Environmental+Science+Course+Syllabus

Environmental science is the study of interactions between living and non-living systems. In this class you will develop a practical understanding of your connections to and impact on the “natural” world, engage in scientific inquiry and investigation, and further your knowledge and understanding of the nature and history of science within the context of environmental science. Additionally, because this class deals with many hot-button environmental issues that appear in popular media and in politics, this class will help you to develop a deeper understanding of these issues, and may help you to make more informed decisions about your interactions with the planet outside of school. So in many ways, this class is about YOU!
 * // Course Description: //**

Learning activities in this class will include readings from our textbook, as well as popular and scientific media, labs and simulations, collaborative group work, independent research, and creative or artistic expression. This class will be interactive, and presentations to the class (in many different formats) will be a regular component of this class. You will be encouraged to explore your own thinking about the course content, why it matters, and how it applies to everyday situations you encounter outside of school.

This course will be challenging, and the workload will be substantial, but I will be there to support you throughout, and will be as flexible as I can be in order to help you learn and understand the material. However, it is my hope that this class will also be a lot of fun, and will help you to better understand the living world around you.

BE RESPECTFUL: Respect yourself, your classmates, our classroom and supplies, our school, and our community. Part of respect is kindness. Be kind, so that we’re all comfortable sharing our ideas and working with one another. Disrespectful language, including but not limited to hate speech, insults, or derogatory comments will not be tolerated, and the consequences will be immediate and severe.
 * // Expectations: //**

BE RESPONSIBLE: Ultimately, you are responsible for your own learning in this class. This means being on time to class everyday, bringing your materials to class everyday, using safe practices everyday, and engaging in class activities everyday. Responsibility also means turning in completed assignments on time, and making up missed work due to absence in a timely manner. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to figure out what you missed, and how you can make up for it.

BE REFLECTIVE: Your goal in this class is to learn. Being reflective means thinking about what you have learned and what you still need to learn, and about what you know and understand as well as what you don’t know and what still confuses you. Being reflective also means exploring your own thought process, thinking about how you know what you know, and explaining why you reach the conclusions that you do. Finally, being reflective means asking yourself if what you are doing is helping you to learn, as well as what you could do differently to learn even more.

BE PROACTIVE: Again, the goal of this class is to learn. If you are confused, ask questions. If you need help, ask for it. If you have an answer, share it with the class even if you are uncertain if your answer is correct. If you have relevant experience, share that with the class too. The more you share, and the more proactive you are, the more I will be able to help you to succeed.

1. Arrive to class on time. Tardiness will result in detention and, if necessary, more serious disciplinary consequences.
 * // Class Rules and Policies: //**

2. Food, drink, and gum are not allowed in the classroom. Bottled water is acceptable except during lab work.

3. Cell phones, iPods, video games, and similar electronic devices are not allowed to be used during class without explicit permission from the teacher. If you bring these devices to school, leave them in your locker, or in your bag.

3. You must have the assigned homework with you each day when you arrive in class. You will receive no credit for work left elsewhere.

4. Environmental science class is for environmental science. Keep all work and books for other classes in your bag during class. Any such materials outside your bag may be confiscated by the teacher without warning unless prior arrangements are made with the teacher.

5. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. All parties involved in cheating or plagiarism will receive a ZERO on the relevant assignment. For example, if Jojo copies Judy’s homework assignment, both Jojo and Judy will receive a zero on that assignment.

6. The student is responsible for all class work and assignments given during that student’s absence for school or class. Write the name and phone numbers of three classmates you can call to check the homework assignment if you are absent:

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All school-wide policies, as written in the Student Handbook, still apply.


 * // Course Content and Themes: //**

//__ The nature and history of science: __// How do scientists use evidence in order to understand how the world works, how do we use patterns to make predictions about the future, and how has our understanding of the world changed over time?

//__ Cycles and systems: __// What is a system and how do systems interact, how do matter and energy move through and between systems, and how do these cycles of matter and energy impact living things?

//__ The interdependence of living and non-living on Earth: __// How do living and non-living things interact with and depend on one another, how are living things influenced by their environment, how is balance maintained in complex and ever-changing systems, and what happens if balance is not maintained?

//__ Ecosystem services, stability, and succession: __// What services does the environment provide to us, how do our actions impact the ability of the environment to provide these services, how and why do ecosystems change over long periods of time, and how is stability maintained in the short term?

//__ Responsibility and conservation: __// How do humans and other living things use natural resources, how do we obtain these resources, and how are these resources created or renewed in the environment? How can we use natural resources responsibly so that we can continue to use them in the future, and what do we do if and when we run out of a particular resource?

//__ The human factor, ethics, and technology: __// How do humans influence their environment, how do we determine what is right and wrong in terms of how we interact with the planet, why is it in our best interests to protect the living world, and how can technology help us to do so? What can we do to protect the environment, and why is it in our best interests to do so?

In addition to these class themes, the school year will be broken down into 10 major learning units as follows: = = =Fall 2010= 1. Scientific Inquiry in Environmental Science 2. Ecosystem services, threats to the environment, and environmental ethics 3. Biodiversity, species interactions, and conservation biology 4. Human populations 5. Cycles of matter and energy in the environment = = =Spring 2011= 6. Natural resources and resource management 7. Food, water, soil and agriculture 8. Fossil fuels, climate and renewable energy 9. Environmental policy and law 10. Sustainability and planning for the future

The grade book for this class will be split into three categories as follows:
 * // Grading: //**

Most quizzes Lab reports Papers Presentations Projects ||  Homework IN and OUT questions Certain quizzes Active participation in class activities Journaling assignments Big Ideas binder ||
 * || Formal assessments  ||  Homework / Class work  ||
 * Weight: ||  70%  ||  30%  ||
 * Includes: ||  Tests
 * Grades: ||  A, B, C, D, F  ||  Completion and effort  ||

Formal assessments will be graded in this class will be on an A, B, C, D, F scale.


 * If you get this grade… ||  …it means that you are:  ||
 * A || Master of the material! You can explain this stuff in detail to anyone, can ask intelligent questions that show just how much you understand, and can use your understanding to make sense of new situations. ||
 * B || Almost an expert. You can answer most questions about, and make connections between, many of the big ideas, but still have a few clarifying questions of your own. ||
 * C || Totally proficient. You’ve got all the basics, and are starting to understand the big ideas, but you still get a little lost in the details. ||
 * D || Almost there. You’re still confused about some of the big ideas, and are having difficulty seeing the connections between these, but it’s starting to make sense – you just need to fill in the missing pieces. ||
 * F || Not there yet. You’ve got a lot to learn still, and can’t see the big picture yet. You’ve got a lot of clarifying questions, and are still confused about many of the big ideas. ||

In the grade book, an A is equivalent to 95%, a B is 85%, a C is 75%, a D is 65%, and an F is 55%. Pluses (+) and minuses (-) will be used to add or subtract a few points from the above values, if necessary. For example, a B+ means roughly 87-88%.

Feel free to contact me anytime you have questions (this goes for students and parents). Email is usually the best way to contact me – I respond pretty quickly.
 * // Contact information: //**


 * Phone: (303) 823-6631, extension 5628 **


 * Email: holloway_samuel@stvrain.k12.co.us **