ENST 105 Environmental Science

This course involves the study of ecosystem and community ecology, population dynamics, climate, biomes, species diversity and natural selection, species interactions, agriculture, toxicology, air and water pollution, and energy resources. This course is designed for non-science majors and science majors alike, and introduces students to the basics of scientific inquiry and basic chemistry. For Environmental Science Laboratory, see ENST 115.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

ENGL 096 or ENGL 086

Hours Weekly

3

Course Objectives

1. Communicate biological and ecological concepts using appropriate vocabulary, symbols, and notation.
2. Analyze and evaluate solutions to problems such as human population growth, changes in agriculture, waste management, and climate change.
3. Apply quantitative and scientific reasoning methods to solve problems involving population dynamics and evaluate the reasonableness of the solutions.
4. Describe the movement of energy, nutrients, and toxins through an ecosystem.
5. Describe the factors that influence the climate and geographic distribution of life in a biome.
   
6. Describe the sources and effects of pollutants in the air, water, and food that humans are exposed to.
7. Describe conventional and sustainable sources of energy production.
8. Compare different ethical perspectives in order to identify and defend one's own core belief as it applies to an environmental or global issue.

Course Objectives

1. Communicate biological and ecological concepts using appropriate vocabulary, symbols, and notation.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Exam questions

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Scientific Reasoning Rubric

   Scientific Reasoning

   • SR1
2. Analyze and evaluate solutions to problems such as human population growth, changes in agriculture, waste management, and climate change.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Canvas Quiz

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Scientific Reasoning Rubric

   Scientific Reasoning

   • SR3
3. Apply quantitative and scientific reasoning methods to solve problems involving population dynamics and evaluate the reasonableness of the solutions.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Exam questions

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Scientific Reasoning Rubric

   Scientific Reasoning

   • SR2
4. Describe the movement of energy, nutrients, and toxins through an ecosystem.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

5. Describe the factors that influence the climate and geographic distribution of life in a biome.
   

   This objective is a course Goal Only

6. Describe the sources and effects of pollutants in the air, water, and food that humans are exposed to.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

7. Describe conventional and sustainable sources of energy production.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

8. Compare different ethical perspectives in order to identify and defend one's own core belief as it applies to an environmental or global issue.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Presentation

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Ethics Rubric

   Ethics Goals

   • ET1
   • ET2
   • ET3