Class Schedules

From the food we eat, to the air we breathe, soil shapes our lives. Soil forms in response to local conditions, recording regional climate variability (if you know how to look). Soil is also one of the most important carbon sinks, so the way we interact with soil has the potential to seriously impact our changing climate. However, as an important agricultural resource, we must continue to utilize soil to feed Earth's growing population. To better understand this under-appreciated layer of Earth, this class will investigate soil formation, soil properties and the variability between types of soil, and how we interact with soil in our world today. This course includes one field trip.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

The physical environment has begun to show signs of our earth's expanding population and the increasing need for natural resources. Geologic materials such as soil, water, and bedrock, and geologic processes such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and running water often pose constraints on land use. This course is designed to introduce students to the relationship between humans and their geologic environment: the earth. We will focus on understanding the processes that shape the surface of the earth, and how these processes affect human activity. We will use current scientific methods to collect and analyze data. Topics include surface-water dynamics and flooding, groundwater and groundwater contamination, pollution and waste management, landslides, volcanic and earthquake hazards, and global climate change. Format: the course will include local field excursions, lectures, discussions and hands-on exercises; evaluation will be based on homework/classroom activities, short writing assignments, and exams.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Quantitative Thinking Q2

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, is also home to numerous streams and rivers. In this course we will examine the nature of these aquatic ecosystems; exploring their ecology, geology and chemistry. We will also investigate human impacts through such practices as agriculture, urbanization and industrialization, on these important ecosystems. Students will complete projects exploring various aspects of local waterbodies, especially the Mississippi, Minnesota, and St. Croix Rivers.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Seasonal and annual patterns of temperature and precipitation influence the development, success and collapse of civilizations. Regional climate determines numerous things about how humans adapt to survive there, including the type of shelter needed, the length of the growing season, and the availability/scarcity of freshwater. Using a combination of scientific and historical records, this course will provide a brief introduction to the climate system and will then focus on how changes in climate affected several societies throughout history. In the latter part of the course we will discuss observed global warming in the modern world, what the potential benefits and consequences of it may be, and whether or not there are lessons to be learned from our ancestors.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Quantitative Thinking Q2

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Quantitative Thinking Q2

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Climate change is no longer a distant, hypothetical threat. Its impacts are increasingly obvious around the world. Yet, despite growing acknowledgement of the climate crisis, few Americans are taking significant personal action, and only a small minority are involved in civic efforts to address the issue. This course examines the behavioral causes of, and solutions to, climate damage. We will discuss the many ways our changing climate affects people around the world, and how it may affect human society in the long term. We will take a broad psychological perspective on the question, “Why are we not doing enough to address the global climate crisis?”, drawing upon research from many psychological sub-fields (evolutionary, biological, cognitive, social, industrial/organizational). Throughout the course we will engage with the community, hearing from climate activists, local politicians (both Republican and Democrat), scientists, city planners, business owners and health care workers to understand their experience and perspective on the issue.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Urban ecology is both a concept and a field of study. It focuses on interactions between humans, urban ecosystems, and the built environment. With over half of the world's population now living in cities, cities have assumed a critical role in shaping local, regional, and global ecologies. In this course, we will examine the distinctiveness of the interconnected urban biophysical, socio-economic, and political processes. In order to disentangle the complexity of human-environment relations in cities, we will take an interdisciplinary approach and learn theories and concepts in natural science ecology, environmental studies, geography, urban planning, sociology, and public policies. We will use our campus and the Twin Cities as a "living laboratory" and apply these theories and concepts to laboratory exercises, field observation, case studies, and research on contemporary urban sustainability initiatives.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the field of Environmental Politics and Policy. Using a comparative approach, the course engages the meaning and development of environmental governance. We will explore the tandem rise of the modern environmental movement and profound new environmental legislation in the U.S. and internationally. Topics investigated will include: deforestation, hazardous wastes, climate change, population growth, and loss of biodiversity.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course introduces you to the study of human-environment interactions from a geographic perspective, with a special emphasis on agriculture. We will examine environmental issues in a variety of geographic contexts (developed and developing countries) and the connections between environmental problems in different locations. Beyond agriculture, we will also examine other sectoral issues in relation to agriculture or as stand alone environmental concerns. These themes include: human population growth, consumption, biodiversity, climate change, and environmental health. We will be trying on a number of theoretical lenses from geography's broad human-environment tradition (such as physical geography, cultural ecology, commodity chain analysis, political ecology, resource geography, the human dimensions of global change, hazards geography and environmental justice). In other words, I not only want us to explore a range of environmental issues, but also to grapple with theory and how this informs our understanding of the human-environment interface.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This class will examine food distribution, production, policy, and hunger issues from an economics perspective.  It explores and compares food and agriculture issues in both industrialized and developing countries. Basic economic tools will be applied to provide an analytical understanding of these issues.  Topics such as hunger and nutrition, US farm policy, food distribution, food security, food aid, biotechnology and the Green Revolution, the connection between food production and health outcomes, as well as others related themes will be explored in depth throughout the semester.  This course counts as a Group E elective for the Economics major. Prerequisite(s): ECON 119. C- or higher required for Economics major prerequisites.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The Earth's climate system is complex and dynamic, and yet understanding this system is crucial in order to address concerns about anthropogenic influences on climate. In this course, we examine the basic physical and chemical processes that control the modern climate system, including the role of incoming solar radiation, the greenhouse effect, ocean and atmospheric circulation, and El Nino. We also look critically at the methods and archives used to reconstruct climate in the past, such as ice cores, marine and lake sediments, and cave deposits. We explore the possible effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions on modern and future climate by critically examining the models used in climate prediction, and discuss the challenges of modeling such a complex system. Although this course is taught from a primarily scientific perspective, it includes frequent discussions of the roles policy and economics play in the current dialogue on global climate change.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q3

