This course is designed for non-science majors and beginning science students as an overview to the problems addressed by Environmental Science. This particular version of the course will look at these problems from multiple perspectives and, by example, train you to start looking at any environmental problem using a set of extensible intellectual tools (which I call "viewers").
The broad goal of the course is to help you to become a better citizen in our society as we face many, interrelated environmental and social issues. These problems are "complex" in the sense that they are every changing because of interactions. This course will help you develop an approach that isn't paralyzed in the face of this complexity or uncertainty.
There are three type of specific goals for this course:
1. Multiple perspectives - introduction to and some practice with the viewers such that they become "habits of mind".
2. Environmental concepts - a combination of lecture topics and references to Wikipedia and Encyclopedia of Earth pages
3. Direct experience - laboratory field and problem solving
Lecture section - This course has a large lecture section. This has been proven to be a very valuable resource for student learning in combination with the other resources (reading the text, concept list study, case studies, and laboratory). There is no role taken or enforced requirement that you attend. However, please show up before the class starts, turn off electronic gear, and be ready for class to start promptly at 10 am. Out of respect for others and the instructor, please do not talk during class. An outline of the lecture notes will be posted that has links to the references and learning objects used during the lecture.
Laboratory - Attendance and participation in the laboratory is required. There will be role taken right at the beginning. You must be present and attentive. As you will learn in the laboratory, this part of the course focuses on field and group work.
Assignments - All assignments have a due time and date. Because we are trying to grade and get the assignments back to you in a timely way, there will be a grading penalty for late work.
Student Conduct Code - Portland State has a well defined conduct code. This link takes you to the official description. In the lab section we will discuss how you can both share work and ideas and still meet the requirement that all assignments represent your personal work.
The text for this course is online at Multiple Perspectives and Approaches for Environmental Issues. This is a book that I am writing and there will be link to the chapters as they are posted.
This website for the lecture and laboratory sections
my.pdx.edu Course Studio or Blackboard for mini-quizzes and total grades (more later).
Wikipedia
NCCE - Encyclopedia Earth
Quizzes :
There will be one throwout quiz and one throwout mini-quiz. Your top three of each will count.
Score to grade
Remember that the lab counts as 1/4 of the points for the overall course grade.
Sickness policy
You are encouraged NOT to attend class if you are sick with the flu or any other contagious disease. Do not bring your sick children to PSU either. You should stay away from school and other crowds until your fever has been gone for 24 hours (without medication).
Lectures are not mandatory so that is not a problem for the lecture section. If you have to miss one of the quizzes, you need to contact the instructor to make arrangements.
Attendance is required for the lab. If you miss a lab section because of the flu, please contact the teaching assistant. If possible, you should try to make one of the other lab sections during that week, but we realize that this is not always possible.
We are developing some make up assignments and other accomodations to fairly handle absences from the lecture or lab due to sickness.
If the lecturor is sick, you are still responsible for reading the lecture notes from that day and any reading. All assignments are due on time whether or not the lab or lecture instructor is sick.
