The Course

Syllabus

Catalog Description

Examination of nutrition principles using chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics. Content will include structure-function relationships of the food groups, energy and metabolism, regulatory processes, and health indices. Projects of real world application will be performed to gain hands on experience with the scientific method, data handling and interpretation, and scientific communications.

This course examines both the science of local issues and the tools that policy makers apply to them. Students will explore topics such as the effects of agriculture on Iowa's environment, air quality in cities like Des Moines and Chicago, the chemistry of hog lots, genetic engineering, and alternative energies. Through the study of some of Iowa's environmental issues, students will gain an understanding of the ways in which scientists and policymakers think about complex, dynamic systems.

About the Relation of Mathematics in This Course to the Mathematics in SMEC

Some students may have already taken the first SMEC course and some may not have. Since some mathematical tools are used in both classes (data analysis, exponential functions, and algebraic manipulation) students who take both classes will be exposed to the same concepts more than once. This is not a bad thing rather it is a strength of the SMEC sequence: first of all, we will attempt to minimize overlap by covering similar concepts from different angles. In addition, we feel that multiple exposures to the same concept but in different contexts deepens your understanding of that concept and increases your ability to apply the concept in new and unfamiliar circumstance.