Course Description

Builds on lecture (Ecological Basis of Environmental Issues) themes by providing students opportunities to investigate natural systems and explore ways human activities affect the environment. Students practice collecting, analyzing, and interpreting environmental data and develop information literacy skills throughout the semester. Students will also research a sustainability issue, explain its impact on the environment, and propose solutions across scales.

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Athena Title

Environmental Issues Lab

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Equivalent Courses

Not open to students with credit in ECOL 1000L

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Non-Traditional Format

This course will be taught 95% or more online.

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Pre or Corequisite

ECOL 1000 or ECOL 1000E or ECOL 1000H

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Semester Course Offered

Offered summer semester every year.

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Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

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Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will apply scientific principles to understand how natural systems and human activities affect the earth’s capacity to sustain life.
• Students will describe linkages between organisms and their environment.
• Students will communicate consequences of various human activities on the environment.
• Students will analyze the reliability of information and use scientific evidence to support claims.
• Students will evaluate ethical and moral issues involved with environmentally sustainable decision making related to land use and the environment.

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Topical Outline

• Labs will include an exploration of the following topics. Some topics span multiple lab sessions.
• Assessment of environmental impacts of students’ day-to-day lifestyle
• Making ecological observations
• Visualizing and interpreting environmental data
• Science in the headlines and information reliability
• Sustainability issues, impacts, and solutions
• Ecosystem services of streams and forests
• Field data collection and analysis techniques
• Environmental ethics
• Environmental impacts of food
• Climate change impacts and actions
• Science communication
• Land use and sustainable decision-making

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General Education Core

CORE II: Life Sciences

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Institutional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.

Critical Thinking

The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.

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