GST 2310: Living in the Environment
(Winter '98 Syllabus)
Note: This 4-credit course meets Wayne State's general education requirements in the
life sciences.
Time & Place: Wednesdays, 6-9:40 p.m.; Oakland Center.
Contact information for Moti Nissani (class instructor): 24281 Cloverlawn, Oak
Park, MI 48237; Phone: 248-543-0536 (noon-9 p.m., any day); Fax: 313-577-8585; E-mail: Moti.Nissani@Wayne.edu
Office hours: By appointment in Oakland Center.
Texts: 1. G. Tyler Miller, Sustaining the Earth ($42). 2. Coursepack
($8). After the first session, Sustaining the Earth will be available at Marwil's
(313-832-3078), while the Coursepack will be available at the ISP (313-577-4612).
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Grading: Attendance: 30%; midterms,
quizzes, and occasional short papers: 60%. Note: To qualify for an A in this class, you
must also write a book review and present it in class: 10%.
Attendance will be graded as follows: full and punctual attendance: A+. A portion of
one session missed: A-. One session missed: B. Two sessions missed: C-. Three or more
sessions missed: E. You can improve your attendance grade by undertaking extracurricular
activities, e.g., class presentation, organizing a class activity, consumer research,
essay. In that case you need to follow the 2 for 1 rule: Two hours of home preparation for
every one hour of missed class.
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Record Keeping: Please keep a copy of all handed-in assignments and hang on to all
returned assignments until you receive a correct grade notice from Wayne State. Rationale:
Papers sometimes get lost.
Instructional Format: This course will examine environmental issues from a variety
of disciplinary perspectives. It will combine lectures with dialogs, hands-on exercises,
student presentations and debates, films, and invited lectures.
Goals: If you apply yourself, by this April you will be able to answer questions
like:
- What's the meaning of such key environmental terms as ozone layer, greenhouse effect,
health, overpopulation, and biodiversity?
- What are scientific, critical, and interpretive ways of thinking?
- What's humanity's impact on the natural world?
- Why do we mistreat nature?
- Has humanity a future?
- Can you live more responsibly, safely, and cheaply?
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