Course Number BIO 130

Course Title Introduction to Environmental Science

Credits 4 Credit Hours
Prerequisites None
Faculty
Name: Susannah Sandrin
Office: ASU West FAB North 138
Campus map http://www.asu.edu/map/interactive/?campus=west
Phone: (602) 543-5212
Email address: Email
Office hours: Arranged via email & Wednesdays from 9:30 - 11:15 AM

Catalog Description
Introduces the interconnected nature of Earth's hydrosphere, lithosphere (soils and rocks),
atmosphere, and biosphere.

Course Overview
This is a survey course that covers a variety of science topics related to environmental
science. The first part of the course the students focus on the soil, water and atmospheric
systems, and how they act to support life. The next portion of the course introduces the
biosphere, which includes all living things on Earth, and presents how living things are
dependent on one another and their environment. The course then moves on to the related
topics of energy use and global climate change. Other topics in this course include pollution
(air, water and soils), solid waste & recycling, and the design of sustainable
communities. Throughout the course, students will reflect upon their role in the biosphere,
and how they impact the atmosphere, hydrosphere (water) and lithosphere (soil and
rocks).

Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

Identify the role that humans, and other animals, play in the cycling of energy and
resources on Earth.

Describe and distinguish the four Earth spheres of biosphere, atmosphere,

lithosphere and hydrosphere and how energy and matter is cycled through these
spheres.

Explain the importance of ecosystems and biodiversity on human survival.

Construct informed arguments about public policy, especially regarding energy

production and renewable versus nonrenewable resources, that can improve our
environmental outlook.

Make predictions, based on scientific models and calculations, about energy

use/consumption, land use, and human populations.

Explain the complexity of global climate change models and the data behind them.

Compare and contrast the environmental risks that impact their lives (in terms of
cultural, biological and chemical hazards) with those of people living in developing
nations.

Describe anthropogenic effects on the environment.

Use their understanding of the issues surrounding solid waste disposal to develop
strategies for waste reduction and increased recycling of wastes

Methods of Evaluation

Item

# of
Assignments/exams

Points per
assignment/exam

Total course
points
(points/item)

Lecture exams

200

600

Discussions

35

140

Hands-on

35

70

All other lab

quizzes
(SimUText &
worksheet
labs)

20

180

Personal
Introduction
(Graded
Discussions)

10

10

lab quizzes

TOTAL course
points*

1000

*does not include a small number of extra credit points possible.

Summary of Assignments
Lecture Exams
There will be 3 lecture exams, worth 200 points EACH. The content covered on each exam
is listed in the syllabus Course Topics section. The format for these exams will be multiple
choice, matching, true/false, and multiple answer. Each exam will be open from Sunday
(the day before the week starts) until the Sunday at the end of the scheduled week. In
other words, you will have an 8-day time period in which to take a lecture exam. Please
budget your time accordingly!

Discussion Board Participation

Students are expected to participate in small group, on-line discussions. Your instructor will
assign you to a small group. There are a total of 4 discussion board topics assigned during
the semester. Each discussion board topic is worth 35 course points. Additionally, students
will earn 10 points by posting a personal introduction of themselves in the first week of
class. When posting, students are expected to be respectful of others, use good netiquette
and appropriate language. Failure to follow these rules will result in a 0 grade for the
discussion board assignment.
Each student is expected to post a minimum of 3 times to each discussion forum, with an
initial post sharing your answers to the topic questions and a complete response to at least
two of your group members. The initial post is expected to be in short essay format and
should address EACH question posed by the instructor in the discussion heading. Please
address each question in a separate paragraph. The initial post is worth 25 course
points. You will be graded on the completeness of your answers to the
questions. The response posts should be a complete reaction to the post of a group
member. Responses should be at least 3 - 5 complete, college level, sentences with good
punctuation, grammar, spelling and capitalization.
You will be graded on the content of your responses. A post of I agree with you, or I
disagree with you, and re-stating what was said by your group member or in your initial
post, is not adequate. You must state why, and/or how, you agree or disagree.
Additionally, you want to add a unique statement not previously mentioned by your group
members. It can be helpful to include additional information in each response such as your
own questions, a quote, or a link to an informative website, a related video or news article.
The goal in your response is to generate further discussion on the topic.

