Foundations of Environmental Science

This unit establishes core scientific principles, systems thinking, and field tools used in environmental and natural resources. Students will build foundational skills in measurement, data presentation, ecosystem characterization, and assessment of human impacts to prepare for applied conservation and management units that follow.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze environmental questions by applying the scientific method and experimental design, and communicate results through appropriate graphical representations and basic statistical summaries
• Apply principles of matter, energy (including types and thermodynamic laws), and atomic structure to explain energy flow and material cycling in environmental systems
• Demonstrate the ability to characterize ecosystems and populations — including measures of biodiversity, freshwater and land resources, and the influence of latitude/altitude and climate drivers — using maps, models, and field measurement tools
• Evaluate human impacts on air, water, soil, and living resources by identifying common pollutants and toxins, tracing waste life cycles, and proposing basic conservation or mitigation strategies (e.g., wetland protection, sustainable fisheries, alternative energy, and water conservation)