AGR 203 – Agriculture and the Environment
On-Line Course Summer 2011
Instructor: Dr. Aslıhan D. Spaulding
Office: 132 Ropp Agriculture Building
Department of Agriculture
Phone: (309) 438-8091
E-mail:
COMMUNICATION
Communication about this course can only be through BlackBoard e-mail.
OFFICE HOURS
Online responses in BlackBoard (BB) within 24-48 hours of submission ofquestion or concern. Typical online instructor availability is Monday –Thursday between the hours of 9:00AM and 1:00PM. No office hours Friday–Sunday. If you want an immediate response to something please get it to me during normal office hours.
COURSE DATES
May 16-June 24, 2011 (6-weeks)
Location:
Online at or via I-campus.
SCHEDULE
Most course assignments are posted for 24hrs, typically on Monday or Wednesday, but this can vary so it is IMPERATIVE that you use a calendar to keep track of the dates of all the exams and quizzes in this course. (See tentative course schedule for dates of exams and assignments)
This is not an independent course, there are set times for all class assignments and exams.
REQUIREMENTS
This course will use BlackBoard (BB) as a course management tool for exams and other class activities or assignments. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the course site and periodically check any announcements posted for student view. Students will be able to gain access to grades, power point slides, and other class materials via BB. It is important that you gain access the first day of the semester so that work can begin when assigned.
PREREQUISITES
None.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The focus of the course is the role of both individuals and groups in the production and distribution of food and fiber and the impact of agriculture on the environment. Students will have the opportunity to examine contemporary environmental issues that are linked to current and past agricultural practices. The course will provide students with an opportunity to understand the general principles by which the dynamics of social, demographic, political, economic and geographic forces affect the production and distribution of food and fiber and the resulting impact upon the quality of human life for the individual and society.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The objective of this course is to provide you with an understanding of relationships between agriculture and environment. The decision making process of the consumers, producers, government, and their interactions will be discovered in this class.
At the end of the semester, you will be able to:
1.Explain relationship between agricultural practices and environmental quality;
2.Understand how individual decisions impact environment.
3.Understand the role and importance of agriculture in the broader economy;
4.Explain relationships between population and food.
GRADING
Activity / PointsExam 1 / 100
Exam 2 / 100
Exam 3 / 100
Exam 4 / 100
Exam 5 / 100
Exam 6 / 100
Assignments / 200
TOTAL / 800
The following cumulative point totals will assure the corresponding final grade:
GRADE ≥ 720 / 90% / A720 ≤ GRADE < 640 / 80% / B
640 ≤ GRADE < 560 / 70% / C
560 ≤ GRADE ≤480 / 60% / D
480 / <60% / F
ASSIGNMENTS
ASSIGNMENT / Due Date / POINTSInformation blog / 10am, May 18 / 10
Syllabus Quiz / 10 am, May 17 / 5
What’s Agriculture Quiz / 10 am, May 17 / 10
Top 5 Commodities Quiz / 10 am, May 17 / 10
Matching Quiz / 10 am, May 18 / 10
Country Project List Due / 10 am, May 18 / 5
EPA Quiz / 10 am, May 24 / 10
11th Hour Video / 10 am, May 25 / 20
News Article 1 / 2ndWeek (May 23-26) / 20
Ecological Footprint 1 / 10 am, May 31 / 10
News Article 2 / 3rd Week(May 30-June 2) / 20
Ecological Footprint 2 / 10 am, June 7 / 20
Biotechnology blog / 4th Week (June 6-9) / 10
News Article 3 / 4thWeek (June 6-9) / 20
Country Project Report / 10am, June 20 / 20
TOTAL / 200
BLACKBOARD ACCESS
Two steps must occur before you are able to access BB and AGR203:
1.The instructor must have a course roster to identify course participants.
2.The instructor must provide individual access to AGR 203 through BB.
After the instructors allow access to AGR 203 through BB, you are able to access the course.
You can access to BB at or at
HARDWARE – SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
Power Point, MS Word, Excel, Acrobat Reader (PDF Files)
High Speed DSL Connection is highly recommended.
TEXTBOOK
None. We will use articles available in PDF and html format.
VIEWING POWER POINT SLIDES
I recommend using Mozilla FireFox, instead of Internet Explorer to view the course website.
You will not be able to view the power point information or the class notes if you have pop up blocker engaged on your computer. You will need to dis-engage pop up blockers in order to view the course materials. Be sure to click on the yellow tool bar that appears in the window and highlight download file in the drop down menu. Then go back into the power point and you should be able to open it up! Also, if there is an outage on campus you will most likely not be able to gain access to the class power point information. Please monitor this through I-campus so you can be aware of any possible outages.
Viewing Speaker Notes
We may have speaker notes within the power point slides, to view these notes, either open the file in power point or do the following:
When in power point presentation, right click on the presentation and go to full screen view.
From full screen view, right click on screen then go to speaker notes. A pop up box will open and you will be able to view my notes about the slide you are viewing.
NOT EVERY SLIDES HAS NOTES so the box may come up empty!
This will be helpful in filling in missing information on the course notes!
Student ResponsibilitiesIt is your responsibility to access this course and attempt the exams and the assignments during the assigned days and times. Each exam is timed. Once you begin the test you have to finish and submit it within the time limit.
