Introduction to Environmental Science Lab

15-30

Lecture and lab

University with graduate programs, including doctoral programs

This is an introduction course and serves as one of the required sciences course for students of all major. The number of registration for this course increases every year and offered every semester. Students with non-science major account for 65 % and science major account for 35 %. Outstanding high school, freshman, sophomore, junior and senior students register for this course.

This course is a multi-disciplinary science course within chemistry, ecology, hydrology, energy and environment. The course includes lecture class, six indoor labs, one field lab and group project. Students perform an experiment on acid and base reaction, water quality, air pollution, toxic analysis, and nutrient analysis. Students learn how to write a lab report, analyze and interpret chemical analysis.
students learn how to identify environmental problem and propose an action remedial plan.

The objective of this course is to make students familiar with the environmental issues. Students will able to understand about acid rain deposition, invasive and exotic species, large scale deforestation, anthropogenic influence on atmospheric conditions, and different kind of pollution. students will learn about the interdependence of ecosystems such as the impacts of excessive fertilizer and nutrient usage in agricultural systems, which can result in both surface and ground water pollution. This course would enable students to be aware of and to learn about the burning topics related to the environment from across the globe.

Students perform experiment and will have hands on experience in identifying and analyzing different environmental problems related with air, water pollution, and environmental degradation. Students identify environmental problems on campus and propose an action remedial plan and present the findings with presentation and a complete a term paper.

This course was designed from the multi disciplinary view of Earth and Environment department. The course is designed to give awareness and exposure to students to identify environmental problem and propose a solution to the problem. We can make a difference if we come together and act in a way so that we can not only enjoy a healthy environment, but also preserve it for the future generations.

Assessment of the course is punctuated by lab report, quiz, exam and term paper. The students submit a comprehensive lab report and get feed back from instructors to improve their writing ability every week. The course content of the course is assessed via quiz and exam. Students also submit a term paper and along with presentation.

Introduction to Environmental Science Lab

EVR (1001L)

Instructors: Michael Kiflai, Seema Sah, Javiera Hernandez, Kevin Cavasos, Shagufta Gaffer, Samual kent, and Ikechukwu Onwuka

Location: OE 161

Time: Monday,Wednesday, Friday 9:30 AM-12:15PM

Tuesday, Thursday, 14:00 PM -16:45 PM

Email: mkiflai@fiu.edu sahs@fiu.edu

Office Hours: Wednesday, 4:00 PM -6:00 PM or by an appointment PC 325

Tuesday, 10:00 AM -12:00 AM or by an appointment.

Environmental Science and Sustainability Lab

Welcome to EVR 1001L!

This course is offered every semester in FIU. The objective of this course is to make students familiar with the environmental issues around us. The environment that we see and feel around is being polluted not only in our immediate surroundings but also on a national and global scale. Large scale deforestation, anthropogenic influence on atmospheric conditions, pollutions in every form, and many more have not only endangered the environment, but also have threatened human and animal lives. This course would enable students to be aware of and to learn about the burning topics related to the environment from across the globe. We can make a difference if we come together and act in a way so that we can not only enjoy a healthy environment, but also preserve it for the future generations.

Course Description:

This one credit laboratory course is an introduction to environmental science and sustainability (EVR 1001L). Students will have hands on experience in identifying and analyzing different environmental problems related with air, water pollution and environmental degradation. Furthermore, students will learn about the interdependence of ecosystems such as the impacts of excessive fertilizer or nutrient usage in agricultural systems, which can result in both surface and ground water pollution. Students will also learn how individual consumption patterns can make a difference in energy use, diminishing waste and market influence, to differentiate between indoor and outdoor pollution, and how to reduce these

LAB COURSE OUTLINE

Date	Topics covered
01/11/2017	Introduction/Safety/Overview
01/18/2017	Acid and Base
01/25/2017	Biological Pollution (Field trip)*
02/01/2017	Domestic use Water Analysis
02/08/2017	Campus Audit
02/15/2017	Environmental Shopping
02/22/2017	Mid Term
03/01/2017	Nutrient Analysis
03/08/2017	Spring Break
03/13/2017-03/17/2017	Air Pollution lab
03/22/2017	Toxics Analysis
03/29/2017	Energy and Environment
04/05/2017	Group work day
04/12/2017	Campus Audit Presentation
04/19/2017	final exam review
04/26/2017	Final Exam

* After discussing the biological pollution, we will go to the FIU preserve for the field trip and observe how biological pollution happens in an ecosystem. It takes about one and half hour. You are advised to bring your own bottle of water, mosquito repellents and hat. Wear comfortable shoes, pants and long sleeves

** Further Instruction for that field trip will be given in class.

Course Policies:

* Safety rules must be followed while working in the lab.

* Food and drinks are not allowed in the lab.

* Cell phone should be turned off in the class room and on the field trip.

* To reduce the direct expose to chemicals, students are advised to wear tied toed shoes, long cotton sleeve shirts and long pant.

General Instructions: Student's grade for this course will be based on attendance, class disciplines, two exams, lab reports, Environmental shopping, Campus audit and presentation. There will be no make up labs or make up exams except in the case of serious illness. Please be on time for class, points will be deducted from your final grade if you are late on a regular basis!

Course texts:There is no text for this lab course. All lab manuals, class lectures and background information will be posted in Blackboard under each week tab. It is your responsibility to read the assigned material before coming to class

Attendance:Attendance is mandatory for all lab classes (missing a lab class will lead to losing points from the lab report as well as attendance points)

- You are expected to arrive to class on time. Two" lates" are equivalent to 1 absence.

Quizzes: there will be 4-5 pop quizzes throughout the semester, mostly multiple choices questions that will count towards your attendance.

- Be punctual since all pop quizzes will be conducted during first 15 minutes of the class.

Exams: There will be two exams- Midterm and Final: each worth 25% of your final grade.

Lab report submission: All lab reports are due the flowing class by midnight, and should be submitted through Blackboard. Late lab reports will not be graded.

- If you miss more than two lab classes without prior information, you will receive an F grade for the missed lab.

- If you are absent from a lab, you CANNOT submit the lab report.

Lab Report Format: All lab reports should follow the general guideline posted under Blackboard under week 1 "How to write a lab report" (You will be given instructions if otherwise)

- All lab reports should be typed in word (doc) format using Time New Roman, Font size 12, Double Spaced, and 1 inch margin on all four sides.

Campus audit project paper and Presentation

This is a group project worth 150 points- you will be assigned to work in a group to complete a term paper along with presentation. The objective will be to identify one environmental problem on campus and propose an action remedial plan. There will be a presentation day when your group will share the project to the rest of the class. You are free to select any environmental related topic, but instructor must approve the topic first, and be informed of all the group members along with an outline (about 1 page) detailing the group objective.

Environmental Shopping

This is take home exercise worth 100 points, which has completion time of 2 weeks after being assigned. Instructions for this exercise will be given beforehand.

Grading:

Attendance + Quiz	10%
Lab-report	20%
Mid-term exam	25%
Project paper & presentation	20%
Final- exam	25%

Grading scale:

92% -100%	A
90% - 91%	A-
87% - 89%	B+
83% - 86%	B
80% - 82%	B-
77% - 79%	C+
70% - 76%	C
60%- 69 %	D
0%- 59 %	F

Extra Credit:

You can receive up to 25 points as an extra credit by participating in any environmental community activity such as tree plantation, cleaning preserve, cleaning ponds etc. To get extra credit, you will have to provide evidence of participation and write a one page report describing the work performed, its significance, and what you have learned.