Environmental Science
Course Description
Environmental Science is a rapidly evolving discipline, increasingly being
called upon to answer some of the most pressing ecological problems
of the time. As pressures on land, atmospheric and aquatic systems
increase, the need for scientific information about environmental
change and resource conservation is paramount. Understanding
environmental systems and issues involves knowledge and skills from a
variety of sciences. We need an interdisciplinary approach
incorporating aspects of the physical and life sciences as well as
expertise from non-scientific groups. Environmental Science seeks to
develop the necessary skills and knowledge to measure, model and
assess environmental change affecting both local and global
environments. Emphasis is placed on field work and laboratory work.
Why Teach Environmental Science?
To many of my contemporaries, Environmental Science is considered a
"mutt" science. By this they mean; environmental science is an
hodgepodge of several different sciences, each discipline having an
input, but neither gaining a controlling role. Additional conflict certainly
arises, when other disciplines, outside of the realm of science are
allowed to make important contributions. However, students soon
understand that contributions from all interested shareholders,
whatever their background and training, are crucial to making informed
decisions. The questions and answers they generate are a result of
stochastic thought and action.
The conglomeration of stakeholders allows for many different
perspectives and approaches to the field. Researchers and interested
individuals can focus on geology, economy, chemistry, politics, history,
culture or psychology to just name a few. Essentially, any field can
adopt an ecological standpoint when tackling environmental issues
relevant to a more specific field. As a survey course students will look at
topics from opposing points of view to gain different positions of the
bigger picture.
As a so-called ‘soft science’, environmental science is open to the same
rigorous scrutiny associated with science investigation. Ecological
analysis requires that experiments be repeatable and that data must be
comprehensive and above reproach. Published results and conclusions
of environmental research are subject to peer review, and must meet
specified criteria. Unfortunately, interpretation of environmental data
and consequences can be quite subjective and both the scientist and
the information often find itself at odds with the economic or political
factions of a given area. Regrettably, the conflict of perception is
frequently the focus of the opposition’s financial issues, and research is
lost in the turmoil.
Environmental Ethics:
Who speaks for the trees? What are the rights of animals? Is there a
land ethic? How can we achieve environmental justice? Such questions
can be examined within the larger context of environmental
philosophy. To be serious about the environment demands that we
address complex issues such as patterns of consumption and
production, population growth, environmental racism, conflict and war,
the rights of animals, plants and land as well as the rights and
responsibilities of persons, businesses and nations. Environmental
Ethics is the examination of the moral relationship between human
beings and the environment, and consider how to ethically defend our
actions on the environment and its nonhuman contents. The focus of
this portion of the course will pay particularly attention to
understanding relevant ethical principles and values in order to defend
and justify our choices in this regard. We also study the intrinsic value
and moral status of the environment and its contents—animals, plants,
ecosystems, etc.
The general purpose of this study is to introduce the student to the
issues and theories of Environmental Philosophy, as well as develop the
student's skill in applying ethical knowledge to particular situations.
Specific objectives are:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Present an “ethic of ecological justice” and explore its application
to individual environmental cases
Present current theoretical perspectives on the value and moral
status of the environment and other nonhuman entities,
including:
a. Animal rights
b. Biocentric ethics
c. Ecocentric ethics
d. Deep Ecology
e. Ecofeminism
Present perspectives on practical environmental issues
Present various kinds environmentally conscious personal
responses people make in the face of the environmental crisis,
and provide time for students to consider how they might
personally respond to the material covered in class
V.
VI.
The themes, concepts, problems, theories and methods of moral
philosophy upon current environmental issues.
Five approaches to environmental ethics (i.e., perspectives on
man's relationship and responsibility to nature) -- viz.
Anthropocentrism, Animal Liberation, Rights of Nature, GaiaCentrism ("The Land Ethic"), Biophilia (evolved needs for nature).
