Course Syllabus

Ecology: The Science Behind Environmental Issues

Spring 2010 NHH 3305-H01 T-Th 11:00 – 12:20

Instructor
Dr. Mark McGinley
Room 215 McClelland Hall
mark.mcginley@ttu.edu

Office Hours:
T-Th- 10-11 or by appointment

I encourage you to make an appointment to meet with me if you need to see me. The easiest ways to do this are (1) to talk to me either before or after class or (2) to send me an email listing times when you are available to meet with me and then I will let you know which works best for me.

Course Outline
Climate change, extinction, the ozone hole, deforestation, pollution, invasive species, wind or nuclear power, and water supply are all environmental issues facing us today and in the future. If we are going to make wise decisions about these and other issues related to the environment then it will be necessary for us to have a strong understanding of the science behind the issues. This course will provide the background in ecology necessary to understand environmental issues and then examine important environmental issues affecting us at a local, state, national, and global scale.

THIS COURSE FULFILLS 3 HOURS OF THE HONORS SEMINAR REQUIREMENT AND UPPER DIVISION BIOLOGY CREDIT.

Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days

A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.

Academic Integrity.

Texas Tech University faculty strive to foster a spirit of complete honesty and high standards of integrity. Any attempt by students to present as their own work any work not honestly performed is regarded by faculty and administration as a most serious offence and renders offenders liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension from the university. “Scholastic dishonesty” includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give an unfair academic advantage to a student. A detailed list of offenses is available in the Code of Student Conduct, found in Part IX, pp. 20-21 in the current Student Handbook, available on line at:
http://www.studentaffairs.ttu.edu?publications/SA_handbook_2005-2006.pdf.
Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until
appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the Student Disability Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.

Expected Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, a fully-engaged student will be able to:


1. Discuss basic concepts in population, community, and ecosystem ecology. Assessed by performance in class discussions, exams, written papers, and class presentation.

2. Discuss the ecological concepts that underlie environmental issues such as eutrophication, effects of invasive species, etc. Assessed by performance on in class discussions, exams, written papers, and class discussion.

3. Lead and participate in group discussions about ecology and environmental issues. Assess by performance on class discussion and presentation.

4. Write about environmental issues. Assessed performance on written papers.

5. Present information about ecology and environmental issues to a “non expert” group. Assessed by performance on class presentation.

6. Become more aware of current environmental issues. Assessed by performance in class discussions, exams, written papers, and class presentation


Grading
Midterm exam 20%
Final exam 10%
Participation in workshops, online, and discussion 10%
Writing assignments 30%
Presentation 30%

It is extremely important that all assignments be turned in on time!!!

Midterm and Final Exam
The written midterm and final exams will cover material discussed in lectures, class readings, and discussions.

Writing Assignments
2 papers. These papers will be three pages maximum double spaced (more details to follow).

Class Presentation
Each student will give a 40 minute presentation on an environmental topic of their choice (more details to follow).

Course Blog
I have created a blog for this course. This blog will be an important means of communication between us so I encourage you to check the blog early and often. The blog is located at http://sciencebehindenvironmentalissues.blogspot.com/. Hopefully, most of your questions about the details of the class will be answered somewhere on the blog. In addition, I will list specific “expected learning outcomes” for each lesson to help you focus your study efforts.

Required Reading
There is no required textbook for this course. I will assign readings throughout the semester on the course blog http://sciencebehindenvironmentalissues.blogspot.com/

Books About Writing
Writing well is important for effective communication. Thus, improving your writing skills is an important component of this course. Here are a couple of references that would be useful for you to have on your shelf (and use) throughout your college career. (these books are not required).

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves. The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. By Lynne Truss.


Tentative Course Schedule

Week 1. (January 14)
Introduction
Critical Thinking

Week 2. (January 19 & 21)
Ecology in Brief
Environmental Issues in Brief

Week 3. (January 26 & 28)
Biosphere Level
- Climate Change

Week 4. (February 2 & 4)
Ecosystem Level
- Ecosystem Services
- Draft writing assignment #1 due February 2nd

Week 5. (February 9 & 11)
Ecosystem Level
- Nitrogen cycle, eutrophication, dead zones
- Final draft assignment #1 due February 11th

Week 6. (February 16 & 18)
Community Level
- Importance of Indirect Effects
- Invasive species

Week 7. (February 23 & 25)
Community Level
- Habitat Destruction
- Rough draft writing assignment #2 due February 23rd

Week 8. (March 2 & 4)
Community Level
- Conservation Biology
- Final draft writing assignment #2 due March 2nd

Week 9. (March 9 & 11)
Population Level
- Extinction
- Midterm Exam- March 11th

Week 10. (Spring Break)

Week 11. (March 23 & 25)
Population Level
- Human Population Growth

Week 12. (March 30 & April1)
Student presentations

Week 13. (April 6 & 8)
Student presentations

Week 14. (April 13 & 15)
Student presentations

Week 15. (April 20 & 22)
Student presentations

Week 16. (April 27 & 29)
Student presentations

Week 17 (May 4th)
Student presentations

Final Exam- Thursday May 6th- 1:30 to 4:00 PM.