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Syllabus and Course Schedule> ENV 140(D) Principles of Environmental Science
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses on the biological, chemical, and
physical aspects of environmental pollution and considers the relationships
between environment and society.
Major topics include mineral and energy resources, pesticides,
environment and human health, solid and hazardous wastes; and air, water, and
land pollution. Environmental
ethics, environment and law, and the relationships between environment,
economics, and government, are also covered. Laboratory exercises include field experiences and computer
simulations Prerequisite: None
4 semester hours 3 Class Hours 3 Laboratory Hours DISTANCE
EDUCATION COURSE INTERACTION PLAN: Course Title: ENV 140(D)
Principles of Environmental Science Faculty: Professor Office Hours: by appointment on the
web __X_ Asynchronous Course* ______ Synchronous Course *Asynchronous with the exception of
weekly class conferences on WEBCT (Sunday 8-9 pm) students must attend at least
50% of the conferences. Asynchronous:
This kind of distance education is characterized by an emphasis on
"learning on demand" or "as needed communication" between
students and faculty from multiple locations at times convenient to
participants. Synchronous: This
form of distance education entails the use of live, two-way communication among
and/or between students and faculty in a scheduled or "fixed"
point(s) of time(s), much like classroom-based instruction. This course may include, but not be
restricted to, the following interactions: 1. in person meetings NO 2. telephone interactions NO 3. electronic interactions ( email,
internet. ..) YES Students are required
to engage in the following interaction(s) for successful completion of this
course: Access
course materials on the internet at the course WEBCT site Participate
in electronic bulletin board class discussions Take
quizzes online Complete
weekly written assignments using information on the internet Cooperate
with several other students to complete a Group Project Participate
in on-campus lab with no more than 2 absences COURSE OBJECTIVES: The student, as a result of
taking this course, will be able to: 1. Demonstrate an
understanding of the major sources, types, and effects of environmental
pollutants and appropriate control technologies 2. Demonstrate an
understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of
environmental pollutants. 3. Demonstrate an
understanding of environmental impact on human health. 4. Evaluate present and
future energy resource alternatives. 5. Assess the various
responses of the environment to human interaction. 6. Demonstrate an
understanding of the relationships between environment and society from
ethical, economic, and governmental perspectives. 7. Demonstrate a basic
understanding of the use of microcomputers and computer simulations in
environmental sciences. 8. Perform basic field and laboratory procedures and analytical techniques of environmental investigation. ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance online will be monitored through
the WEBCT software. Students must
login at least once a week.
Failure to do so will result in withdrawal from the course. Attendance at all laboratory/field
periods is a required part of the student's academic work. In the event of excessive absences (two nights), a meeting with the instructor will be
arranged. The instructor reserves
the right to assign the grade F* if the student is unable to show just cause
for the excessive absences. It is
the responsibility of the student to obtain all materials and or information
missed due to an absence. ACCESS TO THE ONLINE
INSTRUCTOR:
E-Office hours, Group Meeting conferences, and Weekly
online class conferences will be posted. LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
Various
learning activities will be used to accomplish the course goals. Text and
computer online readings and exercises are used to introduce materials,
methods, and concepts. Each
student should plan on spending 8-12 hours
per week online
EVALUATION:
To
measure the extent to which students attain the objectives of the course the
following will be graded: Examinations: The online quizzes could include any or all of the
following types of questions: objective (true/false, multiple choice, matching),
essay, short answer, and fill-in-the-blank.
Online Conferencing: Each
student should plan to participate in at least seven (50%) of the class
conferences online. Each day/time
will be posted on the Calendar.
Email me before the
session if you are unable to participate. COURSE GRADE:
The final grade will be derived
from the the points earned as outlined below:
It is expected that
students will complete these assignments according to the calendar schedule
published online. REQUIRED TEXTS: 1. Botkin and Keller, 2007. Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet. 6th edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 2.
ENV 140(D) Principles of
Environmental Science Laboratory Manual, Environmental Science and Technology Department, TEACHING METHODS: WEBCT Online Multimedia Presentations Facilitate Synchronous and Asynchronous
Online Communciaton Facilitate Group Projects Online Laboratory Exercises and Field Trips Computer
Simulations ONLINE
SCHEDULE: Check the WebCT site
calendar for all online activities, assignments, and events. SUGGESTED
WEEK TOPIC Botkin/Keller
(6th edition) WEEK OF TOPIC(S) (Botkin/Keller) Jan. 28 Key
Themes in Environmental Science Characteristics
of Pollutants Chapter
1 Feb. 04 Environmental
Health, Pollution and Toxicology Chapter
15 Feb. 11 Energy:
Some Basics Chapter
17 Feb. 18 Fossil
Fuels and the Environment Chapter
18 (Monday
= HOLIDAY and Tuesday = Monday Schedule) Feb. 25 Alternative Energy and the
Environment Chapter
19 Mar. 03 The
Atmosphere, Climate, and Global Warming Chapter
23 Mar. 10 MIDTERM
OPPORTUNITY (Monday March 10,
2008) Air
Pollution Chapter
24 and 25 Mar. 17 SPRING
RECESS Mar. 24 Ozone
Depletion Chapter
26 Mar. 31 Water Supply, Use, and Management Chapter
21
Apr. 07 Water
Pollution and Treatment Chapter
22 Apr. 14 Forests,
Parks, and Landscapes Chapter
13 Apr. 21 GREAT
SMOKY MOUNTAINS VIRTUAL FIELD EXPEDITION (Monday
= Holiday and Tuesday = Tuesday Schedule) Wildlife, Fisheries, and Endangered
Species Chapter
14 Apr. 28 Economics
of Environmental Issues Chapter
28 May 05 Urban
Environments and Waste Management Chapter
29 and 30 May 12 All
Work Due (Last Day of Course) LABORATORY
SCHEDULE:
The laboratory schedule and syllabus
will be distributed at the first Laboratory Meeting (6:00pm Tuesday, January 29th,
in Room MRB 216 at HCC). The lab
instructor is Debbie Bruno (dbruno@hcc.mass.edu). I will do a short 15 minute intro to
the course and then Debbie will do Exercise 1 from the lab manual with
you. Be sure you have your lab
manual with you Tuesday night. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||