(1) Stream Morphology Laboratory Prior to beginning work on this lab, read the Stream Morphology investigation manual . This lab enables you to construct a physical scale model of a stream system to help you understand how streams and rivers shape the landscape and how human actions can affect river ecosystems. This lab is done with materials that you will need to supply; the list of items you will need to obtain is in the Stream Morphology investigation manual . The Process Take the required photos and complete all parts of the lab assignment (calculations, data tables, etc.). Use the Lab Worksheet as a resource to complete the Lab Report Template. Transfer any answers and visual elements from the Lab Worksheet into the Lab Report Template. You will submit the Lab Report Template through Waypoint in the classroom. The Assignment Make sure to complete all of the following items before submission: · Before you begin the assignment, read the Stream Morphology investigation manual and review SCI207 - The Scientific Method (Links to an external site.) presentation video. https://ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/SCI207+-+THE+SCIENTIFIC+METHOD/1_5325onvq · Complete all activities using the materials that you supply. Photograph each activity following these instructions: o When taking lab photos, you need to include in each image a strip of paper with your name and the date clearly written on it. · Use the Lab Worksheet as a resource to complete the Lab Report Template . · Must use at least two credible sources outside of the textbook and lab manual. · Submit your completed “Lab Report” via Waypoint. Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment. (2) Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystems Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 1 and 2 in the course textbook. The purpose of this assignment is twofold: first, to enable you to explore a term (concept, technique, place, etc.) related to this week’s theme of sustaining Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystems; second, to provide your first contribution to a collective project, the Class Sustainable Living Guide . Your work this week, and in the weeks that follow, will be gathered (along with that of your peers) into a master document that you will receive a few days after the end of the course. The document will provide everyone with a variety of ideas for how we can all live more sustainably in our homes and communities. To complete this assignment, · Select a term from the list of choices in the Week 1 - Term Selection Table located in the course. Type your name in the table, next to the word that you would like to choose. (MY TERM IS – ANTHROPOCENE -  o Do not select a term that a classmate has already chosen; only one student per term. If you choose a term that is hyperlinked to a source, that term is one that is not mentioned .

1. (1) Stream Morphology Laboratory
Prior to beginning work on this lab, read the
Stream Morphology
investigation manual
.
This lab enables you to construct a physical scale model of a
stream system to help you understand how streams and rivers
shape the landscape and how human actions can affect river
ecosystems. This lab is done with materials that you will need
to supply; the list of items you will need to obtain is in the
Stream Morphology
investigation manual
.
The Process
Take the required photos and complete all parts of the lab
assignment (calculations, data tables, etc.). Use the Lab
Worksheet as a resource to complete the Lab Report Template.
Transfer any answers and visual elements from the Lab
Worksheet into the Lab Report Template. You will submit the
Lab Report Template through Waypoint in the classroom.
The Assignment
Make sure to complete all of the following items before
submission:
· Before you begin the assignment, read the
Stream Morphology
investigation manual
and review

2. SCI207 - The Scientific Method (Links to an external site.)
presentation video.
https://ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/SCI207+-
+THE+SCIENTIFIC+METHOD/1_5325onvq
· Complete all activities using the materials that you supply.
Photograph each activity following these instructions:
o When taking lab photos, you need to include in each image a
strip of paper with your name and the date clearly written on it.
· Use the
Lab Worksheet
as a resource to complete the
Lab Report Template
.
· Must use at least two credible sources outside of the textbook
and lab manual.
· Submit your completed “Lab Report” via Waypoint.
Carefully review the
Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)
for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
(2) Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining
Biodiversity and Ecosystems
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 1 and
2 in the course textbook. The purpose of this assignment is
twofold: first, to enable you to explore a term (concept,
technique, place, etc.) related to this week’s theme of sustaining
Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystems; second, to provide your
first contribution to a collective project, the
Class Sustainable Living Guide

