ES101G, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 4 CREDITS, SECTION M1
This course examines the interaction of humans and the environment, within the context of key ecological and evolutionary principles. Topics include conservation, ecotoxicology, agriculture, climate change, natural resource use, environmental ethics, environmental policy and sustainability.
Class: TR 11:20-12:25, CSA 308
Lab: M 1:10-4:00 (Section M1) or T 1:00-3:50 (Section M2) CSA 103
Professor: Dr. Kendra Cipollini
Email Address:
Professor Website: http://plato.wilmington.edu/faculty/kcipolli/default.htm
Office: CSA 118
Office Hours: M 9:15-10:15 & 11:30-1:00, T 8:45-9:35 & 10:45-11:15, R 8:45-9:35 & 10:45-11:15 and by appointment
Office Phone: 937-481-2367 (forwarded to cell phone)
Required Materials: Withgott, J, Laposata, M. 2015. Essential Environment: The Science behind the stories, 5th Edition. Pearson, Boston, MA.
Course Goals:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of basic ecological principles and major environmental issues relevant to humans around the world
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship of self to the biological and physical environment
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship of environmental science to other disciplines and its relevance to human affairs
4. Using library resources, demonstrate an understanding of current issues in the media relevant to environmental science
General Education Global Awareness Goals:
As a “G” course, with reference to Wilmington College’s mission, vision, core values, and queries, (and as appropriate to discipline and topic) students will gain a greater understanding of:
1. the perspectives of cultures other than their own;
2. global issues, especially as they relate to peace, social justice, and/or ecology;
3. and their roles as engaged members of an interconnected global community.
Critical Thinking Skill Development: This course is designated as a “T” course in the general education curriculum, meaning that it will focus on developing critical thinking skills in students and that 25% of the grade will be determined by assessment of these skills. Students will learn and develop critical thinking skills throughout the course. Students will engage in in-class active learning exercises and online homework assignments that encourage application of knowledge on course content in a new way. Students will critically assess articles on current events through creating a news journal.
Some Important Dates:
Wednesday, January 18 – Last day to add classes
Monday, March 27 – Last day to drop classes
Thursday, April 20 – News Journals Due
General Information:
Important course announcements will be made in class and posted on the Facebook course page (which can be forwarded to your email account) and/or sent to your WC email account. It is expected that you will check your emails at least once every 24 hours during the semester. The Higher Learning Commission requires that Wilmington College use the definition of a credit hour as “one hour of classroom instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week.” Therefore, you should plan on spending at least 8 hours per week on average outside of lecture and laboratory on material related to this class.
You absolutely must take an active role in your learning to be successful in this course. The professor will be available by appointment during office hours and other times, through email, by phone and through Facebook to answer any questions you have concerning assignments, course content and your progress. There is one guarantee for this course; if you start off with a true commitment to do well, question the professor at every opportunity, be prepared, plan ahead, meet deadlines, and study hard, you will pass this course with no trouble.
Electronic Resources:
Textbook webpage (http://wps.aw.com/bc_withgott_enviro_4_oa/178/45816/11728913.cw/index.html):
The textbook webpage contains information from each chapter, as well as supplementary study tools. This is a very good resource when trying to understand the reading of each chapter, as well as a helpful resource when studying for exams. You should read the relevant textbook chapter prior to coming to lecture and therefore come to lecture already having a good understanding of the lecture topic for the day. The associated Mastering Environmental Science webpage will be used to do online homework (www.masteringenvironmentalscience.com), which makes up 15% of your grade. Students must use a code purchased through the textbook company to access the online quizzing. To join the class (which ensures that the grades go to the proper gradebook), use the course code MESCIPOLLINI2017. Students are responsible for submitting the online quizzes by each due date.
Course webpage (http://plato.wilmington.edu/faculty/kcipolli/es1012017.htm):
Lecture notes will generally be posted on the course webpage prior to the relevant lecture. You should print out these notes prior to coming to class to use in your note-taking during lecture. These notes are not meant to replace your attendance in class, nor your note-taking during class. Many times there are important concepts covered in the lecture and lab that are not explicitly addressed in the notes and textbook; therefore it is important you take careful notes during lecture and lab. Lab information will be posted prior to each lab activity, while lab handouts will be provided to you during lab. You should read the laboratory information prior to coming to lab and therefore come to lab having a good understanding of the lab activity for the day.
Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/725348610894319/):
The purpose of this page is to facilitate communication between classmates and with your professor. Sign up for a Facebook account and join the group “WC Environmental Science.” Post any questions about the course or the material on the Facebook page, as chances are others in the class might have a question as well. Additionally, the professor will post important announcements on the Facebook group page. Set your notifications for the group to “Yes” to receive notifications. It is also suggested that you check the box under “Notifications” > “Settings” to receive an email notification as well to be alerted when someone posts to the Facebook group page.
Grading System:
Grades will be based on:
3 exams, 100 points each 300
Final comprehensive exam 150
Human ecology journal 150
Lab attendance and participation 100
Learning exercises and other assignments 150
Online quizzes 150
Total Possible Points: 1000
Points earned will be added and grades will be assigned based on the scale below. Do not expect any "curving" of grades in this course. From the Wilmington College Faculty Handbook: “It is the policy of Wilmington College to strive to fairness in grading and avoid grade inflation. Faculty are encouraged to regard ‘C-‘ as a satisfactory grade, which means the student is meeting College standards, and will treat it as such in talking with students. The grade of ‘A’ on the other hand, should mean outstanding achievement, with a grade of ‘B’ in between. The grade ‘D’ represents minimally acceptable achievement, and the grade ‘F’ indicates failure.”
