ENVS 200 introduces students to the field of environmental studies and provides them with basic information about a variety of environmental issues, concepts, debates, events, and actors or thinkers. This survey course presents an overview of key concepts related to environmental analysis, such as resilience, carrying capacity, and environmental justice, as well as a range of topics related to contemporary environmental issues such as water, biodiversity, and ecological design. In particular, the course explores the principles of sustainable development and sustainability. Students are introduced to some of the complexity and debate regarding these concepts and are required to critically engage in applying the concepts. In this course, students are also introduced to critical interdisciplinary analysis and social innovation, and provided opportunities to develop and refine their skills in these areas.
Outline
Unit 1: Critically Examining Change
Unit 2: The Ecosphere
Unit 3: Managing and Protecting Natural Resources and Biodiversity
Unit 4: The Land, Water, and Forests
Unit 5: The Atmosphere, Climate Change, and Energy
Unit 6: Impacts and Risks of Pollution and Waste
Unit 7: Future Developments
Objectives
Provide a broad overview of the current state of the planet.
Describe and utilize the key concepts/scientific principles related to environmental studies.
Undertake a basic level of social/political/cultural/economic/philosophical analysis to highlight some of the many dimensions of environmental issues.
Articulate and demonstrate how to undertake critical interdisciplinary analysis of environmental issues.
Identify and explore your own and other people’s environmental understandings and behaviours.
Articulate some of the challenges to living sustainably and possibilities for social innovation on environmental issues.
Evaluation
To receive credit for ENVS 200, you must write the final examination and achieve a course composite grade of at least a D (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Assignment 1: Personal Reflection on Nature and Humanity
15%
Assignment 2: Summary and Analysis of an Environmental Issue
10%
Assignment 3: Decoding Visual Media—Representations of Nature in Popular Culture
15%
Assignment 4: Profiling a Social Innovation (Part A: Framing the Issue)
15%
Assignment 4: Profiling a Social Innovation (Part B: Detailing the Innovation)
15%
Final Exam
30%
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
Draper, D., & Zimmerman, A. (2017). Our environment: A Canadian perspective (5th ed.). Toronto, ON: Nelson Education. (eText)
All other learning resources will be available online.
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 ENVS 200 challenge registration, you must achieve an overall grade of at least D (50 percent).
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.