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

The Earth's climate system is complex and dynamic, and yet understanding this system is crucial in order to address concerns about anthropogenic influences on climate. In this course, we examine the basic physical and chemical processes that control the modern climate system, including the role of incoming solar radiation, the greenhouse effect, ocean and atmospheric circulation, and El Nino. We also look critically at the methods and archives used to reconstruct climate in the past, such as ice cores, marine and lake sediments, and cave deposits. We explore the possible effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions on modern and future climate by critically examining the models used in climate prediction, and discuss the challenges of modeling such a complex system. Although this course is taught from a primarily scientific perspective, it includes frequent discussions of the roles policy and economics play in the current dialogue on global climate change.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course develops an interdisciplinary approach to studying water resources development, drawing from geography, anthropology, history, politics, hydrology, and civil engineering. With a focus on large river basins, the course examines historical and emerging challenges to the equitable and sustainable use of transboundary waters. After first exploring the history of American water development, we will turn our attention to issues around sanitation, food production, gender and privatization in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Prerequisite(s): ENVI 120, ENVI 133, or ENVI 232 .

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The study of environmental hazards stands at a key point of intersection between the natural and social sciences. Geography, with its focus on human-environment interactions, provides key analytical tools for understanding the complex causes and uneven impacts of hazards around the world. We will explore the geophysical nature and social dimensions of disasters caused by floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires. For each of these hazard types, we apply theoretical concepts from major hazards research paradigms, including quantifying the human and economic impacts of disaster; assessing, managing, and mitigating risk; and reducing the impacts of disaster, not only through engineering works but also by reducing social vulnerability and enhancing adaptive capacity. Looking into the future, we will discuss how global-scale processes, such as climate change and globalization, might affect the frequency, intensity, and geographical distribution of environmental hazards in the decades to come.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course is built around the argument that "environmental problems" do not exist; they are in fact human behavior problems. Thus, if we want to craft effective solutions to issues such as ocean acidification, air pollution, or climate change, we must start with the human behaviors that lead to them. We will cover psychological principles, theories, and methods and explore the complex web of factors underlying environmentally sustainable and unsustainable actions. A strong theme throughout the semester is the intersection of identity - personal, social, and cultural - and environmentalism.  We will explore questions such as, "Why do some groups of people feel a part of the sustainability movement while others feel alienated from it or skeptical of it?"; "Who takes action on behalf of the natural environment, under what circumstances, and why?"; and "How can we create contexts that promote true sustainability?" Psychology of Sustainable Behavior is a project-based class with a strong civic engagement component. Students will participate in three class projects: a self-change project (2.5 weeks), a community-based collaborative project (5 weeks), and a communication/education project (3 weeks). Prerequisite(s): PSYC 100 for Psychology majors.

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to outdoor education as an opportunity to promote social justice and environmental sustainability in a globalized world.  Informed by relevant philosophical, psychological, cultural and political-economic frameworks, in addition to critical issues in public education policy and practice, we will explore interdisciplinary approaches to outdoor environmental education appropriate for students across the K-12 continuum.  We will utilize the Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area (Ordway Field Station) as an outdoor classroom and will adapt curriculum from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other outdoor education organizations to assist elementary school teachers and students in fulfilling Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards. Early in the semester, all students will participate in a weekend retreat at the Ordway Field Station. Weekly lab sessions will include field days during which course members design and implement educational experiences for elementary school children at Ordway, small group work days for preparing field day lesson plans, trips to local outdoor environmental education sites within the Twin Cities, and other experiential learning opportunities.  Weekly seminar sessions incorporating readings, reflective writing, and individual and small group projects complement the experiential aspects of the course. As the semester progresses, each course member will develop a curricular unit aimed at teaching an important environmental issue to diverse adolescents attending urban public schools.  The curricular unit is a significant undertaking that provides students with the opportunity to synthesize all aspects of the course material in a creative, pragmatic and integrative manner.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to outdoor education as an opportunity to promote social justice and environmental sustainability in a globalized world.  Informed by relevant philosophical, psychological, cultural and political-economic frameworks, in addition to critical issues in public education policy and practice, we will explore interdisciplinary approaches to outdoor environmental education appropriate for students across the K-12 continuum.  We will utilize the Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area (Ordway Field Station) as an outdoor classroom and will adapt curriculum from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other outdoor education organizations to assist elementary school teachers and students in fulfilling Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards. Early in the semester, all students will participate in a weekend retreat at the Ordway Field Station. Weekly lab sessions will include field days during which course members design and implement educational experiences for elementary school children at Ordway, small group work days for preparing field day lesson plans, trips to local outdoor environmental education sites within the Twin Cities, and other experiential learning opportunities.  Weekly seminar sessions incorporating readings, reflective writing, and individual and small group projects complement the experiential aspects of the course. As the semester progresses, each course member will develop a curricular unit aimed at teaching an important environmental issue to diverse adolescents attending urban public schools.  The curricular unit is a significant undertaking that provides students with the opportunity to synthesize all aspects of the course material in a creative, pragmatic and integrative manner.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

