Course Syllabus for HC 434:

Fall Term 2015:

• Class Meets in Library 41 Tuesday and Thursday at 4 pm
• There is no required textbook

Course Extended Title: Making the Case for Climate Change via Data Analysis and Presentation

Course Goals:

• To improve climate literacy of students
• To improve data literacy of students
• To improve their ability to make a consistent, data-driven argument

Instructor: G. Bothun, Dept of Physics

• Office/Lab: 417 Willamette Hall
• email: dkmatter@uoregon.edu
• office hours: 10:30-12 Tuesday, Thursday

Math Required:

• This course has a small quantitative portion related to risk perception, probability and normal distribution statistics.

Grading and Course Requirements:

• Three Group/Team Assignments -- these 3 assignments will combine for at least 50% of your grade. The class will be broken up in to 4 teams (which are the same for the whole term). Yes, I am aware that most HC students are initially opposed to anytime type of team projects primarily due to the fear that your grade/class performance will somehow be compromised. To date I have taught about 20 HC classes and group work has dominated all of them and the fears of the students will, in the end, not manifest. I also believe that these team exercises are building an important skill that most students do not have.
  
  If your overly concerned with this, please consult with former HC student that have endure this to be convinced that the whole ordeal is survivable. In addition, the team projects/presentations are sufficiently large in scope that no one single person could do all of the components anyway.
  
  
• 2--3 Individual short essay assignments - combined worth about 20% of your grade
  
  
• Comprehensive final -- worth 30% of your grade
  
  
• In class participation -- this is important -- many parts of this class are controversial -- show up with an informed opinion.