Global Warming: Fact or Fiction?

Jonathan Geisler
,
geislerj@gasou.edu

Georgia Southern University
a
Public four-year institution, primarily undergraduate
.

Course URL:
Course Size:

31-70

Course Context:

This is an introductory level course that has no prerequistes and is not a prerequisite for any other course. Most students would take the course to satisfy a general education requirement.

Course Goals:

Students should be able to...

1) determine whether historical and current climate data support the hypothesis that human activities are causing global warming or if the data itself is flawed.

2) predict what geographic areas would be most affected by global warming.

3) form, explain, and defend opinions on land use and economic development issues related to global warming.


How course activities and course structure help students achieve these goals:

The course will be divided into three parts, each of which deals primarily with one of the discipline-related goals. Goal 3 will be achieved by the implementation of pyramid exams and a series of "press releases" where students will present and defend policy decisions related to the global warming controversy.

Skills Goals

1) read and inerpret maps
2) read and interpret graphs
3) teach their peers and learn how to communicate scientific concepts


How course activities and course structure help students achieve these goals:

Classroom lectures as well as exams will extensively use maps and graphs. Use of pyramid exams will help students to improve their peer instruction skills.