Environmental Ethics Objectives
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
Appreciation of the relationship between humans (especially
yourself) and the environment
Engagement with ideas of environmentalists and environmental
philosophers on topics pertinent to environmental ethics
Knowledge of basic principles, concepts and methods of
environmental ethics
Knowledge about arguments presented to support positions in
environmental ethics
Critical understanding of environmental issues, and the positions
and perspectives of representative authors in environmental
ethics—includes analysis and evaluation of ethical thinking in
environmental ethics
Persuasive writing about and defense of the student's own views
on topics and problems in environmental ethics, and on positions
others take on topics and problems in environmental ethics—
including the principles of good writing
Application of ethical principles to environmental related
situations and problems
VIII.
Persuasive speaking about the student's own views about
environmental ethics, including speaking persuasively about the
views of others
Course Grading:
1.
Unit Tests
20%
approximately 3/quarter
2.
Journal/Essays
5%
daily
3.
Presentations
10%
approximately 2/quarter
4.
Labs
20%
approximately 6/quarter
5.
Class Participation
10%
daily
6.
Research Project
35%
 Class participation is encouraged, expected and graded.
 Research project topic will be determined during the first quarter
and completed by the end of the year. Time to work on the
project will be allotted each week. Monthly presentations will be
assessed by class rubric and make up 10% of project grade. Final
presentation of the project will be scheduled during the class
period in May, assessed by class rubric.
Environmental Science Course Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Science Skills
Students will be able to:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Conduct scientific research, starting with well-defined protocols
and progressing to open-ended research projects
Work collaboratively to design research projects, interpret results,
and critically analyze ideas and conclusions
Define a research question, then plan and carry out a study to
address the question
Analyze data and draw conclusions about Earth’s Environment
Write a concise and accurate summary of methods, results, and
conclusions
Receive critique from fellow students to help revise or justify
research reports and presentations
Critically analyze fellow students’ research to determine whether
each study is based on a sound research design
Provide constructive criticism of fellow students’ data analysis,
interpretations, and conclusions
Environmental Concepts:
Students will understand that
I.
The Earth is a finite unit, all its resources are fixed
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
Human ecological problems are essentially a product of overpopulation, gender rights and education
Ecology is the study of living things and their interactions with
each other and the physical environment
Population ecology is the study of how populations change in size
and location
Community ecology is the study of how organisms interact with
each other and how groups of organisms change over time
Ecosystem ecology is the study of how organisms interact with the
nonliving environment
Invasive species are an important threat to biodiversity in North
America
Biological control is one of several alternatives to controlling
invasive species
Monitoring, laboratory, and field studies all contribute to our
understanding of ecological systems
Humans have changed the delicate balance of nature and in doing
so have put themselves in jeopardy
Humans can reverse the current negative environmental trends
with technology already in existence
Scientists work both individually and collaboratively; reviewing
each other’s work to provide feedback on experimental design
and interpretation of results. These “peer reviews” are used to
make decisions about what research gets funded and what results
get published in scientific journals
Scientific understandings are tentative, subject to change with
new discoveries. Peer review among scientists helps sort genuine
discoveries from incomplete or faulty work
Core Curriculum
Introduction to Environmental Science
Students will be able to:
 Understand why environmental problems are complex and
interrelated
 Realize that environmental problems involve social, cultural,
political, and economic issues--not just scientific issues
 Understand that all organisms have an impact on their
surroundings
 Describe the three categories into which most environmental
problems fall

Ethics
 Explain how the population crisis and the consumption crisis
contribute to environmental problems
 Differentiate between ethics and morals
 Define personal ethics
 List three conflicting attitudes toward nature
 Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources
 Use a decision making model to make a decision about an
environmental issue
 Name values that are important in making decisions about the
environment
Communities: Structure and Dynamics
 Define the roles of producers, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore,
scavenger, parasite, and decomposer
 Describe energy flow in a ecosystem
 Relate the concept of food web and food chain to trophic levels
 Explain the cycling of nutrients
 Define keystone species and their impact on biodiversity.
 Define a food web.
 Define and diagram flows of material or energy between
trophic levels.
 name the levels of the trophic pyramid
Evolution
 Define evolution and distinguish between microevolution and
macroevolution.
 Explain the process of evolution by natural selection
 Explain the concept of adaptation
 Explain the concept of coevolution
 Define the term extinction
 Define symbiosis and give examples of mutualistic, commensal,
and parasitic symbioses.
