ENV. 100 – Humans and the Environment
Course Description and Schedules: Spring 2008
GREAT BASIN COLLEGE
I. Instructor and Office Hours: Mark Ports, M.S. in Biology. My office is in Lundberg Hall, Rm. 128E, directly across from the Biology Lab, Rm. 129. Office hours will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, between 9:00 am and 11:00 am. If you cannot come by at these times you may reach me by my office phone, 775-753-2249. If I am not available I will return your message and I will call you back and an appointment can be made. You may also reach me by my office e-mail address which is: . Please do not call my home or personnel home web site.
II. Class Times and Building: All students meet for two evening lectures; Monday and Wednesday, 5:30 – 6:45 pm, to be held in Rm. 129 of Lundberg Hall.
III. Great Basin College provides equal access for students
with disabilities. A counselor is available through the office of the Disabled Student Services at GBC in Elko at 775- 753-2271 for appropriate accommodations.
IV. Required Textbook: Environment – The Science behind
the Stories. Jay Withgott and Scott Brennan. 3rd edition.
At the end of each chapter are review objectives, testing your comprehension, seeking solutions, interpreting graphs and data, and calculating ecological footprints.
At the back of the book are appendices that will be helpful to the student.
V. Course Description and Objectives: This course is a freshman level course designed to give a scientific background to environmental problems and solutions facing us today. This course is designed for all majors who need a basic science course, majors in environmental sciences, and students interested in this topic.
By the end of this semester students should;
Learner Outcome Measurements: / Expected Learner OutcomesRead and comprehend Chapters 1 through 23.
A quiz will be given on each Wednesday over the material covered that week. 30 pts. each. / The instructor will go over the information from each chapter. We will complete two chapters a week if possible.
Students are also expected to write notes when appropriate.
Learner Outcome Measurements: / Expected Learner Outcomes:
Perform four case studies. These papers, 2 to 3 pages each, will be worth 25 pts. each. / For each case study write up a short response, using graphs and tables.
Learner Outcome Measurements: / Expected Learner Outcomes:
Classroom discussions over the textbook topics towards the end of the semester. All students are expected to participate. 30 pts for each student. / Each student is expected to participate in these discussions over topics such as basic ecology, water, air, and soil changes by humans, and population growth.
Learner Outcome Measurements / Expected Learner Outcomes
Students will learn the terminology of ecology and science. No points in this activities, / Through reading and writing students should learn the definitions of these terms through the chapter readings, classroom discussion, and the case studies.
ENV. 100 – Humans and the Environment
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WEEK 1 Chapt. 1 An Introduction to Environmental Science 30 pts. quiz
WEEK 2 Chapt. 2 Environmental Ethics and Economics: Values and Choices. Chapt. 3 Environmental Policy : Decision Making and Problem Solving. 30 pts.
WEEK 3 Chapt. 5 Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology. Chapt. 8 Human Populations.
30 pts. First case study given out.
WEEK 4 Chapt. 9 Soil and Agriculture. Capt. 10 Agriculture, Biotechnology, and the Future of Food.
30 pts. Return first case study, 25 pts.
WEEK 5 Chapt. 11 Biodiversity and Conservation Biology. 30 pts. Feb. 18, President’s Day.
WEEK 6 Chapt. 12 Resource Management, Forestry, Land Use, and Protected Areas. Chapt. 13 Urbanization and Creating Livable Cities. 30 pts. Give out second case study.
WEEK 7 Chapt. 14 Environmental Health and Technology. Chapt. 15 Freshwater Resources; Natural Systems, Human Impact, and Conservation. 30 pts.
Return second case study, 25 pts.
WEEK 8 Chapt. 16 Marine and Coastal Systems; resources, impacts, and conservation. Chapt. 17 Atmospheric Science and Air Pollution. 30 pts.
WEEK 9 Chapt. 18 Global Climate Change.
30 pts.
Chapt. 19 Fossil Fuels, Their Impacts and Energy Conservation. 30 pts. Give out third case study.
WEEK 10 SPRING BREAK !!!!!
WEEK 11 Chapt. 20 Conventional Energy Alternatives.
30 pts. Return third case study. 25 pts.
WEEK 12 Chapt. 21 New Renewable Energy Alternatives, 30 pts.
WEEK 13 Chapt. 22 Waste Management. 30 pts.
WEEK 14 Chapt. 23 Sustainable Solutions
30 pts. Give out fourth case study.
WEEK 15 Class Discussion of environmental topics,
Video.
WEEK 16 Return fourth case study 25 pts.
VI. Course Expectations and Academic Dishonesty
1. Total possible points: 550. 550 – 495= A; 494 – 440= B;
439 – 385= C; 384 – 330= D; 329 – 275= F. There will be 14 quizzes at 30 pts. each; four case studies at twenty four points, each and 30 points for the classroom discussion. This syllabus is not a contract.
2. All grades are final according to the professor, grades are earned not given. There will be no haggling over a question unless the entire class has it wrong.
3. If you miss four lecture periods you will be dropped one grade at the end of the semester. If you have a viable reason for being absent this will be taken into account. If you walk out of a class that is under way you will be cut 50 points. Remember that other students in the class are paying the same cost and may have more problems then you.
4. There will be no extra credit this semester nor any opportunity to earn extra credit.
5. The official drop date is April 18. This means that a student who is doing poorly in the class will receive a W or withdraw for the course. If a student who is doing poorly and does not withdraw before this date will be given the grade that they have earned.
6. Plagiarism or cheating (remember I have access to the internet) will not be tolerated. Any assignment in which plagiarism or cheating is discovered will be dropped by one grade, sent to the Science Department Chair, or the Vice President of Student Affairs. If it goes to this extreme the student may be dropped from the class with an F grade.