4DEE aligned Introductory Environmental Science Syllabus

Instructor Note: This document is an internal course planning reference aligned with the ESA Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) Framework. It is not intended as a student-facing syllabus, though sections can be adapted for your LMS. Adapted from the University of Illinois Chicago CATE Backward Design template. Textbook: Cunningham, Cunningham & O'Reilly. Principles of Environmental Science: Inquiry and Applications (2025, McGraw-Hill). Lab modules: Urban Squirrel Survey, Loring Pond, School Garden, Breathing Inequality, and Water Module — all locally grounded in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region. Course Name BIOL 1138: Environmental Science with Lab Course Catalog Description This course is an integrated lecture and laboratory examination of the increasing human impact on, and exploitation of, the biosphere. Students will explore Earth's ecological systems, resource and energy use, and pollution through both theoretical frameworks and hands-on scientific investigation. Laboratory sessions provide practical, field-based experience applying the Scientific Method to environmental issues, including outdoor field investigations and the use of scientific equipment common to the environmental sciences. Fulfills MnTC Goal Area 3 (Natural Sciences) and Goal Area 10 (People and the Environment).