Week 1 - Assignment Environmental Footprint Carefully review the  Grading Rubric  before beginning the assignment. The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with an opportunity to learn more about how connected you are to the ecosystems and biosphere that you inhabit. You will learn how your everyday choices impact our environment. Most importantly, you will learn about the benefits of joining the increasing number of people who are making choices that reduce their environmental impact. First, calculate your ecological footprint.  (If you are having difficulty getting any of the proper information from the calculator, you may need to try a different web browser.  For instance, if you are using Google Chrome you may need to use Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla, etc. If you are using one of these and are experiencing difficulties, you may need to try Google Chrome, etc.) Use the  Footprint Calculator  to measure your ecological footprint and learn “how many Earths” it takes to support your lifestyle. Be sure to choose the “detailed response” option for each question. Answer each question in the quiz honestly and record your answers and results in the  Environmental Footprint Reporting Form . Second, calculate your household carbon emissions. Use the  Household Carbon Footprint Calculator  to measure your carbon emissions and determine your environmental impact and the benefits of solutions. Section 1: Estimate your current total household emissions (from home energy use, vehicle use, waste). Section 2: Explore actions you can take to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and waste disposal costs. Section 3: See how much you can save (in dollars and emissions) by taking the actions you chose in Section 2. Answer each question in the quiz honestly and record your answers and results in the Environmental Footprint Reporting Form. Complete Tables A and B as well as assignment questions 1 through 4 in complete sentences on the Environmental Footprint Reporting Form. Complete Tables A and B as well as Questions 1 through 4 in complete sentences on the Environmental Footprint Reporting Form and submit the document via Waypoint. The document does not need to include a title page or other APA formatting; however, if you utilize any outside sources in your answers, you must reference these sources in proper APA format as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. In this class, you have  three  tutoring services available:  Paper Review ,  Live Chat , and  Tutor E-mail . Click on the Ashford Writing Center (AWC) tab in the left-navigation menu to learn more about these tutoring options and how to get help with your writing. Ashford 2: - Week 1 (Jul 21 - Jul 27) Overview Assignment Due Date Format Grading Percent Post Your Introduction Day 1 Discussion 1 Discussion 1: Biomes and Diversity Day 3 (1st post) Discussion 3 Laboratory: Introduction to Science Day 7  Laboratory 6 Assignment: Environmental Footprint  Day 7 Assignment 5 No.

1. Week 1 - Assignment
Environmental Footprint
Carefully review the
Grading Rubric
before beginning the assignment.
The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with an
opportunity to learn more about how connected you are to the
ecosystems and biosphere that you inhabit. You will learn how
your everyday choices impact our environment. Most
importantly, you will learn about the benefits of joining the
increasing number of people who are making choices that
reduce their environmental impact.
First, calculate your ecological footprint.
(If you are having difficulty getting any of the proper
information from the calculator, you may need to try a different
web browser. For instance, if you are using Google Chrome
you may need to use Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla, etc. If
you are using one of these and are experiencing difficulties, you
may need to try Google Chrome, etc.)
Use the
Footprint Calculator
to measure your ecological footprint and learn “how many
Earths” it takes to support your lifestyle. Be sure to choose the
“detailed response” option for each question.
Answer each question in the quiz honestly and record your
answers and results in the
Environmental Footprint Reporting Form
.
Second, calculate your household carbon emissions.
Use the
Household Carbon Footprint Calculator
to measure your carbon emissions and determine your
environmental impact and the benefits of solutions.
Section 1: Estimate your current total household emissions
(from home energy use, vehicle use, waste).

