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Course Syllabus

Course: PHYS 1020

Division: Natural Science and Math
Department: Physics
Title: Energy and the Environment

Semester Approved: Summer 2022
Five-Year Review Semester: Spring 2027
End Semester: Spring 2028

Catalog Description: This course examines the production and use of energy throughout the world. Energy production methods will be studied using current environmental data and basic physics principles, providing a scientific foundation for understanding the world’s current energy demands and needs, as well as its impact on the environment and climate change. Discussions on the future of energy production and of environmental and societal impacts of these energy sources will be an active part of the course.

General Education Requirements: Physical Science (PS)
Semesters Offered: Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0

Prerequisites: Math 850, Math 1010, or equivalent

Justification: This course is designed to examine current traditional sources of energy and to explore alternative sources currently in use and in development. Similar courses are being taught at an increasing number of colleges and universities in Utah and across the nation. The course gives an applicable understanding of how basic physics is involved in our everyday lives.

General Education Outcomes:
1: A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Energy production is dependent on needs and resources, which are in turn dependent on the different cultures around the world. This course will look at the different cultures around the world, exploring why particular energy production methods are utilized in these different regions. Students will show their fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world through a combination of homework, quizzes, written projects, class discussions, or exams.

2: A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. In order to best answer questions about current issues in energy within our environment today, we need to first be able to research each area from multiple viewpoints. A proper understanding requires thorough research. Students will show their ability to read and research effectively through a combination of homework, quizzes, written projects, class discussions, or exams.

3: A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Energy demands are a focal point in today’s political arena. To best understand these demands and production methods, we will look at a variety of contributing disciplines, such as history, geology, chemistry, political science, geography, meteorology, etc. Students will have the opportunity to learn about and use knowledge from these fields through a combination of homework, quizzes, projects, class discussions, or exams.

4: A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. In a world with increasing demands for energy and with the increased attention it is receiving in the political world, it is important to be able to view all possibilities in energy production from multiple angles. Students in this course will look critically and analytically at current issues within the field, showing their ability to do so through a combination of homework, written projects, or class discussions.

6: A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason quantitatively.  Students will be able to describe energy basics from a physics perspective as well as actual energy production methods around the world. They will be able to show mathematically the benefits and challenges of different energy production methods. Students will show their ability to reason quantitatively through a combination of homework, quizzes, projects, or exams.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes:
1: This course will focus on the natural exchanges of energy within the earth and the earth's atmosphere. Students will show their understanding of science in the physical world through a combination of homework, quizzes, projects, or exams. This course will focus on the natural exchanges of energy within the earth and the earth's atmosphere. Students will show their understanding of science in the physical world through a combination of homework, quizzes, projects, or exams.

2: Demonstrate understanding of forces in the physical world. Forces that drive exchanges of energy within the natural world and that allow us to harness that energy for human use will be the primary forces examined in this course. Students will show their understanding of forces in the physical world through a combination of homework, quizzes, projects, or exams.

3: Discuss the flow of matter and energy through systems (in large and small scales). Students will show their understanding of exchanges in matter and energy through a combination of homework, quizzes, projects, or exams.

4: Develop evidence-based arguments regarding the effect of human activity on the Earth. Students will be able to develop evidence-based arguments regarding the effect of human activity on Earth’s climate and human civilizations. Students will discuss the effects of human activity through a combination of homework, written projects, class discussions, or exams.

5: Describe how the Physical Sciences have shaped and been shaped by historical, ethical, and social contexts. These contexts are critical to understanding how energy production has come to be what it is today. Students will show their understanding of these contexts through a combination of homework, quizzes, written projects, class discussions, or exams.


Content:
Physics 1020 is a general education course that gives students an understanding of basic physics by applying it directly to energy production methods. Energy production methods vary by climate, terrain, technology, demand, and society. As such, this course will look at examples of energy production within many cultures from all continents.

The course will cover discussions in four primary areas:
1. The Physics of Motion, Energy, and Electricity
2. Thermodynamics, Fossil Fuels, and Environmental Effects
3. The Atom and Nuclear Power
4. Renewable sources of energy and current events

Key Performance Indicators:
Students will be assessed through with the following measures:

Homework 15 to 50%

Quizzes 0 to 30%

Projects / Class Activities 0 to 25%

Exams 10 to 50%

Final Exam 5 to 20%


Representative Text and/or Supplies:
Hinrichs and Kleinbach, Energy: Its Use and the Environment, current edition.


Pedagogy Statement:
Energy and the Environment is a course that reaches across multiple disciplines and cultures as everyone around the world and in every field is affected by the demand for energy, from heating homes to eating for daily energy to everyday work to travel and communication. The interdisciplinary nature of this course requires students to understand material from a variety of subjects and apply it to their own experiences. Students with varying experiences are invited to share their experiences and viewpoints to better understand the intricacies of energy needs and production.

The Energy and the Environment course will be available in both face-to-face and online settings and could be offered any semester. Both modalities will involve active learning, including projects, hands-on activities, and class discussions to give students the opportunity to explore deeper into the current issues that we face today. Discussions and projects will be directed in a way to allow students to view these current issues from differing angles and from the different cultural perspectives to see the challenges of this complex field.

Student success will be measured through these discussions and projects, as well as through homework, quizzes, and exams where students will demonstrate they understand the basics of the physics involved in the exchange of energy.

Instructional Mediums:
Lecture

Online

Maximum Class Size: 48
Optimum Class Size: 25