Course Schedule
| Week | Date | Topic | Reading + Slides | Discussion Board |
| 1 | 1/30/23 | “The Environment.” What does this mean? How do people know and understand environments? | –Chapter 1: Environmental Science –Class slides | |
| 2 | 2/6/23 | The geosphere: deep space and time, origin stories, and intro to Earth systems science | –Skinner et al, Dynamic Earth, Chapter 1: Meet Planet Earth (password) –Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, “Sky Woman Falling” (password) –Class slides | What cultural ways of knowing inform how you understand environments? |
| 3 | Tuesday 2/21/23 | The biosphere: matter, energy, life, and ecosystems | –Chapter 2: Matter, Energy and Life –Chapter 3: Ecosystems and the Biosphere –Class slides | |
| 4 | 2/27/23 | Environmental issues, environmental pollution, and environmental justice: understanding harms and organizing responses | –Chapter 6: Environmental Hazards and Human Health –Bullard, “Anatomy of Environmental Racism and the Environmental Justice Movement” (password) –Principles of Environmental Justice (password) –Class slides | How did EJ form as a movement? In your view, what are the most important EJ tenets, and why? |
| 5 | 3/6/23 | The hydrosphere: changing oceans, rivers, and lakes | –Chapter 7: Water Availability and Use –Class slides | |
| 6 | 3/13/23 | Plastics, pollution, and anti-colonial research | –Liboiron, “Pollution is Colonialism, Introduction” –Class slides | List 3 key ideas and at least 2 discussion questions in response to Liboiron’s text. |
| 7 | 3/20/23 | Soils: the pedosphere | –Logan, “Dirt, the ecstatic skin of the Earth, Part I“ –Chapter 10: Feeding the World –Class slides | Quiz 1: geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere |
| 8 | 3/27/23 | Soils: the anthro-pedosphere and human interactions | –Egendorf et al., “Applying a novel systems approach to address systemic environmental injustices: Constructing soil for limiting the legacy of lead (Pb)” –Amundson et al., “Soil and human security in the 21st century” –Class slides | How might you use a systems approach to understand and engage with an environmental issue? |
| 9 | 4/3/23 | Urban agriculture and food Justice | –Penniman, Farming While Black, “Introduction” and “Urban Farming” –Bradley and Herrera, “Decolonizing Food Justice” –Class slides | -What is “the original notion of food justice?” Why is this important? -Research organizations working for food justice. What are they doing and why? |
| 10 | 4/17/23 | Energy: conventional and sustainable sources | –Chapter 9: Conventional Energy and Sustainable Energy –Class slides | |
| 11 | 4/24/23 | The climate system: atmospheric science and anthropogenic climate change | –Chapter 8: Air Pollution and Climate Change –Class slides | Quiz 2: pedosphere, energy, atmosphere |
| 12 | 5/1/23 | Climate Justice | –Hebdon et al, “Pedagogy and Climate Change” –Lennon, “Energy transitions in a time of intersecting precarities: From reductive environmentalism to antiracist praxis” –Shephard and Corbin-Mark, “Climate Justice” –Bali Principles of Climate Justice –Class slides | -What pedagogies are needed to effectively teach about climate change? Why? -What are some differences between an extractive and regenerative economy? |
| 13 | 5/8/23 | Final Project Presentations | ||
| 14 | 5/15/23 | Reflect / Review | ||
| 15 | 5/22/23 | Final Exam |
College Policies:
Policy on Academic Integrity: The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the
procedure for policy implementation can be found at www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation. Students should be aware that faculty may use plagiarism detection software.
Statement Regarding the Center for Student Disability Services: The Center for Student Disability Services (CSDS) is committed to ensuring students with disabilities enjoy an equal opportunity to participate at Brooklyn College. In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations, students must first be registered with CSDS. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to schedule an interview by calling (718) 951-5538 or emailing [email protected] If you have already registered with CSDS, email [email protected] or [email protected] to ensure accommodation emails are sent to your professor.
Nonattendance because of religious beliefs: The New York State Education Law provides that no student shall be expelled or refused admission to an institution of higher education because he or she is unable to attend classes or participate in examinations or study or work requirements on any particular day or days because of religious beliefs. Students who are unable to attend classes on a particular day or days because of religious beliefs will be excused from any examination or study or work requirements. Faculty must make good-faith efforts to provide students absent from class because of religious beliefs equivalent opportunities to make up the work missed; no additional fees may be charged for this consideration. Please see the Undergraduate Bulletin for more information: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/off_registrar/2022-2023_Undergraduate_Bulletin.pdf
Student Bereavement Policy: Students who experience the death of an immediate family member must contact the Division of Student Affairs, 2113 Boylan Hall, 718.951.5352, [email protected], if they wish to implement either the Standard Bereavement Procedure or the Leave of Absence Bereavement Procedure (see below). The Division of Student Affairs has the right to request a document that verifies the death (e.g., a funeral program or death notice). More information is available at:
http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/initiatives/policies/bereavement.php
Please familiarize yourself with all the resources that the Brooklyn College Library has available to you: https://library.brooklyn.cuny.edu/resources/
Special Dates:
Wednesday, January 25 First day of Spring 2023 classes
Tuesday, January 31 Last day to add a course
Sunday, February 12 No classes scheduled
Monday, February 13 College Closed – No classes scheduled
Monday, February 20 College Closed – No classes scheduled
Tuesday, February 21 Conversion Day – Classes follow a Monday schedule
Wednesday, April 5 – Spring Recess – No classes scheduled
Thursday, April 13
Tuesday, May 16 Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” grade
Wednesday, May 17 Final Examinations Begin
Tuesday, May 23 Final Examinations End / End of Spring Semester
