Unit 1.3 - Systems Models
Tim White, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
The term "Earth system science" is typically used to describe the science (especially quantitative modeling) of the interactions between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere, and biosphere---the ...

Hurricane Time Series Analysis
Henry Potter, Texas A & M University
This activity uses Atlantic hurricane data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Students will run the code provided to produce figures (scatter plots, time series, and histograms) that ...

Unit 2: Examining the Distribution of Mass Wasting Events
Bobak Karimi (Wilkes University) Stephen Hughes (University of Puerto Rico–Mayaguez)
What factors contribute to the distribution patterns of mass wasting events? In this unit, students will use a frequency-ratio method, one of the most common quantitative methods used in the statistical analysis of ...

Unit 4: Case Study Group Work-Problem Identification
Rebecca Boger, Brooklyn College, CUNY; Russanne Low, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies; Amy Potter, Armstrong State University
Units 4, 5, and 6 provide the opportunity for students to delve into a greater examination of food security at a regional level in small teams selecting one of the following locations (Caribbean, New York City, or ...

Unit 5: Case Study Group Work-Spatial Data Investigation
Rebecca Boger, Brooklyn College, CUNY; Russanne Low, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies; Amy Potter, Armstrong State University
Unit 5 will delve more into an examination of food security using online ArcGIS. The class begins with a GIS-based exploration of data available for the three regions. The rest of the class period is provided for ...

Unit 3: Climate Change and Food Security
Rebecca Boger, Brooklyn College, CUNY; Russanne Low, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies; Amy Potter, Armstrong State University
This unit applies a flipped classroom model. Students complete a self-study tutorial prior to attending class. Students are then asked work independently or in pairs to generate a time-aware climate change Web map ...

Unit 2: Modeling Population
Kirsten Menking, Vassar College; David Bice, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
In this unit, students create three different STELLA models to explore a variety of concepts related to population growth and resource use. The first model simulates the classic lynx-snowshoe hare predator-prey ...

Unit 6: Regional Case Study Community Action Plans
Rebecca Boger, Brooklyn College, CUNY; Amy Potter, Armstrong State University; Russanne Low, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
Unit 6 provides an opportunity for students to present their action plans and exchange knowledge about what they have learned in their team case study work. This unit builds on food security and Earth system ...

United Nations Environmental Summit
Cynthia Hall, College of Charleston
Environmental geology is applied geology and being applied requires an understanding of all of the pieces of the puzzle. This activity is a culmination of many ideas learned in environmental geology: discussing the ...

Unit 2: Systems Thinking and the Wicked Problem of Global Food Security
Rebecca Boger, Brooklyn College, CUNY; Russanne Low, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies; Amy Potter, Armstrong State University
Armed with an overview of the complexity of issues associated with global food security, this unit begins by contextualizing food security as an example of a wicked problem. Wicked problems are problems that are ...