What is the history and evolution of environmental thinking and writing?  How have writers shaped the ways we understand our relationship with the natural world?  This course explores these questions, drawing in roughly equal measure on 'classic' texts from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.  The ideas introduced by these classic texts are still present, implicitly and explicitly, in much of today's environmental discourse. This course will use a selection of books and papers that have had a major impact on academic and wider public thinking - primarily but not exclusively in the USA.  Through engaged discussion, we will trace the impact of each text, beginning with the context in which it was written and ending with its influence on our contemporary understandings of the environment.  In addition, we will seek to understand the characteristics of 'classic' texts that hold attention, encourage new ways of thinking, and facilitate social change. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor or two of the following: ENVI 133, ENVI 240, ENVI 215, ENVI 234,  ENVI 285.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

Ecology and the Environment dives into a range of topics to study how species, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes function in our changing climate. The course will emphasize biological nutrient and energy cycling, population dynamics, animal and plant species interactions, disturbances and response to disturbances, and ecology in urban and agricultural landscapes. We will examine Ecology under four conceptual 'lenses': Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Land Use, and Ecosystem Services. These lenses provide critical insight into how scientists, policy makers, land managers, and other stakeholders evaluate complex ecological and environmental systems. Labs will be field and data-based, and emphasize the development of hypotheses, novel data collection at Ordway Field Station, and statistical analysis. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q3

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Ecology and the Environment dives into a range of topics to study how species, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes function in our changing climate. The course will emphasize biological nutrient and energy cycling, population dynamics, animal and plant species interactions, disturbances and response to disturbances, and ecology in urban and agricultural landscapes. We will examine Ecology under four conceptual 'lenses': Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Land Use, and Ecosystem Services. These lenses provide critical insight into how scientists, policy makers, land managers, and other stakeholders evaluate complex ecological and environmental systems. Labs will be field and data-based, and emphasize the development of hypotheses, novel data collection at Ordway Field Station, and statistical analysis. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Ecology and the Environment dives into a range of topics to study how species, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes function in our changing climate. The course will emphasize biological nutrient and energy cycling, population dynamics, animal and plant species interactions, disturbances and response to disturbances, and ecology in urban and agricultural landscapes. We will examine Ecology under four conceptual 'lenses': Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Land Use, and Ecosystem Services. These lenses provide critical insight into how scientists, policy makers, land managers, and other stakeholders evaluate complex ecological and environmental systems. Labs will be field and data-based, and emphasize the development of hypotheses, novel data collection at Ordway Field Station, and statistical analysis. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

The large challenges facing us in the 21st century are not going to be solved in one sector. We need creative collaborations and innovative experiments. Change is happening at the intersection of art, science and design. In this class we are going to learn about artist and scientist who are doing things differently and explore how they engage with people, collaborate cross sector, change systems and involve people in the their research. We will use design thinking and prototyping to build new platforms in our cross departmental class. Together we will explore four large topic areas, bring in speakers and go on filed trips across the cities. Each student will have the opportunity to design and test prototypes of their ideas in the public and bring back both their successes/challenges for the class to learn from. The class will end with collaborating on a local issue facing the City of St Paul. As a class working together we will develop a creative plan that will include working prototypes, possible funding sources and how to sustain our idea. The final idea will be present to the city for implementation.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Plant physiological processes in the environment regulate local, regional, and global climate and control ecosystem functioning. However, climate change is altering these processes across diverse ecosystems. We will learn about plant physiological processes, including converting light to energy, carbon cycling and storage, water transport, nutrient acquisition, growth, and the responses of these processes to an increasingly variable and potentially stressful environments. This course will also focus on scaling of carbon cycling, diving into remote sensing and global datasets, as well as novel data we collect in class to analyze with R/RStudio. We will learn about current techniques available to measure physiological processes. We will also focus on the broader process of science: how do we turn ideas into questions, questions into data, and data into compelling stories about the natural world? Prerequisite(s): BIOL 285.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Plant physiological processes in the environment regulate local, regional, and global climate and control ecosystem functioning. However, climate change is altering these processes across diverse ecosystems. We will learn about plant physiological processes, including converting light to energy, carbon cycling and storage, water transport, nutrient acquisition, growth, and the responses of these processes to an increasingly variable and potentially stressful environments. This course will also focus on scaling of carbon cycling, diving into remote sensing and global datasets, as well as novel data we collect in class to analyze with R/RStudio. We will learn about current techniques available to measure physiological processes. We will also focus on the broader process of science: how do we turn ideas into questions, questions into data, and data into compelling stories about the natural world? Prerequisite(s): BIOL 285.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Ecology and environmental science are increasingly using ‘big data’ to expand the scale of research both spatially and temporally. In this course, we will examine, analyze, and interpret datasets that represent a wide range of ecological topics and approaches, including nutrient cycling, hydrology, climate change, remote sensing, and biodiversity. The course will examine recent literature and run analyses using open-access data and code every week. Students will work independently and in groups to dive deeply into large data using R/RStudio, and produce original analyses and results. Requirements are STAT/MATH 155 and BIO/ENVI 285, or similar coursework background.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

