Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)

Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]

Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Discipline SCIENCE Program GENERAL EDUCATION

Course Code GE 10 Course Title ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Credit Units Duration 3 hrs Daily (54 hrs)

3
Program Placement Prerequisite None
None
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME

This course deals on the interrelationships among components of the natural world; environmental
problems, their causes, associated risks, preventive measures and alternative solutions. Central to the
discussion is the environment and sustainability. Furthermore, environmental economics and ethics will
be included, arguing that the field has undergone dramatic changes since its beginnings in 1970’s.

Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary study of how the earth (nature) works, how humans
interact with the environment, and how humans can live more sustainable. A key component of
environmental science is ecology, the branch of biology that focuses on how living organisms with the
living and nonliving parts of their environment. The major focus of ecology is the study of ecosystem. An
ecosystem is a biological community of organisms within the defined areas of land or volume of water
that interacts with one another and with the nonliving chemical and physical factors in the environment.

At the end of the course, the learners are to:

Attitudes

1. Foster attitudes and commitments to make informed and responsible decisions about environment
issues and associated challenges.
2. Nurture more positive perceptions about the value of the natural world.
3. Acquire a set of values and feeling of concern for the environment by doing sustainable environmental
practices.
4. Develop their psychological and spiritual relationship with nature to make a difference in how we treat
the earth on which our lives and economics depend.

Skills

1. Appropriately utilize laboratory tools such as water quality, parameter laboratory kits to create
awareness on environmental problems
2. Practice eco – friendly habits (recycling, waste segregation, produce less waste, etc.)
3. Use scientific method to understand nature, environmental problems and create possible solutions

Knowledge

1. Understand the science of ecology to become environmentally literate citizen

2. Learn the principles of sustainability to ensure protection and improvement of the environment.
3. Describe how ecosystems work, and trace the effects of human impacts on the natural environment.
COURSE OUTLINE

Timeframe
(Week & Topic
Hour)

1st and 2nd week NOrSU Preliminaries

Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)
2nd and 3rd week Lesson 1: Principles and Components of Sustainability

4rth and 5th week Lesson 2: Environmental Problems

6th and 7th week Lesson 3: Scientific Methods

8th and 9th week Lesson 4: Energy and Laws of Thermodynamics

10th and 11th week Lesson 5: Major Components of an Ecosystems: Biotic and Abiotic

12th and 13th week Lesson 6: Energy Flows through Ecosystem in food chain and food web

14th and 15th week Lesson 7: Domains of Life

16th and 17th week Lesson 8: Species interactions and Ecological Successions

18th week Examinations

COURSE GRADING SYSTEM

COURSE REQUIREMENT

Evaluation Criteria

At the end of the course, the students Midterm Grade and Final grade
can be able to pass all the required outputs
from the given subject topics, demonstrate and Learning Activities – 15%
explain the given report and research topics. Practice Task – 15%
Students are given some time to do some Assignments – 10%
research and it will be evaluated and check Project – 20%
after a week. Paper works are expected. Midterm/Finals – 40%
Overall – 100%

Computation for final Grades:

50% of Midterm Grades + 50 % of Final Grades = 100%

Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)

MODULE 1
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

CONTENTS OF THE MODULE

This module contains the following lessons:
Lesson 1: Principles and Components
Lesson 2: Environmental Problems

DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO USE THE MODULE PROPERLY

In order to benefit profoundly from this module, please be guided by al the key points presented
below.
1. This module contains two (2) lessons. Each lesson is explained substantively. Read the
explanations thoroughly so that you could understand the lessons fully.

2. On the first page of each lesson, you will find the specific learning outcomes of each lesson.
These are knowledge and skills you are expected to acquire at the end of the lesson. Read
them carefully and heartily.

3. You must answer the learning Activities/Exercises. These are designed to help you acquire
the specific learning outcome.

4. Feel free to chat, call and text or send an email message to me if you have questions, reactions,
or reflections about the contents or activities in the module.

