ENV 101 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE WITH LAB (Title Change ONLY Oct. 2013) PRESENTED AND APPROVED: AUGUST 12, 2012 EFFECTIVE: FALL 2012-13
Prefix & Number ENV 101 Course Title: Environmental Science with Lab Purpose of this submission: New Change/Updated Retire If this is a change, what is being changed? Update Prefix Course Description (Check all that apply) Title Course Number Format Change Credits Prerequisite Competencies Textbook/Reviewed Competencies-no changes needed Does this course require additional fees? No Yes If so, please explain. Course Fee: $40 Is there a similar course in the course bank? No Yes (Please identify) ENV 101 Articulation: Is this course or an equivalent offered at other two and four-year universities in Arizona? No Yes (Identify the college, subject, prefix, number and title: ASU ELECTIVE CREDIT; NAU ENV 101L; UA SWES 170A1 Is this course identified as a Writing Across the Curriculum course? No Yes Course Textbook, Materials and Equipment Textbook(s) Current edition Title Author(s) Publisher Title Author(s) Publisher Environmental Science: A Global Concern William P. Cunningham, Mary Ann Cunningham McGraw-Hill Software/ Equipment Angel (at instructor s discretion)/ Equipment to measure length, volume and temperature in metric units, microscopes, living and non-living things for lab observations, chemicals/ strips to measure ph, premade microscope slides, microscope slides, chemical testing kits to identify organic compounds, Elodea, onions, cheese, genetic corn, prepackaged bioengineering kits, fossils and bones, and nuts and bolts. Course Assessments Description of Possible Course Assessments (Essays, multiple choice, etc.) Exams standardized for this course? Midterm Final Other (Please specify): Where can faculty members locate or access the required standardized exams for this course? Lecture: Essay, multiple choice, etc. quizzes and exams at instructor discretion; scientific journal article critiques at instructor discretion; Laboratory: Laboratory reports, quizzes, practical exams and final at instructor s discretion. Are exams required by the department? No Yes If Yes, please specify: Student Outcomes: Identify the general education goals for student
learning that is a component of this course. Check all that apply: 1. Communicate effectively. a. Read and comprehend at a college level. b. Write effectively in a college setting. 2. Demonstrate effective quantitative reasoning and problem solving skills. Method of Assessment Papers and Projects Group or Individual Academic Dialogue Journals One Minute Papers Quizzes and Tests Quizzes and Tests 3. Demonstrate effective qualitative reasoning skills. Papers and Projects Group or Individual 4. Apply effective methods of inquiry. a. Generate research paper by gathering information from varied sources, analyzing data and organizing information into a coherent structure. b. Employ the scientific method. 5. Demonstrate sensitivity to diversity a. Experience the creative products of humanity. b. Describe alternate historical, cultural, global perspectives. a. This course emphasizes and supports writing across the curriculum. To this end, and to encourage students to integrate the concepts they learn in class with their practical applications, they are required to submit ten (10) critical analyses of articles from current scientific periodicals, or articles from the popular press, dealing with relevant scientific subjects. The following guidelines should help students in the preparation of their critiques. 1. Begin with a complete bibliographic citation of your article. 2. Summarize the major ideas presented in the article. Ask yourself (and answer in your summary) questions like: a. What is the hypothesis? b. How is the hypothesis tested? c. What evidence is presented to support or refute the hypothesis? d. What conclusion did the author reach? 3. Critically analyze the article. Ask (and answer) questions like these: a. Were the experimental procedures adequate? b. Do you agree with the conclusions reached? c. Was the article written well? d. Do you think the topic is important? Why or why not? e. Did this article raise any new questions in your mind? b. Describe the general steps in the scientific method. Analyze scientific articles to determine how the scientific method was employed by the researchers. Quizzes and Tests Papers and Projects Group or Individual
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COURSE INFORMATION Initiator: Scott Peat, Rhesa Ledbetter, Lale Arac, Cesar Fuentes Date of proposal to Curriculum Sub-Committee: 8/9/12 Effective Semester/Year Fall 2012 Spring Summer Prefix & Number: ENV 101 Full Title: Environmental Science Short Title: Environmental Science Catalog Course Description: An introductory course that examines human influence on the environment. Basic ecological concepts are explored and major environmental problems including population growth, pollution, resource overuse; ecological degradation and the loss of biodiversity are evaluated for causes and solutions. The relationship between society, politics and the environment is also examined. SUN Course Number: Credit Hours: 4 Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 3 Prerequisite(s) Appropriate score on assessment test or successful completion of PCS 021, TRE 089 and TRM 091 or Permission of Academic Chair Co-requisite(s) ENV 101L Intended Course Goals By the end of the semester, students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles and concepts that shape modern environmental science. 2. Demonstrate an ability to reason logically and critically to evaluate information and design alternative explanations about the processes and content of environmental science. 3. Demonstrate an ability to communicate to peers and others an understanding of the interrelationships among biological principles and concepts. 4. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship of environmental science to societal and ethical concerns. 5. Demonstrate an understanding of the processes involved in scientific discovery.
