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Ecology and Environment

Course Description

Ecology and the Environment is a course designed to engage students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships within the natural world. The course requires that students identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. This course is interdisciplinary, embracing topics from geology, biology (ecology), environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography.  

Course Big Ideas

  • Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes. Energy cannot be created; it must come from somewhere. As energy flows through systems, at each step, more of it becomes unusable.
  • The Earth is one interconnected system. Natural systems change over time and space. Biogeochemical systems vary in ability to recover from disturbances.
  • Humans alter natural systems and have had an impact on the environment for millions of years. Technology and population growth have enabled humans to increase both the rate and scale of their impact on the environment.
  • Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems. A suitable combination of conservation and development is required. The management of resources is essential. Understanding the role of cultural, social, and economic factors is vital to the development of solutions.

Course Essential Questions

  • How is energy transferred through systems?
  • How do natural systems change over time?
  • How have humans impacted this planet over time?
  • How can humans manage resources and develop solutions to solve environmental issues?

Course Competencies

  • Explain environmental concepts, processes, or models in applied contexts.
  • Analyze visual representations of environmental concepts and processes.
  • Analyze and interpret quantitative data represented in tables, charts, and graphs.
  • Apply quantitative methods to address environmental concepts.
  • Propose and justify solutions to environmental problems.

Course Assessments

  • Projects
  • Labs
  • Formal and informal assessments

Course Units