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Environmental Justice, Fall 2004

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Environmental Justice, Fall 2004

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Examines theories and practice of environmental justice, concerns about race, poverty, and the environment in both domestic and international contexts, exploring and critically analyzing philosophies, frameworks, and strategies underlying environmental justice movements. Examines case studies of environmental injustices, including: distribution of environmental quality and health, unequal enforcement of regulations, unequal access to resources to respond to environmental problems, and the broader political economy of decision-making around environmental issues. Explores how environmental justice movements relate to broader sustainable development goals and strategies. This class explores the foundations of the environmental justice movement, current and emerging issues, and the application of environmental justice analysis to environmental policy and planning. It examines claims made by diverse groups along with the policy and civil society responses that address perceived inequity and injustice. While focused mainly on the United States, international issues and perspectives are also considered.

Subject:: Anthropology; Biology; Ecology; Life Science; Social Science
Material Type:: Full Course
Provider:: MIT
Provider Set:: MIT OpenCourseWare
Date Added:: 01/01/2004

Environmental Justice in Tacoma: A Non-Majors Qualitative Assessment of Pollution and Public Policy in the Local Community

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Environmental Justice in Tacoma: A Non-Majors Qualitative Assessment of Pollution and Public Policy in the Local Community

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This activity is designed to get non-environmental majors to qualitatively examine their own community for evidence of environmental injustice. Using a mix of evidence from online sources (U.S. Census, EnviroMapper, Toxic Release Inventory, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, etc.) and field observations, student groups describe the population and pollution sources found within an assigned elementary school district in Tacoma.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Biology; Chemistry; Environmental Studies; Life Science; Physical Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 12/01/2021

Environmental Reconnaissance of a Salt Marsh

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Environmental Reconnaissance of a Salt Marsh

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This is a field and computer laboratory exercise that introduces undergraduate students, advanced high school students, and members of the general public to using Google Earth, GPS, aerial imagery, and an online illustrated vegetation and tidal marsh environment identification guide to distinguish and map vegetational and physical environmental zones within a salt marsh. They also learn about the physical and ecological relationships between these environments.

Students use GPS devices to collect field data as waypoints and tracks, and upload the data to computers in GPX format. They learn to open the data in Google Earth along with infrared and color aerial imagery, and use the GPS data to interpret the aerial imagery. Using Google Earth tools, they draw polygons to demarcate the boundaries of environmental zones in the wetlands that they recognize on the imagery.

The students and instructors also take photographs of the students in each of these environmental zones and embed the photographs into information balloons of placemarks in Google Earth.

The exercise was originally designed for use at Flax Pond, a salt marsh on the North Shore of Long Island. However, it can easily be adapted for use in other tidal marshes, and can serve as a template for developing similar activities to be conducted at other locations in which aerial imagery can be used to distinguish various forms of land cover.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Biology; Earth and Space Science; Life Science; Oceanography
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 09/26/2022

Environmental Research Project

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Environmental Research Project

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The assignment is the development of scientific research project proposal, tailored to a specific range of course-appropriate topics and mimicked after current calls for NSF proposals in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, or Low temperature geochemistry. Project components include a one paragraph pitch, submission of a draft for peer-review, and submission of the final proposal with a response to peer comments. A final, oral or poster presentation is an optional component. This is a multi-week assignment, and typically a significant componenent of the course grade.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Biology; Environmental Studies; Life Science
Material Type:: Lesson Plan
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 09/06/2020

Environmental Science Gallery Walk

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Environmental Science Gallery Walk

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Gallery walk activity that relies on students' prior knowledge of environmental issues as an introductory activity in a general education, large-lecture format environmental science class.

Subject:: Applied Science; Ecology; Environmental Science; Life Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Pedagogy in Action
Date Added:: 04/12/2023

Environmental Stewardsp

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Environmental Stewardsp

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This online article, from the museum's Musings newsletter for educators, provides an introduction to environmental stewardship. It discusses Earth's rarity as a planet that supports life and the mounting evidence that indicates human activity is, indeed, altering global climate.