A concern for the relationship between nature and society has been one of the pillars of geographic inquiry and has also been an important bridge between other disciplines. By the 1960s, this area of inquiry was referred to variously as "human ecology." Over the last decade, certain forms of inquiry within this tradition have increasingly referred to themselves as "political ecology." The purpose of this seminar is to review major works within the traditions of cultural and political ecology; examine several areas of interest within these fields (e.g., agricultural modernization, environmental narratives, conservation, ecotourism); and explore nature-society dynamics across a range of geographical contexts. Towards the end of the course we will explore how one might begin to think in practical terms about facilitating development in marginal environments. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Prior completion of a geography course(s) with an environmental or development focus is encouraged.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course is an intensive internship experience (8-10 hours/week) with an environmental organization or business in the Twin Cities metro region. An internship is an excellent way for students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom and laboratory, to learn more in an environmental area, and to explore career options. Required for Environmental Studies majors. It is recommended that students complete this course during the fall of their senior year. Graded S/SD/N only. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor required. Corequisite(s): ENVI 490

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This weekly seminar complements the internship experience by bringing together students to discuss common experiences and reflect on professional development challenges. Weekly assignments include reflective writing, mentor profiles, mock job interviews and meetings with ES alums and community leaders. Prerequisite(s): For Environmental Studies majors only. Corequisite(s): ENVI 489

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

From the food we eat, to the air we breathe, soil shapes our lives. Soil forms in response to local conditions, recording regional climate variability (if you know how to look). Soil is also one of the most important carbon sinks, so the way we interact with soil has the potential to seriously impact our changing climate. However, as an important agricultural resource, we must continue to utilize soil to feed Earth's growing population. To better understand this under-appreciated layer of Earth, this class will investigate soil formation, soil properties and the variability between types of soil, and how we interact with soil in our world today. This course includes one field trip.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This is a course on the current status of the most promising alternative and renewable energy options from a primarily scientific and technological perspective. Current methods of electricity generation and transportation energy sources will be briefly reviewed (fossil fuels, nuclear fission, and hydroelectric), including discussion of their limitations and environmental consequences. The focus of the course will be on understanding the scientific basis of alternative and renewable energy sources, and their promise and technological challenges for wide scale implementation. Biofuels, wind, photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, hydrogen, nuclear fusion, and geothermal will be considered in depth.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q2

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides basic scientific knowledge and understanding of how our world works from an environmental perspective. Topics covered include: basic principles of ecosystem function; biodiversity and its conservation; human population growth; water resources and management; water, air and soil pollution; climate change; energy resources, and sustainability. The course has a required 3 hour lab section.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Quantitative Thinking Q2

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides basic scientific knowledge and understanding of how our world works from an environmental perspective. Topics covered include: basic principles of ecosystem function; biodiversity and its conservation; human population growth; water resources and management; water, air and soil pollution; climate change; energy resources, and sustainability. The course has a required 3 hour lab section.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This interdisciplinary class will make direct connections between global environmental issues, such as climate change, and life on an urban campus. With Macalester College as our case study, we will explore how the daily activities on a campus (energy use, food, transportation, water use, etc.) translate into issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste, and urban stormwater. We will examine campus resource and energy flows and have the opportunity to combine theory with application through a real-world campus sustainability project. All interdisciplinary perspectives are needed and welcome.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Emerging in the 1970s, the field of environmental ethics began by sparking a rich line of philosophical inquiry largely focused on the moral status of the natural world and the non-human entities within it. What reasons do we have to give moral consideration to the environment? And what do we mean when we say we have a moral duty toward the environment? Do we have moral duties to individuals within a species, or to species themselves, or to ecosystems, or to...? This course will invite you to reflect on key philosophical works that engage these and related questions. You will also have the opportunity to think about significant emerging topics in environmental ethics. Depending on the semester, these may include the debate over the ethics of wilderness preservation; the challenges of expanding environmental ethics to address issues of global climate change and resource sustainability; environmental rights; and environmental justice.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

People have always had to contend with the natural world, but only recently have historians begun to explore the changing relationships between people and their environment over time. In this course, we will examine the variety of ways that people in North America have shaped the environment, as well as how they have used, labored in, abused, conserved, protected, rearranged, polluted, cleaned, and thought about it. In addition, we will explore how various characteristics of the natural world have affected the broad patterns of human society, sometimes harming or hindering life and other times enabling rapid development and expansion. By bringing nature into the study of human history and the human past into the study of nature, we will begin to see the connections and interdependencies between the two that are often overlooked.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

Poor and minority populations have historically borne the brunt of environmental inequalities in the United States, suffering disproportionately from the effects of pollution, resource depletion, dangerous jobs, limited access to common resources, and exposure to environmental hazards. Paying particular attention to the ways that race, ethnicity, class, and gender have shaped the political and economic dimensions of environmental injustices, this course draws on the work of scholars and activists to examine the long history of environmental inequities in the United States, along with more recent political movements-national and local-that seek to rectify environmental injustices.

