GISAT 112
Environmental Issues in Science and Technology
JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY
Spring Semester, 2008 – Sections 3 and 4
Course Syllabus
1. Welcome and Course Objectives
Welcome to Environmental Issues in Science and Technology. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to
the scientific concepts surrounding today’s most important environmental problems. We will also explore the
technical, economic, and social options available to solve these problems. We will use readings, lecture, project
work, and lab assignments to explore these issues. Topics that we will cover in detail include: (1) environmental
chemistry, (2) ecosystem characteristics, (3) air and water pollution, (4) impacts of energy consumption on the
environment, (5) land use and biodiversity, and (6) sustainability issues.
2. Text and Materials
Students are required to purchase, or download from Blackboard, the following:
(1) American Chemical Society, Chemistry in Context: 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2006.
Available at the JMU Bookstore as custom publication under ISBN 0073442240
(2) Selected chapters from Environmental Science: 10th Edition, Enger, E. and B.F. Smith, McGraw-Hill Higher
Education, 2006. Available at the JMU Bookstore as custom publication under ISBN 0073442240
(3) GISAT 112 Lab Instructions. These instructions will be available on the Blackboard site (blackboard.jmu.edu)
prior to each laboratory session.
(4) GISAT 112 Supplemental Readings. These readings will be available on the Blackboard site
(blackboard.jmu.edu) when appropriate.
(5) Laboratory Safety Glasses. Available at the JMU Bookstore and the CISAT Copy Center.
3. Teaching Faculty
Dr. Mary Handley (Lecture and Recitation)
handlemk@jmu.edu
Dr. CJ Brodrick (Lab)
brodricj@jmu.edu
Lab Coordinator
Mr. Fred Copithorn
copithfh@jmu.edu
Teaching Assistant
Ms. Ashley Alexander
alexanan@jmu.edu
4. Dates and Deadlines for Course Changes
Students are responsible for registering for classes and for verifying their class schedules on e-campus. The
deadline for adding a Spring Semester class without instructor and academic unit head signatures is Tuesday,
January 15, 2008. Between Wednesday, January 16 and Thursday, January 24, 2008, instructor and academic unit
head signatures are required to add a class for Spring Semester 2008. No student will be allowed to register for a
Spring Semester class after Thursday, January 24, 2008. No exceptions will be made to these deadlines.
The deadline for dropping a class is Tuesday January 15, 2008. Withdrawing after this date results in a “W”
grade on your transcript. The last date for withdrawal with a “W” grade, or for changing course options, is March
14, 2008. More information about dates and deadlines can be found on the JMU website.
5. Course Format
This class has two instructors. Dr. Handley is primarily in charge of lectures and recitations, Dr. Brodrick is
primarily in charge of labs. Your section will meet together for lectures, a recitation session, and a laboratory
session each week. The lectures and laboratory sessions may be shared with another section but the recitation will
meet as a smaller group to allow you to focus on the concepts and skills for the course.
6. Attendance and Participation
You are expected to attend and participate in all class sessions. You are expected to complete the assigned
reading prior to the date indicated in the class schedule, to do homework assignments, and to participate fully in
the team labs and projects.
7. Submission of Homework, Lab Reports, and other work
Turn in all work to Dr. Brodrick! All work must be submitted in LAB on the day that it is due. Typewritten
products are required unless otherwise noted by your instructor. Staple all papers together--do not use paper
clips. We will deduct an automatic 10% credit for excessive typos, spelling and grammar errors or sloppy work.
Note: Names of all collaborators must be included on everything that you submit.
9. Exams
There will be three exams for this course. The third exam will be during the “Final Exam” week, and will NOT be
comprehensive. Exams will typically include a multiple choice section for concepts and information, a
calculation section, and an essay section. Essay questions will be distributed in advance. If you will require
accommodations for exams, please turn in your documentation from the Office of Disability Services AT LEAST
one week before the exam date. If you have any other accommodation needs, contact either Dr. Brodrick or Dr.
Handley as soon as possible.
10. Your final letter grade will be determined as follows:
A
> 900 points
B
800 – 900 points
C
700 – 800 points
D
600 – 700 points
F
< 600 points
The awarding of plus (+) and minus (-) to letter grades will be according to the discretion of the instructors.
11. Make-up Policy
Put simply, NO MAKE-UPS WILL BE GIVEN. A grade of zero (0) will be given for missed assignments, labs,
homework, & recitations. There are extra points built into the class to allow flexibility and to help you in case of
family emergencies, illness, and other disasters. See your professor in advance if you know you must miss an
exam.
