I. General Information
1. Course Title:
HONORS: Earth Science and the Environment
2. Course Prefix & Number:
ESCI 1455
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 4
Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 2
Internship Hours: 0
4. Course Description:
This course is a survey of the scientific underpinnings of contemporary environmental issues on the global, continental, and regional scales. For the geoscience disciplines of geology, meteorology, climatology, and oceanography, it is an introductory course. But is also a course on the practical applications of these sciences for inquiry into the human impact on Earth's concentric spheres. Students enrolled in this honors course will be required to read additional scientific literature, participate in team projects, and complete a capstone project. Activities may include (original) research, inquiry based investigation(s), collaboration, or other project types that the instructor deems worthy of the Honors’ designation. At least one extended field trip may be required.
5. Placement Tests Required:
6. Prerequisite Courses:
ESCI 1455 - HONORS: Earth Science and the Environment
There are no prerequisites for this course.
7. Other Prerequisites
Students must be accepted into the honors program prior to registration.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
ESCI 1455 - HONORS: Earth Science and the Environment
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
|
Name of Institution |
Course Number and Title |
Credits |
|
Century College |
ESCI 1025 - Interdisciplinary Physical and Environmental Science |
4 |
|
Metropolitan State University |
GEOL 110 - Introduction to Earth Sciences |
4 |
III. Course Purpose
MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
- Goal 3 – Natural Sciences
- Goal 10 – People and the Environment
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Assess alternative solutions to a problem |
In this course students will learn about many environmental problems, and the spectrum of possible solutions. They will do this through assigned readings , their own library research, projects in which they will present their findings to the class, and inquiry-based activities in lab and in lecture. |
| Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments |
An inquiry into environmental issues is by nature an inquiry into the impact of those issues on other societies. In this course, students will investigate this relationship from the qualitative and quantitative view, to not only describe how cultures are affected by environmental problems, and how they respond, but also to measure the impact, and how the effects of possible responses are quantifiable. To this end students will do inquiry based assignments, self-study, readings and response papers, and group assignments. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
|
Expected Outcome
|
MnTC
Goal Area
|
|
Demonstrate understanding of scientific theories as pertaining to geology, meteorology, and oceanography.
|
3
|
|
Formulate and test hypotheses in laboratory models of actual earth systems, or perform experiments involving collection of field data, laboratory processing of samples, and graphical/statistical analysis of resulting data.
|
3
|
|
Submit a weekly written summary of their experimental results in laboratory.
|
3
|
|
Evaluate environmental issues and their impact on society from an earth science perspective.
|
3
|
|
Explain the basic structure and function of the earth systems, how humans use those earth systems, and the human impact on these systems.
|
10
|
|
Recognize the role natural resources, environment, and climate play in shaping society and culture.
|
10
|
|
Describe the basic institutional arrangements (social, legal, political, economic, religious) that are evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges.
|
10
|
|
Critically evaluate environmental issues from a scientifically informed perspective. Distinguish good from bad environmental policy according to the theoretical underpinnings of the science in question.
|
10
|
|
Propose informed solutions to environmental problems.
|
10
|
|
Defend their positions on environmental issues.
|
10
|
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
- The Integrated Earth System, Earth History and Rates of Change.
- Geologic Resources.
- Plate Tectonics
- Mountains and Mountain Building Processes.
- Weathering, Soil, Erosion and Historic Landslides.
- Streams, Wetlands, Their Use and Management.
- Water Resources and Water Use Issues.
- The Fragility of Deserts.
- Ocean Coastal Zones.
- Ocean Resource Depletion.
- The Atmosphere, Air Pollution, and The Ozone.
- Storms.
- Global Atmospheric Processes.
- Climate and Climate Change: Desertification
- Sea Level Rise, Melting Glaciers.
