Syllabus

Introduction to Environmental Studies - SSC 118

Instructor: Bill Michalek

Spring 2015 - 3 semester hours

Department 716-645-2245

Wednesdays, 6:00-8:40 PM

E-Mail: wmmichal@buffalo.edu

Room: Clemens 19

Consultation hours: 8:40-9:10 on Wed., 201 Clemens

STUDENT CENTERED LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND ASSESSMENTS

Objectives Students will be able to…	Assessments
…demonstrate a general understanding of the foundations of environmental science, including ecology, the Earth’s physical systems, and evolution.	Formative: All class discussions, weekly quizzes, group presentations throughout the semester Summative: Mid-term and final exam
…provide examples of the interactions between environmental science, environmental ethics, and environmental policy.
…explain in detail several ways in which human activity affects the environment, including costs and benefits associated with those impacts and prospective solutions.
…formulate, expand, discuss, and defend their own ideas about the environment and their relationship to it, while gaining the basic skills necessary to pursue more specific and advanced courses in environmental studies and related fields.

The objectives and assessments listed above are designed to help you, the student, understand critical concepts in environmental studies: matter and energy, sustainability, ecosystem ecology, biodiversity, and natural resources, as well as to appreciate individuals, events, and organizations prominent in Environment Studies.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course has three components:

A. Academic Content

This course begins with the foundations of environmental science: ecology, the earth’s physical systems, environmental ethics, and environmental policy will all enter into our lessons, discussions, and activities. These initial lessons will provide you with the knowledge base to address the second part of the course. The remainder (and bulk) of our sessions will focus on critical environmental issues, past and present, and the various efforts to address those issues.

B. Attitudes and Ideas

Throughout these two parts, you will develop your own informed opinions and ideas about the environment, modern culture, our daily routines, and how these three elements interact. For better or for worse, humans are the greatest agents of change on this planet, and our collective daily decisions about how to live have consequences that reach far beyond our homes, Facebook/Twitter/Instagram accounts, and classrooms. Developing a thoughtful approach to our lifestyle choices, as well as to how we think about and debate environmental issues, will be a major goal of this class. Discussion and civil debate will be a fundamental part of this process. We cover alternative perspectives outside mainstream Western culture (e.g., Deep Ecology, biocentrism/ecocentrism, environmentally-based veganism). You will also be challenged to measure your own lifestyle choices in comparison to these perspectives, and to consider how such approaches can be used to address the environmental issues in the latter part of the course.

C. Professional Development

At several points during the semester, various professionals may visit the class to share their experiences with choosing and pursuing a career in an environmental field. This component is intended to give you an understanding of the environmental career options available to you.

REQUIRED STUDENT ACTIVITIES

1. Attend lectures / Participate in group discussions

2. Complete assessments: weekly quizzes, cumulative midterm, cumulative final exam

3. Complete two course exercises (see below)

ATTENDANCE AND CLASSROOM PROTOCOL

Attendance in class is crucial to achieving a desirable grade. Just doing the readings is insufficient to get you through this course. The readings are a critical component, but they serve to offer additional relevance to in-class lectures and group work/discussions. Keep in mind that since class meets just once a week, missing one class is equivalent to missing a week of a regularly scheduled class. That being said, students are allowed to miss two sessions without penalty. Any classes missed beyond this limit will result in the loss of one fraction of a letter grade (e.g., A final grade of B+ becomes a B if a student misses three classes).

Participation in class discussions is part of your attendance/participation grade, so come to class prepared to share your viewpoints and discuss the readings. This type of participation is essential for gaining the skills to effectively communicate your knowledge and points of view. The classroom is a great place to practice communication skills. Always be respectful of others and keep in mind that a different point of view isn’t necessarily a wrong point of view.

I would discourage you from using cell phones and laptops in this class. I’ve had many students tell me that they are using their laptops to take notes, but, please, do not treat me like an idiot. We all know what people using laptops are really doing most of the time. Unplug and engage. This is likely your only chance to take this class with me. If you put forth effort, I promise it will be worth your time and attention. If you spend a good chunk of class time staring at your laptop screen, your participation grade will reflect that.

