ENVIRONMENTAL LIFE SCIENCE
ABIOL 106 (4 credit hours)
Fall 2015
INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Carl Hammond-Beyer
PHONE: 803 215-4943
OFFICE: SBDG 101A
E-MAIL: CarlHB@usca.edu
LECTURE/LAB: MW 6:00-8:40 PM, SBDG 103
TEXTBOOK: Cunningham, W. P. and M. A. Cunningham. 2013. Principles of Environmental Science, Inquiry and
Application 7th Ed. McGraw Hill, Inc. New York, NY. 399pp. ISBN: 987-0-07-353251-6
LAB PACKET: SimBioVirtual Labs available in the Bookstore.
LAB SUPPLIES: A quad-ruled composition book is required. Calculators will be used often. Surgical gloves are
recommended for use in some labs. Each student must provide his/her own eye protection and gloves when
working with chemicals. (Caution: Exposure to lead and mercury has been linked to cancer in rats.)
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The course will provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the complex
interactions between humans and the environment. The course will specifically address the importance of natural
resources, human population growth, depletion/degradation of the earth’s resources, types of pollution, pollution reduction
and prevention, and strategies for sustainability.
STUDENT COMPETENCY STATEMENTS: By the end of this course the student will have demonstrated the
ability to:
• Discuss ecological principles and topics of historical and current interest and importance.
• Describe the human activities that influence the environment and the sustainability of life on this planet.
• Apply theoretical concepts in the laboratory by following a written procedure.
METHODS OF PRESENTATION: This course will consist of lectures by the instructors, classroom discussion, and
group and individual laboratory exercises. The instructors will utilize appropriate modes of visual aids and laboratory
equipment. Online resources will be used to reinforce lecture material.
METHODS OF EVALUATION: Achievement of course objectives will be evaluated by lecture exams, laboratory
reports, notebooks, quizzes, review articles and a final comprehensive exam.
GRADES: The lecture will count for 70% and the lab for 30% of the final course grade. However, you must receive a
passing grade in lab to pass the class.
Grades in the course will be determined as follows:
10% - weekly lecture quizzes and articles
10% - laboratory notebooks
15% - laboratory reports (2)
5% - 1 laboratory exams
45% - 3 lecture tests and biome presentation
15% - final comprehensive exam
See the course schedule below for dates of lecture tests, lab exams and final exam.
IMPORTANT GUIDELINES:
1) This is a survey course and covers a great deal of material! The text is good and can help explain lecture material you
may not fully understand. I will not cover all of the text in class, but you will understand lectures better if you read
the assigned text sections before you come to class, and you will do better on tests if you keep up with the reading.
In addition, I will provide information in lecture that will supplement your text. You will be expected to know this
additional material for lecture quizzes, so it is imperative that you attend lectures to do well in this class.
2) The lab is heavily scheduled and you will be expected to stay for the entire period.
3) You will be expected to have read all laboratory exercises and the accompanying text references before attending labs.
You must bring both your laboratory materials and your composition book to every lab.
4) No make-up exams will be given for missed lecture quizzes except under extreme situations (see your Student
Handbook). There will be no opportunity to make up missed lab quizzes or exams unless it can be arranged
during another lab period during the week the absence occurred.
5) Students are expected to attend lectures. Most lectures will begin with a brief quiz from the last lecture. In addition,
75% attendance in lab is required. You cannot get a passing grade in lab with more than three absences and
you cannot pass the course if you do not pass the lab.
6) You are strongly encouraged to make appointments with your instructor if you are having problems in the course.
You may make an appointment or drop in if I am not busy with another student. In general, the following hours are
available for appointments: M&W 5:15-5:45 PM. If my office hours conflict with your schedule, we can make
arrangements to meet at another time during the week.
7) Upon prior approval, you will be allowed to use an electronic device to record lectures if the recording device is
placed at the front lecture desk. However, the use of any other portable electronic devices, including cell phones,
pagers, MP3 players, etc., during class or lab is not permitted. If you have any of these devices in your
possession during class, they must be turned off and stowed away for the duration of the class period.