- Earth History and Climate Change
2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions
- Geologic Specimens
- The Economic Minerals
- Reading Tectonic Processes in Earth’s Surface
- Mapping Geologic Structures
- Case Study: The Madison River Landslide, Montana
- A Field Trip to a Local Wetland
- Modeling Aquifers
- The Desert Resources of the Southwestern United States
- Coastal Management Issues
- Responsible Management of Ocean Fisheries
- Case Study: The Ozone Hole
- Global Warming and Hurricane Intensity
- Meteorological Measurements
- Case Study: The African Sahel
- Case Study: Sea Level Rise and the Maldives
- An Alternative Theory of Global Warming
I. General Information
1. Course Title:
HONORS: Earth Science and the Environment
2. Course Prefix & Number:
ESCI 1455
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 4
Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 2
Internship Hours: 0
4. Course Description:
This course is a survey of the scientific underpinnings of contemporary environmental issues on the global, continental, and regional scales. For the geoscience disciplines of geology, meteorology, climatology, and oceanography, it is an introductory course. But is also a course on the practical applications of these sciences for inquiry into the human impact on Earth's concentric spheres. Students enrolled in this honors course will be required to read additional scientific literature, participate in team projects, and complete a capstone project. Activities may include (original) research, inquiry based investigation(s), collaboration, or other project types that the instructor deems worthy of the Honors’ designation. At least one extended field trip may be required.
5. Placement Tests Required:
6. Prerequisite Courses:
ESCI 1455 - HONORS: Earth Science and the Environment
There are no prerequisites for this course.
7. Other Prerequisites
Students must be accepted into the honors program prior to registration.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
ESCI 1455 - HONORS: Earth Science and the Environment
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
|
Name of Institution |
Course Number and Title |
Credits |
|
Century College |
ESCI 1025 - Interdisciplinary Physical and Environmental Science |
4 |
|
Metropolitan State University |
GEOL 110 - Introduction to Earth Sciences |
4 |
III. Course Purpose
2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
- Goal 3 – Natural Sciences
- Goal 10 – People and the Environment
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments |
An inquiry into environmental issues is by nature an inquiry into the impact of those issues on other societies. In this course, students will investigate this relationship from the qualitative and quantitative view, to not only describe how cultures are affected by environmental problems, and how they respond, but also to measure the impact, and how the effects of possible responses are quantifiable. To this end students will do inquiry based assignments, self-study, readings and response papers, and group assignments. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
|
Expected Outcome
|
MnTC
Goal Area
|
|
Demonstrate understanding of scientific theories as pertaining to geology, meteorology, and oceanography.
|
3
|
|
Formulate and test hypotheses in laboratory models of actual earth systems, or perform experiments involving collection of field data, laboratory processing of samples, and graphical/statistical analysis of resulting data.
|
3
|
|
Submit a weekly written summary of their experimental results in laboratory.
|
3
|
|
Evaluate environmental issues and their impact on society from an earth science perspective.
|
3
|
|
Explain the basic structure and function of the earth systems, how humans use those earth systems, and the human impact on these systems.
|
10
|
|
Recognize the role natural resources, environment, and climate play in shaping society and culture.
|
10
|
|
Describe the basic institutional arrangements (social, legal, political, economic, religious) that are evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges.
|
10
|
|
Critically evaluate environmental issues from a scientifically informed perspective. Distinguish good from bad environmental policy according to the theoretical underpinnings of the science in question.
|
10
|
|
Propose informed solutions to environmental problems.
|
10
|
|
Defend their positions on environmental issues.
|
10
|
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
- The Integrated Earth System, Earth History and Rates of Change.
- Geologic Resources.
- Plate Tectonics
- Mountains and Mountain Building Processes.
- Weathering, Soil, Erosion and Historic Landslides.
- Streams, Wetlands, Their Use and Management.
- Water Resources and Water Use Issues.
- The Fragility of Deserts.
- Ocean Coastal Zones.
- Ocean Resource Depletion.
- The Atmosphere, Air Pollution, and The Ozone.
- Storms.
- Global Atmospheric Processes.
- Climate and Climate Change: Desertification
- Sea Level Rise, Melting Glaciers.
- Earth History and Climate Change
2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions
- Geologic Specimens
- The Economic Minerals
- Reading Tectonic Processes in Earth’s Surface
- Mapping Geologic Structures
- Case Study: The Madison River Landslide, Montana
- A Field Trip to a Local Wetland
- Modeling Aquifers
- The Desert Resources of the Southwestern United States
- Coastal Management Issues
- Responsible Management of Ocean Fisheries
- Case Study: The Ozone Hole
- Global Warming and Hurricane Intensity
- Meteorological Measurements
- Case Study: The African Sahel
- Case Study: Sea Level Rise and the Maldives
- An Alternative Theory of Global Warming