ENV 101:ECOSYSTEMS

FALL 1999



Granite Springs, Idaho
July 1999



Welcome to the Fall 1999 course in "Adventures in Science", Ecosystems. Well, this is it --- the third and final course in this innovative, interactive program at Catholic University. This this course, we will be looking at the way everything is connected in the biotic and abiotic realms of our planet. We'll be getting dirty --- literally! --- as we examine and study soil and its importance to the foundations of life. We'll be looking at microscopic and macroscopic critters and lifeforms, in and out of their natural environments. We'll be talking with trees and learning their life stories. And even with the drought of this past year, we'll look in depth at the need and importance of wetlands in our lives. Contrary to what many folks think, fall is a very busy time of the year for Mother Nature, and we'll be doing a lot of observing and documenting of these changes. In doing so, hopefully you will gain more of an appreciation for the natural order of things... and how your actions can affect nature both in positive and negative ways.

You can get an idea of what we'll be doing by looking at this semester's Syllabus. Policies and procedures for this course can be found by clicking here. We'll be adding lecture notes, study questions and other information here as the term progresses.



GUIDE TO ENV 101: ECOSYSTEMS

Click on the topic you wish to see!

PAGE TOPIC PAGE CONTENTS
Class Syllabus Outline of the course
Policies and Procedures Rules for the course; requirements as lab and field trip attendance; grading criteria
Class Roster List of Who's Who in ENV 101
Lectures -- Week # 1
August 30 - Sep 3		 "Ecosystems and Their Components"; "Genesis of Soil"
Dr. Howard
Lectures -- Week # 2
Sep 6 (Holiday) - Sep 10		 "Functions and Composition of Soil"
Dr. Howard
Lectures -- Week # 3
Sep 13 - 17		 "Functions and Composition of Soil" - Continued
Dr. Howard
Lectures -- Week # 4
Sep 20 -24		 "Geochemistry of Soil" - Dr. Howard;
"How Plants Work: Plant Structure" - Mrs. Wende
Lectures -- Week # 5
Sep 27 - Oct 1		 "Photosynthesis"; "Plant Reproduction"
Mrs. Wende
Lectures -- Week # 6
Oct 4 - 8		 "Food Chains"
Dr. Howard
Lectures -- Week # 7
Oct 11 (Holiday) - Oct 15		 Click here to go to Review Questions for Exam#1
Lectures -- Week # 8
Oct 18 -22		 "Monera and Protista"
Dr. Howard
Lectures --- Week #9
Oct 25 - Oct 29		 Kingdom: Fungi; Kingdom: Animalia - Introduction; Simple Animals through Mollusks
Dr. Howard
Lectures -- Week # 10
Nov 1 - 5		 Kingdom: Animalia - Mollusks through Chordata
Dr. Howard
Lectures -- Week # 11
Nov 8 - 12		"Ecological Relationships of Plants and Animals"; Biomes: Freshwater Environments"
Dr. Howard
Lectures -- Week # 12
Nov 15 - 19		Biomes: Tundra; Taiga; Tropical Rain Forest
Dr. Howard
Lectures -- Week # 13
Nov 22 - 24		Biomes: Deserts
Mrs. Wende
Lectures -- Week # 14
Nov 29 - Dec 3		Biomes: Deciduous Forests
Dr. Howard
Lectures -- Week # 15
Dec 6 - 10		Biomes: Wetlands
Dr. Howard
Websites for Biorama ProjectsSeveral very useful websites for information about animals found in your biorama projects
Rocks and Minerals Lab from September 1, 1999 "Notes, Charts, Diagrams and Mineral Identification"
Caution! Page is graphic intensive, and may take time to download.
Ecosystem Lab from September 8, 1999:
Update on the Class Ecosystem		 "Evolution of a Natural Ecosystem"




Handy e-mail Addresses for this Course:


Michele Bird --- mbird@hotmail.com

Dr. Barbara Howard --- howardb@cua.edu

Carolee Wende --- cmwende@compuserve.com


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