COURSE OUTLINE
HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT ABIO 390
FALL 2015
Instructor:
Office:
Office hours:
Phone:
e-mail:
Dr. Michele Harmon
SBDG 221
Monday 8 am - noon
(803) 641-3607
micheleh@usca.edu
Lecture:
Credits:
Lab:
10:50 -12:05 am, T TH in SBDG 107
4
1 – 3:40 pm W in SBDG 108
Required lecture text: Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 12th Edition, by William P. Cunningham and Mary Ann
Cunningham. ISBN 978–0–07–338325–5.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The course will provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the complex interactions of
man and the environment. It provides the information and tools necessary to assess environmental quality; the impact that degradation
of the environment may have on human health, wildlife, and other bioreceptors in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; and the control
measures required to minimize, manage and/or eliminate specific environmental problems. The course will address environmental
stressors and pollution, their sources in the environment, their modes of transport and transformation, and their ecological and public
health effects.
METHODS OF PRESENTATION AND EVALUATION: lectures, class discussion, and labs. Traditional exams will be used to
evaluate student progress in the class. These exams will include multiple choice, terms/definitions, and short answer. Students should
bring a pencil and a long-form Scantron to each exam. There will be a quiz or assignment each lecture period on the material from the
previous lecture(s). These will be administered during the first 10 minutes of class, and there will be no make-up opportunities for
absence or late arrival. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped at the end of the semester.
The final course grade will be based on the following:
3 Lecture exams @ 100 pts. each
1 Final exam @ 200 pts.
Weekly quizzes
Laboratory
GRADING SCALE:
300
200
100
200
800 total pts. available
A (90-100%), B (80-89), C (70-79), D (60-69), F (0-59)
ATTENDANCE POLICY: The instructor may impose a penalty for absences in excess of 25% of regularly scheduled class meetings
(lectures and labs) by assigning an “F” in the course. Absences, neither excused nor unexcused, absolve the student from meeting
class assignments. Lecture exam dates are clearly stated in the syllabus, and all students are expected to take the exam at the regularly
scheduled time. Make-up lecture exams will be considered only for a documented, excusable reason. If there is an illness or
emergency, you are expected to contact the instructor immediately. Be prepared to show documentation (doctor’s excuse, etc.).
Failure to contact the instructor within 24 hours will forfeit any chance of making up the test.
Attending lecture and taking notes is the sole responsibility of the student. Under no circumstance will the instructor provide copies
of lecture notes or slides for students.
DISABILITY STATEMENT: 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 Office of Disability
Services will determine appropriate accommodations based on documentation.
Schedule for ABIO 390, Fall 2015
Date
Topic
Aug. 20
Aug. 25
Aug. 27
Sep. 1
Sep. 3
Sep. 8
Sep. 10
Sep. 15
Sep. 17
Sep. 22
Sep. 24
Sep. 29
Oct. 1
Oct. 6
Oct. 8
Oct. 13
Oct. 15
Oct. 20
Oct. 22
Oct. 27
Oct. 29
Nov. 3
Nov. 5
Nov. 10
Nov. 12
Nov. 17
Nov. 19
Nov. 24
Nov. 26
Dec. 1
Dec. 3
Dec. 11
Introduction
Ecosystems and Energy
Sustainability, Biogeochemical Cycles, Biomes, and Succession
Aquatic Ecosystems
Aquatic Ecosystems
Water Resources
Water Resources
Exam 1
Water Pollution
Water Pollution and Greenwashing
Population Dynamics
Human Populations and Resource Use and Urbanization
Human Populations and Resource Use and Urbanization
Exam 2
Energy – Fossil Fuels
Energy - Nuclear and Sustainable Alternatives for the Future
Atmosphere and Ozone
Local Air Pollution
FALL BREAK
Global Warming
Solid and Hazardous Waste
No Class Today
No Class Today
Toxicity and Risk
Toxicity and Risk
Exam 3
Infectious Disease and the Environment
Food Borne Illness
THANKSGIVING
Food and Agriculture
Pesticides and Genetically Modified Food
Final Exam at 8:00 am
Chapter in
Textbook
3
3&4
5
5
17
17
18
18
6
7 & 22
7 & 22
19 & 20
19 & 20
15 & 16
15 & 16
15
21
8
8
8
9 & 10
9 & 10
CHANGES: The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the lecture or laboratory schedule, the number of quizzes and
exams given, and the contents of each exam as deemed necessary.
POLICY FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES: The use of any portable electronic devices, including cell phones, pagers,
MP3 players, iPods, etc., during class is not allowed for any reason unless prior approval has been given to a student from the
instructor or unless required for the course. If you are planning to have any of these devices in class, they must be turned off and
stowed away for the duration of the class period. If you use a portable electronic device during a test, quiz, or other assessment, you
are eligible to receive a failing grade on that assignment.
COMPUTER USE AND EMAIL: Lecture outlines and any additional materials (handouts, extra figures, bonus quizzes, etc.) will be
provided for students on Blackboard. Students are urged to print necessary materials prior to class time.
All official email communications, including class announcements, are made to USCA email accounts. Students should check their
USCA email account on a regular basis and use this account for communication with the instructor. In order to protect the privacy of
the student, the instructor will not reply to emails sent from non-USCA accounts (e.g., Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.).
Lab Schedule for ABIO 390, Fall 2015
Date
Aug. 26
Sept. 2
Sept. 9
Sept. 16
Sept. 23
Sept. 30
Oct. 7
Oct. 14
Oct. 21
Oct. 28
Nov. 4
Nov. 11
Nov. 18
Nov. 25
Dec. 2
Topic
No Lab
Virtual food web assignment - field day
Using indicator organisms to determine pollutant effects - thermal
Using indicator organisms to determine pollutant effects - pharmaceutical
Ecologic footprint
Population Growth experiment with Drosophila
Toxicity tests with environmentally friendly products - Lumbriculus variegatus
Toxicity tests with environmentally friendly products - Daphnia magna
Fall Break
Calculate the LC50 and prepare lab reports
No lab this week
Indoor Air Pollution Assessment
Risk Assessment Assignment
Thanksgiving Holliday
No lab this week
LABORATORY ATTENDANCE: Because of their nature, laboratory investigations cannot be made up. Therefore, students
must attend laboratory sessions. If you miss a laboratory or field investigation, you will not be allowed to turn in the associated lab
report. This also applies if you come in late, leave early, or do not participate fully. You cannot write a report on a laboratory or field
investigation that you did not do.
Laboratory Grading: The final lab grade makes up 25% of the total for the course and will be based on the following:
Lab Topic
Virtual food web assignment
Using indicator organisms to determine pollutant effects - thermal
Using indicator organisms to determine pollutant effects - pharmaceutical
Toxicity tests with environmentally friendly products
Ecologic footprint
Population Growth Assignment
Indoor Air Pollution Assessment
Risk Assessment Assignment
Points
25
25
25
40
10
25
25
25
200 total pts. available