Letter grade and points Meaning of grade (from WC Handbook)
A = 920-1000, A- = 900-919 Range of outstanding achievement
B+ = 870-899, B = 820-869, B- = 800-819 Range of good achievement
C+ = 770-799, C = 720-769, C- = 700-719 Range of average achievement
D+ = 670-699, D = 600-669 Range of below average achievement
F = < 600 Inadequate achievement
Exams and Assignments:
Exams will be a mixture of multiple choice, matching, short answer and essay. Since learning science is a cumulative endeavor, exams will test on cumulative information. However, exams will mostly focus on material learned in lecture and lab since the last exam. The final exam will be comprehensive and test on all material learned in the course. Homework and quiz questions are to be completed throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to keep track of assignment due dates and ensure that your homework is submitted on time. Be certain to leave yourself extra time in case of computer or other unavoidable problems; try not to wait until a few hours before the due date to complete computer assignments.
If you miss an exam, you will receive a zero on the exam; there will be no make-ups. If extreme and unavoidable circumstances occur that make you miss an exam, you must contact the professor prior to the exam by first calling the professor’s phone number and then also emailing the professor. You must have documented proof of these unusual circumstances. Similarly, no late assignments will be accepted except under documented extraordinary circumstances.
Electronic assignments submitted via email or disk will not be accepted unless otherwise indicated by the professor. All multi-page assignments must be stapled when turned in; an assignment is not considered complete until it is properly stapled and will not be accepted by the professor unstapled.
News Journal: Your individual assignment is to compile a notebook of 12 current (2015-2017) newspaper or magazine articles pertaining to any ecological topic. Each article must be full length (at least 1,500 words) and must be accompanied by a commentary including what you thought about the article, how the article connects to course content and how you think the article impacts our world today. More details on this assignment are forthcoming.
Attendance/Absence/Behavior Policy:
Attendance at the entire lab period is mandatory. You may miss only one lab period or portion thereof in the entire semester without penalty. For each lab (or portion thereof) that you miss after one absence, 15 points will be deducted, regardless of the excuse. If you miss a lab where a presentation and/or an assignment is due, you will receive a zero for the presentation and/or assignment, unless you make arrangements to turn in the assignment with the professor prior to your absence.
Students are expected to actively participate in laboratory and lecture activities and will be graded on their level of participation and preparation for each class. Students are expected to exhibit appropriate classroom etiquette, including, but not limited to, listening attentively when the professor or another student is speaking, raising your hand before speaking, arriving to class on time and turning off cell phones. In addition, students are expected to clean their laboratory area and return laboratory materials to the appropriate location prior to leaving lab. Points will be deducted for inadequate participation or improper classroom etiquette.
Attendance at lectures is strongly encouraged, but attendance will not be taken. There will be learning activities and quizzes in class. If you miss a class in which these unannounced activities are administered without a documented valid excuse (see below), you will not be able to make up the points and will receive a zero. Students are responsible for getting information from other students or from the professor on what material they have missed from a lecture or laboratory, whether the absence is excused or unexcused. See the current Student Handbook for the college’s attendance policy especially as it pertains to excused absences.
There are only a total of three excused absences in lecture (see above policy for lab) that can occur in the semester without penalty. All excused absences must be documented. The College accepts these four categories of excused absences:
1) Activities in which the student serves as an official representative of the College (e.g., musical performances, athletic contests, field trips)
2) Personal illness, with documentation by the College nurse or a physician
3) Family or personal emergencies
4) When severe weather makes travel to campus dangerous
Field Trips:
Please dress appropriately for field trips (shoes for hiking, appropriate clothing, hat, etc.). Sunscreen and water are recommended on hot days. Field trips will only be cancelled in the event of extreme weather conditions; we will go out in rain and unpleasant weather. Please arrive at lab at least 5 minutes before, as we will be leaving promptly. If you miss the van, it will count as an absence from the lab. Every effort will be made to return by the end of the lab period, within the constraints of traffic, weather, etc. It is highly recommended that you avoid scheduling anything on your lab day immediately after class in case of unavoidable lateness.
Please note that due to the distance, the field trip to the Cincinnati Zoo will depart at 12:00 and return as late as 5:30. If you have a conflict, it is advised that you use the Cincinnati Zoo field trip as your one excused lab absence. Please discuss your conflict for this trip with your professor as soon as possible.
Cell Phone Policy:
Cell phones are to be turned off during both lecture and laboratory, including driving time on field trips. Cell phones should remain in a student’s pocket or bag during the entire class. If a cell phone goes off, the class will get a warning. The second time, the entire class will get a pop quiz. Please be courteous and turn cell phones off. If there is a genuine reason you need to receive a call (e.g., awaiting an important call from a family member) let the professor know at the beginning of class.
Academic Integrity Policy:
See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges. Students are expected to understand and adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy in the Student Handbook and will be reported to The Office of Academic Affairs if a violation occurs. All work in this course should be independent unless specifically stated otherwise. Many times laboratory projects will be group projects and group members share responsibility for such tasks as gathering data and giving presentations; however, any work that is turned in, such as laboratory reports or handouts, should be independently generated. Even though you may share information such as data with your lab partner, your written assignments should be done independently. Do not share laboratory reports or written information to avoid plagiarism. If it is your first academic integrity offense at the College, you will receive a zero on the relevant assignment(s). If it is your second academic integrity offense at the College, you will receive an F in the entire course.
Students with Disabilities:
Americans with Disabilities Act: If you have a documented disability that requires accommodation, contact the Academic Services Director (LeighAnn M. Oettinger, 107 Robinson Communications Center, (937) 481-2444, ). Please do so within the first week of class so that your needs may be appropriately met.