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The Earth's climate system is complex and dynamic, and yet understanding this system is crucial in order to address concerns about anthropogenic influences on climate. In this course, we examine the basic physical and chemical processes that control the modern climate system, including the role of incoming solar radiation, the greenhouse effect, ocean and atmospheric circulation, and El Nino. We also look critically at the methods and archives used to reconstruct climate in the past, such as ice cores, marine and lake sediments, and cave deposits. We explore the possible effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions on modern and future climate by critically examining the models used in climate prediction, and discuss the challenges of modeling such a complex system. Although this course is taught from a primarily scientific perspective, it includes frequent discussions of the roles policy and economics play in the current dialogue on global climate change.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q3

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

The Earth's climate system is complex and dynamic, and yet understanding this system is crucial in order to address concerns about anthropogenic influences on climate. In this course, we examine the basic physical and chemical processes that control the modern climate system, including the role of incoming solar radiation, the greenhouse effect, ocean and atmospheric circulation, and El Nino. We also look critically at the methods and archives used to reconstruct climate in the past, such as ice cores, marine and lake sediments, and cave deposits. We explore the possible effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions on modern and future climate by critically examining the models used in climate prediction, and discuss the challenges of modeling such a complex system. Although this course is taught from a primarily scientific perspective, it includes frequent discussions of the roles policy and economics play in the current dialogue on global climate change.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course challenges students to critically examine contemporary global population issues and link these patterns and processes to local events and situations. Using the lens of Geography, we will investigate the dynamic interplay between individual, local, regional, national, and international scales and the implications of scale, culture and perspective in dissecting current population issues. We will also use individual countries as case studies to examine population policies. Students will acquire a working knowledge of the data and methods used by population geographers to describe and analyze changes in human populations at sub-national scales, and will implement these skills in an independent research project.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The study of environmental hazards stands at a key point of intersection between the natural and social sciences. Geography, with its focus on human-environment interactions, provides key analytical tools for understanding the complex causes and uneven impacts of hazards around the world. We will explore the geophysical nature and social dimensions of disasters caused by floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires. For each of these hazard types, we apply theoretical concepts from major hazards research paradigms, including quantifying the human and economic impacts of disaster; assessing, managing, and mitigating risk; and reducing the impacts of disaster, not only through engineering works but also by reducing social vulnerability and enhancing adaptive capacity. Looking into the future, we will discuss how global-scale processes, such as climate change and globalization, might affect the frequency, intensity, and geographical distribution of environmental hazards in the decades to come.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

What is the history and evolution of environmental thinking and writing?  How have writers shaped the ways we understand our relationship with the natural world?  This course explores these questions, drawing in roughly equal measure on 'classic' texts from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.  The ideas introduced by these classic texts are still present, implicitly and explicitly, in much of today's environmental discourse. This course will use a selection of books and papers that have had a major impact on academic and wider public thinking - primarily but not exclusively in the USA.  Through engaged discussion, we will trace the impact of each text, beginning with the context in which it was written and ending with its influence on our contemporary understandings of the environment.  In addition, we will seek to understand the characteristics of 'classic' texts that hold attention, encourage new ways of thinking, and facilitate social change. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor or two of the following: ENVI 133, ENVI 240, ENVI 215, ENVI 234,  ENVI 285 .

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

An introduction to the study of ecological theory and processes. The subject of this course is the natural world and the current and past processes that have shaped it. Taking a systems approach, major ecological patterns and processes are described and proposed underlying mechanisms are investigated through readings, field and laboratory studies. The impact of humans on natural systems is also examined. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q3

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

An introduction to the study of ecological theory and processes. The subject of this course is the natural world and the current and past processes that have shaped it. Taking a systems approach, major ecological patterns and processes are described and proposed underlying mechanisms are investigated through readings, field and laboratory studies. The impact of humans on natural systems is also examined. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

An introduction to the study of ecological theory and processes. The subject of this course is the natural world and the current and past processes that have shaped it. Taking a systems approach, major ecological patterns and processes are described and proposed underlying mechanisms are investigated through readings, field and laboratory studies. The impact of humans on natural systems is also examined. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course traces the ways that food and farming are intertwined with the political, economic, social, and ecological structures in the US. Starting with indigenous foodways prior to European colonization and ending with contemporary alternative food movements, we will also examine colonial agriculture, industrialization, and the cultural politics of eating. In addition to analyzing of the role of science and technology in the production and consumption of food, students will interrogate the links between food and race, ethnicity, gender, and labor. Throughout the course, we examine the complex ways that the food system both shapes and is shaped by the environment.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Earth's climate has evolved with the planet itself as changing boundary conditions in the ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere and lithosphere have caused ice ages, periods of extreme warmth and mass extinctions. Information about these events is contained in the geologic record in the form of fossils and rock sequences, but also in lake and ocean sediments, ice sheets, cave deposits and tree rings. This course will provide an overview of variations in climate throughout Earth history while simultaneously examining the proxies and archives used to reconstruct those changes. We will also construct our own record of paleoclimate using cores from a local lake and a variety of laboratory techniques. Prerequisite(s): ENVI 240, ENVI 150 or GEOL 160

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q2

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Earth's climate has evolved with the planet itself as changing boundary conditions in the ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere and lithosphere have caused ice ages, periods of extreme warmth and mass extinctions. Information about these events is contained in the geologic record in the form of fossils and rock sequences, but also in lake and ocean sediments, ice sheets, cave deposits and tree rings. This course will provide an overview of variations in climate throughout Earth history while simultaneously examining the proxies and archives used to reconstruct those changes. We will also construct our own record of paleoclimate using cores from a local lake and a variety of laboratory techniques. Prerequisite(s): ENVI 240, ENVI 150 or GEOL 160

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is good for private sector branding and public relations, but what value can it deliver to broad society? This 300-level advanced seminar course will focus on the critical examination of historic and current trends related to internalizing externalities or unintended consequences of enterprise activities- to help build social capital, instead of eroding it. The course will provide an overview of current concepts of triple bottom line (people, planet, profits) accounting framework and examine the foundations of the current sustainable development framework based on the ‘safe and just space for humanity’ between social foundations and planetary environmental thresholds. We will also critically examine the history of free market capitalism’s role, public efforts through environmental regulations, and current voluntary commitments from the private sector. Prerequisite(s): ENVI 215, ECON 119 OR ECON 238.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

