Sylibi for Fall 2010

ENVIRONMENTAL CAREERS (ENVMT 1)
CODE 44694 1.O UNIT.
INSTRUCTOR:
ROBIN FREEMAN 510-434-3840, robinf5713@aol.com

Recommended texts (not required): The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers. Island Press; and What Color is Your Parachute?, 10 Speed Press

Course Requirements:
Environmental Careers is a required core course for Environmental Studies majors. It may be taken for 1) a letter grade (required of majors or for transfer grade point average), 2) for Credit (no grade, gives transfer elective units), or
3) No Credit (does not affect transcript). For those taking a letter grade, the course is self-grading.

1) Course attendance, 2) a minimum of 4 hours volunteer work for any environment related organization or firm, 3) an Informational Interview or Research Report on an environmental career are required for a letter grade. There will be brief evaluations of the interview and volunteer/intern projects (see due dates). An Environmental Career Portfolio will be developed during the course.

Your volunteer work can be for the Environmental Program at Merritt or at a location of your choosing which willing to have you for a short period of time.
Some organizations would rather have you for at least a full day. Of course, you are welcome to put in more than four hours. You should choose work that is interesting to you and fits into your career development. There will be listings available in class on line, at the Ecology Center on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley and numerous government agencies.

SCHEDULE:
Sep 13, 10:00am to 12:50pm - Introduction to the course, Class Introduction Interviews

Sep 20, 10:00am to 12:50pm - Preference Profiles, Environ. Careers Slide presentation

Sep 26, Sunday 10-4pm Bring bag lunch, 5 Year Plan, Strategy A and B, Resume, History of Work, guest. To accommodate religious services, you may attend the afternoon only.

Break time for Interviews and Mini-internship

Oct 18 10:00 am to 12:50pm Reports on interviews/internships due, discussion/task,

Oct 25 10:00 am to 12:50pm Reports continued, discussion, evaluation.


ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING (ENVMT 18)
Codes: 43728, 43729   2.5 units
Instructor: Robin Freeman, Contact: robinf5713@aol.com 510 434 3840 for office hours at SRH  

SRH Environmental Center or field. Mondays 6:30-9:20 pm (9/13-12/6). Sat 10-4pm (9/25, 10/16, 10/30, 12/4).

SYLLABUS

Student Learning Outcomes: You will be able to initiate writing projects in your own voice. This is an introduction to technical, experiential or narrative, descriptive, grant, report and publicity environmental writing. You will be able to identify, write rough drafts for, and edit several types of writing commonly used in the environmental field. You will be able to prepare a document to submit for publication.

Monday 9/13 Introductions, About Program, About Course,
Writing Experience discussion. Tidbits from writers on writing
Every class: Journal Exercises, Readings from other writers, read-around
Writing Assignment: Write about your best and worst writing experiences in the past. Due 9/20

MON 9/20,. Shitty first draft. and finding your own voice. Categories of Environmental Writing
Read Best and Worst Experiences
Assignment: Childhood experience in the environment due 9/25
Due: best and worst writing experiences

SAT 9/25 Bring Lunch. Read from Childhood experience.
Interpretive trail walk and writing.
First experiences in this course. Review writing types you would like to suggest and your preferred order. Lecture/Sample/Exercise choice
Review library and select reading
Assignment: . Writing a clear description, directions or instructions for a general audience; Due: Childhood experience in the environment

MON 9/27 What are you going to use writing for? Tailoring the exercises to the class. Discuss final project possibilities.
Assignment List final project unedited draft ideas/annotate the subject categories at least 2 of your ideas
Due: Brief descriptive paragraphs Description of your first experience in this course. Selected readings
Assignments: as determined by class from here on.

MON 10/4
Due: Draft interpretive sign or brochure element for Nature Trail

MON 10/11 Brainstorming and begin writing final project.
Assignment: Write unedited lousy first draft

SAT 10/16 Field trip: Pt. Pinole Richmond Shoreline Festival
Assignment: Event description, interviews, interpretive
Due: Project first draft

MON 10/18 Review final project
Assignments: as determined by class goals
MON 10/25
SAT 10/30
MON 11/1
MON 11/8
MON 11/15
MON 11/22 Final project due – submit for publication
MON 11/29
Sat 12/4
Mon 12/6 Read-around, pot luck

Course Requirements: If you want to take the course for credit/non-credit you must do that on the user unfriendly PROMT/Passport system right away, if you haven’t already.
This course satisfies requirements for several ENVMT majors. If you are taking the course for a letter grade, there are ongoing writing and research assignments and a final project. The final project is to prepare one piece of writing for publication. It can be of any length. You will research and identify at least one venue where you can submit it. For a longer piece, you may prepare a proposal and query letter without having completed the work itself. You will evaluate the course and suggest a grade for yourself based on the value you have or might receive from participating in the course.

