Environmental Factors and Their Effect on Your Food Supply
| Nancy Ostiguy, Ph.D., M.P.H. | |
| Office Hours | Monday and Wednesday 2-3 PM and by appointment |
| Office Location | 542 Agricultural Sciences & Industries Building (ASI) |
| Phone | 863-2872 |
| nxo3@psu.edu | |
| Web Site | http://www.prenhall.com/nebel/ (password: earth)
http:\\www.ento.psu.edu/personnel/Faculty%20pages/ostiguy.htm |
| CourseTalk web site | http://coursetalk.cac.psu.edu/ |
| Teaching Assistant | |
| Amy Balog | |
| Office Hours | |
| Location | |
| anb110@psu.edu |
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| Required | Environmental Science 8th Edition by Bernard J. Nebel and Richard T. Wright |
| Optional | Study Guide: Environmental Science 8th edition - Clark E. Adams |
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| This course is an exploration of how urban environmental problems
influence our ability to obtain food and natural resources. We will look
at the Earth as a single ecosystem composed of interacting biological,
chemical and physical systems. Insects, one the most diverse groups of
organisms, will be used to provide examples of human impact on ecosystem
structure and function. Differences between sustainable and
non-sustainable systems, along with efforts to create sustainable human
systems, will be explored. The social and economic dimensions of issues
will be discussed. We will focus on how non-human systems interact with
each other and with the human population. The course focus will be on the
principles and concepts from biology, chemistry, geology and physics.
Specific topics treated within the context of this interdisciplinary
course include but are not limited to: human response to (insecticide use)
and influence on (reduction in diversity) insects, the unique and
life-giving properties of water, nutrient cycles, energy flows, species
diversity, the dose-response relationship, risk assessment and perception,
global climate change, and conservation of energy and matter. We will also be learning about how the use of the scientific method an interdisciplinary setting. Scientific situations found in everyday life will be used to explore and practice how to ask questions, gather data, and reach conclusions. |
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| Jeopardy ®
Starting mid-semester we will play Jeopardy. Teams of three will answer questions given at the end of class. You will be given a short amount of time to consult with your team at the end of class. All teams will earn points if they include the names of the team member who participated (do not include the name of anyone who did not participate) and correctly answer the question with in 24 hours by sending email to nxo3@psu.edu and anb110@psu.edu. Twice during the second half of the semester you will be asked to grade the participation of you and your team members. Those who do not participate in answering the questions or who answer the questions without the input of his/her team member have earned a low participation score (see grading sheet). |
| In-class Writing and Attendance
Short, in-class, written student feedback will be collected frequently to determine the level of understanding and attendance. You will be asked to respond to a brief question about course material. These assignments may be given at the beginning, middle or end of class. There are no make-ups. You will be able to drop 3 assignments for any reason. If you have a University sanctioned written excuse for nonattendance or an acceptable excuse (documented illness or documented death in your immediate family) the average score of your other in-class writing assignments will be substituted for the missed assignment. |
| CourseTalk Class Discussion
http://coursetalk.cac.psu.edu/ Students will participate in class discussions using CourseTalk. Contributions will be evaluated for content and quality. Opinions will not be graded; the quality and clarity of the evidence will be evaluated. Some discussion topics will require research prior to discussion participation. |
| Two Midterms & Comprehensive Final
These exams will consist of multiple choice, true/false, matching, and short essay questions. You will be expected to be able to work with and apply information rather than list facts. Self-quizzes will accompany each unit to help you determine when you understand the concepts being learned |
| Extra Credit
On FRIDAY of each week (excluding the last Friday of the semester and Thanksgiving week) you can submit one question for the Jeopardy® game. The question must be on the previous or that week’s lecture. Your submission must include the correct answer to the question. You can earn up to 3 points per question. Simple, rote memory questions will earn 1 point. The most challenging (but still possible to answer) questions may earn up to 3 points. |
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| Jeopardy Game - answers | 7, 5 points each | 35 points |
| Jeopardy Game - participation | 2, 10 points each | 20 points |
| In-class writing assignments & Attendance | 10, 5 points each | 50 points |
| Course Talk class discussions | 11, 5 points each | 55 points |
| Midterm exams
Final Exam |
2, 50 points each
100 points |
200 points |
| TOTAL | 360 points | |
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Course Introduction |
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What is Science? | |
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Ozone Depetion: Are there non-human impacts? What and where is ozone? When is ozone "good"? When is ozone "bad"? | Ch. 2 (pgs 26-42), Ch. 3 (pgs 54-66), Ch 21 (pgs 501-502, 515-521) |
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Global Climate Change: Will our food growing areas change? Green house gases and their role in Earth's climate; Global Warming Predications and Our Food Supply | Ch. 2 (pgs 42-52) Ch. 3 (pgs 66-80) Ch. 21 (pgs 503-514 & 522) |
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Biodiversity: How does it impact our ability to eat? What is biodiversity? Diversity & Ecosysdtem Dynamic Blanace: Insects & Bacteria; Diversity in Our Food supply: The Influence of Consumer Demand | Chapter 4
Chapter 11 |
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Water and Life: The properties of water and its role in life; Water: Confliction demands; Water and nutrient cycles; Pollution: Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink | Chapter 9
Chapter 18 |
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Midterm | |