EXAMS
There will be six major exams. The exams will be designed to test the student’s understanding of material presented in handouts, assigned readings, and homework. Each exam will be worth 100 points.
All exams will be administered through BB. It is you responsibility to gain access to the exams on the assigned exam days.
Points from answers submitted after the time limit will be deducted from the exam score. Please pay attention to time limits in online quizzes and exams.
Assignments:
There are number of assignments from each unit. It is your responsibility to access and attempt them on the assigned dates. NO EXTRA TIME OR MAKE-UP ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE GIVEN. All assignments submitted for evaluation should be typewritten, with spelling and grammar checked, and well presented.
All material submitted for evaluation must be typewritten, spelling and grammar checked, and well presented.
READINGS
Students are responsible for reading articles assigned by the instructor. Additional readings may be provided by the instructor.
POWER POINT SLIDES
It is your responsibility to access the unit power points and class notes within BB. Becoming an active learner with the computer, the power points, and the articles is important to consider when taking this online course.
PARTICIPATION
Student’s on-line participation is expected in this course. That participation involves your ability to access the course information, and complete exams and assignments on the assigned days and times. There are no makeup exams or homework allowed and you are responsible for completing all the work when assigned.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Students are expected to be honest in all academic work, consistent with the academic integrity policy as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. All work is to be appropriately cited when it is borrowed, directly or indirectly, from another source.Students found to inadvertently commit acts of dishonesty will receiveappropriate penalties specific to the assignment in question. Students found to commit intentional acts of dishonesty will receive a failing grade in the course and will be referred for appropriate disciplinary action through Student Dispute Resolution Services (SDRS).
STUDENT ACCOMMODATIONS
Any student in need of special accommodations for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall should contact (309) 438-5853 (voice), (309) 438-8620 (TDD).
INDIVIDUAL EXTRA CREDIT
Not available.
CHANGES IN THE SYLLABUS
There are times when changes to the syllabus are unavoidable. I reserve the right to make changes to the planned class schedule, exam schedule, the grading scale, or class requirements, if necessary. You, as a student, are responsible for being aware of changes made during the semester.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
WEEK / Date / Topic / Reading / Video Assignments / Course Materials / Assignments1 / M / 16-May / What's Agriculture
US and World Agriculture / What is Agriculture
US and World Agriculture / Definition of Agriculture, Top 5 ag commodities of IL, and Syllabus Quiz
(all due at 10 a.m. on May 17)
Matching Quiz and Information Blog
(both due at 10 a.m. on May 18)
T / 17-May / Agriculture's Impact on Environment / Agriculture and the Environment:
Changing Pressures, Solutions and
Trade-offs (article and study guide) / Agriculture and the Environment: Changing Pressures
W / 18-May / Country Project List due 10am
TH / 19-May / EXAM 1 / TIME RESTRICTED / Available for 27 hours beginning at 9 am
2 / M / 23-May / Global Warming / Climate Change 1
Climate Change 2 / EPA Quiz - (due at 10 a.m. on May 24)
11th Hour Assignment - (due 10am on May 25)
News Article Assignment 1 - (due by 10am May 26)
T / 24-May / Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture / Climate Change and Agriculture:
Physical and Human Dimensions (article and study guide)
W / 25-May
TH / 26-May / EXAM 2 / TIME RESTRICTED / Available for 27 hours beginning at 9 am
3 / M / 30-May / World Population, Hunger, and Agriculture / Population and Consumption / World Agriculture and Population
Pregnancy and Child Birth / Ecological Footprint Quiz - Part 1
(due at 10 a.m. May 31)
News Article Assignment 2 - (due by 10am June 2)
T / 31-May / Malthus/IPAT/Green Revolution / Green Revolution: Curse or Blessing? / Green Revolution / Study Guide for Green Revolution: Curse or Blessing?
W / 1-June
TH / 2-June / EXAM 3 / TIME RESTRICTED / Available for 27 hours beginning at 9 am
4 / M / 6-June / Biotechnology / Biotech-FAO
Biotech-Consumers / Biotechnology& Agriculture
Biotechnology-Friend or Foe?
Biotechnology Videos / Ecological Footprint Quiz – Part 2
(due at 10 a.m. June 7)
Biotechnology Blog & News Article Assignment 3
(both due by 10am June 9)
T / 7-June / Renewable Energy / Renewable Energy Overview
W / 8-June
TH / 9-June / EXAM 4 / TIME RESTRICTED / Available for 27 hours beginning at 9 am
5 / M / 13-June / Soil Erosion / Soil Erosion
U.S. Conservation Policy / Soil Erosion
Soil-Most Valuable Resource
T / 14-June / Conservation Programs / NRCS Programs
Selected Conservation Choices
W / 15-June / Farm Bill / Farm Bill 2007
TH / 16-June / EXAM 5 / TIME RESTRICTED / Available for 27 hours beginning at 9 am
6 / M / 20-June / IPM / US vs EU (2 articles) / IPM / Country Project Report
(due 10 am June 20)
T / 21-June / Odor Management
Manure Storage / CAFO’s
W / 22-June
TH / 23-June / EXAM 6 / TIME RESTRICTED / Available for 27 hours beginning at 9 am