From the food we eat, to the air we breathe, soil shapes our lives. Soil forms in response to local conditions, recording regional climate variability (if you know how to look). Soil is also one of the most important carbon sinks, so the way we interact with soil has the potential to seriously impact our changing climate. However, as an important agricultural resource, we must continue to utilize soil to feed Earth's growing population. To better understand this under-appreciated layer of Earth, this class will investigate soil formation, soil properties and the variability between types of soil, and how we interact with soil in our world today. This course includes one field trip.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, is also home to numerous streams and rivers. In this course we will examine the nature of these aquatic ecosystems; exploring their ecology, geology and chemistry. We will also investigate human impacts through such practices as agriculture, urbanization and industrialization, on these important ecosystems. Students will complete projects exploring various aspects of local waterbodies, especially the Mississippi, Minnesota, and St. Croix Rivers.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, is also home to numerous streams and rivers. In this course we will examine the nature of these aquatic ecosystems; exploring their ecology, geology and chemistry. We will also investigate human impacts through such practices as agriculture, urbanization and industrialization, on these important ecosystems. Students will complete projects exploring various aspects of local waterbodies, especially the Mississippi, Minnesota, and St. Croix Rivers.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides a framework for understanding natural processes and global change on a dynamic planet. We will examine the origins of mountains, the eruption of volcanoes, and the drifting of continents in the context of the unifying theory of plate tectonics. The course will also address surface processes, including landscape evolution, river systems, groundwater, desert environments, and coastal processes, all of which have profound effects on the human condition. Students in this course will use a variety of approaches to learn, including: lecture, readings, laboratory activities, group projects, and field trips. In particular, the course will emphasize problem-based learning in which students work in groups to address important societal questions.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Quantitative Thinking Q2

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course provides an overview of environmental activism, politics, and policy making in the United States in historical and comparative perspective. More specifically, we address the following questions: Are human societies destined to environmental collapse? What are the fundamental obstacles to sustainable economies in democratic-capitalist societies? How did environmental lobbies emerge? How have these environmental organizations evolved in the last half-century? Has consumer activism greened US markets and corporations? Which political networks have led the campaigns to regulate greenhouse gases in US? Why have these campaigns failed? Who opposes environmental action on climate change, and why? Why have the US and Europe responded differently to the problem of global warming? What are the prospects for a quick transition from a fossil-fuel economy to one based on clean energy?

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

By many measures, the human population is healthier - life expectancies higher, and childhood mortality lower - than ever before. But gains in human achievements in health and beyond have come at the cost of an unprecedented exploitation of planetary resources. Energy extraction and use, agricultural and industrial production and massive transactions of goods and services have literally reshaped and transformed the air, waters and soils that sustain life and health on earth on local and planetary scales. A damaged planet damages human health. In this first-year course, we will explore the changing health of populations in a fraying world through historic and contemporary lenses of human-environment interactions using tools from biology, epidemiology, ecosystem health and public health to dissect patterns of old and emerging infectious and chronic diseases in human and non-human species. We will read research articles, news stories and memoirs, use analytic and expressive modes of inquiry including reflective and expository writing, art, theater and movement to explore these issues and create roadmaps for empowered, hopeful actions toward a healthy future for ourselves and our planet.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

How are public perceptions concerning environmental concepts, conditions, policies, actors and interests shaped by embedded cultural and media representations of nature, environments and their use? Who sets the agenda for environmental issues and debates and how is that agenda presented for public consumption and discourse? What role does the history of environmental imagery in films, television, advertising and journalism play in establishing or maintaining particular perspectives and discourses regarding the environment? And what are the tendencies and limitations of science journalism regarding environmental issues such as pollution, safety regulations, conservation, environmental risk or climate change?This course focuses attention on media representations related to human relationships with nature. Through weekly readings and analyses of media representations we will work to gain a better understanding of the particular influence of media images and discourse on our views of nature and environmental debate, including: images of wilderness, land use and control; representations of industrialization and its impacts; news reporting on environmental degradation and climate change; the visions and metaphors of environmental films and “green advertising,” media characterizations of environmental risk, portrayals of environmental activism, and the shifting parameters of environmental rhetoric in the U.S. and globally. Class members pursue individual term projects that explore and analyze chosen issues of environmental representation and their implications.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course introduces you to the study of human-environment interactions from a geographic perspective, with a special emphasis on agriculture. We will examine environmental issues in a variety of geographic contexts (developed and developing countries) and the connections between environmental problems in different locations. Beyond agriculture, we will also examine other sectoral issues in relation to agriculture or as stand alone environmental concerns. These themes include: human population growth, consumption, biodiversity, climate change, and environmental health. We will be trying on a number of theoretical lenses from geography's broad human-environment tradition (such as physical geography, cultural ecology, commodity chain analysis, political ecology, resource geography, the human dimensions of global change, hazards geography and environmental justice). In other words, I not only want us to explore a range of environmental issues, but also to grapple with theory and how this informs our understanding of the human-environment interface.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

