Individualized Instruction (INI) |
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Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth - Section 200 |
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Instructor: Thomas Boman Instructor E-mail: tboman@d.umn.edu Term: Fall 2007 Date Range: 16 weeks beginning September 4, 2007 or date of registration if after September 4, 2007; Refer to the Course Completion Table for your start and end dates. |
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| Course Level: Undergraduate Credits: 3 Course Delivery: Correspondence Registration Deadline: December 14, 2007 |
Cost per undergraduate credit: $296.15 Additional fees may apply Prerequisites: None Additional Info: A-F only; meets LE req of LE CAT 8 |
Description: Environmental education; exploration of key concepts and principles that govern how nature works; potential solutions to environmental and resource problems. |
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Required Textbooks: Textbooks can be purchased from the UMD Bookstore or www.Amazon.com Optional Book: Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization
in Trouble (Paperback) |
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Course Welcome from Instructor: Thank you for registering for Fall 2007, University of Minnesota Duluth course, Educ 1201, Section 200, 3 credits, MANAGING PLANET EARTH. This course is offered through Continuing Education (CE) as an Individual Instruction course (INI), and is an introductory course on environmental education. Your instructor is: Tom Boman, Ph.D. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Option 1. (Text) This requires reading and reacting to the book: Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. (Brown, Lester R.; W. W. Norton; Exp Upd edition (January 23, 2006)) The book is available in the UMD bookstore in the Education section. Option 2. (Video) This requires viewing and reacting to a series of videos. The videos are available in the UMD Library, or, in some cases, available from local video rental outlets. This option has been the most popular choice for students who have previously enrolled in the course. To understand these options better, please look over the instructional manual which is available on the UMD WebCT web site under Educ 1201. You will receive updates and revisions to the study guide from your instructor via e-mail, so please check your UMD e-mail carefully as you complete the lessons. Students are expected to complete the class within 16 weeks. Students whose Individualized Learning (INI) completion dates fall after the end of the academic semester will have a temporary grade of I (incomplete) posted by the instructor. At the end of the 16-week period, the I is changed to a grade when the instructor submits a change of grade form. If you need more time, you can secure an Incomplete grade by completing an Incomplete Form available in the Department of Education Office, 120 MonH, and follow the instructions. |
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Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth - Course Guide General Instructions: Welcome to Managing Planet Earth (hereafter MPE). This course has no course meetings and no exams. You will be on a grading contract where you select how much effort you want to put into the course. More on the grading contract will be discussed later in the instructions. You will have two options to complete this course. One option is to view a series of highly rated videos or movies and write reaction papers guided by questions that accompany each video. A second option is to read a book by Lester Brown called Plan B 2.0 and write reactions papers guided by questions that accompany each chapter of the book. Completing either the video assignments or the book assignments complete the C grading contract. Undertaking one or two honors projects will complete the B or A grading contract. You can enroll and begin this course at anytime and finish anytime. However, to fit within the University calendar, you will register for a particular semester term or a summer term and grades will have to be reported within those terms. If you choose to finish after the completion of the grading period, you will be given an I and allowed to finish the course on your schedule. You will get a permanent grade on your transcript upon completion of the course. All written assignments for this course are to be completed in hard copy and turned over to the instructor either by dropping them off in the Department of Education office, 120 MonH, or mailing them to his home address. You are requested to turn in assignments as you complete them, not leave them all to the end of your grading contract. You can work independently or you can work with another student and turn in joint assignments. Most students, however, have chosen to work independently. You will receive frequent communications from the instructor via e-mail regarding interesting events, readings, reminders of University deadlines, and the like. Grading Contract: There are no scheduled class meetings and no exams. You select a grading contract that fits your needs. You work at your own pace. You can renegotiate your grading contact at any time. You can select a C, for example, and later decide to go for an A. Or you can start out planning on an A and then find yourself in a time bind need to settle for a C. Just let the instructor know of your plans. The Grading Contract: Each assignment in the C contract has a series of questions that you complete by writing out your answers using standard writing protocols as taught in any basic English composition course. Each assignment requires about 5-7 pages of double spaced composition. Prepare assignments in hard copy. Turn in assignments as you complete them. Assignments can either be dropped off in the Department of Education, 120 MonH (be sure to put the instructors name on the assignment to insure that it gets to his mail box), or mail it to his home address: Tom Boman, 1231 Maryland St., Duluth, MN 55811 When you prepare your assignments place the following information on
