INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (ESRM 2)

 

Instructor:  Steve Palladino                                                                                                   Term:                                                 Fall 2008

Office: SCI 123                                                                                                                          Time:                                MW 12:30-1:50pm               

Office Hours:  MW 2:00-3:00, 6:00-7:00, F 12:30-1:30                                                         Room:                                                   SCI 116

Office Phone: 654-6400 x1365                                                                                             Class #:                                                      72614

Email: spalladino@vcccd.edu                                                                                                Final:                  Friday, Dec. 12, 12:30-2:30

ESRM 2 Web site:  http://academic.venturacollege.edu/spalladino/geosci/ESRM                                                                                

 

Grade Break Down:                                                                                                           

1)     4 sets of journals entries @ 4%                 16%    (One set due with each section test)                                                                   

2)     4 Section Tests @ 21% each                      84%    (drop lowest combination of section test and its journal entries)

3)     Topic Report                                                 25%    (If have at least a B average on the first 3 tests, you can skip the report)

 

Course Description:

We will explore the physical, chemical and geoscience topics related to various types of pollution and other forms of environmental degradation, utilization of energy resources, global warming, ozone depletion, and waste management. We’ll discuss how this affects humans and the technological, scientific, and societal ramifications of our footprint on the planet.

 

Required Course Materials:  (available in the Ventura College bookstore)

Text and Atlas:             Environmental Science, 10th Ed., Richard Wright, Pearson/Prentice Hall Publishers.

Study Guides:        Available on web site (or as hardcopy)

Scantrons:  4 regular 100 question forms (for section tests) [Form #882]

 

Optional Course Materials:

Readings may be assigned throughout the semester. If they are not on-line they will be provided.

 

Other ESRM courses/certificate:

ESRM 2 is a sibling course to ESRM 1 (BIOL 10): Introduction to Environmental Issues & ESRM 3 (POLS 12): Introduction to Environmental Policy & Natural Resource Management. Taken in any order, these three courses make up the core of our revised Environmental Studies Certificate (see 2007-2008 course catalog). A related course is ESRM 14 (AG 54): Conservation of Natural Resources which covers many of the same topics as the three core courses, but with a more applied focus with emphasis on the resources: soil, air, water, forests, minerals, rangeland. ESRM 14 also is part of the certificate and all four courses will be part of a new AA in ESRM which is under development (will be in place in 1-2 years.)

 

Course Assignments:

Journal Entries:  Also, about once a week you will be given a Journal Entry question which you should answer with a couple paragraphs. These questions can be hand written or typed and should be turned in when you take the section test.

 

Section Test: These will be a combination of multiple choice, true/false, matching, and definitions. Questions for the section test will be derived from the topics identified on the study guide. As you read and sit in lecture you should fill in the study guide for that section (when it is ready.) The lowest grade from your section tests (and journal entries) will be dropped.

 

Participation: Despite lots of information to explore, I will try to make this an interactive course. Please keep up with the readings so we can have meaningful/informed discussions. Please come to class and on time. I reserve the right to drop anyone who misses more than 9 hours of class (for ANY reason). For students on the border of a grade, I will add up to 1% for excellent attendance.

 

Environmental Science Topic Report: In this 5-7 page report you will pick a very specific topic and use the web, print resources, personal contacts, and other research methods to become a “mini-expert” on the topic. Topics need to be sufficiently narrow, that they cover material not in our text book. You will need to cite references and can only use the textbook as a guide to your topic. An alternative is to make a 5 minute Power Point presentation 4-8 slides or a web site (3+ substantive pages) and include a 2 page summary of your findings (and a page of references) for either of these options. Other report ideas may also be acceptable. More on this later! If you have a B average on the first 3 tests, you may skip the report.

 

Example Student Learning Outcome: