Spring 2011 COURSES
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES SPRING 2011 COURSES
Courses for the new ES major (for Class of 2012 and beyond)
Courses for the old ES major (for Class of 2011)
Courses for the new ES minor (for Class of 2012 and beyond)
Courses for the old ES minor (for Class of 2011)
Special Topics Course Descriptions
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES TRACK(for Class of 2012 and beyond)
Foundation Courses:
- ES 100 - Environmental Concerns in Perspective
- ES 105 - Field Studies in Environmental Science
Core Courses:
- GO 231 Environmental Politics and Policy
- HI 217 American Environmental History
Cluster A Courses:
- AH 208 Art and The Env.in Ancient Mesoamerica and S. Am.
- AM 232H New England Begins
- EN 280 Writing about Climate Change
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- EX 361 Physical Activity: A Public Health Perspective
- ES 231 Environmental Politics and Policy
- HI 217 American Environmental History
- IA 101 Introduction of International Affairs
- AN 352D Landscapes of the Ancient World
- ES 351 Environmental Art
- GO 339 International Politics of Econ and Envir
- MB 351 Business and the Natural Environment
- S0 331 Women in the Global Economy
Cluster B1 Courses:
- ES251 The Engineering and Ecology of Energy
- GE 112 Oceanography
- GE 211 Climatology
Capstone:
- ES 375 Case Studies in Environmental Sustainability
Methods:
- EC 237 Statistical Methods
- ID 210 Introduction to GIS
- MS 104 Introduction to Statistics
- SO 227 Social Research Methods
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TRACK(for Class of 2012 and beyond)
Foundation Courses:
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
Disciplinary Foundation Courses:
- BI 106 Biological Sciences II
- CH 105 Chemical Principles I
- CH 106 Chemical Principles II
Core Courses:
- ES 206 Watershed Assessment: Dynamic and Integrity of Aquatic Systems
Cluster A Courses:
- AH 208 Art and The Env.in Ancient Mesoamerica and S. Am.
- AM 232H New England Begins
- EN 280 Writing about Climate Change
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- EX 361 Physical Activity: A Public Health Persp.
- GO 231 Environmental Politics and Policy
- HI 217 American Environmental History
- IA 101 Introduction of International Affairs
- AN 352D Landscapes of the Ancient World
- ES 351 Environmental Art
- GO 339 International Politics of Econ and Envir
- MB 351 Business and the Natural Environment
- S0 331 Women in the Global Economy
Cluster B2 Courses:
- BI 351 Microbial Physiology (No Lab)
- BI 351 Ecology and Evolution of Parasitic Disease
- CH 222 Organic Chemistry II
- CH 303 Modern Analytical Chemistry
- ES 251 The Engineering and Ecology of Energy
- GE 211 Climatology
Capstone:
- ES 375 Case Studies in Environmental Sustainability
Methods:
- ID 210 Introduction to GIS
- MS 104 Introduction to Statistics
OLD MAJOR
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES TRACK(for Class of 2011)
Foundation Courses:
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
- ES 105 Field Studies in Environmental Science
Cluster A Courses:
- AH 208 Art and The Env.in Ancient Mesoamerica and S. Am.
- AM 232H New England Begins
- EN 280 Writing about Climate Change
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- EX 361 Physical Activity: A Public Health Persp.
- GO 231 Environmental Politics and Policy
- HI 217 American Environmental History
- IA 101 Introduction of International Affairs
- ES 351 Environmental Art
- GO 339 International Politics of Econ and Envir
- MB 351 Business and the Natural Environment
- S0 331 Women in the Global Economy
Cluster B1 Courses:
- ES 251 The Engineering and Ecology of Energy
- GE 112 Oceanography
- GE 211 Climatology
Cluster C Courses:
- AN 352D Landscapes of the Ancient World
Capstone:
- ES 375 Case Studies in Environmental Sustainability
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TRACK (for Class of 2011)
Foundation Courses:
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
- ES 105 Field Studies in Environmental Science
Core Coures:
- CH 105 Chemical Principles I
- CH 106 Chemical Principles II
Cluster A Courses:
- AH 208 Art and The Env.in Ancient Mesoamerica and S. Am.
- AM 232H New England Begins
- EN 280 Writing about Climate Change
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- EX 361 Physical Activity: A Public Health Persp.