Subject:: Ecology; Life Science
Material Type:: Data Set
Provider:: American Museum of Natural History
Provider Set:: American Museum of Natural History
Date Added:: 04/27/2023

Environmental Studies

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Environmental Studies

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Students cooperatively conduct original research in Marine Geology utilizing marine practices on Lake Champlain, NY - Vermont. The lab section of the course is used to develop and implement a research project. The students are given a research question to solve. To proceed, they must first review all available literature and then design a research program. They then implement that program using marine and laboratory equipment that is available to them and report on their outcomes after a semester-long investigation.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Biology; Earth and Space Science; Environmental Studies; Life Science; Oceanography
Material Type:: Activity/Lab; Lesson Plan
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 09/22/2022

Environmental impacts of oil production in Alaska

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Environmental impacts of oil production in Alaska

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An activity designed to enable the students to access the impact of oil-development on environment in Alaska. Students will draw conclusion based on various data and reading various views.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Biology; Life Science; Mathematics; Measurement and Data
Material Type:: Activity/Lab; Data Set; Lesson Plan
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 01/26/2021

Environment and the Earth

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Environment and the Earth

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The Environment and the Earth class at the University of South Carolina participated in a campus environmental service-learning project where students collected data lighting, water fixtures, recycling bins, and trash in five academic buildings.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Biology; Earth and Space Science; Hydrology; Life Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab; Homework/Assignment; Lesson Plan
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 11/15/2021

Environments and Ecosystems

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Environments and Ecosystems

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Students explore the biosphere and its associated environments and ecosystems in the context of creating a model ecosystem, learning along the way about the animals and resources. Students investigate different types of ecosystems, learn new vocabulary, and consider why a solid understanding of one's environment and the interdependence of an ecosystem can inform the choices we make and the way we engineer our communities. This lesson is part of a series of six lessons in which students use their growing understanding of various environments and the engineering design process, to design and create their own model biodome ecosystems.

Subject:: Applied Science; Ecology; Engineering; Life Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab; Lesson Plan
Provider:: TeachEngineering
Provider Set:: TeachEngineering
Date Added:: 09/18/2014

Envisioning a Resilient Future

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Envisioning a Resilient Future

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In this lesson, students create a vision for the future of their community and identify what resources are most important to them as a starting point for resilience planning.

Subject:: Applied Science; Life Science; Physical Science
Material Type:: Lesson
Provider:: University of Colorado
Provider Set:: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)
Date Added:: 03/09/2023

The Epicenter of a Southwestern Earthquake

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The Epicenter of a Southwestern Earthquake

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This activity guides students to use the measured difference in P and S wave velocities to locate the epicenter of a minor earthquake in the Southwestern United States.

Click here to view the full activity on the K��yah Math Project website.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Biology; Life Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 09/25/2022

Episodic tremor and slip: The Case of the Mystery Earthquakes | Lessons on Plate Tectonics

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Episodic tremor and slip: The Case of the Mystery Earthquakes | Lessons on Plate Tectonics

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Earthquakes in western Washington and Oregon are to be expected -- the region lies in the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Offshore, the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate subducts under the North American plate, from northern California to British Columbia. The region, however, also experiences exotic seismicity -- Episodic Tremor and Slip (ETS).In this lesson, your students study seismic and GPS data from the region to recognize a pattern in which unusual tremors--with no surface earthquakes--coincide with jumps of GPS stations. This is ETS. Students model ductile and brittle behavior of the crust with lasagna noodles to understand how properties of materials depend on physical conditions. Finally, they assemble their knowledge of the data and models into an understanding of ETS in subduction zones and its relevance to the millions of residents in Cascadia.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Biology; Life Science; Mathematics; Measurement and Data; Statistics and Probability
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 08/27/2022

Equation Dictionary

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Equation Dictionary

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When equations are presented in class or in the context of textbook reading, students first evaluate whether the equation is appropriate for use in the dictionary (is it useful in many situations or specific to one problem? Is it a "final" version of an equation, or can it be simplified? Is it likely to be used in solving geophysical problems?) Once an equation is selected for the dictionary, students add a "definition" that includes (a) a short description of each variable and relevant constants, including appropriate units, (b) a written description of the process or relationships presented within the equation, and (c) any additional notes that help them understand the equation. The dictionary may be used on homework and exams, which encourages students to describe the equations in a manner that is meaningful to them. Thus, rather than simply write down the equation for seismic moment, a student might add "Seismic moment is a function of the size of the fault as well as the rigidity of the rock. The larger the fault or the displacement, the larger the earthquake". This activity allows students to evaluate their understanding of equations and the underlying physical processes.
Addresses student fear of quantitative aspect and/or inadequate quantitative skills
Addresses student misconceptions

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Biology; Life Science
Material Type:: Homework/Assignment
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 09/05/2020

Erosion in a River

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Erosion in a River

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Formative assessment questions using a classroom response system ("clickers") can be used to reveal students' spatial understanding.
Students are shown these diagrams and instructed to "Click in the river where you expect to find the greatest rate of erosion along the river bed."
A follow-up question asks students to "Click in the river where you expect to find the fastest moving water."