Laboratory Activities and Quizzes

The activities in the laboratory section of the course will cover a wide range of topics
related to environmental science. The lab activities will include lab simulations, hands-on
activities, and worksheet-based laboratory activities. These lab activities are completed in
order to prepare you for related Blackboard quizzes.
There are 11 lab activities and quizzes in the course. As you go through the labs, you should
print off or save the worksheets that are either provided on Blackboard or via
SimUText. Fill them out as you go through the lab procedures, just as you would if you
were in a lab on campus. After completing the lab activities, take the associated lab
quiz on Blackboard. You will complete the lab questions and data tables associated with
each lab activity in order to use them as a reference when you complete the associated lab
quiz. You will not submit the worksheets, only complete the lab quizzes on Blackboard. Quiz
questions will be multiple choice, multiple answer, matching, short answer, or true/false
format. The lab quizzes cover pre-laboratory reading materials, lab procedures and
observations, and lab worksheet post-laboratory questions. The laboratory quiz will be
graded by Blackboard immediately. If your score does not post to the Blackboard gradebook
within a few hours, please contact your instructor.
*Note: Always double check your Blackboard gradebook to verify grades are properly
posted.

Nine of the labs are worth 20 points each. Four of the nine labs rely on simulations provided
through SimBio. Each student MUST obtain a site license to SimUText in order to access the
lab simulation programs from SimBio for these four labs [Island Royale, Keystone Predator,
Nutrient Pollution, and Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis]. See the Course Materials
section on Blackboard for obtaining the site license to the SimUText simulations. Any
additional labs, beyond the four listed, are provided as a free bonus from SimUText and are
not required for this course.
Two of the labs [Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil and Solar Energy] are hands-on
labs that require more work and therefore are worth 35 points each. Students are
responsible for obtaining a few extra items for these two labs. The hands-on soils lab
requires that you have a Luster Leaf Rapitest kit. In addition, you will need access to a soil
sample, sink, water, and a flat surface. The hands-on solar energy lab requirements
depend on how you decide to complete the lab. Please refer to the Course Materials section
on Blackboard for additional information. You must upload a photograph to the related
Blackboard lab quiz for these hands-on lab activities.

Extra Credit
There are limited extra credit opportunities in the course. The first opportunity for extra
credit is to take the syllabus quiz in week 1. It is worth 5 points. In the last week there will
be another opportunity to earn a few bonus points.

Student Success
This is an online course. To be successful:

save and/or print your course schedule

check the course daily

read announcements

read and respond to course email messages as needed

complete assignments by the due dates specified

communicate regularly with your instructor and peers

create a study schedule to stay on track

Communicating With the Instructor

ASU email is an official means of communication among students, faculty, and staff. Students are
expected to read and act upon email in a timely fashion. Students bear the responsibility of missed
messages and should check their ASU-assigned email daily. All instructor correspondence will be
sent to your ASU email account or posted to your Blackboard announcements.

This course uses a board called "Frequently Asked Questions" where the instructor will post
general questions about the course (that come in via email or the course Facebook page).
Prior to asking a question, please check the syllabus, announcements, and existing FAQ
posts. If you do not find an answer, ask your question. You are encouraged to respond to
the questions of your classmates on the Facebook page as well.
Email questions of a personal nature to your instructor or assigned TA and these will be
kept confidential. You can expect a response within 24 hours (weekdays) and on Monday (if
sent after 4 PM on Friday).

Course Time Commitment

This four-credit course requires approximately 180 hours of work. Please expect to spend a
significant amount of time each week preparing for and actively participating in this course.

Online Course
This is an online course that uses Blackboard to deliver content. There are no face-to-face
meetings. You can log into your course via MyASU or https://my.asu.edu. It is your
responsibility to work towards a solution to resolve technical issues. It is highly
recommended that you save all completed work. Check your Blackboard gradebook
frequently and respond to inaccuracies or missing grades promptly. Failure to do so may
result in a grade of zero for all affected assignments.

Computer Requirements
This course requires a computer with Internet access and the following:

Web browsers (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari)

Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)

Adobe Flash Player (free)

Microphone (optional) and speaker

Technical Support
Before contacting technical support, please try the following:
Clear your browser cache. Clearing your browser cache will cause your browser to display
the most up-to-date information. How to instructions can be found on Blackboard.
Try a different browser. Some browsers may not accurately display content and
switching browsers may resolve the issue.
You can contact the ASU Technology Help Desk at 480-965-6500 or toll free at 1-855-2785080.
To access a Blackboard support live chat, informative articles or to report a technical issue
with Blackboard go to Technical Assistance for Students at https://myasu.force.com/
If a deadline is approaching, try a different computer. If possible, use a school or library
computer. If you wait until the weekend and run into a technical error, you risk receiving a
zero on your assignment.

Grading Procedure
Grades reflect your performance on assignments and adherence to deadlines. Most items
will be autograded immediately by Blackboard (all lecture exams and lab quizzes). The
discussion board will be graded (manually by your instructors) within a week of the deadline
for that item. Please contact your instructor if your Blackboard gradebook is missing a
grade within a day of the autograded assignments and within a week of the discussion
boards!

Late or Missed Assignments

If at all possible, notify the instructor BEFORE an assignment is due if an urgent situation
arises and the assignment will not be submitted on time. Published assignment due dates
(Arizona Mountain Standard time) are firm. Please follow the appropriate University policies

to request an accommodation for religious practices or to accommodate a missed

assignment due to University-sanctioned activities.

Submitting Assignments
All assignments, unless otherwise announced, MUST be submitted to the designated area of
Blackboard. Do not submit an assignment via email.

Prohibition of Commercial Note Taking Services

In accordance with ACD 304-06 Commercial Note Taking Services, written permission must be
secured from the official instructor of the class in order to sell the instructor's oral communication in
the form of notes. Notes must have the notetaker's name as well as the instructor's name, the course
number, and the date.

Grading
There are 1000 course points possible in the class. The following scale is used to assign
grades at the end of the semester, based on the number of course points earned by each
student.

Grade

Percentage

Points Range

A+

98 - 100%

980-1000

92-97.9%

920-979

A-

90-91.9%

900-919

B+

88-89.9%

880-899

82-87.9%

820-879

B-

80-81.9%

800-819

C+

78-79.9%

780-799

70-77.9%

700-779

60-69.9%

600-699

Below 60%

0-599

E/Failing

BIO130 Introduction to Environmental Science ~ Session A

Schedule (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

1/12

1/18

Unit 1: Ecosystems & Earths Resources

Watch Chapters 1, 3 & 4 Lectures and Read Chapters 1, 3 & 4 Text
Lab: Safety & Introduction to Science Inquiry Blackboard Quiz
Discussion board: Personal Introduction

Due
Dates
(Sundays,
except as
noted)
1/18

Extra Credit: Syllabus Quiz (earn up to 5 points extra credit)

1/19
1/25

1/26
2/1

Watch Chapters 8, 5 & 6 Lectures and Read Chapters 8, 5 & 6 Text

Lab: Keystone Predator [SimUText Lab] Blackboard Quiz
Lab: Isle Royale [SimUText Lab] Blackboard Quiz
Discussion Board: Topic 1 Food production and consumption
Watch Chapters 11 & 10 Lectures and Read Chapters 11 & 10 Text &
online resources
Hands on Lab: Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil
Lab: Relating Earth Spheres Blackboard Quiz
Lecture Exam 1 open 1/25 2/1[Covers: Earth spheres, basic needs of

1/25

2/1

living things, cycling of energy & matter in ecosystems, populations &

communities, human populations, biomes & biodiversity, soil & water
resources]

Unit 2: Energy
2/2
2/8

2/9
2/15

Watch Chapters 14 & 19 Lectures and Read Chapter 14 & 19 Text,

online resources
Lab: Water Supply Blackboard Quiz
Lab: Fossil Fuels & Global Climate Change Blackboard Quiz
Discussion Board: Topic 2 Green Lawns & long showers
Watch Chapters 18, 15 & 16 Lectures & Movies and Read Chapters 18,
15 & 16 Text
Hands on Lab: Solar Energy
Discussion Board: Topic 3 Weaning ourselves off fossil fuels
Lecture Exam 2 open 2/8 2/15[Covers: introduction to energy, fossil

2/8

2/15

fuels, air pollution, global climate change, nuclear energy and renewable
energy]

2/16
2/22

2/23
3/1

Unit 3: Pollution
Watch Chapters 20, 22 & 21 Lectures and Read Chapters 20, 22 & 21
Text
Lab: Nutrient Pollution [SimUText Lab] Blackboard Quiz
Lab: Solid Waste Blackboard Quiz
Watch Chapters 17 & 23 Lectures & Movies and Read Chapter 17 & 23
Text and online resources
Discussion Board: Topic 4 - Whats in your garbage?
Lab: Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis [SimUText Lab]
Blackboard Quiz

2/22

3/1

3/2
3/3

Lecture Exam 3 open 2/23 3/3[Covers: water & soil pollution, solid
waste & recycling, natural hazards, environmental health & hazards,
and sustainable communities]
Extra Credit: Ranking Activity (earn up to 5 points
extra credit)
* Course ends Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015

Tuesday!
3/3

** Each week, all assignments are due by the end of the day on Sunday.
*** It is highly recommended that you spread out the work through the week.

Drop and Add Dates/Withdrawals/Incompletes

The A/B sections of this course adhere to a compressed schedule and may be part of a sequenced
program, therefore, there is a limited timeline to drop or add the course. Consult with your advisor
and notify your instructor to add or drop this course. If you are considering a withdrawal, review the
following ASU policies: Withdrawal from Classes, Medical/Compassionate Withdrawal, and a Grade of
Incomplete.

The instructor will NOT withdraw students for any reason. Specifically, students should be aware
that lack of course participation will NOT automatically result in their being dropped from the
course. Therefore, if a student does not participate in class during the first week or for any extended
period of time during the semester, they should not presume that they are no longer registered. It is the
students responsibility to be aware of their registration status.

Please note the following dates:

Session A
Session Date & Deadlines

(7.5 Week Session)

Jan 12 Mar 3, 2015

Classes Begin

Drop/Add Deadline (w/out College approval)

Tuition & Fees 100% Refund Deadline

January 12, 2015

January 13, 2015

January 18, 2015

Martin Luther King Holiday Observed University Closed

Course Withdrawal Deadline
Complete Session Withdrawal Deadline *

January 30, 2015

March 3, 2015

Deadline to Apply for Graduation

Spring Break Classes Excused
Classes End/Last Day to Process transactions
Final Exams

March 3, 2015
Last day of classes

Final Grades Due

March 6, 2015

Commencement Ceremony (Graduate & Undergraduate)

Any withdrawal transaction must be completed by the deadline date in accordance to the
appropriate session at the registrars office. If not, you will still be officially enrolled and you will
receive a grade based on your work completed.
*As part of a complete session withdrawal a student must withdraw from all classes in a session.
Beginning the first day of classes, undergraduate students are required to work with a Student Retention
Coordinator to facilitate the withdrawal process. Please refer to http://students.asu.edu/StudentRetention
For additional information about ASUs withdrawal policy and the possible consequences of withdrawing
from a class, contact Registration Services or your academic counselor.
The Grade of Incomplete: A grade of incomplete will be awarded only in the event that a documented
emergency or illness prevents a student who is doing acceptable work from completing a small
percentage of the course requirements at the end of the semester. The guidelines in the current general
ASU catalog regarding a grade of incomplete will be strictly followed. A grade of incomplete will NOT
be awarded unless there is documented evidence of extreme personal or immediate family
hardship. Changes in work hours, child-care emergencies, or other similar personal problems will not be
approved as reasons for awarding incompletes. The Director of the School of Mathematical and Natural
Sciences must approve all incomplete grade requests.

Grade Appeals
Grade disputes must first be addressed by discussing the situation with the instructor. If the
dispute is not resolved with the instructor, the student may appeal to the department chair
per the University Policy for Student Appeal Procedures on Grades.

Accessibility Statement
In compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act
as amended (ADAAA) of 2008, professional disability specialists and support staff at the Disability
Resource Center (DRC) facilitate a comprehensive range of academic support services and
accommodations for qualified students with disabilities.
Qualified students with disabilities may be eligible to receive academic support services and
accommodations. Eligibility is based on qualifying disability documentation and assessment of
individual need. Students who believe they have a current and essential need for disability
accommodations are responsible for requesting accommodations and providing qualifying
documentation to the DRC. Every effort is made to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified
students with disabilities.

