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Apr 17, 2026
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SCI 1610 - Environmental Science3 lecture hours 2 lab hours 4 credits
Course Description
This is an introductory environmental science course for students in any major. Fundamental concepts in chemistry, biology, and geology will be covered and applied to the study of environmental systems. Specifically, students will be introduced to such concepts as the particulate nature of matter, gaseous and aqueous chemistry, ecology, and geological processes at the Earth’s surface. Students will explore the scientific foundations of important environmental issues including climate change, air and water pollution, land use, energy production, and biodiversity.
Prereq: None
Note: None
This course meets the following Raider Core CLO Requirement: Think Critically
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Plan and create structured experiments
- Write proficiently in technical communications
- In a laboratory experiment, identify potential procedural errors
- Differentiate between precision and accuracy
- Interpret data to isolate trends
- Compare and contrast atoms, ions, and molecules, states of matter, and types of mixtures
- Describe the major reservoirs and fluxes in global carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles
- Convert between common units of measurement for mass, concentration, and flux
- Explain the chemical and physical underpinnings of the greenhouse effect, including attributes of the electromagnetic spectrum, molecular structure, and heat transfer
- Describe observed and predicted trends in global temperature, as well as observed and predicted effects of global temperature change
- Discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with major renewable energy sources
- Distinguish between positive and negative feedback loops
- Describe the structure and diversity of ecosystems, including population and community dynamics
- Explain how trends in human population growth and distribution relate to issues of land use, pollution, and environmental justice
- Describe properties of soil, minerals, and rocks in the context of erosion, pollution, and solid waste disposal
- Summarize major sources, types, and effects of air and water pollution
- Interpret the significance of terms used in toxicology
- Apply principles of sustainability to evaluate products and processes
- Critically evaluate popular media articles related to environmental issues
- Reflect critically on our environmental impacts as citizens, consumers, and professionals
Prerequisites by Topic
Course Topics
- Nutrient, energy, and hydrological cycles
- Global climate change
- Renewable and non-renewable energy production
- Gases and air pollution
- Aqueous solutions and water pollution
- Evolution, species interactions, and biodiversity
- Human populations
- Environmental geology and Earth resources
- Agricultural and urban land use
- Solid waste management and recycling
- Environmental health and toxicology
- Principles of sustainability
Laboratory Topics
- Population growth and dynamics
- Water quality testing and analysis
- Acid rain and limestone buffering
- Dissolved ion analysis
- Molecular shapes of greenhouse gases
- Effect of CO2 on temperature and ocean pH
- Rocks and minerals
- Soil sampling and analysis
- Toxicity bioassays
Coordinator
Dr. Anne Alexander
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