Introduction and Challenges of Environmental Sciences
Code: 106757 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Sciences | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Valenti Rodellas Vila
- Email:
- valenti.rodellas@uab.cat
Teachers
- Ariane Arias Ortiz
- Roser Maneja Zaragoza
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
None.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This is an introductory course to Environmental Sciences with a theoretical-practical approach. Its purpose is to familiarize students with the evolution of the history of environmental studies, the current major challenges in Environmental Sciences, as well as the main environmental issues and conflicts.
Furthermore, students will be introduced to project organization, management and structuring. A field trip will be conducted to study a specific environmental issue in Catalonia, and a practical assignment will be carried out to address the interdisciplinary nature of environmental conflicts and to practice the tools and protocols for project writing and presentation.
The participation of professionals who are experts in various environmental fields will be encouraged so that they can conduct seminars related to the subject matter.
Learning Outcomes
- CM24 (Competence) Act in the field of knowledge of environmental sciences, while assessing the legal, social, economic, scientific and environmental impact.
- CM25 (Competence) Interpret how environmental challenges and programmes contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.
- CM26 (Competence) Work in teams to tackle problems and case studies associated with current environmental challenges.
- KM35 (Knowledge) Identify the main contemporary challenges in environmental sciences (climate and global change, energy and natural resources, biodiversity, etc.) and the impact that human activities and behaviour have on them.
- KM36 (Knowledge) Recognise the techniques and tools necessary for the integration of scientific, natural, social, economic and legal aspects of the environment.
- SM30 (Skill) Critically examine public and scientific information related to the environment.
- SM31 (Skill) Extract important information from reports, plans, projects, programmes and articles on environmental topics.
- SM32 (Skill) Efficiently and safely use techniques, material and tools related to the environment in the classroom, the field and/or the laboratory.
- SM33 (Skill) Express yourself using (informative and scientific) language appropriate to environmental science challenges, in a clear, explicit and brief way in both scientific and professional fields.
Content
- Introduction to Environmental Sciences
- History of Environmental Sciences
- Interdisciplinary and socio-ecological approach
- Contemporary environmental challenges and global change
- Planetary boundaries: land use and land cover changes, biotic changes, climate change, state of the ozone layer, air, soil and water pollution, water resources, ocean acidificatio
- Global environmental impacts: the Anthropocene
- Relevant socio-environmental conflicts: examples related to mining, agriculture, water resource exploitation, the oil industry, etc.
- Field trip to an area with socio-environmental conflict
- Tools for project management, development and presentation
- Project on a socio-environmental conflict
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Field trip | 6 | 0.24 | KM35, KM36, SM32, KM35 |
| Lectures | 30 | 1.2 | CM24, CM25, KM35, KM36, SM30, CM24 |
| Practicum | 6 | 0.24 | CM24, KM35, KM36, SM30, SM31, SM32, SM33, CM24 |
| Work in teams | 8 | 0.32 | CM26, KM35, KM36, SM30, SM31, SM33, CM26 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutoring sessions | 2 | 0.08 | CM26, KM36, SM30, SM31, CM26 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Readings, study of received information, information search, project preparation | 93 | 3.72 | CM24, CM25, CM26, KM35, KM36, SM30, SM31, CM24 |
In this course, a combination of theoretical sessions, expert seminars or discussions, presentation and debate of selected readings on environmental topics, a field trip, and the completion and presentation of a group project will be incorporated. The learning of socio-environmental conflicts and project development will primarily be conducted through real case studies, and a group project and presentations on a socio-environmental conflict will be undertaken.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First term exam | 35 | 2 | 0.08 | CM24, CM25, KM35, KM36, SM33 |
| Project presentation | 30 | 1 | 0.04 | CM25, CM26, KM35, KM36, SM30, SM31, SM32, SM33 |
| Second term exam | 35 | 2 | 0.08 | CM24, CM25, KM35, KM36, SM33 |
70% of the final grade is calculated based on the average of the grades from two independent midterm exams. The exams will consist of theoretical and practical questions.
The remaining 30% of the final grade corresponds to the grade of a group presentation on a socio-environmental conflict.
To pass the course, the average grade obtained must be equal to or higher than 5 (out of 10), and the grade for each of the midterm exams must be equal to or higher than 4 (out of 10). To be evaluated, attendance at the field trip and submission of the group project are required.
Retake: Those students that do not get the minimum grade to pass the course have the option of a retrieval exame, retrieval one or the two midterm exams. The group project will not have a retrieval option. To participate in the retrieval exam, the students need to attend at least to 2/3 of the evaluation activities.
The students who do not attend any evaluation tests (midterm exams and group work) will receive a final grade of NOT ASSESSABLE.
This course does not offer the option of single assessment.
Bibliography
It will be made available at the beginning of the course.
Software
None.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Catalan | second semester | afternoon |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 2 | Catalan | second semester | afternoon |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 2 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 3 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 4 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 2 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 3 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 4 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | second semester | afternoon |