Syllabus for Environmental Science

Instructor Info Name: Elli Pauli Cell phone #: 240-505-6996 Email: Epauli@gwmail.gwu.edu Please use this e-mail address not my CCBC one Course Webpage: On Blackboard Office hours: By appointment e-mail or call to let me know you want to talk and I am at your service Course Objective: What are we going to discuss in this class??? The environmental issues current society is facing: types of environmental problems, their origin, effect, and possible remedies

How are we going to approach each topic??? For each environmental issue, we are going to address the following: What role does nature play and what role do humans play? How is humanity affected? What can we do or stop doing to minimize negative impacts? Look at real life examples by means of Case Studies

What do I want you to take with you when the class is over??? An understanding that the things we discuss in this class will follow you for the rest of your life as well as that of your children and grandchildren i.e. They Matter An appreciation for the miraculous ways in which this world operates BOTH the tools and the aspiration to leave this world a better place than when you entered it and the desire to teach others to do the same

Course Reference Material Environment: The Science Behind the Stories: Withgott and Brennan; 3rd Edition Introduction to Environmental Geology: Edward Keller; 4th Edition

Grading for the course: Quizzes are worth 50% of the course Final is worth 30% of the course Scrapbook is worth 20% of the course

Excuses and Make-Ups Late quizzes are only acceptable under very exceptional circumstances. You need official proof for an emergency (medical excuse, death in family etc.) in order for a late quiz to be accepted. Special Needs If you have a disability or personal circumstance that might require any special arrangements for success in the course, please talk with me at the beginning of the course, and I will accommodate you in any way I can. Attendance While as adults, you all are free to come and go as you please, I think it only fair that I make you aware of the fact that in addition to material from the textbook, significant material that is not covered in much detail in the textbook will be presented in class. Quizzes will cover information discussed in class, whether its in your textbook or not. In addition, please be aware that you will only be alloThurs to work with a partner on the assigned quizzes if you maintain regular attendance. As such, it is in your best interest to attend class as frequently as possible. Extra Credit 1. I do NOT offer extra credit in the form of papers or presentationsso dont ask 2. Extra credit can ONLY be obtained in 1 way: - I offer a lot of extra credit for participating in mass mailings, protests, awareness programs and fundraisers of reputable environmental protection organizations.

Blackboard

Blackboard is a wonderful tool that allows you to have access to the information I go over in class without giving yourself hand cramps. I put up the information on blackboard so that you can print it out ahead of time, come to class and listen as well as participate in class discussion instead of furiously trying to write down everything I say It is NOT meant to be a substitute for you showing up to class Class syllabus is in the file titled syllabus All lecture notes will be kept in the file called lectures Any news articles I discuss in class will be in a file called News articles

Scrapbook Throughout the semester, you will be required to keep an ongoing scrapbook that contains articles and clippings about current events that depict the environmental issues we are discussing. THE EVENTS MUST BE NO OLDER THAN 1 YR AGO. You must find 2 articles about each topic: One in which the issue is posing a huge problem, due to under regulation, poor conservation practices, over consumption, or inadequate preparation etc One in which an environmental disaster was or will be averted due to adequate preparation, or the implementation of one or more green solutions FYI: Damage control for a disaster that already occurred does not qualify

For each article, you must have: A. A bibliography entry showing me the articles title, date, and source B. The link where I can find the article (if online) or a copy of the article if not accessible online C. A 3 point bullet summary describing the following points I. II. III. What happened and WHY??? What was the outcome??? Why was the outcome what it was??

Scrapbooks are to be done electronically in order to save paper and e-mailed to me at the end of the semester. Scrapbooks should be organized, have a table of contents, and pages

appropriately labeled so I can easily identify which topic is being discussed and which article is which within each topic. EACH PERSON MUST DO THEIR OWN NO SHARING. Creativity is encouraged

The topics for which you must have 2 articles each are listed below (Total = 28 articles): 1. Environmental impacts on the biosphere 2. Volcanic Activity 3. Slope processes 4. Soil Processes 5. Earthquakes 6. Coastal Processes 7. Rivers and Flooding 8. Groundwater depletion 9. Water pollution 10. Air pollution 11. Climate Change 12. Mineral and Rock Resources 13. Waste management 14. Current and alternative Energy Resources