BASIS OF GRADING

45%: 8 brief quizzes (7 count toward your final grade*) / 20 points each for a total of 140 points
15%: Cumulative midterm exam / 60 points
15%: Cumulative final exam / 60 points
15%: Exercises / 40 points
10%: Attendance and participation / 28 points
Extra Credit: See me for details.

Students achieve a letter grade based on the points earned during the semester:

305-328 = A

296-304 = A-

287-295 = B+

274-286 = B

264-273 = B-

254-263 = C+

242-253 = C

232-241 = C-

222-231 = D+

209-221 = D

198-208 = D-

< 197 = F

*Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. Any student with a 90% or higher average on the remaining quizzes and the midterm will be exempt from taking the final exam.

*You are allowed to retake each quiz once. You can only retake quizzes before or after class (one per week, please – I do have a life).

Any late assignments will result in the loss of one fraction of a letter grade per day (e.g., A final grade of B+ becomes a B- if an assignment is two days late).

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The Undergraduate Academic Integrity Policy as described in the UB Undergraduate catalog is strictly enforced. If you have any questions about this policy, see the Undergraduate Catalog for examples of academic dishonesty and the procedures relating to academic integrity: http://undergrad-catalog.buffalo.edu/policies/course/integrity.shtml

ACCESSBILITY RESOURCES

Any students with a diagnosed learning or physical disability seeking learning accommodations are encouraged to contact the Accessibility Resource Office at 25 Capen Hall. Their phone number is 645-2616 and their web site is: http://www.student-affairs.buffalo.edu/ods/

INCOMPLETES

Please see the University policy regarding incompletes at:

http://undergrad-catalog.buffalo.edu/policies/grading/explanation.shtml

REQUIRED TEXTS

The course text is Environment: The Science Behind the Stories by Jay Withgott and Scott Brennan, 2010, 4^th Edition, ISBN-10: 0321715349.

Please consider the following two points before purchasing this textbook new: this is an environmental course and the textbook is four years old; there is a plentiful supply of used texts on the market. Please consider purchasing a used copy or renting one. The website bigwords.com compares rental/used prices across many sites to find you the best price.

Additional Required Readings:

Articles on Reserve at Undergraduate Library and on the UB Web:

To access the articles assigned in class, visit the UB libraries website (http://library.buffalo.edu/) , click on the “Reserve” tab over the search bar, and type in the Course No: SSC118. Then, choose “SSC118-MIC” from the list to view the directory of articles.

PROPOSED CLASS SCHEDULE

*Dates, order, and content of the following are likely to change based on the needs of this particular session of the course.

Reading assignments should be completed by the session after their listing (e.g., the readings listed under the first session should be completed before you attend the second session)

1/28 - Session 1 - Did You Ever Stop and Wonder? Hey. What is the “environment”?

Assignment for Session 2: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 1 and 2

2/4 - Session 2 - How does the Earth “work”? / Evolution and the American Mind (or How 40% of

America

is Wrong)

Preview Quiz

Assignment for Session 3: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 3 and 4

2/11 - Session 3 - The Magnificent Web: Community Ecology

Quiz 1- on chapters 1-4

Assignment for Session 4: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 5 and 6

2/18 - Session 4 - How Much For that Rainforest in the Window?: Ecosystem Ecology, Ethics, and Economics

Quiz 2

Assignment for Session 5: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 7 and 8

2/25 - Session 5 - Politics and Priorities: Environmental Policy / Human population: The Elephant in the Room

Quiz 3

Assignment for Session 6: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 9 and 10

3/4 - Session 6 - We Are What We Eat: Agriculture and the Future of Food

Quiz 4

Assignment for Session 7: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 11 and 12

3/11 - Session 7 - The Future of Life: Biodiversity, Conservation Biology, and Forest Management

Midterm

Assignment for Session 8: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 13 and 14

3/18 – No class – Spring break

3/25 - Session 8 - Inner City Blues: The Urban Environment and Environmental Health

Last day to turn in Exercise 1

Quiz 5

1^st Assignment for Session 9: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 15 and 16

4/1 - Class moved – We will NOT have class on April 1^st. The class for this session will be moved to Saturday, April 25 for our field trip to Beaver Meadow Audubon Center. See the trip description below.