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Pesticides: Agriculture, Forestry and Homoe Use: Agricultural and non-agricultural pesticide use; Pesticide resistance | Chapter 17
Chapter 5 |
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| Learning or other disabilities:
If you have any learning or other disability that may affect your performance in this class, please speak with me. Necessary arrangements will be made. Any student who has need for accommodations based on disability or other life factors, should notify me, and discuss with me, by the end of the second week of the semester what your accommodation needs are. I am happy to make and negotiate accommodations in accordance with Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, with ADA, and/or as a result of other necessities. I have often found that an accommodation request from a student is an accommodation that can be instituted into the course as a whole, and benefit all students. |
| Academic Integrity:
Your work is expected to adhere to the University’s standards of academic integrity. "Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University's Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts." "Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others". See Policies and Rules for Students, Section 49-20 for Penn State's complete policy on Academic Integrity. Any work you submit for this course without appropriate citation of the work of others is plagiarism and will not tolerated. If you include ideas, sentences, or other material that are not yours in your work, you must properly cite your source(s). Your name on any assignment submitted indicates that you understand the rules on plagiarism and academic integrity and that the submitted work is your own. All violations of academic integrity will result in a grade of a zero (0) for the assignment. |
| Make-up exams:
All exceptions to taking the exams (midterms and final) at the scheduled time and date must be arranged at least 2 weeks prior to the exam date. Any exam not taken at the schedule time and date must be taken before the regularly scheduled exam; any exceptions will result in an oral exam. Exams missed due to documented illness or documented death in your immediate family will be recorded as the average of prior/subsequent exam scores. |
| In-class assignments:
There are no make-up assignments for the work done in class. You will be able to drop 2 assignments for any reason. If you have a University sanctioned written excuses for nonattendance or an acceptable excuse (documented illness or documented death in your immediate family) the average score of your other in-class writing assignments will be substituted for the missed assignment. |
| Late work:
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. You must obtain prior approval to submit any work after the due date unless you have an approved absence. |
| Phones, pagers, beepers, etc:
If you need to be contacted during class, the devise you use must be soundless and not disrupt class. If you need to make or receive a call during class you may leave class to do so but you may not return until the next class period. You will be responsible for any missed material. |
| THE PENN STATE PRINCIPLES
(http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/principles.html)
The Pennsylvania State University is a community dedicated to personal and academic excellence. The Penn State Principles embody the values that our students, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni possess. It is understood that members of the Penn State community agree to abide by the Principles to ensure that Penn State is a thriving environment for living and learning. By endorsing these common principles, members of the community contribute to the traditions and scholarly heritage left by those who preceded them and promise to leave Penn State a better place for those who follow. I will respect the dignity of all individuals within the Penn State community. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an educational environment that respects the right of all individuals to participate fully in the community. Actions motivated by hate, prejudice, or in-tolerance violate this principle. I will not engage in any behaviors that compromise or demean the dignity of individuals or groups, including intimidation, stalking, harassment, discrimination, taunting, ridiculing, insulting, or acts of violence. I will demonstrate respect for others by striving to learn from differences between people, ideas, and opinions and by avoiding behaviors that inhibit the ability of other community members to feel safe or welcome as they pursue their academic goals. I will practice academic integrity. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at Penn State University, allowing the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner. In accordance with the University's Code of Conduct, I will practice integrity in regard to all academic assignments. I will not engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception because such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others. I will demonstrate social and personal responsibility. The University is a community that promotes learning; any behaviors that are inconsistent with that goal are unacceptable. Irresponsible behaviors, including alcohol or drug abuse and the use of violence against people or property, undermine the educational climate by threatening the physical and mental health of members of the community. I will exercise personal responsibility for my actions and I will make sure that my actions do not interfere with the academic and social environment of the University. I will maintain a high standard of behavior by adhering to the Code of Conduct and respecting the rights of others. I will be responsible for my own academic progress and agree to comply with all University policies. The University allows students to identify and achieve their academic goals by providing the information needed to plan the chosen program of study and the necessary educational opportunities, but students assume final responsibility for course scheduling, program planning, and the successful completion of graduation requirements. I will be responsible for seeking the academic and career information needed to meet my educational goals by becoming knowledgeable about the relevant policies, procedures, and rules of the University and academic program, by consulting and meeting with my adviser, and by successfully completing all of the requirements for graduation. |