- GO 231 Environmental Politics and Policy
- HI 217 American Environmental History
- IA 101 Introduction of International Affairs
- ES 351 Environmental Art
- GO 339 International Politics of Econ and Envir
- MB 351 Business and the Natural Environment
- S0 331 Women in the Global Economy
Cluster B2 Courses:
- BI 351 Microbial Physiology (No Lab)
- BI 351 Ecology and Evolution of Parasitic Disease
- CH 222 Organic Chemistry II
- CH 303 Modern Analytical Chemistry
- ES 251 The Engineering and Ecology of Energy
- GE 211 Climatology
Cluster C Courses:
- AN 352D Landscapes of the Ancient World
Capstone:
- ES 375 Case Studies in Environmental Sustainability
Methods:
- MS 104 Introduction to Statistics
COURSES FOR THE NEW ES MINOR(for Class of 2012 and beyond)
Social and Cultural Perspective Track
Foundation Courses:
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
- ES 105 Field Studies in Environmental Science
Cluster A Courses:
- AN 208 Art and The Env.in Ancient Mesoamerica and S. Am.
- AM 232H New England Begins
- EN 280 Writing about Climate Change
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- EX 361 Physical Activity: A Public Health Persp.
- GO 231 Environmental Politics and Policy
- HI 217 American Environmental History
- IA 101 Introduction of International Affairs
- AN 352D Landscapes of the Ancient World
- ES 351 Environmental Art
- GO 339 International Politics of Econ and Envir
- MB 351 Business and the Natural Environment
- S0 331 Women in the Global Economy
Cluster B1 Courses:
- ES 251 The Engineering and Ecology of Energy
- GE 112 Oceanography
- GE 211 Climatology
COURSES FOR THE OLD ES MINOR(for Class of 2011)
Foundation Courses:
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
Cluster A Courses:
- AH 208 Art and The Env.in Ancient Mesoamerica and S. Am.
- AM 232H New England Begins
- EN 280 Writing about Climate Change
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- EX 361 Physical Activity: A Public Health Perspective
- GO 231 Environmental Politics and Policy
- HI 217 American Environmental History
- IA 101 Introduction of International Affairs
- ES 351 Environmental Art
- GO 339 International Politics of Econ and Envir
- MB 351 Business and the Natural Environment
- S0 331 Women in the Global Economy
Cluster B1 Courses:
- ES 251 The Engineering and Ecology of Energy
- GE 112 Oceanography
- GE 211 Climatology
Cluster C Courses:
- AN 352D Landscapes of the Ancient World
Special Topic Course Descriptions:
AN 352D: Landscapes of the Ancient World – Instructor: A. Runggaldier
This course is an exploration of the concept of landscape and environment from the
perspective of archaeology. Students will gather information on the cultural aspects
of environments from short ethnographic fieldwork assignments, and in-depth reading
of case studies. Readings will be drawn from environmental psychology, the anthropology
of space, and landscape archaeology to examine a variety of topics including natural
and constructed landscapes, private and public space, the built environment, memory
and commemoration of events through space, practice and symbolism of food production,
environments in cosmology, and archaeological reconstructions of ancient landscapes.
Case studies from around the world will highlight the social and cultural aspects
of the study of ancient landscapes and provide students with a long-term horizon of
the ways in which humans affect their environments, and how, in turn, environments
shape cultural responses. 4 credits. Prerequisites: AN-101 or AN-102.
N.B.: If you have not taken the prerequisites for this course but would like to enroll, please contact Professor Rik Scarce, rscarce@skidmore.edu for “permission of the instructor.”
BI 351 Microbial Physiology (No Lab)
An advanced exploration of the seemingly unlimited variety of microbial metabolic
activity and its possible applications. Students will study the metabolic processes
in bacteria and how our understanding of these processes can be applied in microbial
biotechnology. Linking physiology to basic genetics and microbial diversity, we will
discuss the use of microbes in areas like bioremediation, bio-fuel production, plant
biotechnology, as well as vaccine and antibiotic synthesis development.
BI 351 Ecology and Evolution of Parasitic Disease
A study of select topics regarding parasitic life-cycles. Emphasis will be on eukaryotic
parasites focusing mainly on protozoans. The course will focus on specific infectious
agents and on the relationship between ecology and evolution on virulence and life-cycles.
This course will study the ecological and evolutionary histories of these pathologies
and how these can be applied to emerging infectious agents.
EN 280 01 Writing About Global Warming - Instructor: J. Goodell
Dealing with global warming may or may not turn out to be the biggest challenge human
civilization has ever faced—but it is certainly a tricky task for a writer. Few other
issues of our time carry science, politics, emotion, and morality to such a high pitch.