2^nd Assignment for Session 9: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 17 and 18

4/8 - Session 9 - Liquid Gold: Freshwater and Marine Systems

Quiz 6

Assignment for Session 10: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 19 and 20

4/15 – Session 10 - Yes, It Really Is Happening, and No, There is No Real Debate About It: Atmospheric Pollution, Fossil Fuels, and Climate Change

Quiz 7

Assignment for Session 11: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 21 and 22

4/22 - Session 11 - Mankind’s Best Hope: Energy Alternatives

Quiz 8

Assignment for Session 13: Withgott & Brennan, Chapters 23 and 24

4/25 – Session 12 – Field Trip to Beaver Meadow - **Note that this is a Saturday session.

Think Before Your Toss: Managing Our Waste

4/29 - Session 13 - A Necessary Evil?: Mining

Final Exam

5/6 - Session 14 - Solutions

Final Day to turn in Exercise 2

Return of Final Exams

*There may arise circumstances not covered in the proposed syllabus. These will be addressed as necessary on an individual basis at my sole discretion.

COURSE EXERCISE OPTIONS

*You will not be doing ALL of the exercises listed below. You will pick two.

Each student should complete two of the following exercises. I expect exercises to be an example of your best work. Results of all exercises should be reported in papers a minimum of 5 pages in length (double spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman, 1 inch margins on all sides. 4 and a half pages does not equal 5 pages).

20 points each.

Exercise One is due anytime before the beginning of lecture on 3/25

Exercise Two is due anytime before the beginning of lecture on 5/6

1. Green Marketing. Visit the Lexington Co-op (807 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14222) OR Buffalo ReUse ReSource (296 E Ferry,Buffalo,NY 14208) How does the “alternative” store differ from what you are used to? Explore such dimensions as mission, product selection, ambiance, information availability, pricing, ownership structure. What claims are made for the alternative products? Do you believe the claims? Why or why not? Would you shop there? And do I even need to type this next line?: you MUST visit the store, not simply look it up on-line.

2. A Place to Which You (Might) Belong. Select a place that has meaning for you or that you would like to know more about (e.g., a special spot near your home, or a place like Letchworth Woods, Delaware Park, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Tifft Nature Preserve, Amherst State Park, Great Baehre Swamp, Lake LaSalle, Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, etc. – all of the places mentioned here are within a 30 min. or less drive from either UB campus). Research the place (natural history, history of human use, contemporary issues). Visit the place and spend some time there (NOTE: you must GO there in order to be able to reflect upon your research, not just remember or research it). Write about it. Show me that you have added to your store of knowledge about the place (human history, natural history, flora and fauna, etc.) not just relied upon your own memories of the place. Explain how your learning has affected your appreciation of the place. I do NOT want just a sentimental journey of reminiscences.

3. Where You At? Find the answers to the questions posed in “Where You At? – A Bioregional Quiz” (by Leonard Charles, Jim Dodge, Lynn Milliman, and Victoria Stockley, published originally in Co-Evolution Quarterly, Winter 1981 (available at http://www.dlackey.org/weblog/docs/Where%20You%20At.htm). Take the quiz first without looking up answers to give you a baseline of your knowledge of “where you at?” Then check the answers you think you got right. Then try to find the answers to the questions you blanked on or had only a vague or partial or wrong answer for. DO NOT treat this mechanistically or obsessively. This should be a journey through the internet (and some real world places) and what you encounter along the way is actually more important than the end point/answer. Write a paper in which you report on at least 10 of your answers (right and wrong) and describe the sources you used to determine them, and then reflect on what the exercise meant to you. You might want to cover such things as what the data collection process taught you, how you reacted to what you learned, the utility (or lack thereof) of this exercise, or how you would change the quiz to update or improve it. Especially, I would like you to reflect on the way in which the exercise did or did not enhance your understanding and appreciation for “Where You’re At.”