3. . Your work this week, and in the weeks that follow, will be
gathered (along with that of your peers) into a master document
that you will receive a few days after the end of the course. The
document will provide everyone with a variety of ideas for how
we can all live more sustainably in our homes and communities.
To complete this assignment,
· Select a term from the list of choices in the
Week 1 - Term Selection Table
located in the course. Type your name in the table, next to the
word that you would like to choose. (MY TERM IS –
ANTHROPOCENE -
o Do not select a term that a classmate has already chosen; only
one student per term. If you choose a term that is hyperlinked to
a source, that term is one that is not mentioned in our textbook.
Instead of being required to use the text as your third source for
completing the assignment, you will be expected to use the
hyperlinked source provided for you.
· Download the
Week 1 Assignment Template
available in the course and replace the guiding text with your
own words based upon your online research.
o Please do not include a cover page. All references, however,
should be cited in your work and listed at the end, following
APA Style expectations.
In the template, you will
· Define the term thoroughly, in your own words.
· Explain the importance of the term using evidence.

4. · Discuss how the term affects living things and the physical
world.
· Suggest two specific actions that can be taken to promote
environmental sustainability in relation to the term.
· Explain exactly how those actions will aid in safeguarding our
environment in relation to your chosen term.
· Provide detailed examples to support your ideas.
The Sustaining Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining
Biodiversity and Ecosystems paper
· Must be a minimum of three paragraphs in length (not
including title, any quoted text, or references) and formatted
according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing
Center’s
APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.)
· Must utilize academic voice. See the
Academic Voice (Links to an external site.)
resource for additional guidance.
· Must use at least two scholarly sources in addition to the
course text. To aid you in your research, and particularly in
locating scholarly sources via the Ashford University Library or
using Google Scholar, please review the following Ashford
videos and tutorials:
o
Scholarly and Popular Resources (Links to an external site.)
o
(Links to an external site.)
Database Search Tips

5. (Links to an external site.)
o
(Links to an external site.)
Research, Keywords, Databases: An Overview (Links to an
external site.)
o Accessing Full text and citation in Google Scholar:
SCI207 - Google Scholar (Links to an external site.)
· Must document any information used from sources in APA
Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s
APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)
· Must include a separate references page that is formatted
according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing
Center. See the
APA: Formatting Your References List (Links to an external
site.)
resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.
(3) Week 1: Ecological Footprint Update and Course Reflection
Prior to beginning work on this journal, read Chapters 1 and 2
in your course textbook.
Welcome to SCI207! Throughout this course, you will be asked
to keep a journal about your experience in the class. The
purpose of this activity is to enable you to reflect on your
learning: what new things you have discovered, what surprises
you have encountered, what topics or ideas you have found
particularly challenging, and how the course is going for you.
During the five weeks in which you are participating in the
Environmental Footprint Reduction Project, in Week 2 through
Week 4 you will also use this journal as a space for a progress
report on your efforts. Your entries will be evaluated in terms

6. of how well they met the topic and length requirements, and
your writing clarity. Your entries should be a minimum of one
typed page each (double-spaced, Times New Roman, and 12-
point font) and will be submitted through Waypoint.
Complete the following:
· In the first paragraph or two of your first journal entry, please
reflect on your previous experiences, if any, with environmental
science and environmental issues. What new things do you hope
to learn in this course? What concerns or fears do you have
about this class? What strategies to you plan to put in place to
address them?
· In another one or two paragraphs, share your thoughts about
the first week of class. What did you learn? What experiences
stand out for you? What tasks or content did you find difficult
or frustrating? What activities did you find surprising or
exciting? Looking ahead, what are your intrigued or concerned
by in the second week of the course?
· Finally, make a list of at least five lifestyle changes you plan
to commit to making for your course-long Ecological Footprint
Reduction Project. Once you have recorded them in your
journal, you should begin taking those steps and keeping a
weekly journal record of your efforts. You will report on the
results in a class discussion in Week 5.
Required Resources
Text
Bensel, T., & Carbone, I. (2020).
Sustaining our planet
. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu

