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SAMPLESyllabus - ESP 102
Fundamentals of Environmental Science Lab
Fall 2017
Instructor:
Sarah Darhower, M.S.
OFFICE: 105/106 Bailey Hall, or in the classroom (111 Bailey Hall)
PHONE: DES Main Office: 780.5390
EMAIL: [email protected]
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment.
Course Meetings:
Mondays, 1pm to 3:50pm, 111 Bailey Hall-USM Gorham Campus
Class will start in 111 Bailey, except in the case of a planned field trip (ie EcoMaine). Once
class starts, we might go outside or to the computer lab, depending on the planned activity.
Introduction:
This laboratory section accompanies ESP 101, a multi- and interdisciplinary lecture course
surveying major environmental science concepts, issues, and problems. In this lab-based
course, you will learn how to do science (i.e., employing the scientific method) by conducting
experiments, observations, and studies. An important aspect of this course is to develop
your critical thinking skills by connecting science to the broader context to answer the
general question of what you learned and how this information can be applied to solve
environmental problems.
Course Objectives:
Students who have successfully completed this course should be able to:
1. Demonstrate and describe the scientific method and laboratory procedures used in
designing and conducting basic environmental science experiments.
2. Locate and use peer-reviewed environmental science reference materials using
USM library resources.
3. Collect and properly organize data obtained in the field and lab.
4. Analyze and interpret data using Excel.
5. Recognize and explain the relevance of findings in environmental science
experiments and research in regard to our greater knowledge base, anthropogenic
impacts, and sustainability (i.e., discuss the broad implications of your findings).
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Course Texts:
Required:
Wagner, T. and R. Sanford. 2010. Environmental Science: Active Learning Laboratories and Applied Problem Sets. 2nd ed., New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Recommended:
Hacker, D. (2006). A writer’s reference, 6th Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Course Policies:
Attendance
Attendance is required. Missing or failing to submit 3 labs means an automatic F for the
course. Along these lines, it is important to be on time, as we won’t always stay in the
classroom. If you come late, you might not be able to find the class.
Laptops and I-Devices
Laptop computers (and tablets) can be a useful tool in learning. However, their abuse
(emailing, texting, Facebook, Twitter, watching exploding pepsi bottle videos, etc.) during
class time becomes a barrier to learning to the user and fellow students and is highly
distracting and disrespectful to me. Therefore, the laptop/handheld electronic use policy for
this is class is as follows:
1. Use of laptops, tablets, and handheld electronic devices are permitted only to
support your lab activities.
2. Do not display any material on the laptop that may be distracting or offensive to your
fellow students.
3. Emailing, texting, surfing, video watching, or other non-authorized
use/communication during class time is prohibited.
4. Texting, tweeting, or any other personal communication with such devices during
class time is strictly prohibited.
Grading:
80% of the course is your lab reports. 20% is your participation in the labs. The basic
grading rubric is presented in Table 1.
Table 1: ESP 102 Basic Grading Rubric.
Grade Classification Requirements
A Outstanding
Work
Demonstrated an outstanding understanding of the basics of
environmental science; outstanding experimental design,
execution, and interpretation skills; and outstanding written
communication skills.
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Grade Classification Requirements
B Above
Average Work
Demonstrated an above average understanding of the basics of
environmental science; above average experimental design,
execution, and interpretation skills; and above average written
communication skills.
C
Average (or
Acceptable)
Work
Demonstrated an acceptable understanding of the basics of
environmental science; acceptable experimental design,
execution, and interpretation skills; and acceptable average
written communication skills.
D
Below
Acceptable
Work
Demonstrated a below acceptable understanding of the basics
of environmental science; below acceptable experimental
design, execution, and interpretation skills; and below
acceptable written communication skills. In addition, this grade
is generally given to students with poor attendance, lab
submittal, attitude, or effort.
F Unacceptable Missed three or more lab sessions or failed to submit three or
more lab assignments in a timely manner.
Grading scale:
100-93 = A 76-73 = C
92-90 = A- 72-70 = C-
89-87 = B+ 69-67 = D+
86-83 = B 66-63 = D
82-80 = B- Below 63 = F
79-77 = C+
Lab Sessions:
No food or drinks are permitted in the lab.
You are expected to have read the lab assignment before coming to class. At the start of
each class you will receive additional information and an explanation of procedures.
Bring a calculator, lab notebook, and lab manual to each laboratory. Please leave the
laboratory and equipment clean and properly stored. Be sure to help clean-up and to check
in with the instructor before you leave. Please dress appropriately for field work (warm,
secure clothing, no open-toed shoes-EVER, etc); to do so otherwise jeopardizes your
grade for the lab. To be properly prepared, assume every class will involve some outdoor
time.
