Course Syllabus

Bio9K: Global Change Biology, Spring 2020

Introduction

Welcome to Bio9K Global Change Biology! We are glad to have this opportunity to connect with you and provide support during this very challenging time. This is a non-majors course focused on the ways that humans affect our environment, and actions we can take to minimize or reverse any harm. This course is normally a field course, and we have adapted it so you can take it remotely.

The motto for this class is “Flexibility”. We recognize that each of you is facing challenges in your daily lives owing to the coronavirus crisis. We have tried to design our on-line offerings to be as accommodating and inclusive as possible. Because some students may not be able to access the internet easily during our official class times, we will pre-record all instruction and post it ahead of time. This way, you can access the information at the times that work best for you. In addition, deadlines and due dates are suggestions. If you can, please meet them, as it will help us stay on top of grading and feedback. However, if something happens and you can’t meet them, you will not be penalized.

Please do not hesitate to let us know if you or your families need any help. We can serve as a contact within UCI, and can advocate for you with the university. We also have connections within the OC community, and may be able to set you up with local support programs if you need. We’ve attached information about food banks and other resources at the end of this syllabus.

Prerequisites

There are no pre-requisites for this class.

Student Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this course, students should be able to apply scientific knowledge and communication skills to take action on global changes:

1. Students will communicate their knowledge about an issue in global change biology to policy makers. They will describe the issue, provide evidence underlying the need for policy, and suggest approaches based on that evidence.
2. Students will plan a conservation strategy for a local ecosystem. They will identify local species, select a species that will help slow down climate change, and map out a reserve that will help conserve that species.
3. Students will assess the value of a service provided by a local ecosystem. They will generate an inventory of services provided by species in the ecosystem. They will select one of those services, identify the beneficiaries of that service, describe the species providing the service, and qualitatively evaluate the annual economic value of that service.
4. Students will speak persuasively to friends and family about global change. They will identify an action that they wish to advocate for. They will draw upon scientific observations they have made in class to provide support for the action. They will develop and deliver a memorable elevator speech to convince others to join in on that action.

Information about this Online Course

This course will be taught entirely online, and (with one exception) there is no expectation that you will need to be at any particular location at any particular time. You can e-mail me or post a question on the General Questions and Comments discussion board.

You will be interacting with other students during Discussions throughout the class. You’ll be sharing what you’re learning about the ecosystem you belong to. These interactions can be asynchronous—you will not have to be online at the same time as the other students.

Indigenous and Under-represented Voices

We will start most lectures with a video or acknowledgement of indigenous or otherwise under-represented voices in environmental biology. We support diverse perspectives in the pursuit of science. UCI is located on the ancestral homelands of the Acjachemen and Tongva people, and we value indigenous knowledge and recognize the historical inequities that have shaped modern scientific culture. We strive to meaningfully engage the historically disenfranchised in our course.

Readings

There are no required books for this course. Readings will be assigned for some topics in the course, and they are available directly on the Canvas Course Space.

Videos

To make up for the fact that we can’t take field trips as a class, we will show videos that highlight relevant ecosystems. They are available on the Canvas Course Space. Videos are required viewing. We will watch two fairly long videos for class: An Inconvenient Sequel, and The Plastic Problem. Students will take a quiz on each of these videos. The final exam will have questions about the remaining videos, which are shorter.

How to Succeed in This Class

To succeed in this class, plan to spend about an hour outside in a local ecosystem every two weeks. (We’ll explain in class how to choose the local ecosystem.) Be sure to watch all the videos and do all the readings, in addition to watching the lectures. Take notes! Try your best to meet the due dates and deadlines, so your work doesn’t pile up at the end. It will take time to do the exercises in the local ecosystem, so it will be difficult to try to accomplish everything at the last minute.

EEE/Canvas

We encourage you to check the Canvas website every few days or so. We’ll be updating it often with lectures, assignment descriptions, etc.

All content for the Course can be accessed through the Canvas website. The best way to navigate the course is to visit the home page, then move through each section (by following the links) in order. Each link will take you to a subpage for that section. Each section will take about two weeks to work through.

Assignments

Students will complete five major assignments for the class. Each assignment represents an action they can take to minimize or reverse harms to ecosystems from global change, based on science. Assignments include letter writing, map making, report writing, and video making. Each assignment is worth 100 points.

Attendance and Tardiness

Since our course is asynchronous, students are not expected to participate in class at any particular time or location. Therefore, there are no expectations for attendance and tardiness.