Environmental

Studies
2017-2018 Syllabus

Instructor: Summer Sanford
Email: summer.sanford@animashighschool.com
Website: http://summersanford.weebly.com
Office Hours: 8am MTWF and by appointment

Course Description:
Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the relationships
between people and their environments. We will study how all environmentsfrom
the microscopic world of your digestive tract to the global-scale of the
atmosphereare shaped both by natural and cultural forces. Although the
environmental challenges we face today are incredibly complex, we will not focus on
the doom-and-gloom.

Objectives:
1. Recognize the range of disciplinary methods, insights, and genres of evidence
that will help us understand the environment.
2. Develop a broad understanding of the dynamics between people and the
environment over time in Colorado, the Southwest, the United States, and
elsewhere around the world.
3. Practice critical thinking and problem-solving skillsreading, writing,
talking, listening, reflecting, problem-solving, seeing through other peoples
eyes, leading, and working in a community.
4. Recognize the complexity of environmental problems. Be aware of simple
stories and their claims.
5. Design and assess strategies to deal with environmental problems. Be aware
of simple fixes.

Essential Themes:
What counts as knowing the environment has deep disciplinary rootsin
history, in the arts, in the physical and social sciences, and in the lawthat
shape how people think about the environments problems and solutions.
The boundaries that we draw between nature and culture are products of
specific times and places.
Issues of power are deeply intertwined with how some people speak for their
particular visions of the environment and what constitutes appropriate
activity there.
A principal objective of the course is to assess the relationship of human
societies and cultures with the environment from their beginnings to the
present day. Particular emphasis will be placed on contrasting various
cultures with regard to their practices of environmental manipulation.


Class Materials:
You are expected to bring the following every day:
Writing Utensil(s) & Notebook/Binder (Please have a binder that is specific to
Biology)
Computer
Daily Planner (This can also be your phone or computer, whatever system
works for you)
These materials will be helpful:
Colored pencils, pens, or highlighters
Post-it notes
Flash-drive for printing
Headphones for individual work time

Field Expectations:
As an Animas High School student you will have the unique opportunity to conduct
some of your biology labs in the field. While in the field and in transit you are
ambassadors for Animas High School and must conduct yourselves with the utmost
respect for all persons and property in order to maintain our relationships with
outside organizations and our transportation provider for yourselves and future
classes. This relationship is essential because we are unable to conduct many
experiments, investigations and demonstrations at Animas High School due to a lack
of infrastructure and equipment. While in the field there will potentially be
volunteers from the science world to help us conduct research. They are there to
support you academically as well as to ensure safety and they will have authority to
enforce the safety contract.

UNIVERSAL SCHOOL RULES:

The following are in place to ensure a respectful and safe learning
environment. Violation of these rules will result in your helping in various
school and classroom improvement activities.
NO swearing.
Listening to music anywhere in the building without instructor
permission is forbidden. Wearing headphones around your neck is
considered the same as listening to music.
Follow the AHS fashion guide.
NO chewing gum.
Use technology appropriately.

Classroom Expectations:
Throughout this course we will be having class discussions as we debate and
interrogate how we know what we know. Therefore it is important for us to create a
safe and respectful classroom space. We have prepared universal expectations for
the 10th grade as a whole but we will discuss how we want to fine-tune this for
Biology. During the first week we will all create expectations as a class. Throughout
the semester we will revisit these expectations to check in how we have done and if
we need to make any editions.

We will discuss the following topics the first week of class:
Respect
Classmates
Materials
Classroom
Any messes from class (crumbs, spilled drinks, laboratory clean ups)
Openness
New ideas
Listening respectfully
Contributing to the discussion
Integrity
Work you produce
Presentation of exhibitions
Promptness
Arriving in class
Ready to start
Classroom Disruptions
How will we handle getting off topic?
Whose responsibility is it to get us back on track?
Technology
Use of cellphones, computer, etc
Education uses
Risks of distractions
Turn in assignments/ Deadlines
Turning in paper assignments and electronically
Late work
Missing exhibitions
Absences & Tardiness
Excused
Unexcused
How long to make up work?

Advocacy:
Ask for what you need. Accommodations can be made to any assignment or activity,
for students with or without formal plans. I can be very flexible if you communicate
early and often. However, I will not generally grant last minute extensions, except in
extreme circumstances. Please advocate for yourselves and come to me with
questions before having your parents contact me.

Evaluation:
At Animas High School our emphasis is on deep self-directed and collaborative
learning, rather than compliance and competition. Grades are used to communicate
information about your growth as learners, rather than to rank or reward your
performance. In generaly your grades will be classified into three categories:
Process (are you keeping up with the small assignments?), Product (are you
learning the material?), and Refinement (are you taking the time to produce quality
work?).


SLCs and POLs/TPOLs: Attending and passing all Student Led Conferences and
Presentations of Learning is required not only by the 10th grade team but is a school
wide policy. Please make sure you plan accordingly to attend each one.
Fall Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) - October 18th, 2017
First Semester Presentations of Learning (POLs) - December 19th to 22nd,
2017
Spring Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) - February 2th, 2018
Second Semester Transitional Presentations of Learning (TPOLs) - May 29th
to June 1st, 2018



**This document is subject to change as seen fit by the instructor.