Course Schedule and Catalog
Course Catalog - 2019-2020
ESCI 111 - INHABITING PLANET EARTH
Long Title: INHABITING PLANET EARTH
Department: Earth/Environmnt/Planetary Sci
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group III
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Class(es):
Sophomore
Freshman
Description: Why is Earth habitable? How do we sustain our existence on this unique planet? This freshmen-only course will introduce students to our species’ interactions with Planet Earth. We will explore what makes a planet habitable, our planet’s history, and how humans are altering Earth’s future, along with an in-depth investigation into the geologic and paleoclimate history of the American Southwest. The course is designed around three case studies, each with a unique approach to interpreting the habitability of Earth. The first unit covers the building of Planet Earth and geologic factors that control habitability. The second unit covers the American Southwest and will involve a 3-4 day field trip to the Grand Canyon over the Fall Recess to put course objectives into practice in a field setting. The final segment of the course will focus on human impacts on our planet, environmental policy and reading the recently published National Climate Assessment.