5. The Practice Task / Assessment and Assignment shall be checked by me.

Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)

LESSON 1: PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINBILITY

Specific Learning Outcomes

1. Define Environmental Science, Ecosystem, Ecology and Environmentalism.
2. Explain the key principles of sustainability or the major lessons from nature.
3. Acknowledge and appreciate the importance of different components of Sustainability and
discuss each component.
Discussion
What is Environmental Science?
According to www.britannica.com, Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary academic field
that draws on ecology, geology, meteorology, biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics to study
environmental problems and human impacts on the environment. It is a quantitative discipline with both
applied and theoretical aspects and has been influential in informing the policies of governments around
the world.
What is Ecosystem, Ecology and Environmentalism?
Ecosystem – is a community of living and non – living organisms interacting together in an
environment.
Ecology – is the study of organisms and how they react with each other and their environment.
Environmentalism or environmental rights – is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social
movement regarding concerns for the environmental protection and improvement of the health
of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the impact of
changes to the environment on humans, animals, plants and non – living matter.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmentalism)

What is Sustainable Development

It is meeting the needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.
(World Commission on Environment and Development (1987): Our Common Future)

Sustainable Development
• Organizing principle for human life on our planet
• Utilize resources optimally and rationally
• Sustainability is goal of sustainable development.
Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)

Elements of Sustainability

Sustainability Components
The three elements or components of sustainability --- the environment, economy and society are
interrelated and individually and collectively important in achieving a sustainable community.
Environment – Environmental sustainability is achieved by being a steward of the natural environment
and reducing the impact of human activities on natural resources and systems that support the community.
Economy – A sustainable economy is one that is strong and resilient. It is achieved by supporting
education, jobs, businesses, green industries, innovation, and economic development.
Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)
Society – A sustainable society is one that is accessible, healthy safe and diverse and promotes well –
being. It is achieved by supporting public participation, healthy living, access to social services, cultural
diversity, historic preservation and the arts.

Sustainability: Problems
• Depletion of finite resources (fuels, soil, minerals, species)
• Over – use of renewable resources (forests, fish and wildlife, fertility, public funds)
• Pollution (air, water, soil)
• Inequity (economic, political, social, gender)
• Species loss (endangered species and spaces)

Sustainability: Solutions
• Cyclical material use (emulate natural cycles: 3R’s)
• Safe reliable energy (conservation, renewable energy, substitution, interim measures)
• Life – based interests (health, creativity, communication, coordination, appreciation,
learning, intellectual and spiritual development)

Two Key sustainable development concepts:

A. Equity
➢ the needs particularly the essential needs of the world’s poor
➢ the quality of being fair or impartial; fairness; impartiality
➢ something that is fair and just
➢ the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank,
or ability.
➢ Uniform charter, as of motion or surface.
Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)

B. Limits to growth
➢ the idea of limitations (ecological, technological, and social) which affect the
environment’s ability to meet present and future needs`
➢ quantitative and qualitative limits
➢ living within the regenerative and assimilative capacities of the planet

Learning Activities / Exercises

1) Explain and differentiate Obsolescent “frontier” civilization and Sustainable civilization. Show
diagram.

2) Differences between Renewable and Non-renewable resources. Explain with examples.

Teacher Intervention
Feel free to chat, call and text or send an email message to me if you have questions, reactions,
or reflections about the contents or activities in the lesson. Below are my contact references:
Facebook Account: Riri Sanchez
Mobile Number: 09351388492; 09075577475
Email add: [email protected]

Practice Assessment
1) Discuss the interactions amongst values, ideologies, and strategies in terms of sustainable
development.

2) Explain briefly the difference between Biological and Non – Biological Resources.

3) Explain components of sustainability in terms of:

Ecosystem services
Solar Energy
Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)
Natural Resources

Feedback to Assessment
The output of the practice assessment should be written manually or in a word/writer application.
Copy and pasting from the internet is not allowed. Hence, you can use it as your guide or paraphrased its
information.
Instructor will check and recognize the students who are done passing the output of the given
module. There are three (3) ways to pass your output: 1) Messenger; 2) yahoo mail; and 3) email address.

Assignment
1) Give two (2) environmental ideologies and explain by your own understanding.

2) How do we move from rhetoric to reality?

3) Discuss the elements of sustainability in related to your course. How would you address the
problems.