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Biology; Life Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab; Assessment
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 09/28/2022

Erosion of the Grand Canyon

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Erosion of the Grand Canyon

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Students estimate the volume of the Grand Canyon to calculate the average rate of erosion of the canyon, assuming the canyon began to form approximately 6 million years ago. They then find out how much sediment the Colorado River is actually carrying, in cubic feet per year, and compare that to their calculated value. In the process of calculating the rate of erosion, they face multiple unit conversions. I also challenge them to convert their answer into units they can visualize, such as Olympic swimming pools of sediment per day.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Biology; Life Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 09/01/2022

Essential Principle 2: Correlation to Standards and Curriculum Connections

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Essential Principle 2: Correlation to Standards and Curriculum Connections

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This article aligns the concepts of Essential Principle 2 of the Climate Sciences to the K-5 content standards of the National Science Education Standards. The author also identifies common misconceptions about heat and the greenhouse gases effect and offers resources for assessing students' understanding of interactions among components of the Earth system. This article continues the examination of the climate sciences and climate literacy on which the online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle is structured.

Subject:: Chemistry; Ecology; Education; Life Science; Mathematics; Physical Science; Physics
Material Type:: Assessment; Teaching/Learning Strategy
Provider:: Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology
Provider Set:: Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle
Date Added:: 04/08/2023

Essential Principle 5: Correlation to Standards and Curriculum Connections

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Essential Principle 5: Correlation to Standards and Curriculum Connections

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Each issue of the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle explores an essential principle of climate science and climate literacy with background information, lessons, activities, original stories, and more for the K-5 classroom. This article shows the alignment of these materials with the content standards of the National Science Education Standards.

Subject:: Ecology; Education; Life Science; Mathematics
Material Type:: Teaching/Learning Strategy
Provider:: Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology
Provider Set:: Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle
Date Added:: 04/08/2023

Essential Principle 7: Correlation to Standards and Curriculum Connections

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Essential Principle 7: Correlation to Standards and Curriculum Connections

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This article identifies age-appropriate national science education content standards and curriculum connections for introducing complex concepts contained in Principle 7 of the Essential Principles of Climate Sciences. The principle describes consequences of climate changes on Earth systems and human lives. The content standards will help teachers determine appropriate topics for their students. A number of resources from the online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle are highlighted for their connection to the science curriculum in the early grades. In addition, the article identifies common misconceptions about weather and the water cycle often held by students.

Subject:: Ecology; Education; Life Science; Mathematics; Physical Science; Physics
Material Type:: Teaching/Learning Strategy
Provider:: Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology
Provider Set:: Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle
Date Added:: 04/08/2023

Establishing relevance as a way to motivate introductory students

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Establishing relevance as a way to motivate introductory students

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Introduction to Geology students are asked to write a two page (5-6 paragraph) editorial that addresses what geology is and why it is important to society. To gather the information for their editorial, students have to interview at least five individuals (two of whom have to be professionals or faculty members), and consult the mission statements and goals of professional geology organizations (i.e. AAPG, AGU, GSA, SEPM, etc.) Students then synthesize their research and construct a well-written editorial with appropriate citations that will either explain, persuade, criticize, or praise. In completing the assignment, students not only better understand why it is good to study geology, but also have an appreciation for the scope and content of an Intro to Geology course.
Teaching Tips
Adaptations that allow this activity to be successful in an online
environment
I have not used this activity in an online environment, although students in my face-to-face class submit their assignment online through learning management software (i.e. BlackBoard, Desire2Learn, etc.).

Elements of this activity that are most effective
This is effective because it requires that students become active in the learning process, and although the writing is minimal, they have to really pay attention to their wording, point of view, and purpose. Moreover, when students interview professionals, other faculty, their parents, or friends, they are often engaged in interesting conversations that provide important insights. I have found that this helps motivate students and excites them about the content of the course.

Recommendations for other faculty adapting this activity to their
own course:
I recommend that other faculty use the content of the editorials periodically by referring back to student responses throughout the duration of their courses. It helps draw students back into the course, and helps connect them to why they are studying geology in the first place. In years when written work are less than satisfactory, I often require students to swap editorials and provide peer critiques. This usually helps students who struggle with their writing.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Subject:: Biology; Life Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab; Homework/Assignment
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 03/27/2020