Course title

Pre-requisite

Course description

Arizona State University
Evaluation of Laboratory Science Courses

Name of Course: __Environmental Science

Duration of Study: (full year; one semester; trimester): One semester on a 90 minute block schedule

What is the textbook title and copyright date?
No specific textbook is used in the course. The material used comes from a variety of sources. Sources frequently used most are listed below:
1. Environmental Protection Agency; www.epa.gov/highschool/
2. US Geological Survey; http://education.usgs.gov/common/secondary.htm
3. Arizona Game and Fish; http://www.azgfd.gov/index.shtml
4. Global Institute of Sustainability; ASU; http://sustainability.asu.edu
5. Environmental News Network; http://www.enn.com/
6. Eric Digests; http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9217/ethics.htm
7. North American Association for Environmental Education http://eelink.net/eeactivities-wildlifeconservation.html
8. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/education/
9. The Encyclopedia of Earth; http://www.eoearth.org/
10. Environmental Literacy Council http://www.enviroliteracy.org/

Approximately how much time per week do students spend conducting hands-on laboratory experiments in this course?
The Peoria Unified School District Environmental Science class meets every day for ninety (90) minutes. This equates to 135 hours over one semester (90 days times 1.5 hours = 135 hours). Approximately 55 - 65 hours of that time is spent in the lab.

Briefly describe course content. Please include a list of the laboratory experiments or projects you do that require manipulation of equipment.
This course is designed to provide students with a laboratory and field experience in environmental science. Major topics of the course include: Introduction to ecology; social systems; regulation and sustainability. These themes are used to examine the subsequent topics of land; water; air and energy resources. A course grade of 70% or better in Biology is a prerequisite for this junior/senior level course.

Course Outcomes:
Students will
? design and conduct scientific investigations and research related to environmental issues
? analyze and communicate the findings of scientific investigations related to environmental science
? apply knowledge of scientific principles to analyze problems; support a position on an environmental issue; and propose viable solutions
Labs:

Adaptation/Evolution Simulation
Investigating Predator/Prey Relationships
Succession
Ecosystem Energy Flow
Decomposition
Biodiversity
Capture-Mark-Release Simulation
Population Growth & Sampling
Water Purification ?filtration/desalinization
Water resources/use inventory
Oil Spill clean-up
Role of microorganisms in oil spill clean-up
Effect of nitrates/phosphates
Trash investigation
Air Quality investigations
Effect of radiation

Using Standard Scientific Method outlined by the following questions; describe one typical laboratory assignment associated with this course.

LAB:

State the question or concept investigated during this laboratory assignment.
The purpose of this lab is to calculate the biological energy transferred in an open field food web.

Formulate a hypothesis for the question.
Students formulate alternative hypotheses based on background information.

Formulate a prediction based on the hypothesis using ?if/then? statements.
If owl pellets are dissected to determine the number and types of organisms consumed; then the energy transferred will be significantly higher than that needed to create the biomass of the tertiary consumer.

Describe the experiment you performed to prove or disprove your hypothesis. List all essential materials. Describe each step you performed in the experiment.

Materials:
owl pellets tweezers metal probes scissors
gloves magnifying glass or microscope dissecting tray
calculator

Procedures:
1. If desired; soak one owl pellet in water overnight to loosen the fur.
2. Wearing gloves; use tweezers; probes and scissors to separate the bones and the fur.
3. Carefully remove remaining fur from skulls and mandibles.
4. Examine the teeth of the skulls and mandibles to determine the species.
5. Determine the number of each species in the owl pellet and add the information to the class data table
6. Analyze the data to determine the energy transferred from the prey species to the owl.

Describe the results of your experiment or study. Use graphs and charts where appropriate.
Graphs and Charts: Histogram - quantity of species found in 12 Pellets
Circle Chart - Percentages of species found in owl pellets

Analysis: According to this data; the most common specie in the Barn Owl?s diet is the vole. The mean number of organisms per pellet is calculated by dividing the total number of animals by the total number of pellets. 56/12= 4.66 The average number of prey organisms in each pellet is approximately 4.7. The mean number of each specie found per pellet is calculated by dividing the total number found of that particular organism by the number of pellets dissected; which is twelve.

Mean Number of Each Organism per Pellet

moles shrews voles mice rats
0.83 0.67 2.58 0.25 1

To calculate the number of grams of food the owls obtained on the day the pellets were collected; the mean mass (given) for the specie is multiplied by the mean number for that specie per pellet. The sum of these values represents an estimation of the owl?s consumption in grams.

Mean Specie Biomass per Pellet in grams
moles shrews voles mice rats
45.7 2.68 103.2 5 150

The sum of these values is 306.53 grams. The mean mass of prey consumed per pellet is 76.63 grams.
The mean mass of a Barn owl is 453 grams. According to this data; the average barn owl consumes approximately 17% of their body mass per pellet produced.

Since one gram of protein or carbohydrate is approximately 4 calories; each pellet represents approximately 306 calories of energy. This estimation does not include bone; fur and other indigestible parts of the prey organisms.

Discussion Questions:
1. Create a food web representing the open field ecosystem investigated in this lab.
2. Review the information on energy pyramids and the 10% rule. Create an energy pyramid to represent this ecosystem. Include the energy required at each level to provide the caloric intake calculated per owl.
3. Provide an explanation for the 90% loss of energy between trophic levels.

Write a conclusion for your study. Was your hypothesis supported or refuted?
Students will follow the usual format for a conclusion indicating if their hypothesis was supported or refuted and providing evidence from the data analysis and discussion portions of the lab. Weaknesses in the procedure will also be discussed.

School Country

School state

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School Address

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Requested competency code

Date submitted

Approved

Approved competency code

• LINT
• Integrated science

Approved date

Online / Virtual