8) You will be expected to endorse the following HONOR PLEDGE on every quiz:
"On my honor as a University of South Carolina at Aiken student, I have neither given nor received
any unauthorized aid of this assignment/examination. To the best of my knowledge I am not in violation
of academic honesty."
Infractions of this honor pledge will not be tolerated!
9) "If you have a physical, psychological, and/or learning disability that might affect your performance in this
class, please contact the Office of Disability Services, B&E 134, (803) 643-6816, as soon as possible. The
Disability Services Office will determine appropriate accommodations based on medical documentation."
TENTATIVE LECTURE AND LABORATORY SCHEDULE
8/24 First Class, 9/7 Labor Day, 10/22-23 Fall Break, 12/4 End, 12/7 Final
Lec # DATE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Aug. 24
Aug. 26
Aug. 31
Sep. 2
Sep. 7
Sep. 9
Sep. 14
Sep. 16
Sep. 21
Sep. 23
Sep. 28
Sep. 30
Oct. 5
Oct. 7
Oct. 12
Oct. 14
Oct. 19
Oct. 21
Oct. 26
Oct. 28
Nov. 2
Nov. 4
Nov. 9
Nov. 11
Nov. 16
Nov. 18
Nov. 23
Nov. 30
Dec. 2
Dec. 7 or 9
LECTURE TOPIC
LABORATORY (#)
TEXT CHAPTERS
Tragedy of the Commons
Scientific Method (1)
Major Environmental Problems Environmental Timeline
Foundations – Geology
Mohs Scale*
Mining Methods and Impact
Mining Exercise*
Labor Day Holiday
Aquatic Ecosystems
Pond Project I
Aquatic Issues
Pond Project I cont.
Test #1 Issues & Geology
Macroinvertebrate Indicators
Energy Cycling
Food Webs
Biogeochemical Cycles
Carbon Modeling
Species Interactions/Evolution Growth Modeling
Population Growth
Owl Pellets
Terrestrial Biomes, Succession Biome Presentations**
Marine Systems & Biodiversity Lab Test #1
Human Populations
Histograms
Test #2 Aquatic Systems  Biomes
Food Issues
Project 1 Due w/ Presentation
Debate: Rice vs Wheat vs Corn
Oct. 22-23
Fall Break
Atmospheric Mechanisms
Air Pollution
Air Pollution
Analyze Air Pollution Data
Pollution Interactions
Case Histories
Environmental Health
Phytoremediation Project II
Toxicology
Phytoremediation Project II
Solid Waste
Trash Calculations
Hazardous Wastes
Test 3 Food and Pollution
Lab Books due
No Class
Fossil Fuels
Build a Scrubber***
Renewable Energy
Scrubber and Phyto. Reports due
FINAL EXAM
* Materials and Procedures will be provided prior to the Lab.
** Student Presentation of assigned biome. Rubric will be forthcoming.
*** Students will need to provide most of their own smokestack materials for this lab.
1.1-1.3
1.4-1.6
12.1-12.3
12.4-12.6
11.1-11.5
11.6-11.8
2.1-2.4
2.5-2.8
3.1-3.5
5.1-5.3
5.4-5.7
4.1-4.7
7.1-7.5
7.6-7.8
9.1-9.4
10.1-10.3
10.4-10.5
8.1-8.4
8.5-8.7
14.1-14.3
14.4
13.1-13.3
13.4-13.7
Article Review Sheet and Mystery of the Week
Name ____________________________
Date ________________
Article Title: _______________________________________________________
Author: _________________________________________________________
Source and Date: ________________________________________________
Article # ___________________
1. Briefly sumOctize the article in your own words. (No quotes please!)
2. List three key points from the article:
a.
b.
c.
3. Do you agree or disagree with the premise and conclusions in the article? Yes
No
4. What were the weak parts of the argument or missing information in the article that may lead
to a different conclusion?
Mystery of the Week:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.