People have always had to contend with the natural world, but only recently have historians begun to explore the changing relationships between people and their environment over time. In this course, we will examine the variety of ways that people in North America have shaped the environment, as well as how they have used, labored in, abused, conserved, protected, rearranged, polluted, cleaned, and thought about it. In addition, we will explore how various characteristics of the natural world have affected the broad patterns of human society, sometimes harming or hindering life and other times enabling rapid development and expansion. By bringing nature into the study of human history and the human past into the study of nature, we will begin to see the connections and interdependencies between the two that are often overlooked.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

Combustion of fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide, which traps energy near Earth's surface and leads to warmer average global temperatures. Combustion of fossil fuels also forms the backbone of the modern economy. This team-taught course provides a framework in which to consider the costs and benefits of fossil fuel consumption in the present and over the coming decades and centuries. We use concepts from climate science and environmental economics to evaluate existing and proposed policy interventions designed to reduce fossil fuel consumption, and consider possible technological solutions to slow or reverse climate change. Among our main approaches are state-of-the-art Integrated Assessment Models; students will be exposed to several of the most commonly used models and to research from their critics. This course counts as a 200A economics course. Students signing up for the course as Economics will get credit toward the social sciences general distribution requirement; those signing up for the course as Environmental Studies will get credit toward the natural sciences and mathematics general distribution requirement. Prerequisite(s): ECON 119

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q3

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

The Arctic represents one of the most extreme environments to which humans have adapted. These adaptations include both biological and cultural changes required to settle and flourish in this formidable setting. This course looks at some of the cultural practices that appear to be ubiquitous throughout the Arctic, as well as those specializations that have developed as a result of some of the more localized environmental pressures. It also explores the consequences of rapid global climate change as well as modernization on these unique cultures to get a sense of what the future might hold for the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 101 or ANTH 111 or consent of instructor

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course is built around the argument that "environmental problems" do not exist; they are in fact human behavior problems. Thus, if we want to craft effective solutions to issues such as ocean acidification, air pollution, or climate change, we must start with the human behaviors that lead to them. We will cover psychological principles, theories, and methods and explore the complex web of factors underlying environmentally sustainable and unsustainable actions. A strong theme throughout the semester is the intersection of identity - personal, social, and cultural - and environmentalism.  We will explore questions such as, "Why do some groups of people feel a part of the sustainability movement while others feel alienated from it or skeptical of it?"; "Who takes action on behalf of the natural environment, under what circumstances, and why?"; and "How can we create contexts that promote true sustainability?" Psychology of Sustainable Behavior is a project-based class with a strong civic engagement component. Students will participate in three class projects: a self-change project (2.5 weeks), a community-based collaborative project (5 weeks), and a communication/education project (3 weeks). Prerequisite(s): PSYC 100 for Psychology majors.

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to outdoor education as an opportunity to promote social justice and environmental sustainability in a globalized world.  Informed by relevant philosophical, psychological, cultural and political-economic frameworks, in addition to critical issues in public education policy and practice, we will explore interdisciplinary approaches to outdoor environmental education appropriate for students across the K-12 continuum.  We will utilize the Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area (Ordway Field Station) as an outdoor classroom and will adapt curriculum from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other outdoor education organizations to assist elementary school teachers and students in fulfilling Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards. Early in the semester, all students will participate in a weekend retreat at the Ordway Field Station. Weekly lab sessions will include field days during which course members design and implement educational experiences for elementary school children at Ordway, small group work days for preparing field day lesson plans, trips to local outdoor environmental education sites within the Twin Cities, and other experiential learning opportunities.  Weekly seminar sessions incorporating readings, reflective writing, and individual and small group projects complement the experiential aspects of the course. As the semester progresses, each course member will develop a curricular unit aimed at teaching an important environmental issue to diverse adolescents attending urban public schools.  The curricular unit is a significant undertaking that provides students with the opportunity to synthesize all aspects of the course material in a creative, pragmatic and integrative manner.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course provides an introduction to outdoor education as an opportunity to promote social justice and environmental sustainability in a globalized world.  Informed by relevant philosophical, psychological, cultural and political-economic frameworks, in addition to critical issues in public education policy and practice, we will explore interdisciplinary approaches to outdoor environmental education appropriate for students across the K-12 continuum.  We will utilize the Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area (Ordway Field Station) as an outdoor classroom and will adapt curriculum from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other outdoor education organizations to assist elementary school teachers and students in fulfilling Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards. Early in the semester, all students will participate in a weekend retreat at the Ordway Field Station. Weekly lab sessions will include field days during which course members design and implement educational experiences for elementary school children at Ordway, small group work days for preparing field day lesson plans, trips to local outdoor environmental education sites within the Twin Cities, and other experiential learning opportunities.  Weekly seminar sessions incorporating readings, reflective writing, and individual and small group projects complement the experiential aspects of the course. As the semester progresses, each course member will develop a curricular unit aimed at teaching an important environmental issue to diverse adolescents attending urban public schools.  The curricular unit is a significant undertaking that provides students with the opportunity to synthesize all aspects of the course material in a creative, pragmatic and integrative manner.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

What is the history and evolution of environmental thinking and writing?  How have writers shaped the ways we understand our relationship with the natural world?  This course explores these questions, drawing in roughly equal measure on 'classic' texts from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.  The ideas introduced by these classic texts are still present, implicitly and explicitly, in much of today's environmental discourse. This course will use a selection of books and papers that have had a major impact on academic and wider public thinking - primarily but not exclusively in the USA.  Through engaged discussion, we will trace the impact of each text, beginning with the context in which it was written and ending with its influence on our contemporary understandings of the environment.  In addition, we will seek to understand the characteristics of 'classic' texts that hold attention, encourage new ways of thinking, and facilitate social change. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor or two of the following: ENVI 133, ENVI 240, ENVI 215, ENVI 234,  ENVI 285 .