2. Section 2: Explore actions you can take to reduce your
greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and waste disposal costs.
Section 3: See how much you can save (in dollars and
emissions) by taking the actions you chose in Section 2.
Answer each question in the quiz honestly and record your
answers and results in the Environmental Footprint Reporting
Form. Complete Tables A and B as well as assignment questions
1 through 4 in complete sentences on the Environmental
Footprint Reporting Form.
Complete Tables A and B as well as Questions 1 through 4 in
complete sentences on the Environmental Footprint Reporting
Form and submit the document via Waypoint. The document
does not need to include a title page or other APA formatting;
however, if you utilize any outside sources in your answers, you
must reference these sources in proper APA format as outlined
in the Ashford Writing Center.
In this class, you have
three
tutoring services available:
Paper Review
,
Live Chat
, and
Tutor E-mail
. Click on the Ashford Writing Center (AWC) tab in the left-
navigation menu to learn more about these tutoring options and
how to get help with your writing.
Ashford 2: - Week 1 (Jul 21 - Jul 27)
Overview

3. Assignment
Due Date
Format
Grading Percent
Post Your Introduction
Day 1
Discussion
1
Discussion 1: Biomes and Diversity
Day 3
(1st post)
Discussion
3
Laboratory: Introduction to Science
Day 7
Laboratory
6
Assignment: Environmental Footprint
Day 7
Assignment
5
Note: The online classroom is designed to time students out
after 90 minutes of inactivity. Because of this, we strongly
suggest that you compose your work in a word processing
program and copy and paste it into the discussion post when you
are ready to submit it.
Learning Outcomes
This week students will:
Evaluate the relationship between human population growth and
long-term environmental sustainability.
Demonstrate knowledge of the scientific method, data analysis,
and lab reporting techniques.
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of household actions
on individual carbon footprints.
Introduction

4. The first week will provide an introduction to science, including
detailed information on ecosystems and human population
dynamics. You will be introduced to the scientific method and
develop a working knowledge of this approach through the first
lab assignment. Additionally, you will begin to develop an
understanding of human impacts on the environment through an
interactive footprint assignment.
Required Resources
Required Text
Contemporary Environmental Issues
Chapter 1: Ecosystems
Chapter 2: Human Population Dynamics
Lab Kit
Please purchase the Lab Kit from the
Ashford University Bookstore
.
Lab 1: Introduction to Science
Multimedia
AshfordScience. (2013, July 10).
How to formulate a hypothesis
[Video]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp2fbzWZDmA
Watch this video in order to successfully complete this week’s
laboratory, “Introduction to Science.”
Accessibility Statement
Privacy Policy
Global Footprint Network. (2011, September 8).
Footprint calculator
[Interactive calculator]. Retrieved from
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calcul
ators/
Use the interactive calculator to calculate your resource
consumption in order to successfully complete this week’s
assignment, “Environmental Footprint.”

5. Accessibility Statement does not exist.
Privacy Policy does not exist.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2012, July
31).
Household carbon footprint calculator
[Interactive calculator]. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/ind-
calculator.html
Use the interactive calculator to calculate your greenhouse gas
emissions in order to successfully complete this week’s
assignment, “Environmental Footprint.”
Accessibility Statement
Privacy Policy
Supplemental Materials
Selhorst, A. (2013).
Environmental footprint reporting form
[Word file]. College of Liberal Arts. Ashford University.
You will need this form in order to successfully complete this
week’s assignments, “Environmental Footprint.”
Selhorst, A. (2013).
Week one lab reporting form
[Word file]. College of Liberal Arts. Ashford University.
You will need this form in order to successfully complete this
week’s laboratory, “Introduction to Science.”
Recommended Resource
Website
United States Census Bureau. (2013).
International programs
. Retrieved from
http://www.census.gov/population/international/
This website provides support for understanding the
relationships between population growth, extinction, and
biodiversity.
Post Your Introduction

6. To post your introduction, go to this week's
Post Your Introduction
link in the left navigation.
Please post a brief introduction on the first day of class and
discuss why you are interested in environmental studies. Why
are you taking this class? Have you had any experiences related
to the environment and a sustainable world that have prompted
your interest in the topic? Respond to at least three of your
classmates' posts by Day 7.
Carefully review the
Grading Rubric
that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
Discussion
To participate in the following discussion, go to this week's
Discussion
link in the left navigation.
Biomes and Diversity
As you have learned in the readings, extinction is a natural
selection process. You have also read that humans are often
responsible for accelerating this process. Using at least two
scholarly or reputable resources and your textbook, address
whether or not we as humans should be concerned with the
extinction rate. Additionally, discuss whether or not humans
should strive to preserve representative samples of all biomes
on the planet. Before beginning your discussion, watch the
video “
Choosing Articles and Revising Searches
,” which defines the difference between scholarly, reputable,
and non-reputable resources.
Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Utilize
at least two scholarly or reputable resources and your textbook
to support your claims. Cite your sources in APA format.
Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.
Carefully review the

