OLS 123 - Environment and Our Community

2 CR

This course focuses on the relationship between people, communities, and the natural world around us. Students learn about different types of environments – natural, built, and social – and the many ways humans both impact and depend on the environment. Using the Puget Sound region as a local lens, students explore habitats, plants and animals, the water cycle, pollution, and sources of energy. The class also examines environmental justice and the communities most affected by environmental challenges. Course is graded Credit/No Credit.

Course Outcomes

Define and distinguish between ecological and social systems
Discuss human-environment interaction and list how human societies impact and are impacted by their environment
Describe the physical features of Puget Sound and identify these features on various types of maps
Identify the major habitats in Puget Sound and the life that can be found there
Explain the importance of water cycle and the Puget Sound watershed to communities in the area
Identify types and sources of water pollution in the Puget Sound area
Name the sources of energy for the Puget Sound area
Describe energy efficiency and renewable energy and how it differs from nonrenewable energy resources
Define risks and toxics and identify the types of common hazards in the Puget Sound area

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