Terrestrial Ecosystems
 Describe secondary and primary succession
 Explain the importance of primary species
 Define Biome
 Associate typical plants and animals with the various biomes
 Distinguish between the biotic and abiotic factors in an
ecosystem
 Distinguish between habitat and niche
 Explain the five major types of species interactions and give
examples of each
 List some of the components of an ecosystem
 Define ecological succession.
 Describe pioneer, intermediate, and climax seres.
 List the significant features, alternative names, and locations of
the following biomes:
o Tropical Rain Forest.
o Tropical Deciduous Forest.
o Tropical Savanna.
o Desert.
o Temperate Deciduous Forest.
o Temperate Shrubland.
o Grassland.
o Boreal Forest.
o Tundra.
o Temperate Rain Forest.
o Alpine Biome.
o Coastal Pine Forest
 Explain the important characteristics of the tropical,
temperate, boreal, and polar climatic zones and give the
latitudinal range of each.
 Describe the vertical zonation of forests
Climate
 Identify the four parts of the atmosphere that interact to make
weather
 Identify the gases in the atmosphere that cause the greenhouse
effect and describe how the greenhouse effect may change
Earth's surface
 Identify "greenhouse gases" and explain how they cause the
"greenhouse effect"
 List human attributes that may be responsible for global warming
and cooling Earth's atmosphere
 Explain the relationship between technology and global warming
 Name the major causes of air pollution
 Distinguish between primary and secondary pollutants
 Explain how we could reduce air pollution
 Describe some possible health effects of air pollution
 Describe the job of the Environmental Protection Agency
 List the benefit of the Clean Air Act
 Give examples of human-made sources of radiation, and explain
how human-made sources differ from natural sources of radiation
Aquatic Ecosystems
 Compare the ability of human-made channels to support wildlife
with that of natural rivers and streams
 Identify the types of organisms that are found in the following
habitats: surface film, open water, bottom, water's edge
 Identify four different habitats found in bodies of water and give
examples of organisms that live in each habitat




 Draw a food web that includes ten or more aquatic organisms
 Give examples of point and nonpoint sources of nutrients
 Describe the steps that must be taken in order to control plant
growth with herbicide to avoid fish fills
 Identify three types of factors which affect water quality
 Explain why fresh water is a precious resource
 Describe our main sources of fresh water
 Explain why fresh water is often in short supply
 Classify the kinds of water pollutants
 Describe the impact of water pollution on people and the
environment
 Distinguish among the several types of peatlands (bog, blanket
mire, quaking bog, and fen).
 Describe human impacts on flooded grasslands.
 Define a watershed.
 Distinguish between riffle and pool.
Define an estuary.
List the major characteristics of the following marine zones
o intertidal
o pelagic
o neritic
o oceanic
o benthic
Distinguish between the littoral and supralittoral zones
List the characteristics of the
o rocky intertidal
o sandy beach
o mudflat
o salt marsh
o mangrove forest
Human Ecology
 Explain why providing adequate food for all of the world's people
is so difficult
 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the green
revolution
 List the physical, chemical, and biological factors responsible for
soil formation
 Describe the processes of soil erosion by water and wind
 Describe the desertification and how it can be prevented
 Explain why pest control is often necessary
 Describe alternatives to pesticides
Energy
 State the two energy laws and give examples that demonstrate
each law
 Describe turnover within ecosystems.
 Explain how the laws of thermodynamics constrain energy and
material flows in ecosystems.
 Define primary production.
 Compare energy efficiencies
 Classify energy sources as renewable or nonrenewable
 List reasons why it is important that we seek alternatives to fossil
fuels
 Describe the role of the turbine and the generator in the
production of electricity
 Rank the major sources of energy used to produce electricity and
classify the energy sources as renewable or nonrenewable
 Give advantages and disadvantages of each of the methods used
to produce electricity
 Identify possible environmental problems associated with each
energy source
 Give several reasons why nuclear power has not become as
important a source of electricity as anticipated
 Describe methods of conserving energy
 Describe several alternative energy sources