Course Competencies and Objectives By the end of the semester, students will be able to: Competency 1 Competency 1 Demonstrate the processes involved in scientific discovery. Objective 1.1 Describe the general steps in the scientific method. Objective 1.2 Analyze scientific articles to determine how the scientific method was employed by the researchers. Competency 2 Define the term environment, trace the historical development of the conservation movement, and identify some important environmental concerns that we face today Objective 2.1 Compare and contrast utilitarian conservation and biocentric preservation. Objective 2.2 Describe the links between poverty and environmental degradation Objective 2.3 Describe the division between the wealthy, industrialized countries and the poorer, developing countries. Competency 3 Apply the frameworks for understanding environmental problems: science, systems, and ethics Objective 3.1 Differentiate between the scientific and ethical aspects of environmental decision making. Objective 3.2 List and describe the principles of ethics and explain how ethical ideas shape our view of nature. Objective 3.3 Identify the most common worldviews and explain how they influence our attitudes toward the environment. Objective 3.4 List the elements of critical thinking and apply them to environmental problems. Competency 4 Develop an understanding of theoretical physical science relevant to environmental science Objective 4.1 Describe matter, atoms, and molecules; and give simple examples of the role of four major kinds of organic compounds in living cells. Objective 4.2 Describe and apply the principles of conservation of matter and energy and the second law of thermodynamics Objective 4.3 Describe the flow of energy and the cycling of matter through ecosystems. Classify populations by trophic level. Competency 5 Develop an understanding of evolutionary and ecological theory relevant to environmental science Objective 5.1 Describe the theory of evolution by natural selection. Objective 5.2 Apply evolutionary theory to predict the consequences of directional, stabilizing, and disruptive selection. Objective 5.3 Compare and contrast interspecific interactions including:competition, predation, symbiosis, commensalism, mutualism, and coevolution. Objective 5.4 Describe the processes of primary and secondary succession. Competency 6 Recognize the major biomes found on earth Objective 6.1 List the major aquatic and terrestrial biomes, the environmental factors that determine where biomes occur on earth, and typical species found in each biome. Objective 6.2 Apply knowledge of ecological, evolutionary, and physical science theory to predict the impact of humans on biomes. Competency 7 Understand and apply the principles of population biology Objective 7.1 Construct graphs showing exponential and logistic growth, explain when each type of growth can be expected, and summarize the factors that influence population processes. Objective 7.2 Describe the theory of island biogeography and apply these principles to the conservation of rare and endangered species in fragmented habitats. Competency 8 Describe historical human population growth and the factors that influence that growth. Objective 8.1 Explain the process of demographic transition and why it produces a temporary population surge Objective 8.2 Understand how changes in life expectancy, infant mortality, women s literacy, standards of living, and democracy affect population changes Objective 8.3 List methods of family planning and evaluate pressures for and against family planning in traditional and modern societies. Competency 9 Identify the factors that allow food production to keep pace with population. Objective 9.1 Differentiate between famine and chronic undernutrition and understand the relation between natural disasters and social or economic forces in triggering food shortages. Objective 9.2 Explain the major human nutritional requirements as well as the consequences of deficiencies in those nutrients. Objective 9.3 Describe the role of living organisms, physical forces, and parent rock in creating and maintaining fertile soil. Objective 9.4 Differentiate between the sources and effects of land degradation including erosion, nutrient depletion,
waterlogging, and salinization. Competency 10 Describe human impacts on biodiversity. Objective 10.1 Describe the total number and relative distribution of living species on the earth. Objective 10.2 Summarize the benefits humans derive from biodiversity and list ways humans cause biodiversity loss. Objective 10.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act and CITES in protecting endangered species. Objective 10.4 Explain how gap analysis, habitat conservation plans, and captive breeding can contribute to preserving biological resources. Competency 11 Understand the sources of air pollution and methods for controlling it. Objective 11.1 List the major categories and sources of air pollution including indoor air pollutants. Objective 11.2 Describe the importance of atmospheric temperature inversions in air pollution episodes. Objective 11.3 List the impacts of air pollution on human health, vegetation, and building materials. Competency 12 Understand the hydrologic cycle, water use, and management Objective 12.1 Summarize the hydrologic cycle, how fresh water is delivered to terrestrial ecosystems, and how the cycle balances over time. Objective 12.2 Describe the important ways we use water and distinguish between withdrawal, consumption, and degradation. Objective 12.3 Describe the causes and consequences of water shortages around the world and what they mean in people s lives in water-poor countries.