4. Write a Children’s Book. Identify and read three children’s picture books treating issues of environment/sustainability (e.g., The Lorax by Dr. Seuss). Write and illustrate your own children’s book. Write a reflective essay describing how and why you wrote the book you did, and how your creative process was informed by this course and by the strengths and weaknesses of the children’s books you looked at.

5. You (Don’t) Have to Live Like a Refugee. Do some research into global patterns of water usage and access. Identify a single water source (e.g., a tap in your apartment or dorm). For one week (7 full days), get all your water for all your water related needs from that source alone; yes, for all your washing, cooking, cleaning and toilet activities (you may use the toilet, but you must pour a gallon into the commode every time you use it). Write a paper describing your experience, explaining how you dealt with the challenges you faced and how you felt about them. Reflect on your own relationship with water and consider the position of people around the globe whose access to water is limited in the ways you’ve just experienced.

6. Eat Local Challenge. Explore the “Eat Local Challenge” website (http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/) and especially note the “10 reasons to eat local” (http://www.lifebeginsat30.com/elc/2006/04/10_reasons_to_e.html). For one week, do your best to eat only foods produced within 100 miles of Buffalo. Research the eating local movement (AKA, “localvores”). In your writing, evaluate the experience and what your research revealed. How difficult was it to eat local? What foods did you find? What did you learn? Does the effort translate into real benefits for the environment? How did the experience affect your position on the value of “eating locally”?

7. Be John Francis. Research the life of John Francis online. For one week, do not speak and do not use any motorized vehicle for transportation. Write an essay in the form of a letter to John Francis describing your experience and reflecting upon what it taught you. Do you agree with John that “listening from my silence, environment became more”? More what, for you?

8. Veg-curious? Go Veg for a week or take the 30-day Vegan Challenge. The food choices you make have more impact on the environment than almost any other lifestyle choice. A plant-based diet has the potential to be the most environmentally friendly of all diets, but a vegan lifestyle can also have health benefits. For those concerned with animal welfare, the ethical benefits are a plus, as well. For one week, do your best to eat as few animal products as possible, research the vegan lifestyle, and evaluate the experience. How difficult was it? Were you able to make it through the entire week (be honest)? How did other people react? Why do you think they reacted the way they did? What are the realities of our food production system that cause people to make the choice to reduce or eliminate animal products from their diet? Focus especially on the environmental ramifications of how our food is produced. How are animal-based foods linked to climate change? How do plant-based foods compare? Is going vegetarian or vegan a viable and/or worthwhile option? Most importantly, reflect on your experience, providing your personal thoughts and reactions.

Or…

Noted vegan educator, chef, and author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has created a program called the 30-day vegan challenge (http://www.the30dayveganchallenge.com) designed to guide participants through the transition to a plant-based one, providing daily education and advice through emails and videos over the course of 30 days. There is a $20 fee for this program, but as I am personally interested in seeing people explore a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, I will split the cost with you if you choose this exercise. Also, as this is an exercise that requires more of a time investment than the others, choosing this exercise will absolve you from having to do a second exercise. The paper you write will be longer (at least 8 pages) and it should give a breakdown of the program and your evaluation of it, detailed information about the changes you made to your diet/lifestyle over the course of the 30 days, and the elements / answers to the questions listed in the previous paragraph.

9. Shadow a Naturalist – Western New York is home to some of the finest naturalists in the country. For this exercise you will need to attend two hikes led by one or two of the following naturalists.

a. Scott Lembitz – Earth Spirit Educational Services - 870-9566 / http://earthspiritedu.org/

b. Mark Carra – Buffalo Audubon Society – (585) 377-1520 / http://buffaloaudubon.org/

c. Tom Kerr – Buffalo Audubon Society

d. Doug Bassett – NYS Parks @ Letchworth State Park - (585) 493-3600

See the organizations’ websites for a listing of programs and call their offices to find out when the specific naturalist will be leading a program. In your writing, describe the hike you attended. Include the location, the topic, and a detailed overview of what was covered – share what you learned and your impressions of the experience. Following the walk (if it’s convenient for the naturalist), conduct a short interview with the naturalist about how they chose their career and found a job, what they like/don’t like about their job, and any advice they would have for someone entering the job market (environmental or otherwise).