References
1) https://www.britannica.com/science/environmental-science
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmentalism
3) Lazarevic, David and Buclet, Nicolas (2014). Environment, Development and Sustainability.
Springer. Volume 16, No. 2, 2014.
4) https://www.elkgrovecity.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_109585/File/sustainability-element-
adopted.pdf
5) Wibisana, Andri. The Elements of Sustainable Development: Principles of Integration and
Sustainable Utilization.
6) https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/environmentalscience/chapter/chapter-12-resources-
and-sustainable-development/
Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)

LESSON 2: ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Specific Learning Outcomes

1. Discuss and list down some environmental problems.
2. Explain why we are encountering environmental problems.
3. Think some ways to solve environmental problems

Discussion
Environmental Problems
Some of the Environmental Problems we are facing today are the following:
A. Pollution
The accumulation of harmful substances on the
ground, water and air.
Types: Air pollution Noise pollution
Water pollution Soil Pollution
Light Pollution Industrial Pollution

B. Deforestation
Disappearance of forest, cutting down of trees,
pollution and fires

C. Desertification

The transformation of some landscapes into desert

areas when the soil becomes dry and poor is called
desertification.

D. Extinction of Animals
Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)

Excessive development, hunting, fires and other

actions cause extinction of animals.

E. Habitat Loss
Habitat loss occurs when natural areas are
destroyed to make room for housing or industry.

SOLUTIONS
1. Reduce pollution. Reduce the amount of garbage we produce.
2. Avoid cutting down trees. Plant trees or substitute wood for other materials.
3. Outlaw the hunting of animals.
4. Protect specific natural areas. They are important because of their natural resources.
Hunting and cutting trees must be forbidden.
5. Group Solution. Attend some organization or association focusing on the solution and
mitigation of environmental problems
6. Environmental Protection.
7. Greenhouse Effect. Due to certain gases like methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide and
carbon dioxide, which trap the energy and heat from the sun. Without these gasses, the
heat would escape reducing the temperature of the atmosphere.
8. Try combining driving with alternative modes of transportation. Walk or ride a
bicycle or shop by phone.

Learning Activities / Exercises

1) List down and explain the health effects of pollution.

2) Explain briefly how is greenhouse gases helps in solution for environmental problems.
Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)

Teacher Intervention
Feel free to chat, call and text or send an email message to me if you have questions, reactions,
or reflections about the contents or activities in the lesson. Below are my contact references:
Facebook Account: Riri Sanchez
Mobile Number: 09351388492; 09075577475
Email add: [email protected]
Practice Assessment
1) Are environmental problems cause only by natural events? Explain by own thoughts.

2) What are the effects of Global warming?

3.) Discuss climate change? Do you believe that we are experiencing climate change today?

Feedback to Assessment
The output of the practice assessment should be written manually or in a word/writer application.
Copy and pasting from the internet is not allowed. Hence, you can use it as your guide or paraphrased its
information.
Instructor will check and recognize the students who are done passing the output of the given
module. There are three (3) ways to pass your output: 1) Messenger; 2) yahoo mail; and 3) email address.

Assignment
1) As a student in NORSU, how can you do to solve some environmental problems? Cite examples
and explain.

2) Differentiate the different types of pollutions and discuss how to solve the said problems.
Instructor: Edlyn Sanchez – Santander, MS Scie Ed (Physics)
Email Add: [email protected] & [email protected]
Fb Name: Riri Sanchez
Contact Numbers: 09351388492 (TM); 09075577475 (TNT)
3.) Discuss some programs related to your course that address or make some actions pertaining to the
problems in the environment.

References
1) https://www.slideshare.net/GlobalNomadsGroup/the-environment-problem-and-solution
2) https://www.slideshare.net/Sona8/pollution-problems-34381120?next_slideshow=1
3) https://www.slideshare.net/abhishaprabheesh/1372875-634684813164623750
4) Lazarevic, David and Buclet, Nicolas (2014). Environment, Development and Sustainability.
Springer. Volume 16, No. 2, 2014.
5) https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/environmentalscience/chapter/chapter-12-resources-
and-sustainable-development/