Course Syllabus

Ecology: The Science Behind Environmental Issues         Fall 2014

EVHM 3305-H01 MWF 11 - 11:50 English 361

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 30%

Final Exam/Presentation 10%

Participation in workshops, online, and discussion 10%

Writing assignments 40%

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

Midterm 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). 10% each

Encyclopedia of Earth article/articles on ecological or environmental issue (more details to follow) 20%

Class Presentation/Final Exam

In order to learn how to effectively and efficiently relate ecological and environmental issues we will mimic the “three minute thesis”.  (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://evhmecology2014.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:/evhmecology2014.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.

VERY Tentative Course Schedule

Week 1. (August 25 - 29)

Introduction  

Ecology in Brief

Environmental Issues in Brief

Week 2. (September 4 - 6)

Monday Sept. 1st- Holiday

Biosphere level

          - Climate change

Week 3. (September 8 - 12)

Ecosystem Level

- Ecosystem Services

Week 4. (September 15 - 19)

Ecosystem Ecology

 -  Nitrogen cycle, eutrophication, dead zones

 - Draft writing assignment #1 due September 19th

Week 5. (September 22 - 26)

Monday- workshop papers

Community Ecology

- Final draft assignment #1 due September 26

Week 6. (September 29 - October 3)

Community Ecology

Week 7. (October 6 - 10)

Community Ecology

- Habitat Destruction

- Rough draft writing assignment #2 due October 10th

Week 8. (October 13 - 17)

Community Level

- Conservation Biology

- Final draft writing assignment #2 due October 17th

Week 9. (October 20 - 24)

Population Level

- Midterm Exam- October 20st

Week 10. (October 27 - 31)

Environmental Issues

Week 11. (November 3 - 7)

Environmental Issues

Week 12. (November 10 - 14)

Environmental Issues

Week 13. (November 18 - 22)

Environmental Issues

Week 14. (November 24)

Environmental Issues

Week 15.  (December 1 - 3)

Environmental Issues

Final Exam- 

Friday December 5th, 1:30 – 4:00 PM