12. Unauthorized Collaboration, Cheating, and Plagiarism
All students are expected to comply fully with the JMU Honor Code, as presented in the Student Handbook and at
www.jmu.edu/honor/. It is a violation of the Honor Code to collaborate in an unauthorized manner with one or
more other students on an examination or any work submitted for academic credit. Each student has a duty to
become familiar with the Honor Code and the provisions of the Honor system. Ignorance of what constitutes an
Honor Code violation cannot be used as a defense in an honor hearing. Collaboration on homework or labs is
permitted and encouraged, provided that it is done in the spirit of mutual learning and sharing of ideas. When this
occurs, you should indicate the names of all persons with whom you collaborated. The copying of someone else’s
work or ideas and representing them as your own is unethical and prohibited. As in most, if not all issues
involving ethical considerations, it may be hard to know where to draw the line. If you do not recognize other
collaborators, your instructor will presume the collaboration is copying, not mutual learning. When writing lab or
project reports, electronic cutting and pasting from ANY source (including the laboratory handout) without citing
that source in an appropriate manner is considered plagiarism and is a violation of the Honor Code. It is a
violation of the Honor Code to discuss the content of an exam before all sections have completed taking the exam.
13. Laboratory Safety
The ISAT Environment laboratories will be used during this course to conduct experiments and investigations.
Laboratory safety will be discussed during the first session in the lab. It is the responsibility of the student to
review and follow the document entitled Laboratory Safety Rules – Student Version which will be distributed in
lab and made available on the Blackboard site. This document describes the policies and guidelines for safe
laboratory practice and behavior. Any student who violates these guidelines or policies can be dismissed from the
laboratory at the discretion of the instructor.
14. Calculators
You are encouraged to use a pocket ‘scientific’ calculator with at least one memory register, scientific number
display, and exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric function. Calculators may be used during quizzes and
exams. You should bring your calculator with you to every class session.
15. Electronic Communication
Your instructors will be using a Blackboard site, blackboard.jmu.edu, to communicate with you. You will need to
connect to this service using your JMU username and password and navigate to the homepage for this course.
You should check the site frequently (at least once a day) to retrieve information about the course. In addition,
your instructors will communicate with you via email through this system. Normally your instructor will respond
to any messages within 24 hours during the regular school week. Short questions can be answered electronically
very promptly by email. Either you or your instructor may use email to make an appointment for a face-to-face
discussion. For assistance with Blackboard or email, contact the Computing Helpdesk at 568-3555 or visit
www.jmu.edu/computing/helpdesk/
15. Inclement Weather
If the university is closed due to inclement weather makeup work will be scheduled either the Saturday following the
missed class, or at another time that is agreed upon by class members. Final exam make-ups are scheduled the
Saturday following exam week. Check the JMU homepage, www.jmu.edu, for information about university closures.
16. Code of Behavior—what we expect of you
Be engaged and respectful in class.
Consult with your peers before contacting us with a question about policy, schedule, or content.
Plan to arrive on time, and to have all your materials with you.
Understand and follow all laboratory safety rules.
Quiet food and drinks are allowed in lectures and recitations.
NEVER bring food or drinks (not even chewing gum) into the lab.
No electronic devices in class or lab—music, text, phone, etc.
17. Code of Behavior—what you can expect of us
Respect.
Patience.
Passion for the subject and the class.
Timely grading and constructive feedback.
Clear communication and consistent expectations.
18. Course Components
Mandatory
Exams
Projects
Points
100
100
100
75
175
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Ozone Project
Wedges Project
Class
Date
11-Feb
21-Mar
28-Apr
Due
Date
6-Feb
25-Apr
Other
Labs
Recitations
Homework
Gas behavior
Tropospheric ozone
Spectrophotometry
Molecular modeling
Science on a sphere
Material world
Energy flow in ecosystems
Clover evolution
GIS Lab
Fuel cells
Energy content of fuels
Water chemistry
Water quality field trip
Activities
Tragedy of the Commons
Evolution Theory
Wolf, Moose, Fir
Discussions
Climate Change
Population and Consumption
Alternative Fuels
Tragedy of the Commons
HW
HW
HW
HW
HW
HW
1
2
3
4
5
6
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
9-Jan
16-Jan
23-Jan
30-Jan
6-Feb
13-Feb
20-Feb
27-Feb
12-Mar
19-Mar
26-Mar
2-Apr
23-Apr
16-Jan
23-Jan
30-Jan
6-Feb
13-Feb
20-Feb
27-Feb
12-Mar
19-Mar
26-Mar
2-Apr
9-Apr
23-Apr
20
20
20
7-Jan
25-Feb
10-Mar
16-Jan
12-Mar
19-Mar
20
20
20
20
6-Feb
18-Feb
24-Mar
14-Apr
6-Feb
18-Feb
24-Mar
14-Apr
20
20
20
20
20
20
16-Jan
30-Jan
6-Feb
2-Apr
9-Apr
23-Apr