• Introduction
• in-class activity
• Distribution & review of syllabus
• administrative details
• course overview
• Introduction to environmental science (Environmental Interrelationships, chapter 1, introduction)
• In-class activity

• work in groups of 3-5 students
• spend 5 minutes discussing the most serious environmental issues/problems
• agree to a ranking of the top three (with #1 being the most significant)
• on a piece of paper write the following information:
• names of group members
• numbered list of top three issues
• 3-5 sentence justification for top issue’s rank
• all papers are to be submitted
• volunteers can summarize their group’s list and justification

• Instructor
• Education
• Employment experience
• non-teaching
• teaching

Administrative Details
Facility

• Class Format
• Course Syllabus
• lecture
• laboratory
• Preparing for Class
• Course Overview

• Facility
• Restroom Locations
• Fire Safety
• Classroom evacuation routes
• fire exits
• posted evacuation plan
• Passable aisles
• store personal belongings under seats
• Class Format
• Time
• MW 9:00am-10:15am
• full class period, no break
• Labs, either W, R, F
• Agenda
• Lecture
• lecture
• discussion
• in-class activities/assignments

• EVPP 110 website
• http://mason.gmu.edu/~klargen
• syllabus, lecture outlines, study guides, etc.
• distribution of additional information
• Class Conduct Expectations
• Conduct that interferes with students’ or instructor’s ability to hear and/or focus on lecture cannot be tolerated
• arrive on time
• stay until end of class
• no use of cell phones, pagers, music players
• no side conversations with fellow students

• Course goals
• designed as two-semester lab science sequence
• EVPP 110
• EVPP 111
• fulfills the University General Education requirements for undergraduate students
• for information on requirements see
• www.gmu.edu/catalog/gened/index.html
• study components and interactions that make up the natural systems of earth

• course will teach basic concepts in
• biological
• chemical
• physical
• and earth sciences
• in an integrated format
• through a combination of lecture, laboratory, and field exercises
• lab syllabus will be presented and discussed in lab meetings
• Students completing the course are expected to

• demonstrate an understanding of
• basic components of the natural world
• basic laws of natural systems
• how they interact to produce the natural phenomena of planet Earth
• gain an appreciation of
• complexity of natural systems
• linkages which can complicate human efforts to manage the environment

• Students completing the course are expected to

• recognize & be able to apply basic scientific concepts such as
• hypothesis, experimentation, observation, substantiation, proof, prediction
• evaluate scientific information and draw appropriate inferences and conclusions from it
• distinguish between
• issues subject to scientific analysis
• those appropriate to other modes of inquiry
• Course Instructors
• Lecture
• Dr. Kim Largen
• Office: David King (DK) Hall, Room 3047
• M & W: 8:15am-8:45am & 10:30am-11:00am
• R: 10:00am-11:00am
• Phone: 703-993-1033
• Mailbox: DK Room 3042-3043
• email: klargen@gmu.edu
• Lab
• graduate teaching assistants
• Hari Dulal
• Alexander Wooten
• contact info will be presented in lab
• Textbooks and Supplies
• Lecture
• Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships, , 9th Edition, by Enger & Smith
• many excellent instructional resources available at textbook website at
• http://www.mhhe.com/environmentalscience
• Laboratory
• EVPP 110 Lab Manual
• Attendance
• attend every lab and lecture
• arrive on time and remain until end of class
• students are responsible for being aware of all information and announcements presented in class whether present or not
• lab absences result in a zero for that week

• Grading
• Overall course grade = 1000 points
• 75% from lecture (750 points)
• 25% from lab (250 points)

• Lecture grade = 750 points
• based on
• three exams (225 points each)
• multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, true/false, matching, short answer
• on material from lecture and lab
• make-ups at discretion of instructor
• in-class activities (75 points total)
• unannounced (unscheduled)
• no make-ups
• Laboratory grade = 250 points
• based on
• weekly lab write-ups, assignments, activities
• current issue project/presentation
• lab instructor will address details

• Scale
• 10 percent grading scale will be used unless dictated otherwise by the college
• if college dictates the use of the + and - system, it will be implemented

• Cancelled Classes
• call 703-993-1000 for official notification of cancelled classes
• if an exam is scheduled for a day on which classes are cancelled (due to weather or any other reason), the exam will be given during the next scheduled class

• Honor Code
• students are expected to read and adhere to GMU Honor Code
• copying data, falsifying data, cheating on assignments and exams are considered violations of the Honor Code

• Lecture Schedule (syllabus page 3)
• provides topics to be covered each week and required reading associated with these topics
• most required reading comes from textbook
• some required reading will come from internet
• especially for topics not covered at all or not covered well in text
• provides exam dates
• 9/29 - exam 1
• 11/3 - exam 2
• 12/15 - exam 3

• course schedule
• class meets
• 8/25 through 12/3
• Non-instructional days
• 9/1 - Labor Day
• 10/13 - Fall Break (Columbus Day)*
• 11/26 - Thanksgiving (Wednesday)
• * NOTE: Mon classes meet on Tue 10/14

• Preparing for Class
• read assigned portions of textbook and internet sites
• read pertinent unit objectives
• outline each chapter
• complete review questions at end of each chapter
• use study guides
• use instructional resources available at textbook website
• ask for help when needed!

