Nature and Society An Introduction to Environmental Studies

Course Overview

“Nature and Society: An Introduction to Environmental Studies” is a science-based exploration of the critical environmental issues that define our time, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion. The course emphasizes the application of scientific thinking to understand earth’s systems, assess human impacts on ecosystems, and explore sustainable solutions for the future. Through the integration of natural sciences and interdisciplinary insights from history, politics, sociology, and economics, students will gain a deeper understanding of how past societal choices have shaped our current environmental conditions and how scientific evidence can guide future sustainability efforts. This course empowers students to apply scientific principles and methodologies to analyze and propose practical solutions for global environmental challenges.

Prerequisites

Minimum 15 hours OR ENG 101 OR Visiting University Student.

Required Course Texts, Materials and Resources

Required Text

• No required text
• The instructor will provide readings and videos with links or attachments on Canvas.

Required Materials and Resources

• Composition or Spiral Notebook (to be in class each week).
• A computer for class research and activities
• Technology to complete Lab activities with iNaturalist etc. (cell phone or tablet)

Course Assignments Please Note: The major assignments for this course will be automatically routed through Turnitin, a web-based plagiarism detection service. This service generates an originality report that identifies all material in the student paper that appears to be derived from other sources, including both sources that are properly acknowledged and cited and any that are not. The report will be reviewed before your assignment is graded. All work is to be original.

Grade Posting All grades will be posted on Canvas at myasucourses.asu.edu. You have five (5) days after a due date to dispute an entry or request access to a closed assignment. After the five-day period, the grade stands as entered, and you will not be allowed to make up a missed assignment. If you do not complete an assignment before the deadline, you will see a zero for that item in the grade center. Check your grades regularly. See the tentative schedule that describes the value of assignments, the total points available for this course, and the distribution of final letter grades. No items are weighted— your grade is based solely on total points received.

Grading Scale

• A (94%-100%)
• A- (90%- 93%)
• B+ (88%-89%)
• B (84%-87%)
• B- (80%-83%)
• C (70%-79%)
• D (60%-69%)
• E (59% and below)
• EN (Failed, never participated)
• EU (Failed, did not complete)

Schedule

Week	Date	Topic	Materials
1		Introduction to Environmental Systems and Scientific Thinking Foundations of environmental systems, scientific reasoning, and course expectations.
2		Human Domination of Ecosystems Examination of anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems and planetary systems.
3		Climate Change Evidence and Impacts Scientific evidence for climate change and analysis of ecological and societal consequences.
4		Field Study Field-based investigation of biodiversity and conservation principles.
5		Affluence, Consumerism, and Resource Depletion Analysis of consumption patterns and natural resource sustainability.
6		Global Environmental Change and Feedback Loops Systems thinking approach to global environmental feedback mechanisms.
7		Soil, Agriculture, and Feeding the World Agricultural systems, food security, and environmental sustainability.
8		Water Resources and the Global Water Crisis Water systems, scarcity, and sustainability challenges.
9		Energy Use and Sustainable Alternatives Fossil fuels, renewable energy systems, and sustainable transitions.
10		Field Study Applied field investigation of human-environment interactions.
11		Urbanization and Human Habitats Urban systems, infrastructure, and ecological footprints.
12		Natural Resources and Sustainability Resource extraction, management, and long-term sustainability frameworks.
13		Environmental Justice and Global Governance Social equity, environmental justice, and international policy structures.
14		Field Study Implementation of Circle of Service plan and applied environmental stewardship.
15		Final Exam – Demonstrating Mastery