7. Grading Rubric
that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
In this class, you have
three
tutoring services available:
Paper Review
,
Live Chat
, and
Tutor E-mail
. Click on the Ashford Writing Center (AWC) tab in the left-
navigation menu to learn more about these tutoring options and
how to get help with your writing.
Laboratory
To complete the following journal entry, go to this week's
Laboratory
link in the left navigation.
Introduction to Science
Carefully review the
Grading Rubric
before beginning the assignment.
Before you begin this assignment, watch the
How to Formulate a Hypothesis
video. Then, read "
Lab 1: Introduction to Science
." This lab includes several critical thinking activities that focus
on the scientific method, lab reporting, and data collection and
management. Once you have completed the reading, utilize this
information to answer all of the Exercise 1 questions on the
Week One Lab Reporting Form
. Make sure to complete all of the following items before
submission:
Read through the introductory material and watch the
How to Formulate a Hypothesis

8. video.
Answer Exercise 1 Questions 1 through 8 in complete sentences
on the Week One Lab Reporting Form.
Submit the Week One Lab Reporting Form via Waypoint. The
document does not need to include a title page or other APA
formatting; however, any outside sources utilized in your
answers must be referenced in proper APA format as outlined in
the Ashford Writing Center.
Late Policy:
Written assignments (essays, journals, presentations) are due
on the specified days in the course. Written assignments will be
subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day up to three days
late. If written assignments are submitted after 72 hours past the
due date, instructors can give a penalty up to and including a
grade of 0 for the assignment.
Assignment
To complete the following assignment, go to this week's
Assignment
link in the left navigation.
Environmental Footprint
Carefully review the
Grading Rubric
before beginning the assignment.
The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with an
opportunity to learn more about how connected you are to the
ecosystems and biosphere that you inhabit. You will learn how
your everyday choices impact our environment. Most
importantly, you will learn about the benefits of joining the
increasing number of people who are making choices that
reduce their environmental impact.
First, calculate your ecological footprint. (If you are having
difficulty getting any of the proper information from the
calculator, you may need to try a different web browser. For
instance, if you are using Google Chrome you may need to use
Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla, etc. If you are using one of

9. these and are experiencing difficulties, you may need to try
Google Chrome, etc.)
Use the
Footprint Calculator
to measure your ecological footprint and learn “how many
Earths” it takes to support your lifestyle. Be sure to choose the
“detailed response” option for each question.
Answer each question in the quiz honestly and record your
answers and results in the
Environmental Footprint Reporting Form
.
Second, calculate your household carbon emissions.
Use the
Household Carbon Footprint Calculator
to measure your carbon emissions and determine your
environmental impact and the benefits of solutions.
Section 1: Estimate your current total household emissions
(from home energy use, vehicle use, waste).
Section 2: Explore actions you can take to reduce your
greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and waste disposal costs.
Section 3: See how much you can save (in dollars and
emissions) by taking the actions you chose in Section 2.
Answer each question in the quiz honestly and record your
answers and results in the Environmental Footprint Reporting
Form. Complete Tables A and B as well as assignment questions
1 through 4 in complete sentences on the Environmental
Footprint Reporting Form.
Complete Tables A and B as well as Questions 1 through 4 in
complete sentences on the Environmental Footprint Reporting
Form and submit the document via Waypoint. The document
does not need to include a title page or other APA formatting;
however, if you utilize any outside sources in your answers, you
must reference these sources in proper APA format as outlined
in the Ashford Writing Center.
In this class, you have

10. three
tutoring services available:
Paper Review
,
Live Chat
, and
Tutor E-mail
. Click on the Ashford Writing Center (AWC) tab in the left-
navigation menu to learn more about these tutoring options and
how to get help with your writing.
Late Policy:
Written assignments (essays, journals, presentations) are due
on the specified days in the course. Written assignments will be
subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day up to three days
late. If written assignments are submitted after 72 hours past the
due date, instructors can give a penalty up to and including a
grade of 0 for the assignment.