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course explores the interaction between landscape and power in Andean history from the colonial period to the present day. The dramatic mountains have both shaped and have been shaped by sociopolitical relations, from the "vertical archipelagos" of ancient Andean peoples to the extractive economies of the Spanish and post-colonial Andean states. The course incorporates analytical perspectives from environmental, cultural, and urban history, alongside eyewitness accounts, to consider the relationship between the natural and built environments, on the one hand, and Andean racial and social identities, on the other. In selected years, this course will involve collaboration with contemporary Andean communities deploying oral history as a means of community and environmental preservation.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

An introduction to the study of ecological theory and processes. The subject of this course is the natural world and the current and past processes that have shaped it. Taking a systems approach, major ecological patterns and processes are described and proposed underlying mechanisms are investigated through readings, field and laboratory studies. The impact of humans on natural systems is also examined. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q2

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

An introduction to the study of ecological theory and processes. The subject of this course is the natural world and the current and past processes that have shaped it. Taking a systems approach, major ecological patterns and processes are described and proposed underlying mechanisms are investigated through readings, field and laboratory studies. The impact of humans on natural systems is also examined. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

An introduction to the study of ecological theory and processes. The subject of this course is the natural world and the current and past processes that have shaped it. Taking a systems approach, major ecological patterns and processes are described and proposed underlying mechanisms are investigated through readings, field and laboratory studies. The impact of humans on natural systems is also examined. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

The study of oceanography is a multidisciplinary pursuit that applies tools from geology, physics, chemistry, and biology to better understand one of Earth’s most unique planetary features. Oceans cover the majority of Earth’s surface and were the birthplace of nearly all complex life on Earth. Ocean currents carry heat, nutrients, and carbon around the globe, influencing Earth’s climate from global to local scales. However, despite its immense size, the ocean system is also highly sensitive to human impacts such as acidification, overfishing, and pollution. This course will provide an overview of the ocean’s physical, chemical, and biological properties and processes and the complex ways in which they interact. We will use oceanographic data to ask and answer questions about modern oceanographic systems. We will also explore human impacts on the oceans in their scientific and socio-political contexts. We will read scientific as well as non-technical writing about the ocean, and write our own oceanographic “stories” in a variety of forms. This course is designed for students with an introductory background in any related discipline, and enthusiasm for approaching science in a multidisciplinary way.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

The large challenges facing us in the 21st century are not going to be solved in one sector. We need creative collaborations and innovative experiments. Change is happening at the intersection of art, science and design. In this class we are going to learn about artist and scientist who are doing things differently and explore how they engage with people, collaborate cross sector, change systems and involve people in the their research. We will use design thinking and prototyping to build new platforms in our cross departmental class. Together we will explore four large topic areas, bring in speakers and go on filed trips across the cities. Each student will have the opportunity to design and test prototypes of their ideas in the public and bring back both their successes/challenges for the class to learn from. The class will end with collaborating on a local issue facing the City of St Paul. As a class working together we will develop a creative plan that will include working prototypes, possible funding sources and how to sustain our idea. The final idea will be present to the city for implementation.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

In the minds of many Americans, cities are places where nature is absent-places where nature exists only in the crevices and on the margins of spaces dominated by technology, concrete, and human artifice. This course confronts this assumption directly, drawing on the scholarship from the relatively young field of urban environmental history to uncover the deep interconnections between urban America and the natural world. Among the other things, we will examine how society has drawn upon nature to build and sustain urban growth, the implications that urban growth has for transforming ecosystems both local and distant, and how social values have guided urbanites as they have built and rearranged the world around them. Using the Twin Cities has a backdrop and constant reference point, we will attempt to understand the constantly changing ways that people, cities, and nature have shaped and reshaped one another throughout American history.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

In this urban studies capstone seminar students research the internal and external forces that will foster change and reinforce the status quo in American metropolitan areas during the 21st century. Course readings focus on suburbs, which are the dominant mode of metropolitan living in contemporary America. We will consider the history of suburbanization, the political economy of growth in the suburbs, the rise of smart growth strategies, and other attempts to foster change in the suburban experience (including the New Urbanism, green building and green movements, and regionalism). We will also consider how suburbs are now experiencing demographic changes and investigate the struggle for community in historic and contemporary suburbs. This seminar will thus complicate the conventional narrative of suburbs as sprawling, inauthentic and homogeneous places. Students will further enrich their understanding of issues covered in the course by conducting original research that examines ways in which American suburbs are changing and/or remaining the same despite efforts to the contrary. Students will consider their collective findings and discuss what they portend for American cities in the 21st century.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course is an intensive internship experience (8-10 hours/week) with an environmental organization or business in the Twin Cities metro region. An internship is an excellent way for students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom and laboratory, to learn more in an environmental area, and to explore career options. Required for Environmental Studies majors. It is recommended that students complete this course during the fall of their senior year. Graded S/SD/N only. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor required. Corequisite(s): ENVI 490

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This weekly seminar complements the internship experience by bringing together students to discuss common experiences and reflect on professional development challenges. Weekly assignments include reflective writing, mentor profiles, mock job interviews and meetings with ES alums and community leaders. Prerequisite(s): For Environmental Studies majors only. Permission of instructor required. Corequisite(s): ENVI 489

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials