Syllabus

Environmental Science Syllabus

Virtual Environmental Syllabus

Hamilton High School

Course Overview: Environmental science is a multidisciplinary field that draws from all sciences, as well as, other fields to help us better understand the relationship between humans and the world in which we live. The focus is on conservation and protection of natural resources, communication and research. While learning about the environment, we will discover how life on Earth is interconnected by analyzing a variety of relationships between human actions and the environment. This class will hopefully educate and inspire self-awareness and action.

Materials: 3 ring binder (Preferably a 2 or 2-1/2 inch)

Loose leaf paper

Dividers for major units (5 or 6)

Writing utensil-everyday! and colored pencils

~Access to Google (Docs, Forms, Pages)

Textbook: Arms, Karen (2006). Environmental Science, Holt.

Assessments: Assessments: tests and quizzes=> 20%

Cumulative final and Environmental Awareness portfolio=> 15%

Classroom activities and Lab write-ups=> 25%

Projects => 20%

Article reviews and other homework assignments/daily work=> 20%

Daily work includes: participation, notes, contributing to the class discussion

Late Work: Will receive a 10% penalty if it is late. All work is due at the beginning of class or it is considered late. If not excused = 0.

Grading Scale: 100-95 A 75-74 C-

94-93A- 73-71 D+

92-91 B+ 70-66 D

90-86 B 65-63 D-

85-84 B- Below 62 F

83-82 C+

81-76 C

Absences: It is to the benefit of the student to be present and prepared for class. If a student is absent, it is his/her responsibility to find what was missed by 1. checking the board, 2. asking a peer, or 3. asking the teacher. It is the student’s responsibility to get notes or assignments from another student. School policy determines amount of time to makeup missed work. Missed labs must be made up by coming in before or after school or during the weekly advisement period. Unexcused absences will result in missed assignments not being able to be made up. School policy will determine action for tardiness.

Article reviews: These will be assigned a few times during the semester. Sources may be from the Internet, magazines or newspaper. Articles must be brought in and stapled together. Grammar and spelling will also be assessed. Follow the rubric form you were given and make sure you have the following.

Must haves in your Article Review Report:

1. What did you know about this article’s topic before you started reading?

• • Ideas could include previous class discussion, television/news references, etc 2. Write a short summary of the article.

  • This will be 5-7 sentences in length discussing the main topic of the article, any claims or developments made, background information, and pieces of evidence or support for the topic.

  • Vocabulary should be used and defined if necessary.

  • The summary write-up should include information from the entire article.

3. Describe how the article’s main topic connects to 2 of the 3 following topics: a) an environmental impact=consequence or benefit (impacts on ecosystems (biotic and abiotic)), not people, b) an ecosystem service=grouped into four broad categories: provisioning, such as the production of food and water; regulating, such as the control of climate and disease; supporting, such as nutrient cycles and crop pollination; and cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits, or c) an economic-impacts on people and nations (ex: money and jobs), or societal impact-impacts on people. (2 sentences)

4. Find and underline two “topic” words AND define them according to their usage within the article. These words do not need to be unknown to you, but maybe you cannot recite their scientific definition.

5. How does this topic relate to the overall importance of sustainability? (2 sentences)

• • How does the topic relate to the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance? Explain the relationships or connections among topic/s and results from the article to the overall arching theme of environmental science.

6. Discussion in class within smaller groups, and then as a larger class. Explain your article, do not read the story to the class, use your own words.

Hints: Do not use: contractions, vague words, abbreviations, slang, and #s 1-10=words

Examples of websites: cnn.com, msnbc.com, jsonline.com, www.fws.gov

Science department goal: Students will be able to effectively communicate analysis statements and prediction of trends in data represented through the use of visuals, graphs, and tables.

In this class, this goal is accomplished through:

-pre-test, intermediate and post-tests

-formative assessments during class regarding current topics

-student reflections of formative assessments are completed with a 1à5 scale

Schedule/Topics covered:

-Introduction to Environmental Science -Atmosphere

-Population -Hydrosphere

-Geosphere -Biosphere

Classroom Behavior:

• 1. Respect your peers’ right to learn.

  2. Respect your teacher’s right to teach and maintain the classroom.

  3. Respect yourself.

  4. Follow safety rules at all times.

  5. Never touch materials set-up on lab tables or teacher’s desk unless instructed to do so by the teacher.

  6. Do your own work.

  7. Cheating on an assignment/test = 0

There is a zero tolerance policy in the classroom with regards to abusive or offensive language and bullying.

Have Fun and a Positive Attitude!

*Disclaimer* A goal should be to think for yourself as you learn about complex issues and possible solutions and challenges we face. As a class, we will hear and read a variety of differing opinions, as well as, various points of view from articles, videos and peers. Many issues are highly controversial, so please participate, keep an open-mind and be respectful to each other’s right to voice ideas and opinions. I challenge you to draw your own conclusions, based on personal belief and knowledge gained during environmental science.