Examples of Environmental Writing Types from which to choose:
Narrative telling the story; - autobiographical/place/descriptive/regional
Technical report writing – Environmental Impact Reports, Legal, Scope of Work, etc.
Science/Health
Natural History and Nature Writing
Persuasion; essay, letter to editor, press point of view or promotional Press Release
Social and Environmental Justice
Grant writing
Interpretive writing, Educational
Instruction writing
Power point writing / film/photo essay
Creative writing and Environmental Poetry
Historical
Children’s
Ethics
Spiritual and/or Religious
Green Business
Your idea here…..



Introduction to Green Building and Ecological Design (ENVMT 20) Code: 44399

Instructor Team Contacts:
Leslie Geathers: nativearch@sbcglobal.net c. 510-292-7266
Bruce Douglas: lbdpe@sbcglobal.net 510-759-5280

Thursdays 6:30-9:30pm (9/9-12/2), and 3 Saturdays 10-4pm (9/11, 9/18, 10/2)
Environmental Center, Self Reliant House
Text: Introduction to Green Building, Freeman, Geathers, Douglas et al. text: $15 CD: $2
Sustainable Architecture White Papers, Brown et al. approx. $17 Builder’s Booksource

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Please subscribe to the course email list: GreenBuildingDesign-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to receive announcements, and see related materials. Also, some information will be posted on Robin Freeman’s Classes at www.ecomerritt.org under “links”. See Environmental Jobs at the same site.
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Th 9/ 9:  Introductions, “What Is Green Building?”
Course Project introduction.  Explanation of on-going projects, Merritt Environmental Center tour.
Sat 9/11: Introduction to Concepts of Sustainable Design & Systems, Body Solar & Sun mapping exercise, (*Note: Please bring lunch)
Assignment 1: Home analysis
Read: Introduction to Green Building (IGB): Chapter 1,2,3.
Th 9/16:  Passive Solar Design: Principles and building/testing model passive house
Sat 9/18: Menu of green materials: Green materials trailer tour, Building systems review, Assignment 1 review.
Assignment 2: Home materials/ systems analysis
Read: IGB: Chapter 8,9.
Th 9/23: Water management details installation, door sealing/preserving on green materials trailer. Intro to energy auditing. Residential energy career paths and professional certifications. Green building rating systems.
Th 9/30: Water Resource Management: Grey Water Action: Guest Lecture.
West Coast Green Begins.
Sat 10/2: Final Project review; client presentation, Review Assignment 2.
Afternoon: Tour local Eco Complex & salvage yards. West Coast Green Alternate activity.
Assignment 3: Materials cradle-to-cradle use/impact list.
Th 10/7: Solar power systems + Redwood bench back construction
Read: IGB: Chapter 4,5,6,7.
Th 10/14: Green wall systems: Greenhouse bench - west wall construction.
Th 10/23: Thermal & moisture protection:
Th 10/28: Project check-in day
Th 11/4: Sustainable Planning &Transportation:
Th 11/11: “Living Architecture” urban food systems: Living Wall. Guest Lecture
Th 11/18: Project check-in day Environmental Center green building projects hands on work.
Th 11/25: THANKSGIVING DAY
Th 12/2: Final project presentations Pot Luck meal/desserts.
You may take the class Credit/Non-Credit or for a letter grade based on:
55% Attendance/participation
45% Projects



ENVMT 50 SPECIAL PROJECTS
IN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN, INSTALLATION AND MAINTANENCE
Code # 43724, 43725 3.0 Units
Instructor: Robin Freeman; robinf5713@aol.com; 510-434-3840

9/13 Monday 1-3:50pm First general class meeting. Students select projects; tour the Environ. Center if new to program. Special project schedules to be arranged. (18 hours per unit – ie 0.5 unit = 9 hrs). Discuss relationship to ENVMT 501, or contact the instructor

Civilization's Impact: The Psychology of Trashing the Earth. Envmt 19 Lab Version. Sign up for Envmt 50 (Special Projects) with code 43725 for 3 units
This lab course will meet Tuesdays 6:30-9:20pm beginning 10/5 at SRH and can be substituted for Envmt 19 for those who need it for credit. We will cover the theory first and then apply it locally through the Merritt College Environmental Management and Technology and to our Brower, Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies goals as we brainstorm how to integrate partners and resources in the East Bay Green Corridor. We will review and organize the Institute data and written material to help make this possible.

Civilization's Impact Course Description: Intro to civilization's impact on the environment: Connections between human psychological development and the creation of both environmental problems and their solutions, human communities and their niche within the relative balance with the environment in past millennia; the human psyche, its origins in nature, and its influence and obstacles to planning a sustainable future.

Restoration of Watercourses: ENVMT 50 can be used for a field lab hours to substitute for the required units which are not being offered this semester.

Student Designed Projects - This is always an important part of this course. Use our faculty and resources to support your selection and design of a project of your choice.

Requirements: Written Agreement describing your project and either written evaluation report or oral presentation for those completing special projects.

Learning Outcome: You will be able to select, plan, and execute green related projects utilizing available resources.