For a writer, it’s treacherous ground: How do you craft an argument about the end
of the world as we know it without being dismissed as a tree-hugger? Or, if you’re
a skeptic, how do you argue that global warming is really not such a big deal without
being written off as a flat-earther? More generally, how do you write a personal essay
about a slow-motion, global catastrophe? Do novels trump journalism as a medium to
communicate big ideas? At what point does argument become indistinguishable from political
activism? In this class, we will explore many forms of writing about global warming:
polemics, essays, blogs, magazine feature stories, non-fiction books and novels. We'll
look at various rhetorical strategies, explore how facts can cloud or clarify the
truth, and talk about the role of the writer’s voice in argument and narrative. Students
should expect weekly writing assignments in a variety of short and long forms, and
well as substantial reading in current global warming literature. A background in
science is not necessary (although it certainly won’t hurt). Prerequisites: EN 219
or permission of instructor. (4 credits)
N.B.: For Permission of Instructor please contact Professor Michael Marx, 320 PMH,
mmarx@skidmore.edu, x5173.
ES 251 The Engineering and Ecology of Energy - Instructor: R. Wiltshire
Energy is a principle means for providing basic human needs, and it facilitates opportunities
for achieving a decent quality of life. Access to and distribution of affordable,
adequate, and sustainable energy sources is a prerequisite for sustainable development,
and understanding the design, efficiencies, and environmental impacts of different
energy systems is critical to our transition to a cleaner, more equitable energy future.
We will explore the fundamental physics of energy, the evolving designs, technologies
and efficiencies of more traditional and alternative energy production, and the comprehensive
ecological impacts of various energy sources and systems such as Solar, Wind, Hydro,
and Biomass. Prereqs. ES 100 and QR1.
ES 351 Special Topics in Environmental Studies: Environmental Art - Instructor: A. Barnes
From its roots in land art of the 1960's to more recent ecological interventions,
environmental art encompasses a range of approaches to connecting art with the environment.
In this course, we will examine these approaches and question how they serve environmental
concerns and current issues in art. Critical texts, such as Sue Spaid's Ecovention:
Current Issues to Transform Ecologies and Brian Wallis and Jeffery Kastner's Land
and Environmental Art, will guide our study as we explore environmental art through
both theory and practice. Analytical writing assignments and a collaborative environmental
art project will be required. Artists discussed will include Robert Smithson, Richard
Long, Andy Goldsworthy, Agnes Denes, Mel Chin, and Lynne Hull. Prerequisites: ES100,
AR131 or AR132 or permission of instructor. Lab fee: $25
EX 131: Introduction to Public Health - Instructor: J.Burden
Introduction to the principles and practices of public health, emphasizing the prevention
of disease and promotion of health and well being. Using a case-study framework, students
will explore both the historical and current roles of public health, and will investigate
basic, epidemiological concepts including study design, rates, causation, and surveillance.
Environmental, behavioral, biological, and socio-economic determinants of health will
be explored and students will study both health issues that impact larger society
and those that threaten vulnerable populations.
EX 361: Physical Activity: A Public Health Perspective
Instructor - S. D'Isabel
his course will investigate physical activity issues through the lens of public health.
A brief grounding in public health will provide the launching point for a thorough
exploration of one of the major issues that has stumped public health professionals:
a sedentary society. In the latter part of the course, students will put their knowledge
to use by collaboratively conducting a Walkability Audit of the area surrounding Skidmore,
assimilating and present in the data, and developing plans of action to address the
main barriers to activity for the Skidmore community, as determined by the audit.
HI 217: American Environmental History – Instructor: E. Morser
This course explores American environmental history from pre-colonial times through
the modern era. We will investigate a number of themes including how the different
landscapes and ecologies of North America shaped the continent's history, the links
between industrialization and the environment, economic and political struggles for
control of natural resources, and changing American perceptions of nature. Ultimately,
by examining these themes we can understand how the nation's rich environmental history
has crafted the world that we inhabit today.
MB 351B Business and the Natural Environment-Instructor: J. Kennelly
This case-based course aims to foster awareness, sensitivity and literacy concerning
the major forces and challenges bearing upon the intersection of business organizations
and the natural environment. It broadly examines and appraises the role of business
enterprise in relation to the current (and future) state of the planet. The course
begins by reviewing major ecological and socio-economic challenges facing the planet,
including population growth, human poverty, climate change, toxic pollution, loss
of biodiversity, etc, paying particular attention to the impacts of business enterprise
upon each issue. The course then turns to an assessment of sustainable development
and biophysically and socially sustainable business practices. The course concludes
with a comprehensive assessment of various ways business may become a proactive force
in an evolution to global sustainability. Prerequisites: MB 107, EC 103, 104, or permission
of instructor.
If you have any questions about these courses, please feel free to Michael Marx (mmarx@skidmore.edu) or other members of the Environmental Studies faculty.
