Download Course Syllabus - UW Independent Learning

course syllabus
for course number:
course title:
publishing year:
U416-339
Environmental Conservation
2014
Number of credits: 3
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or consent of advisor
Course materials:
Required
Living in the Environment, 18th ed., by Miller and Spoolman (Brooks/Cole-Thomson
Learning, 2015), ISBN-13: 9781133940135
Optional
• Various Web resources on the textbook publisher’s website and on other websites.
Course description:
This introductory course in environmental science explores issues arising during the
interactions between the natural world (biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and
lithosphere) and cultural world (demographics, economics, politics, and technology).
Students examine such topics as air and water pollution, global climate change, energy
alternatives and energy efficiency, solid and hazardous waste, loss of biodiversity, human
health, food resources, effects of urbanization, and the management of public lands.
Strong emphasis is placed on evaluating potential solutions to identified environmental
problems. Students must submit 16 written assignments (10 short-essay questions in
each) and take two proctored exams.
Note to Wisconsin teachers: Taken by itself, this course is not sufficient to meet the
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction certification requirements for teacher
preparation in environmental education. The combination of this course and NRES 510,
Environmental Education Teaching Methods, is sufficient to meet the certification
requirements. To receive information on NRES 510, call 800-898-9472 (UW-Stevens
Point) or 414-425-8550 (UW-Whitewater at Wehr Nature Center).
Unit topics:
• Unit 1: Environmental Sustainability
• Unit 2: Matter, Energy and Ecosystems
• Unit 3: Biodiversity, Evolution, and Population Dynamics
• Unit 4: Terrestrial Biodiversity and Protection of Species
• Unit 5: Ecosystem Approach to Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity
• Unit 6: Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity
• Unit 7: Water Resources and Water Pollution
• Unit 8: Human Population Growth
• Midterm Exam Review
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Unit 9: Food Security and Food Production
Unit 10: Mineral Resources and Nonrenewable Energy
Unit 11: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Unit 12: Biological Hazards and Air Pollution
Unit 13: Climate Change and Ozone Depletion
Unit 14: Solid and Hazardous Waste
Unit 15: Urbanization, Economics and Sustainability
Unit 16: Politics, Ethics and Sustainability
Final Exam Review
Written assignments:
The course includes 16 written assignments. Each assignment has 10 questions requiring an
answer of approximately a half-page each.
Examinations:
There are 2 proctored, 2-hour examinations, with 50% of each exam consisting of
multiple-choice and true/false questions and the remaining 50% including essay questions
similar to those in the written assignments. The course includes a review for the
midcourse exam and a review for the final exam to familiarize students with the format
and scope of the actual exams. The format of these reviews is identical to that of the
actual exams.
Grading information:
Each exam and each assignment is worth 100 points. The letter grades are assigned as
follows:
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Failure
93-100
91-92
85-90
83-84
77-82
70-76
Below 70
The final course grade is calculated as an arithmetic average of three values: the
midcourse exam point score, the final exam point score, and an average point score of all
written assignments.
The final letter grade for the course is assigned according to the above grade scale, with
one exception. To earn a passing grade for the course, you need to get a passing grade for
each of the two exams required in the course. This means that even if your computed
final score is above 70 points, but at least one exam score is below 70 points (letter grade
F), your final course letter grade will be reported as an F.
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