Quizzes

1. Quizzes on the topics discussed each week will be posted on blackboard on the date they are discussed and are due 1 week after they are posted. The table at the end of this syllabus lists the dates the quizzes will be posted and the dates they are due. It is your responsibility to locate and do the quiz in the time provided. In order to save paper, with the quiz there will be a separate answer sheet that you need to print off, fill out, and turn in. You DO NOT need to turn in the questions part of the quiz only the answer sheet. Its your decision whether or not you want to print off the quiz, or work it from your computers. 2. You will be assigned a partner with whom you can work with on each quiz. a. You many ONLY collaborate with your partner. You are NOT permitted to discuss the quiz with anyone else other than your assigned partner. b. Should any cross consultations be detected, all parties involved will be given a zero on the quiz and possibly brought up on charges of academic integrity c. Because much of the quiz material comes from the lectures and not the book, the privilege of working in groups is ONLY extended to those who regularly attend class and are therefore able to contribute to the group effort. If anyone is consistently absent and/or I get word that a person in the group is not pulling their own weight, that person will be removed from the group and will have to complete any future quizzes on their own: i.e. They will not be permitted to discuss the quiz with ANYONE d. I encourage you to please let me know any problems with the group dynamics as early as possible. If you are uncomfortable with your partner, feel like he/she is not doing their part of cant work with your schedule, or theres just bad vibes please let me know and we will do some swapping as needed.

3. You will turn in ONLY one answer sheet per quiz for both you and your partner(s)

4. You are permitted to use the internet, previous labs, the library and any other written external resource that you choose.

5. Any information discussed in class whether it is in your book or not is fair game 6. With the quiz, each person will need to turn in a bibliography of the articles for your scrapbook on that weeks topics. Final At the end of the course, you will have to take an in class, cumulative final on the day specified by the University. Final will be matching, true false, and multiple choice. The final will be taken INDIVIDUALLY not in groups. Date to be announced

Lets Get Started Tues Aug 3 Introduction to Environmental Geology Thurs Sept 2 Welcome to planet Earth Tues Sept 7 Science basics and introduction to topography Thurs Sept 9 NO CLASS Im out Biosphere Tues Sept 14 Biosphere our place in the world around us Lithosphere Thurs Sept 16 Minerals Tues Sept 21 Igneous Rocks Thurs Sept 23 NO CLASS Im out Tues Sept 28 Volcanoes Thurs Sept 30 NO CLASS Im out Tues Oct 5 Mass Wasting Thurs Oct 7 - Sedimentary Rocks Tues Oct 12 Soil Thurs Oct 14 Plate tectonics and Metamorphic Rocks Tues Oct 19 Earthquake and volcano case study Thurs Oct 21 Earthquakes Tues Oct 26 Tsunami Case Study part 1 Thurs Oct 28 Tsunami Case Study part 2

Hydrosphere Tues Nov 2 Rivers and Flooding Thurs Nov 4 Coastal Processes Tues Nov 9 Water as a Resource Thurs Nov 11 Hurricane Katrina Case Study Tues Nov 16 Water Pollution Atmosphere Thurs Nov 18 Air pollution Tues Nov 23 and Thurs Nov 25 NO CLASS - Thanksgiving Tues Nov 30 Ozone depletion and Climate Change Earths Resources Thurs - Dec 2 Mineral and Rock Resources Tues Dec 7 - Waste Management Thurs Dec 9 Current Energy Resources Tues Dec 14 - Alternative energy resources

Thurs Dec 16 Final Exam???

QUIZ Schedule Date Tues, Sept 14 Tues, Sept 21 Tues, Sept 28 Tues, Oct 5 Tues, Oct 12 Thurs, Oct 14 Tues, Oct 19 Thurs, Oct 21 Tues, Oct 25 Thurs, Oct 28 Tues, Nov 2 Thurs, Nov 4 Tues, Nov 9 Thurs, Nov 11 Tues, Nov 16 Thurs, Nov 18 Tues, Nov 23 Thurs, Nov 24 Tues, Nov 30 Thurs, Dec 2 Tues, Dec 7 Thurs, Dec 9 Tues, Dec 14 Quiz Posted Biodiversity Volcanoes Mass Wasting Soil Quiz Plate Tectonics Earthquakes Flooding Quiz Coastal Processes Groundwater Water Pollution Quiz Air Pollution and Ozone depletion Climate Change Mineral/Rock Resources Waste Management Quiz Due Biodiversity Volcanoes Mass Wasting Soil Quiz Plate Tectonics Earthquakes Flooding Quiz Coastal Processes Groundwater

Water Pollution Quiz Air Pollution and Ozone Depletion Climate Change Mineral/Rock Resources Waste Management