BIOL 102L Environmental Science Lab

This laboratory course focuses on environmental topics, such as global climate change and biodiversity, and teaches students to investigate the natural world through the scientific process. The course is made up of laboratory and field exercises, with possible field trips. Students will have the opportunity to investigate real world issues within the campus and/or local community. For this lab course to be considered General Education it must be taken in conjunction with BIOL 102.

 

Credits

1 credit

Semester Contact Hours Lecture

0

Semester Contact Hours Lab

30

General Education Competency

Scientific Way of Knowing

BIOL 102LEnvironmental Science Lab

Please note: This is not a course syllabus. A course syllabus is unique to a particular section of a course by instructor. This curriculum guide provides general information about a course.

I. General Information

Department

Biology and Comupter Science Academic

II. Course Specification

Course Type

{5B2306C7-58E4-43D4-B8A5-26C59F89A734}

General Education Competency

Scientific Way of Knowing

Credit Hours Narrative

1 credit

Semester Contact Hours Lecture

0

Semester Contact Hours Lab

30

Repeatable

No

III. Catalog Course Description

This laboratory course focuses on environmental topics, such as global climate change and biodiversity, and teaches students to investigate the natural world through the scientific process. The course is made up of laboratory and field exercises, with possible field trips. Students will have the opportunity to investigate real world issues within the campus and/or local community. For this lab course to be considered General Education it must be taken in conjunction with BIOL 102.

 

IV. Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of evolution: the diversity of life evolved over time by processes of mutation, selection, and genetic change.
• Demonstrate an understanding of structure and function: basic units of structure define the function of living things.
• Demonstrate an understanding of pathways and transformations of energy and matter: biological systems grow and change by processes based upon chemical transformation pathways and are governed by the laws of thermodynamics.
• Demonstrate an understanding of systems: living systems are interconnected and interacting.
• Demonstrate competence in applying the process of science: biology is evidence-based and grounded in the formal practices of observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing.
• Demonstrate competence in the use of quantitative reasoning: biology relies on an application of quantitative analysis and mathematical reasoning.
• Demonstrate competence in the use of modeling and simulation: biology focuses on the study of complex systems.
• Demonstrate competence in communication and collaboration of scientific information: biology is a collaborative scientific discipline.
• Demonstrate competence in understanding the relationship between science and society: biology is conducted in a societal context.

V. Topical Outline (Course Content)

Required topics:

                -at least one topic of environmental concern specific to the campus or local community

                -global climate change

                -biodiversity

                -scientific inquiry

                -ecological principles

 

Suggested topics

                -energy

                -air, water, soil pollution

                -solid and hazardous waste

                -urban sprawl

                -environmental ethics

                -environmental economics

                -resource consumption

                -sustainability

                -food

VI. Delivery Methodologies

Specific Course Activity Assignment or Assessment Requirements

Students develop, design, and conduct at least one experiment that requires multiple lab sessions to complete.