Instructor: Dr. Carol Thompson
Office: 139D Science -
Phone: 254-968-9739
cthompson@tarleton.edu

Office Hours posted on web page below.

Web page
http://www.tarleton.edu/~physci/CT/ES3503//
Copies of syllabus, class info, lecture notes, study guides, grades, links

Catalog Description
Integration of existing knowledge of geological, hydrological, and environmental processes associated with environmental management and land-use planning issues; including discussions of surface and subsurface water quality and quantity, soil erosion, solid and liquid waste disposal and flooding. Case studies involving environmental impact analysis. Prerequisites: GEOL 1054, 1074; CHEM 1054, or approval of department head. Course fee $10.

Text:
Understanding Environmental Pollution Marquita Hill 1997
Additional readings in library and on internet

Course Objectives:
The course is designed to acquaint students with environmental resource material, particularly in the area of water resources.

Specific Objectives:
Upon completion of this course a student will be able to:
Translate, summarize, and present technical scientific information
Offer informed opinions on environmental topics based on sound science
Use the skills gained for formal presentations
Find internet-based environmental information

Entrance Competencies
The student is assumed to have completed an entry-level course in Environmental Science and have knowledge of basic environmental principles.

Method of Instruction
Lecture, student presentations, occasional videotapes

Grading:
Exams (3) 100 pts each
Exams will be primarily short answer with some multiple choice, matching, and occasional essay.

Homework Assignments 10 pts each
For each discussion you are assigned, you will write a discussion of at least 700 words on the topic. This is equivalent to one page of text with 1 inch margins using Times New Roman 11 pt.

Field Trips (20-40 pts)
There will be one or two field trips on Friday afternoons. I am arranging for visits to a wastewater facility and to a landfill.

Formal Presentation (50 pts)
You will pick an environmental topic to be approved by me and develop a presentation on the topic. It takes a while to figure out what you want to do and develop materials so start early. This is a presentation which is supported by facts about the topic, but to which you add your opinions as to what should be done It will be formally presented to the class using PowerPoint. The week before your presentation, you will list a site or a pare for the class to read. You will turn in the presentations and I will post them to a common site for student viewing. They are testable material.

The presentation will be graded on clarity, organization, presentation materials, knowledge of subject, and length. The presentation will need to have exposition to interpret the material for your audience who will not be as familiar with the topic as you. The last slides(s) of the presentation will be a reference list of what materials or sites were referenced for the talk. I will post for reading a copy of an article on how to do a good presentation. Each presentation will be 15 minutes + 2 minutes for questions. I will be happy to discuss the topic with you or review your presentation in advance.

As always, this is a tentative topics and reading list. It may be revised at any time. I will post changes as they occur. More detail on each week's readings as well as the discussion questions will be posted to the web.

Date	Topic (very tentative)	Reading	Assignments
1/13/2004	World Environmental Issues	Chp 1, web	Group A due 1/20
1/15/2004	Environmental History	195-196, web
1/20/2004	Water Quality Laws	Web, 155-162
1/22/2004	Toxicology	Chp 3, web	Group B: due 1/29
1/27/2004	Environmental Risk	Chp 4, web	Group C: due 2/3 Group A: due 2/5
1/29/2004	US Water Quality	Chp 7, web
2/3/2004	Metals/Arsenic	Chp 9
2/5/2004	Nutrients	web
2/10/2004	TEST 1
2/12/2004	Hypoxia	web
2/17/2004	Pesticides	Chp 10
2/19/2004	Estrogens	Chp 11
2/24/2004	Waste Disposal – solid waste	Chp 8, web
2/26/2004	Waste disposal – haz waste	Chp 8, web
3/2/2004	Waste laws	web
3/4/2004	Waste solutions	Chp 2, web
3/9/2004	Wastewater	Chp 7
3/11/2004	TEST 2
3/12/2004	FRIDAY		Field Trip to wastewater plant
3/16-18/04	SPRING BREAK
3/22/2004	DROP DATE
3/23/2004	Water Use/Availability
3/25/2004	Surface Water
3/30/2004	Ground Water
4/1/2004	Presentations	1-4
4/6/2004	Presentations	5-8
4/8/2004	Presentations	9-12
4/13/2004	Presentations	13-16
4/15/2004	Air Pollution	Chp 5
4/20/2004	Laws, Solutions
4/22/2004	Radon	Chp 13, web
4/27/2004	Climate Change	Chp 6, web
05/03/04	Monday, 11:30 AM– 2:00 PM	TEST 3

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Academic Honesty: Tarleton State University expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Students guilty of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case of academic dishonesty that occurs in his/her class.
Services for Students with Disabilities: Students with documented disabilities may request reasonable accommodations which will enable them to participate in and benefit from all educational programs and activities. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requires that academic accommodation be made on an individual or case by case basis. This legislation requires the University to ensure that it is programmatically and structurally accessible to all students. Students should contact the ADA administrator or come by the office in Room 237 of the Administration Building http://online.tarleton.edu/ADAServices.htm Refer to the Student Handbook for detailed information regarding this subject.
Attendance Policy: Students are expected to regularly attend all classes in which they are enrolled. Student absences are considered by the University to be strictly between the individual student and faculty member. The faculty member has the responsibility and authority to determine whether make-up work can be done because of absences. Please refer to the current University Catalog for additional information regarding class attendance.
Grading Policy: Please refer to the current University Catalog for additional information regarding grading and course withdrawal policies. For this course, your grade will be determined as described previously.
Computer Usage Policy: Use of the computer resources at Tarleton State University is a privilege, not a right. When using these resources, individuals agree to abide by the applicable rules, regulations, and policies of the University, as well as federal, state and local laws. The University reserves the right to limit, restrict or deny access to its technology resources, as well as to take disciplinary and/or legal action against anyone in violation of these regulations or applicable law. http://www.tarleton.edu/~tiic/networkpolicy.htm

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

I. Tarleton State University's Policy on Cheating: Tarleton State University expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Students guilty of academic dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism in academic work shall be subject to disciplinary action. Refer to the Student Handbook for detailed information regarding this subject.
II. Services for Students with Disabilities: Students with documented disabilities may request reasonable accommodations which will enable them to participate in and benefit from all educational programs and activities. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requires that academic accommodation be made on an individual or case by case basis. This legislation requires the University to ensure that it is programmatically and structurally accessible to all students. Students should contact Dr. Dwayne Snider at 968-9103 or come by his office in Room 237 of the Administration Building. Dr. Snider is the ADA Officer on campus. Refer to the Student Handbook for detailed information regarding this subject.
III. Attendance Policy: Unexcused absences after the third time may be cause for reduction of the grade. Students are expected to regularly attend all classes in which they are enrolled. Students are responsible for their attendance and consulting with the instructor regarding class attendance. Please refer to the 1999-2000 University Catalog for additional information regarding class attendance.
IV. Grading Policy: Please refer to the 1999-2000 University Catalog for additional information regarding grading and course withdrawal policies. For this course, your grade will be determined as described previously.