the top of the front page of each assignment: Example: Honors Assignments: Clear your idea(s) for honor(s) assignments with the instructor before you begin. When you get a bright idea, jot it down on e-mail and send it to the instructor. Most honors assignments result in a written report. Honors assignments cover a wide variety of activities. Many students take on a hot topic like nuclear energy, alternative energy sources, invasive species, pollution, water supply, and the like. Many students visit and write up their reactions to a visit to an environmental learning center like Wolf Ridge, or the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District treatment plant, one of the most sophisticated in the country, or the Environmental Protection Agency Lab in eastern Duluth, or a high tech production facility like 3 M. Some students select an environmental book like Al Gore's latest, An Inconvenient Truth, or Rachael Carson's classic, Silent Spring. Some students attend an environmental conference when something exciting and appropriate pops up on the schedule. Any of these honors activities requires a write-up of about 5-7 pages. If you have questions or need advice, do not hesitate to e-mail the instructor. The Video Option for the C Grading Contract: There are 10 lessons in the option. All are based on one-hour videos or commercial movies. All videos are in the UMD Library and most are on reserve. Commercial movies are available in local rental outlets or playing at local theaters. One video series used in this option is called Race to Save the Planet (RTSP). RTSP was produced over a decade ago, features Meryl Streep as moderator, is excellent, and still relevant. The other video series used in this option is called Journey to Planet Earth (JPE). JPE is new, features Matt Damon as moderator, and is excellent and current. Both series are produced by PBS. The questions for each assignment related to a video or movie are found in the course manual. The majority of students who have taken this course have selected the video option. End-of-course student evaluations have been excellent. The Book Option for the C Grading Contract: The current book selected for this option is titled: Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. It is written by Lester Brown, a highly respected environmentalist. The book is available in the UMD Bookstore and on Amazon.com. Previous students who have read the book give it very good marks for both content and readability. The book option is especially useful for students who do not have access to the UMD Library and the video collections. End-of-course student evaluations for this option have been excellent. Assignments related to the book are found in the course manual. Registration: Registration for the course is through Continuing Education at UMD. Contact
Continuing Education (CE) in the Darland Administration Building for information
and advice on registration. If you hit a snag, contact your college student
affairs office or e-mail the instructor for advice. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 Book Option Lessons being updated to accommodate new textbook. Check back near start of term (September 4) for assignments. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 Video Option Most of these lessons are based on the new PBS series titled, "Journey to Planet Earth". There is one from an older but excellent series titled, "Race to Save the Planet". The PBS videos are on reserve in the UMD library. There are two commercial movies, which you need to secure from any local video outlet. You can do the lessons in any order since they are stand-alone presentations. All reports on lessons are to be 5-7 pages in length and written in standard prose. If you have questions or run into problems, contact the instructor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Video Lesson 1 - "The State of the Planet" >From the Series titled: Journey to Planet Earth. Introduction: This is the first in a series of video programs prepared and released by Public Television that deals with the great environmental issues facing our planet. You are advised to carefully read over all the questions before you view the video to help organize your thoughts. The video is on reserve in the UMD Library under the title of this course. Answer each of the questions in standard prose writing as taught in the UMD composition courses. About 5-7 pages of double spaced writing should suffice. Questions: Overview: There are a number of issues set forth in this series including over-population, water and food scarcity, global warming, infectious disease, and oil and energy crises. In many places on the planet, environmental conditions are out of control. Yet, there are examples where careful and thoughtful management offer hope for survival. The film opens with a brief look at the rich diversity of our planet.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Video Lesson 2 - The Urban Explosion This lesson is based on a video program titled: "The Urban Explosion" from the Public Television Series titled Journey to Planet Earth. Instructions: Answer the following questions using standard prose, double-spaced, 5-7 pages.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Video Lesson 3 - Hot Zones - PBS: Journey to Planet Earth Instructions: Read over the questions for this assignment. Then view the video (on DVD on reserve in the UMD Library) "Hot Zones" from the PBS Series: Journey to Planet Earth. Viewing time is 57 minutes. Your answers to the questions should be about 5-7 pages of double spaced writing. Follow standard writing protocols as prescribed in English composition. The topic of this video is infectious diseases including cholera, malaria, dengue fever, West Nile Virus, and diarrhea. The video was produced in 2003 and does not mention the issue of Avian Flu (Bird Flu) since that disease was just beginning to be noticed in 2003 and there is still some debate among scientists and medical personnel whether the virus that is so lethal in birds will mutate and jump to humans. However, the issues are similar for any highly contagious disease where environmental conditions change and suddenly the disease appears and multiplies in areas where it once did not exist or was under control. Questions:
