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File created: Sep 5, 1998
Last modified Aug 25, 2000

Course Overview

The first day or two of the course provides an overview of the entire year, with the Foundations of EESci Section previewed in more detail.

TOPICS:

Why EESci? Lab Exercise

Natural resources

Renewable, Nonrenewable Resource Decisions

CONCEPT: Purposes for EESCI

The first topics in the Foundations Section introduce the students to some of the reasons why it is important for people to have knowledge of Earth's physical systems in order to make sound management decisions in their lives. These reasons include the rapidly growing human population of the planet that will require more and more resources, the steady depletion of resources available from the planet, and the choices we make every day between renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.

Why do we need to know how to manage the Earth better?

TOPICS: Management and the Scientific Method

How does Science Work?

Experimental Design

Fieldwork

Data Analysis

Lab Safety

CONCEPT: Nature of Science

After the students have learned why careful management of the planet is important, they will review how science provides an area of knowledge critical to making good management decisions. The classes and labs will review scientific method as it is used in natural resource decision making, the use and misuse of terms such as hypothesis and theory, the basic designs of experiments, the use of fieldwork in science, the value of objective knowledge based on measurement and computations compared to more subjective knowledge based on observations, and the use of inference in science.

1. What is management?
2. Why is scientific knowledge so important in managing the planet?
3. What is science and how does it work?
4. How are the scientific processes different from each other?
5. How do I use scientific method?
6. How do I do experiments and fieldwork?

TOPICS: Mass/Graph Lab: Pennies

Measurement in Science: SI, Length

Area in SI

Surface Area and Solid Volume

Liquid Volume, Mass and Weight

Mass, Weight and Density

Density

Temperature

CONCEPT: Measurement and Computation

In the previous Concept, the students learned that measurement produces the best knowledge for making good management decisions. In this Concept, the students review what they learned earlier about scientific measurements using the International (metric) System, and apply this learning to Earth science problems. Density is emphasised because so many Earth processes are driven by differences in density.

The first Test of the year is at the end of the Foundations of EESci Section of the course, about halfway through the first marking period, and will be included in the Interim grade.