10. Write a book review on one of these works. (No, you may not choose another book.) See the guidelines “Writing a Book Review” below:

Confessions of an Eco-Warrior by Dave Foreman
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben
Encounters with the Archdruid by John McPhee
Living on Wilderness Time by Melissa Walker
My Green Manifesto: Down the Charles River in Pursuit of a New Environmentalism by David Gessner
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
Twelve by Twelve: A One-Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream by William Powers
Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg
The Wild Within by Paul Rezendes
Woodswoman: Living Alone in the Adirondack Wilderness by Anne Labastille
A Year In The Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich

Writing a Book Review

Your book review is not a book report – it is a description, critical analysis, and evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book. It is not a retelling. It should focus on the book's purpose, content, and authority. Again, it is neither a book report, nor a summary. It is a reaction paper in which strengths and weaknesses of the material are analyzed. It should state what the author tried to do, an evaluation of how well (in your opinion) the author succeeded, and present evidence to support your evaluation.

There is no one-size-fits-all way to write a book review. This type of writing should be extremely personal and reflect your opinions.

The following are some customary procedures for writing a book review; they are suggestions, not a set of criteria that has to be followed.

State the author’s purpose, theme, and/or thesis. Sometimes authors make their purpose known in the preface or in the first chapter.
Discuss the author's style. Is it formal or informal? Evaluate the quality of the writing by using some of the following standards: coherence, clarity, originality, forcefulness, correct use of technical words, conciseness, fullness of development, fluidity. Does it suit the intended audience?
How did the book affect you? Were any previous ideas you had on the subject changed, abandoned, or reinforced due to this book? How is the book related to your own course or personal agenda? What personal experiences you've had relate to the subject?
In your mind, how well did the book achieve the author’s goal?
Would you recommend this book or article to others? Why?
Illustrate your remarks with specific references and quotations.
Evaluate the book for interest, accuracy, objectivity, importance, thoroughness, and usefulness to its intended audience. Show whether the author's main arguments are true. Respond to the author's opinions. What do you agree or disagree with? And why? Illustrate whether or not any conclusions drawn are derived logically from the evidence. Explore issues the book raises. What possibilities does the book suggest? What has the author omitted or what problems were left unsolved? What specific points are not convincing? Compare it with other books on similar subjects or other books by the same as well as different authors. Is it only a reworking of earlier books; a refutation of previous positions? Have newly uncovered sources justified a new approach by the author? Comment on parts of particular interest, and point out anything that seems to give the book literary merit. Relate the book to larger issues.
Try to find further information about the author - reputation, qualifications, influences, biographical, etc. - any information that is relevant to the book being reviewed and that would help to establish the author's authority. Can you discern any connections between the author's philosophy, life experience and the reviewed book?
Check the back matter. Check end notes/footnotes as you read. Do they provide important additional information? Do they clarify/extend points made in the text? Check any bibliography the author may provide. What kinds of sources, primary or secondary, are in the bibliography? How does the author use them? Make note of significant omissions.
Summarize (briefly), analyze, and comment on the book’s content. State your general conclusions. Pay close attention to the author's concluding chapter. Is the summary/final argument convincing? List the principal topics, and briefly summarize the author’s ideas about these topics – their main points and conclusions. Use specific references / quotations to support your statements. If your thesis is well argued, the conclusion will follow naturally. It can include a final assessment or you might simply restate your thesis. Do not introduce new material in the final summary.

*adapted from Los Angeles Valley College’s “How to Write a Book Review”, retrieved from http://www.lavc.cc.ca.us/Library/bookreview.htm on March 31, 2012 and Carleton College’s “How to Write a Critical Book Review” by S. Zabin, retrieved from http://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/history/study/criticalbookreview/

SSC 118 - Introduction to Environmental Studies

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