identify impacts
to ecosystems and wild species from a growing human population.
·
Compare benefits
and risks associated with use of nonrenewable and renewable energy resources.
·
Identify
management practices for sustainability and conservation of natural resources.
Course
Assignments
4. Readings
·
Read Ch. 11–14
& 17–20 of the text.
·
Review
animation and video clip resources available for these chapters.
·
Read this
week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
5. Paper Assignment: Natural Resources and Energy Paper
·
Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word
paper on natural resources and energy. Include the following:
o
Choose
a specific ecosystem, such as a forest, a grassland,
or a marine or freshwater aquatic ecosystem.
o
Identify
and discuss the effects that a growing human population may have on that
ecosystem’s resources, including loss or harm to populations of wild species.
o
Discuss
one management practice for sustainability and conservation of natural
resources in that ecosystem.
o
Identify
the risks and benefits of extracting or using one type of nonrenewable and one
type of renewable energy resource from that ecosystem, or in areas near that
ecosystem.
·
Include two outside
references.
·
Format your
paper according to APA standards.
6. Discussion Questions
·
In
your community, what aspects of suburban sprawl and urban blight are evident? Identify
how the effects from these might be alleviated.
·
Is
your community people- or car-oriented? Why or why not? How does that affect
energy use and sustainability of your community?
·
Are
there personal impacts of having more biodiversity or less biodiversity in your
community? Explain.
·
What
is one major cause of present-day species extinction? Explain how this
extinction came about and what could have been done to prevent it.
·
What
are the advantages and disadvantages of soft-path energy development compared
to hard-path energy development?
Week Four
Environmental
Pollution
·
Describe water
management and its effects on the environment.
·
Identify
potential impacts of environmental pollution to human and ecosystem health.
·
Identify causes
of pollution and its treatments.
·
Explain the
causes and effects of global warming.
Course
Assignments
7. Readings
·
Read Ch. 21–25
of the text.
·
Review
animation and video clip resources available for these chapters.
·
Read this
week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
8. Final Project Instructions
·
Begin Economic
Analysis Presentation due in Week Five.
9.
Individual Assignment: Environmental Pollution Outline
·
View the simulation “Managing
Environmental Concerns and Resources” found in Week Four of the student Web site
in preparation to complete the outline.
·
Complete the Environmental
Pollution Outline found in Week Four on the student Web site.
10. Discussion Questions
·
In-stream
use is a controversial issue. What is your opinion on in-stream use and defend
your stance?
·
How
could your community better manage its water resources?
·
What
is one way natural ecosystems can perform wastewater treatment? Explain.
·
How
is the London 1952 fog event similar/different to the smog problem in the Los
Angeles basin?
·
What
are some of the causes of both indoor and outdoor air pollution where you live,
work, or attend school? How does this affect that environment?
·
Why
do you feel there is debate about policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
How can science help resolve the debate?
Week Five
Environmental
Economics, Policies, and Choices
·
Perform an
economic analysis of environmental issues.
·
Analyze the role
of global, national, and regional policies and decisions on environmental
issues.
Course
Assignments
11. Readings
·
Read Ch. 27–29
of the text.
·
Review
animation and video clip resources available for these chapters.
·
Read this
week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
12. Individual
Assignment: Final Examination
·
Prepare to take final
examination.
13. Final Assignment: Economic Analysis Presentation
·
Perform an economic analysis
on an assigned environmental issue in the world today.
(Check with your instructor to make sure the topic is appropriate for this
assignment.)
·
Prepare a 15- to 20-minute
oral presentation accompanied by 10 to 15 Microsoft® PowerPoint®
slides. (Online Campus students must
submit a 10 to 15 slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation
with detailed speaker’s notes). Include the following:
o
Importance
of economic analysis
o
Description
(general overview) of the assigned environmental issue
o
Economic
analysis of the environmental issue
·
Costs
·
Benefits
·
Risks
·
Limitations
·
Problems
o
How
economic analysis can be used to determine the most effective and economical
regulations or policies (see Ch. 28 of the text) to help solve the
environmental concern
·
Include two other resources
aside from the textbook.
14. Discussion Questions
·
Who
should manage the natural resources: legislature, public, scientists, special
interest groups, and why?
·
What
is an environmental issue in your local area that has been supported by a local
conservation group? Explain the issue.
·
How
have environmental regulations implemented by local politicians affected your
daily life? Provide an example.
·
What
has been the media coverage of a local environmental issue? Explain.
·
What
are some of the federally funded environmental management projects being
completed by Civilian Conservation Corps, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau
of Land Management, U.S. National Forest Service that have been completed in
your area? Provide a summary of the project.