Credit: 4 hours
Meeting time and location:
NSC 214/214L Environmental Science
Syllabus – Fall 2015
Prerequisites: None
Lecture and Lab Prep: Tuesday and Thursday (1st block)
Lab: Friday (1st block)
Instructor: Mr. Leonard Beck Office Rm 119, Lab Rm 119
Office hours: Mon. and Wed. (1st block)
Phone 859-282-5655 ext. 4552
Email: Lenny.Beck@boone.kyschools.us
Course Description: An interdisciplinary approach to the study of human impacts on local, regional,
national, and global environments. The laboratory and lecture portions of the course will emphasize the
nature of current environmental problems and contemporary and future solutions. Finally, laboratory
techniques and key literature foundational to the study of environmental sciences is emphasized.
Course Objectives:
1. To cover the diverse issues in environmental science and develop a working vocabulary and
knowledge of the discipline.
2. To introduce key concepts and principles governing how nature works and apply them using the
scientific method and critical thinking to possible solutions to environmental problems.
3. To provide a realistic, but hopeful view, of how environmental issues can be solved and how
each of us can contribute to solutions.
Evaluation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Quizzes (10 x 5 points each)
Lab assignments (14 x 10 points each)
Lecture exams (3 x 100 points each)
Case Study/Topic Paper Draft (10 points)
Case Study/Topic Paper Final (50 points)
Peer Review Case Study (3 x 5 points each)
Final Exam (150 points)
A+ 100%
50 points (7%)
140 points (19.6%)
300 points (42%)
10 points (1.4%)
50 points (7%)
15 points (2.1%)
150 points (21%)
715 total points
A 92-99.9%
A- 90-91.9%
B+ 88-89.9%
B 82-87.9%
B- 80-81.9%
C+ = 78-79.9% C 72-77.9%
C- 70-71.9%
D+ 68-69.9%
D 62-67.9%
D- 60-61.9%
F < 60%
Text: Karr, S., A. Houtman, and J. Interlandi. 2014. Environmental Science for a Changing World. W.H.
Freeman, New York, New York, USA. ISBN-13: 978-1429219723
Academic Honesty: Cheating, including plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any incident of substantiated
academic dishonesty may result in dismissal from the class.
Technology: Students will be expected to use Blackboard. Some assignments, quizzes, and classroom
discussion will occur using the Blackboard online classroom.
Lecture, Quiz, and Exam Schedule
Day
Thurs.
Date
8-13-15
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Mon.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Tues.
8-18-15
8-19-15
8-20-15
8-26-15
8-25-15
8-27-15
9-1-15
9-3-15
9-7-15
9-8-15
9-10-15
9-15-15
9-16-15
9-17-15
9-22-15
9-24-15
9-29-15
10-1-15
10-6-15
10-7-15
10-8-15
10-13-15
10-14-15
10-15-15
10-20-15
10-21-15
10-22-15
10-27-15
Thurs.
Thurs.
Mon.
Tues.
10-29-15
11-5-15
11-9-15
11-10-15
Thurs.
Mon.
Tues.
Thurs.
11-12-15
11-16-15
11-17-15
11-19-15
Mon.
11-23-15
Topic
Course Introduction; Overview of Environmental
Science; Scientific Method and Scientific Literacy
Scientific Method and Scientific Literacy
Quiz 1
Ecosystems and Nutrient Cycling
Quiz 2
Population Ecology
Community Ecology
Exam #1 (Overview – Community Ecology)
Biodiversity and Preserving Biodiversity
Preserving Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology
Quiz 3
Water Pollution
Evolution and extinction
Quiz 4
Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
Grasslands and Marine Ecosystems
Freshwater Resources
Exam #2 (Biodiversity – Water Pollution)
Feeding the world
Agriculture
Quiz 5
Mineral Resources
Environmental Health and Toxicology
Quiz 6
Waste Management
Conventional Coal
Quiz 7
Conventional Energy – Petroleum and Natural Gas
Exam #3 (Feeding the world – Petroleum and
Natural Gas)
Air Pollution
Climate Change
Quiz 8
Climate Change and Nuclear Energy/Alternative
Energies
Nuclear Energy and Alternative Energies
Quiz 9
Energy Use and Efficiency
Alternative Energies, Environmental economics and
Consumption
Quiz 10
Chapters
1, 2
3
6
7, 4
8
9
9, TBA
16
10
11, 12
12, 13
15
18, 14
18
TBA
16, TBA
17
19
20
21
22
22, 23
23, 24
TBA
25, 5
Tues.
11-24-15
Tues.
Thurs.
Thurs.
12-1-15
12-3-15
12-10-15
Environmental Economics Continued,
Environmental Policy
Urbanization and sustainable cities
Case Study (Dominica and China)
Exam 4/Final Exam
25, 26
TBA
Excerpt from Collapse
Laboratory Assignments and Field Trips
Laboratory assignments will consist of a lab exercise or assignment, which will be due the following lab
day (Friday). Field trips are subject to change based on availability and weather. Alternative laboratory
assignments will be given in event of cancellation. Field trips will last from 9 am to 2 pm on Friday 8-28,
9-11, 9-25, and 10-30. We will still meet for lab at 7:40 am that day.
Laboratory and Case Study/Topic Paper Schedule
Day
Fri
Fri
Fri
Date
8-14-15
8-21-15
8-28-15
Lab Topic
Biodiversity: Comparing forest communities through Simpson’s Diversity Index
Biodiversity: Comparing forest communities through Simpson’s Diversity Index
Avian abundance and Habitat Preference Middle Creek Nature Preserve (until 2
pm)
Wed
9-2-15
Case Study/Topic Paper Idea Due
Fri
9-4-15
Invasive species and Plant Diversity (Waivers for SD1 field trip due and tentative
back up field trip date)
Wed
9-9-15
Peer Review of Paper Idea
Fri
9-11-15
Mark and Recapture Population Estimates
Fri
9-11-15
Water Quality Assessment and Biodiversity Assessment: Index of Biotic Integrity
and Diversity Index. Tour of SD1
Fri
9-18-15
Evolution and Hardy-Weinberg: Mathematical Modeling (tentative back up field
trip date)
Fri
9-25-15
Evolution and Hardy-Weinberg: Mathematical Modeling
Fri
9-25-15
Thomas More Field Station (9-2)
Fri
10-2-15
Invasive Species and Allelopathy (Tentative back up Thomas More Field Station
Date)
Fri
10-16-15 Brine Shrimp and Pharmaceutical Toxicity
Fri
10-23-15 Invasive Plants and Extended Leaf Phenology
Fri
10-30-15 Human Population Growth
Fri
10-30-15 Fernald Trip
Mon.
11-2-15
Case Study/Topic Paper Rough Draft Due
Mon.
11-9-15
Peer Review of Rough Draft Due
Fri
11-6-15
Invasive Species and Allelopathy and Invasive Plants Phenology (Tentative back
up date for Fernald Trip)
Fri.
11-13-15 Human Risk Assessment
Fri
11-20-15 Home Energy Audit/Eco footprint
Wed.
11-25-15 Case Study/Topic Paper Final Draft Due
Wed.
12-2-15
Peer Review of Case Study/Topic Paper Due
*Schedule is subject to change depending on weather events and flow of course