ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE I

Prerequisites: Enrollment limited. Students must also sign up for the corresponding lab course, EESC BC1011, to receive credit.

This class examines the basic principles of environmental science using current local and global environmental news as case studies. Issues covered are climate change, invasive species, water resources, sustainability, etc. A major goal is for students to understand the science behind environmental issues. Readings from the scientific literature, various newspaper articles, magazines and an online textbook are carefully coordinated with the topics. Because of our location, the lab curriculum features studies of the Hudson River and its forested shorelines. The lab is closely paired with the lecture and features hands-on and inquiry-based lab and field studies of statistics, data presentation, writing in the format of a scientific paper, data collection (on land and on the Hudson River), water chemistry, microbiology, microscopic and macroscopic life in the river, birds and plants in Riverside Park, biodiversity on a green roof, local geology, topographical maps, compass use, and museum studies.

Please note:  In order to register for EESC BC1001, students must first register for one of the sections of Environmental Science Lab EESC BC1011 . Students must take both lecture and lab.