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Video Lesson 4 - Rivers of Destiny >From the PBS video series, Journey to Planet Earth. Available on reserve in the UMD library. Instructions: Answer the questions in the order they are presented. Standard prose. About 5-7 pages. This is the story of four major rivers, the Mississippi, the Amazon, the Jordan, and the Mekong. They are selected because of the importance they play in the lives of the people through whose countries they flow and because each have environmental threats to content with.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Video Lesson 5 - Sea of Grass (from the series, Journey to Planet Earth) This is a study of human activity that degrades the environment and changes a way of life. The examples cover Mongolia, Africa, Argentina, and the U. S. Most of the examples show changes that are not reversible. Nevertheless, there is hope in the example of the Gray Ranch in New Mexico. While you watch this video, think about implications for your lifestyle and examples that you may have witnessed or were witnessed by your family. Grasslands may not sound very interesting nor seem to affect the lifestyle that we live here in Minnesota. However, recall that the southern half of Minnesota was all grasslands before the arrival of the Europeans and the farming techniques that they brought with them. Some of those Europeans may have been some of your ancestors. Questions:
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Video Lesson 6 - Saving Energy This lesson comes from the video series, "Race to Save the Planet" and is titled, "Saving Energy". It has some classic ideas and features the man most energy experts believe is the most respected energy efficiency expert in the nation, Amory Lovins. Questions:
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Video Lesson 7 -- Commercial Movie: Syriana Background: This lesson is an alternate to lesson 1 based on the video series, "Journey to Planet Earth". I suggest that you consider it if you have a fondness for commercial movies, have access to the movie (there may be a period where it is not showing at a local theater and before it is released in video or DVD), and like high action. The movie is rated four stars by Roger Ebert, his highest rating. To quote Ebert: "Syriana is an endlessly fascinating movie about oil and money, American and China, traders and spies, the Persian Gulf states and Texas, reform and revenge, bribery and betrayal. Its interlocking stories come down to one thing: There is less oil than the world requires, and that will make some people rich and others dead." This may seem an unlikely way to start out a serious course in environmental education. However, it is the biggest environmental issue of our time: Energy. The Mid-east has the largest known reserves of oil (who knows what Russian has in its vast cold areas in Siberia) and is a politically unstable area. This leads to all of the behaviors that are described in Ebert's quote. Your job is to view the movie and then engage in speculating on the questions that follow. Questions: There are a number of intriguing characters in this movie (see list below). Which one(s) would you identify with and why?
The issue that drives all of the insanity in the movie is that there is less oil than the world needs. Does this raise any issues with you relative to how you personally use, or misuse, energy? And how the U.S. uses energy? If you were the President of the United States, what would be your policies regarding oil in the Mideast? Is it legitimate for the U. S. to use intrigue, sabotage, revenge, and double-dealing to insure that the U. S. has an adequate supply of Mideast oil? If yes, explain. If no, explain and supply an alternative strategy. We are at war in Iraq. What is your thinking about how much oil played a role in the real decision to invade Iraq? What about the young man who is recruited to become a suicide bomber. Justified? What might have prevented him from being recruited in the first place? What was your reaction at the next to the last scene in the movie when there was the ceremony for the "Oilman of the Year" award? Now that you have reflected on the movie, are there any other thoughts you would like to share? Would you recommend this movie to another student? Any qualifications on who you would recommend it to? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Video Lesson 8 - Land of Plenty, Land of Want A video from PBS titled Journey to Planet Earth. Available on reserve in the UMD library. Instructions: Write answers to the questions using standard prose. About 5-7 pages. This video examines farming practices and dilemmas in four countries: Zimbabwe, France, China, and the United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Lesson 9 On the Brink >From the series: Journey to Planet Earth This is a disturbing film. It pictures the extreme poverty that results from the collapse of the environment and the resulting political instability. You will travel from Bangladesh to South Africa to Peru to Haiti to the Mexican/U.S. border. At the end of the film, there are some examples of positive steps being taken but they are still modest. There is the challenge to the wealthy nations to assist the poorest nations to prevent the spread of poverty and resulting political instability. Questions:
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Video Lesson 10 - A Civil Action Title: Becoming an Environmental Activist Instructions: View the movie: A Civil Action This movie was released on DVD in January 8, 1999 so should be available in any video rental store or on-line system. It may also be in the private collection of many students. It is not in the UMD library. The movie is based on a true story of a well-known case of toxic pollution that occurred in Woburn, Mass., in the 1970's. An unusual number of children were dying of leukemia, the cause unknown. When personal-injury lawyer Jan Schlichtmann agrees to take the case, the finger of blame points to two giant corporations: W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods. He wants to prove that their factories were illegally dumping poisonous chemicals. The movie concentrates on the behaviors and skills of two lawyers, Schlichtmann (played by John Travolta) and the prosecution Jerome Facher (played by Robert Duval) for the defense. The issue over which the lawyers are fighting is a classic one for the environment, large-scale pollution and the attempt to cover it up. The movie is top rated and has plenty of food for thought. View the film and then try your hand at answering the following questions. Go for about 5-7 pages of double spaced writing as a goal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Educ 1201 - Managing Planet Earth Lesson 11 - Evaluation The instructor would like some feedback. Answer the questions that follow:
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DISABILITY ACCESS STATEMENT To request disability accommodations, please contact: Catherine Rackliffe For more information on disability services and resources at UMD, please check out http://www.d.umn.edu/access/. |
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