ENSC 200 is a junior-level three-credit science course designed to introduce you to the basic terminology, techniques, and concepts of environmental science, and to expose you to simple experiments that will allow you to apply fundamental concepts to real-world situations.
Outline
Unit 1 Environmental Problems: An Introduction and Overview
Unit 2 Environmental History: Learning from the Past
Unit 3 Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy
Unit 4 Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work?
Unit 5 Evolution and Biodiversity
Unit 6 Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity
Unit 7 Aquatic Biodiversity
Unit 8 Community Ecology
Unit 9 Population Ecology
Unit 10 Applying Population Ecology: The Human Population
Unit 11 Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: Managing and Protecting Ecosystems
Unit 12 Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach
Unit 13 Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity
Unit 14 Food and Soil Resources
Unit 15 Water Resources
Unit 16 Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources
Unit 17 Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Unit 18 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Unit 19 Risk, Toxicology, and Human Health
Unit 20 Air Pollution
Unit 21 Climate Change and Ozone Loss
Unit 22 Water Pollution
Unit 23 Pest Management
Unit 24 Solid and Hazardous Waste
Unit 25 Sustainable Cities
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to
recognize and use the appropriate scientific vocabulary for describing and analyzing issues in environmental science.
describe the connections among elements of an environmental system.
assess basic scientific evidence about environmental issues and interpret data about the environmental impacts of human activities.
quantitatively describe the effects of your personal activities on the environment, including your carbon footprint.
observe your local environment as part of broader scientific studies, such as citizen science projects.
Evaluation
To receive credit for ENSC 200, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent), and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Units 1-25, online quizzes (1% each)
25%
Experiments 1-4 (5% each)
20%
Citizen Science Assignment
15%
Final Examination
40%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Miller, G.T., Hackett, D. (2013). Living in the Environment (3rd Canadian ed.). Toronto: Nelson Education. (eText)
All other learning resources will be available online.
Special Instructional Feature
Home labs involve use of materials typically found around a home as well as information gathered from local and internet based sources.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the ENSC 200 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least C- (60 percent)on the examination. The challenge evaluation consists of a three-hour exam.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.