• having trouble?
• Counseling Center offers variety of sessions
• academic counseling
• stress management
• relaxation
• improving concentration
• exam strategies

• what is environmental science?
• interdisciplinary nature of this science
• why we need to study environmental science
• human impacts on the environment
• how do we address environmental problems?
• scientific analysis of environmental problems
• scientific method
• matter & energy
• structure of matter
• atoms
• elements
• periodic table
• molecules and compounds
• chemical reactions
• matter & energy
• types of energy
• states of matter
• laws of thermodynamics
• life
• properties of life
• cell theory
• origin of life
• fueling life
• photosynthesis
• cellular respiration
• life
• levels of organization of life
• cell
• tissue
• organ
• organism
• population
• community
• ecosystem
• life
• categorizing life
• basics of taxonomy
• kingdoms of life
• major characteristics
• physical environment
• solar radiation
• atmosphere
• composition
• circulation patterns
• global oceans
• circulation patterns
• interaction of ocean with atmosphere
• El Nino
• physical environment
• weather and climate
• weather parameters
• examples of severe weather
• climate
• factors that determine climate
• temperature
• precipitation
• climatic zones
• physical environment
• interplanetary processes
• plate tectonics
• volcanoes
• earthquakes
• ecological concepts
• organism interactions
• principles of population ecology
• how populations change size
• factors that affect population size
• how populations change over time
• natural selection
• evolution
• human population
• history of its growth
• current size
• factors contributing to accelerated growth
• age structure & population pyramids
• as an environmental problem
• human population explosion
• population, resources & the environment
• communities
• biological communities
• interactions among organisms
• predation, symbiosis, competition
• ecological niche
• species diversity
• community change over time
• succession
• ecosystems
• definition
• flow of energy through ecosystems
• trophic levels
• producers, consumers, decomposers
• ecological pyramids
• biogeochemical cycles
• how chemical elements cycle
• major biogeochemical cycles
• major biomes
• tundra, taiga, temperate rain forest, temperate deciduous, forest, grasslands, chaparral, deserts, savanna, tropical rain forest
• role of climate in determining biome
• characteristics of each biome
• aquatic ecosystems

• what this course is:
• an environmental science course
• what this course is not:
• an environmental studies course

• Environmental Science
• interdisciplinary
• includes applied and theoretical aspects of human impact on world
• incorporates scientific aspects with inputs from social sciences
• Environmental Science
• what disciplines are incorporated?
• Participation: list generated by students:

• what is meant by the term "environment"?
• Participation: list generated by students:

• what is meant by the term "environment"?
• from French environner: to encircle or surround
• definitions include
• circumstances and conditions that surround an organism or group of organisms
• the social and cultural conditions that affect an individual or community
• Environment definition
• everything that affects an organism during its lifetime.

• Think you're an environmental whiz?
• according to a survey conducted by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation and the polling firm Roper Starch Worldwide
• most people are in the dark when it comes to environmental issues.
• According to the NEETF survey
• adult Americans were reportedly able to answer an average of just 2.2 of 10 questions correctly
• random guessing would have scored 2.5 correct.

• work independently
• on a sheet of paper write the following information
• your name
• # 1 - 10, for the 10 questions to be asked
• letter representing answer to each question
• after answering questions
• exchange papers with a neighbor
• as correct answers for the questions are displayed, correct papers and, as a class, discuss possible reasons for misconceptions
• submit all papers

• 1. What is generally agreed upon as being the greatest threat to our wildlife resources?
• A. .pollution
• B. global warming
• C. .habitat loss
• D. ozone depletion
• 2. What is the current population of the Earth?
• A. 3 billion
• B. 5 billion
• C.10 billion
• D. 6 billion
• 3. Worldwide, most childhood deaths are caused by:
• A. starvation
• B. car accidents
• C. water pollution
• 4. Which action can have the greatest impact on reducing the threat of global warming?
• A. recycling
• B. reduced energy use
• C. composting
• D. planting a tree
• 5. Which form of household heating is generally considered most environmentally friendly?
• A. electric baseboard
• B. coal
• C. wood
• D. natural gas
• 6. How much water does the average person living in the United States use in a day?
• A. 10 gallons
• B. 20 gallons
• C. 50 gallons
• D. 100 gallons
• 7. Which produces more greenhouse gas pollution?
• A. the average home
• B. the average car
• C. either produce any
• 8. What is the main source of water pollution in the United States?
• A. oil spills
• B. run off from farm fields, roads, parking lots, and lawns
• C. sewage
• 9. What year did the former Soviet Union loft the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, into Earth orbit?
• A. 1945
• B. 1950
• C. 1957
• D. 1969
• 10. How much trash does the average person throw out annually?
• A. 500 pounds
• B. 1000 pounds
• C. 1500 pounds
• exchange papers with a neighbor
• correct neighbor’s paper based on quiz answers at
• www.enn.com

• The end