Qualified students who wish to request an accommodation for a disability should contact the DRC by
going to https://eoss.asu.edu/drc, calling (480) 965-1234 or emailing DRC@asu.edu. To speak with a
specific office, please use the following information:

ASU Online and Downtown Phoenix Campus

University Center Building, Suite 160
602-496-4321 (Voice)

West Campus
University Center Building (UCB), Room 130
602-543-8145 (Voice)

Course Evaluation
Students are expected to complete the course evaluation. The course/instructor evaluation
for this course will be conducted online 7-10 days before the last official day of classes of
each semester or summer session. Your response(s) to the course/instructor are
anonymous and will not be returned to your instructor until after grades have been
submitted. The use of a course/instructor evaluation is an important process that allows
our college to (1) help faculty improve their instruction, (2) help administrators evaluate
instructional quality, (3) ensure high standards of teaching, and (4) ultimately improve
instruction and student learning over time. Completion of the evaluation is not required for
you to pass this class and will not affect your grade, but your cooperation and participation
in this process is critical. About two weeks before the class finishes, watch for an e-mail
with "NCIAS Course/Instructor Evaluation in the subject heading. The email will be
sent to your official ASU e-mail address.

Student Conduct and Academic Integrity

Academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, papers, laboratory work, academic
transactions and records. The possible sanctions include, but are not limited to, appropriate grade
penalties, course failure (indicated on the transcript as a grade of E), course failure due to academic
dishonesty (indicated on the transcript as a grade of XE), loss of registration privileges, disqualification
and dismissal. For more information, see http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity. Additionally,
required behavior standards are listed in the Student Code of Conduct and Student Disciplinary
Procedures, Computer, Internet, and Electronic Communications policy, and outlined by the Office of
Student Rights & Responsibilities. Anyone in violation of these policies is subject to sanctions. The

university requires that the implementation of any of these penalties for violations of the academic
integrity policy be reported to the Deans office. The Integrity Policy defines the process to be used if the
student wishes to appeal this action.
A student may be found to have violated this obligation and to have engaged in academic dishonesty if
during or in connection with any academic evaluation, he or she:
Engages in any form of academic deceit;
Refers to materials or sources or employs devices (e.g., audio recorders, crib sheets,
calculators, solution manuals, or commercial research services) not authorized by the
instructor for use during the academic evaluation;
Possesses, buys, sells, obtains, or uses, without appropriate authorization, a copy of any
materials intended to be used for academic evaluation in advance of its administration;
Acts as a substitute for another person in any academic evaluation;
Uses a substitute in any academic evaluation;
Depends on the aid of others to the extent that the work is not representative of the student's
abilities, knowing or having good reason to believe that this aid is not authorized by the
instructor;
Provides inappropriate aid to another person, knowing or having good reason to believe the
aid is not authorized by the instructor;

 Engages in plagiarism;
Permits his or her work to be submitted by another person without the instructor's
authorization; or
Attempts to influence or change any academic evaluation or record for reasons having no
relevance to class achievement.
Students are entitled to receive instruction free from interference by other members of the class. An
instructor may withdraw a student from the course when the student's behavior disrupts the
educational process per Instructor Withdrawal of a Student for Disruptive Classroom Behavior.
Appropriate online behavior (also known as netiquette) is defined by the instructor and includes
keeping course discussion posts focused on the assigned topics. Students must maintain a cordial
atmosphere and use tact in expressing differences of opinion. Inappropriate discussion board posts
may be deleted by the instructor and may receive a score of "0" in the gradebook.
The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities accepts incident reports from students, faculty, staff,
or other persons who believe that a student or a student organization may have violated the Student
Code of Conduct.

Syllabus Disclaimer
The syllabus is a statement of intent and serves as an implicit agreement between the
instructor and the student. Every effort will be made to avoid changing the course schedule
but the possibility exists that unforeseen events will make syllabus changes necessary.
Please remember to check your ASU email and the course site often.