Course Syllabus

Spring 2026 | ENV-1010-VO03 - Introduction to Environmental Science

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Jaimi DeFeo
View Faculty Credentials

Hiring Coordinator for this course: Jen Guarino

General Education Requirements

Natural Science

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is a multidisciplinary study of the interrelationship between living things and their environment. The fundamentals of biology, chemistry, geology, and energy flow are studied so that current environmental issues can be understood and discussed from a scientific perspective. Emphasis is placed on maintaining and restoring sustainable ecosystems.

Essential Objectives

1. Identify concepts of ecology as they relate to environmental issues.
2. Summarize the foundations of nutrient cycling and energy flow as they relate to the movement of matter and energy within ecosystems.
3. Analyze the impacts of population changes on ecosystems, including issues of human population growth.
4. Identify the role of atmospheric thermodynamics and chemistry as they relate to the biosphere.
5. Analyze the causes and effects of major ecological issues and outline strategies to restore ecosystem balance.
6. Compare and contrast methods, impacts, and sustainability of traditional and alternative energy.
7. Discuss the history behind the creation of public lands in the United States and how scientific discoveries influenced the laws and policies behind the modern environmental movement.
8. Analyze the influence of science, economics, ethics, and culture on environmental management and social justice issues.
9. Evaluate environmental issues and solutions, including emerging technologies, from global, national, local, and personal perspectives. 
10. Explore educational, career, and professional options in the field of environmental science through assignments such as informational interviews, job shadows, or other career-exploration activities.
11. Demonstrate proficiency in understanding, interpreting, applying, and evaluating the accuracy of data and information sources.
12. Explain how knowledge created in the natural sciences has contributed to the creation, maintenance, and dismantling of social inequalities and discuss the impacts of diversity and inclusion on scientific research and practice.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Spring 2026 textbook details will be available on 2025-12-01. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

ENV-1010-VO03 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Prohibited: The use of generative AI is not allowed in this course, with the exception of spellcheck, grammar check and similar tools. This course rests in the value of students engaging in the learning process without relying on AI-generated content. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, owning their learning journey from start to finish. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

* Weekly discussion forum

* Quizzes & Assignments from the online interactive book

* Internet research activities

* Q & A video assignments

* PowerPoint presentation or Infographic

* Interpreting and evaluating data

Evaluation Criteria

45% - Reading-related assignments in Connect, using the online textbook.

• SmartBook reading assignments with questions
• Question Bank quizzes
• Data and Graphing Interactives
• Case Studies
• Essay questions

10% - Interactive Application-Based Activities (ABAs) in Connect

25% - Weekly Participation in Discussion Forum Activities.

• Research on specific, prompted topics
• Analysis and discussion of movie themes
• Discussions on water and ecological footprints
• News stories
• Engagement with others using critical thinking and original writing

20% - Supplemental Assignments

• Infographic/Presentation
• Farming interactive
• Video questions
• Analysis of a Journal Article
• Others to be determined

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

• Check the Canvas Modules every Tuesday and review the “Overview” page for the latest news and assignments.
• The online discussion board is the primary tool we will use to interact with each other. Students are expected to participate in all discussion forums by responding to the instructor's prompts that relate to each week's focus. The replies are an important part of the discussion and are also expected to be completed. The discussion grade is worth 25% of your grade because it is one of the main assignments each week to help us delve deeper into our subjects.
• Read the assigned material and demonstrate understanding of those resources in your assignments and posts. The best way to complete assignments and get a full understanding of the material is to read (or watch) the assigned topics while doing the homework.
• Do not hesitate to ask for extra help or clarification if you need it or don't understand something. Your questions may help me clarify things for others, too. I am always available to answer questions via email, and we can schedule time on Zoom if necessary.
• Please check your email throughout the week. I will send "Announcements" about new modules and any updates or notices. Please take a moment at the beginning of the semester to set your notification preferences, check your school email, or forward it to your personal account.
• Please set your preferred pronouns in your Account. Many names today can be gender-neutral. Since we don't meet in class, there are times when knowing the appropriate pronouns is very helpful, especially when I am writing evaluations. I appreciate your help with this. To set your pronouns in Canvas, go to Account (top left) > Settings > Edit settings (on the right). Use the drop-down menu to choose.
• All assignments must be uploaded to or completed in Canvas or Connect to be graded. Please do not email me assignments for grading. If you are unable to upload an assignment for any reason, please let me know.
• All posts and assignments should be in your own words. Copying and pasting from sources is not allowed and will be considered plagiarism unless it is a quote and identified as such. Proper grammar and spelling are expected in all assignments. Using AI to write any assignments is not allowed in this course. It is allowed to check spelling and grammar.
• Please read the "Netiquette" document about online communication expectations for this class, which will be posted in the Resources section of the Modules.
• CCV lists a 3-credit course as taking about 8-10 hours a week, and a 4-credit course requires 14-16 hours, including the contact time and homework. Please keep in mind that because this is an online course, we do not cover the three hours of instruction and activities that would typically occur in an in-person class. Therefore, you will need to compensate for this by dedicating time to reading, completing tasks that would have been covered during our lectures, and completing the homework.
• Communication goes a long way, and you are ultimately responsible for your final grade, so take advantage of all available resources. Those who perform best in the class complete all assignments on time each week and communicate with me when issues arise. You are responsible for submitting your work, seeking help or clarification, or making arrangements if issues arise beyond your control. Please contact me if this occurs so we can develop a plan together, but do not wait until the end of the semester.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Weekly discussions cannot be made up, as each week introduces a new topic and previous discussions are no longer considered live. Timely participation is essential for effective interaction with classmates in online courses. Students are encouraged to prioritize completing the discussions before other homework, as they are due first on Saturday. Replies are required and are an important portion of your grade, which will make a difference at the end of the semester.

For late assignments (other than the discussions), 5% will be deducted daily for up to one week. After that, the assignment will automatically close. If you continually submit late work, your average will be significantly reduced. Please contact me if you need assistance or would like to discuss special circumstances. I will do my best to work with you, but do not wait until the end of the semester. You will not be able to make up a semester's worth of work, or even several weeks' worth, at the end of the semester.

Please concentrate on completing the weekly assignments and do not expect to rely on extra-credit work to boost your grade. I focus on providing engaging and valuable weekly assignments and on grading your work; therefore, I do not offer extra credit.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.