Your participation in all pre-lab discussions is expected.
Take careful notes because information presented in the lecture will likely be necessary
to complete the exercise and your lab write-up.
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Record everything you observe regarding your experiment. Follow procedures exactly so
that experimental results will be valid. Record your data in a neat and logical format.
Present all data in graphical (e.g., table or chart as appropriate).
The instructor is present to provide assistance if needed. However, it is the student’s
responsibility to ask for help and show initiative in completing lab tasks.
Students are expected to work in a group for each activity. Group members are
expected to work together and be respectful.
Homework:
You have one week to finish each assignment. Homework is to be posted on Blackboard (as
a Word or PDF file) by midnight of the day it is due. (I cannot open .pages files!!) You will be
required to write a formal lab report or answer a set of lab questions, complete with figures
and tables, as well as proper citations. Anything that is turned in must be typed. Please DO
NOT email assignments to me. Late assignments will not be accepted.
Student Support:
At any point in the semester, if you encounter difficulty with the course or feel that you could
be performing at a higher level, please do not hesitate to consult with me. Students
experience difficulty in courses for a variety of reasons. The following are resources on
campus for students.
For writing skills or time management, you can make an appointment to see a student
tutor at the Learning Commons located in both the Portland and Gorham libraries. For
more information, visit http://www.usm.maine.edu/learningcommons. The Writing
Center at LAC is also available to all USM students and is a great option for students
living in the greater Lewiston/Auburn area. For more information, please visit
http://usm.maine.edu/writingcenter.
If you need accommodations due to a disability, please contact the Disability Services
Center for confidential assistance and accommodation authorization. Timely notification
of accommodations is essential. The Disability Services Center can be reached by
calling 207-780-4706 or by email at [email protected]. If you have already received
a faculty accommodation letter from the Disability Services Center, please provide me
with that information as soon as possible. Please make a private appointment so that we
can review your accommodations. For more information, visit http://usm.maine.edu/dsc.
University Health and Counseling Services is a student resource that promotes the
health and well-being of the USM community. More information can be found at
www.usm.maine.edu/uhcs.
If you are having problems with computing or Blackboard contact the Help Line at 780-
4029 or by email: [email protected].
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Academic Integrity:
Academic integrity is taken very seriously in this course. You will be working in teams and
groups. Thus, you must exercise caution to demonstrate that you have done your own work.
Instances of Academic Integrity will be dealt in accordance with USM’s Academic Integrity
Code. When in doubt, ask me!
Forms of academic integrity include, but are not limited to:
Plagiarism = Submitting material that in part or whole is not entirely your own work without
proper attribution (for example, copying information from textbooks or the Internet in your lab
discussion without proper referencing). This also includes attempting to submit your lab
partner’s data/results as your own without authorization from the instructor.
Fabrication = Falsifying or inventing any information, data, or citation.
Cheating = Using unauthorized notes, study aids, or information on a lab.
Tentative Laboratory Schedule (may change depending on weather and/or logistics):
Date Topic Lab
Manual Write-up1
Aug 28 Environmental Awareness Lab Lab #1
NF
Sept 4 NO CLASS: LABOR DAY
Sept 11
Experimental Design: Range of Tolerance
– Part 1
Lab #7
FLR
1. Introduction
2. Materials
3. Methods
4. Works Cited
*Bring printed version to
class for peer review
Sept 18 Experimental Design: Range of Tolerance
– Part 2 Lab #7
FLR
Complete Lab Report
Sept 25 Aquatics Species Diversity Lab Lab #12 NF
Oct 2 Human Survivorship Lab #10 NF
Oct 9 NO CLASS: COLUMBUS DAY
Oct 16 Experimental Design: Environmental Contamination – Part 1
Lab #8
FLR
1. Introduction
2. Materials
3. Methods
1 FLR = Formal Lab Report, NF = Non-formal Lab Report (i.e., as directed). All reports must be uploaded into BB no later than 11:00 PM on the day following the designated class meeting.
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Date Topic Lab
Manual Write-up1
4. Works Cited
*Bring printed version to
class for peer review
Oct 23 Wind Energy Handout NF
Oct 30 Experimental Design: Environmental Contamination – Part 2
Lab #8 Complete lab report
Nov 6
EcoMaine field trip
The class will meet at the EcoMaine facility at 64 Blueberry Road in Portland at 1:00 pm.
Handout NF
Nov 13
Pollution Prevention: Solid Waste
With guest speaker Steve Sweeney (USM’s Resource Recovery Supervisor)
Lab #21 NF
Nov 20 Global Climate Change and Automobiles Lab #17 NF
Nov 27 Human Contribution to Climate Change Handout NF
Dec 4 Sustainability on the Gorham Campus Handout NF
Copyright 2018 Sarah Darhower