Cunningham-Saigo/Environmental Science

Sample Syllabi for use with Environmental Science: A Global Concern by Cunningham and Saigo, 5/ed.

BIOS 104 Ecology- the Science of Survival Fall 1998

Wednesdays, 6:00-8:45PM, MOLN D132

Instructor:
Scott Thomson, GRNQ 353/112; 595-2547; thomson@uwp.edu;
Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00-10:00AM

Required texts:
Cunningham, W.P. and B.W. Saigo, 1998. Environmental Science. Wm. C. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, IA.
Goldfarb, T.D., 1997. Taking Sides. Clashing Views on Controversial Environmental Issues, Seventh Ed. Dushkin/McGraw Hill, Guilford, CN.

Goals:

Identify and understand scientific concepts, ethical values, and political processes that underlie environmental issues.
Identify and evaluate information sources relevant to environmental issues.
Understand alternative points of view on environmental issues.

Process:
Before each class:

Read the essays presented in Taking Sides as indicated in the schedule below.
Identify concepts that are central to understanding the environmental issue addressed in the essays.
Use the textbook, Environmental Science, as a resource for understanding the central concepts.
Outline the major points of each essay.
List values that underlie the arguments and identify values that conflict.
Identify all political processes mentioned in the essays and incorporate them into a map of political action.

During each class (approximate duration in parentheses):

Take a closed book quiz testing your preparation for class (10 min).
As a class, identify and discuss scientific concepts, values, and political processes associated with the assigned essays (50 min).
Students report (see below) additional information on the issue (15 min).
Break (15 min).
Group presentation of issue (20 min).
Group project or presentation (50 min).
Evaluation of group presentations.

Quizzes:
There will be twelve quizzes given. The two lowest scores will be dropped. Quizzes are designed to encourage thorough preparation for class.

Exams:
There will be three exams given. These will test your understanding of scientific concepts that underlie the environmental issues discussed in class. Exams are not cumulative. Use your class notes and the textbook, Environmental Science, as a resource for exam preparation. Please note the timing of exams and let the instructor know within the first two weeks if you have a conflict.

Student Reports:
One time during the semester, each student is responsible for seeking out additional information (not presented in any of your texts) about the scheduled environmental issue. A good starting point is your text, Environmental Science, which gives references for further reading (back of the text) and Internet addresses (back of each chapter). The form of the report is one typewritten page that summarizes your findings and properly identifies the source ( for printed source: author(s), title, date, publication, pages. For Internet source: title of site, author or sponsor, internet address). Be prepared to orally present your findings (2-3 min) to the class.

Group Work:

You will be assigned to groups for some activities. These are:
Group Presentation of an Issue: Each class period (excluding exam days), two groups will present to the class the alternative views expressed in the assigned reading in Taking Sides for that week. Format of the presentation will be a debate. Each group will be given four minutes to summarize their side of the issue. Then, in turn, each group will be given the opportunity to ask the other group to respond to specific questions. The group asking a question will be allowed one fillip question and a comment.
Group Project: Your group will select, gather information, and design a 15 min. program to educate your peers about a specific environmental issue. You will be allotted five 50 min planning sessions (Sept. 9 - Oct. 7) during class for this work. A Group Project Progress Report is required at the end of every planning session (5 reports, lowest score will be dropped). Your instructor will give you guidelines for each progress report at the beginning of each planning session. Your group will be assigned a date on which to present to the class.

Group Project Peer Review: Group work requires active participation of all members. To help inform the instructor about the contribution of each member to the group, each student will be required to assess their personal contribution and the contribution of their peers to the success of their group. Although normally all members will receive the same grade for group work, the instructor will grade group members differently in cases where contributions to group work were clearly unequal.

Project Evaluations: Every student is required to evaluate the Group Project Presentations. An evaluation form will be provided during each presentation. Chronic failure to complete evaluations will hurt your grade.

Absence from class: Circumstances may arise that prevent you from attending a class. However, the number of students in the class is too large for the instructor to make individual accommodations to make up for missed work. Grading is structured such that missing one or two classes will not hurt your grade substantially. Chronic absenteeism will seriously affect your grade and may result in failure to pass.

Grading:
Activity	Points
Quizzes 10 quizzes @ 20 points each	200
Exams 3 @ 100 points each	300
Student Report	100
Group Presentation of an Issue	100
Group Project Progress Reports, 4 @ 50 points ea.	200
Group Project Presentation	100
Group Project Peer Review	Required
Project Evaluations	Required
Total Points	1000 points

Grading Scale- 1000> A > 900 > B > 800 > C > 700 > D > 600

Schedule:

Date	.	Issue	Group Activity
Sep	2	Intro/Philosophy of Science	Environmental Issues
	9	Value of wilderness (Issue 2)	Planning
	16	Endangered Species Act (Issue 3)	Planning
	23	Limiting population growth (Issue 5)	Planning
	30	EXAM I	Planning
Oct	7	Industrial chlorine use (Issue 7)	Planning
	14	Environmental estrogens (Issue 8)	Presentations
	21	Electric cars (Issue 10)	Presentations
	28	Chemical based agriculture (Issue 11)	Presentations
Nov	4	Municipal waste (Issue 13)	Presentations
	11	EXAM II	-
	18	Nuclear waste (Issue 14)	Presentations
	25	NO CLASS	-
Dec	2	Green marketing (Issue 15)	Presentations
	9	Chlorofluorocarbons (Issue 16)	Presentations
	16	Global warming (Issue 17)	Presentations
	23	FINAL EXAM, 5:45-7:45	.

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