7. · Chapter 1: Understanding Environmental Science and
Sustainability
· Chapter 2: Understanding Ecology and Biodiversity
Multimedia
Ashford University. (2018). SCI207 -
The scientific method (Links to an external site.)
. Retrieved from
https://ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/SCI207+-
+THE+SCIENTIFIC+METHOD/1_5325onvq
· This video provides information on the scientific method that
will assist you in completing your Stream Morphology
laboratory activity this week. This video has closed captioning.
Moovly. (2015, January 8).
The ecological footprint explained (Links to an external site.)
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/fACkb2u1ULY
· This video provides information about what ecological
footprints are and why they are measured, and will assist you in
your Ecological Footprints discussion forum this week. This
video has closed captioning and a transcript.
Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
National Public Radio. (2010, August 28).
‘The sound of a snail’: A patient’s greatest comfort (Links to an
external site.)
[Audio podcast]. Retrieved from
https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId
=129475625

8. · This recorded interview provides information on how a nature
experience can happen anywhere and despite overwhelming
obstacles, and will assist you in completing your Nature
Experience Project you will begin this week. The full project is
due in Week 5. This podcast has a transcript.
Accessibility Statement does not exist.
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
Web Pages
Global Footprint Network. (n.d.).
What is your ecological footprint? (Links to an external site.)
Retrieved from http://www.footprintcalculator.org/
· This web page provides an interactive calculator for
determining your resource consumption and is necessary for
completing your Ecological Footprints discussion forum this
week.
Accessibility Statement does not exist.
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.).
Carbon footprint calculator (Links to an external site.)
. Retrieved from https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-
calculator/
· This web page provides an interactive calculator for
determining your greenhouse gas emissions and is necessary for
completing the Ecological Footprints discussion forum this
week.

9. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
Website
Water footprint calculator (Links to an external site.)
. (https://www.watercalculator.org)
· This website provides an interactive calculator for determining
your water consumption and is necessary for completing your
Ecological Footprints discussion forum this week.
Accessibility Statement does not exist.
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
Supplemental Material
Carolina Distance Learning. (n.d.).
Stream morphology
[Investigation manual]. Retrieved from
https://ashford.instructure.com
· The
Stream Morphology
investigation manual is available in the online classroom. This
lab manual provides background information on stream
morphology and will assist you in your Stream Morphology
Laboratory assignment.
Laboratory Supplies
Carolina Biological Supply Lab Kit
· This lab kit provides lab supplies and materials for the hands-

10. on labs that you will conduct for this course. Although the lab
kit provides most of the lab supplies for the labs, there will be
materials that you need to purchase independently for a few
labs. For instance, you will be expected to supply all materials
for the Week 1 Lab. Be sure to prepare a list of what you will
need to purchase independently by viewing the lab investigation
manuals and lab kits in advance. To see a checklist of the
additional lab supplies that you will need each week for this
course, access the
Additional Lab Supplies Checklist
.
Recommended Resources
Article
Carrington, D. (2018, March 12).
What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us? (Links to an
external site.)
The Guardian
. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/12/what-is-
biodiversity-and-why-does-it-matter-to-us
· This article from
The Guardian
provides information about our global biodiversity crisis and
may assist you in completing the Sustainable Living Guide
Contributions: Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystems
assignment.
Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

11. Multimedia
HHMI BioInteractive [biointeractive]. (2015, April 8).
Humans, biodiversity, and habitat loss—HHMI BioInteractive
video (Links to an external site.)
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/1drkFgHbcWY
· This video provides information about biodiversity loss and
how people are contributing to it, and may assist you in
completing your Sustainable Living Guide Contributions:
Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystems assignment. This video
has closed captioning and a transcript.
Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
TED-Ed. (2015, April 20).
Why is biodiversity so important? – Kim Preshoff (Links to an
external site.)
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/GK_vRtHJZu4
· This video provides information about biodiversity and why it
is important, and may assist you in completing your Sustainable
Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Biodiversity and
Ecosystems assignment. This video has closed captioning and a
transcript.
Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)
Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
Web Page
GreenFacts. (n.d.).
Biodiversity & human well-being (Links to an external site.)

12. . Retrieved from https://www.greenfacts.org/en/biodiversity/l-
3/1-define-biodiversity.htm
· This web page provides detailed information about global
biodiversity issues and may assist you in completing the
Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining
Biodiversity and Ecosystems Assignment.
Accessibility Statement does not exist.
Privacy Policy