Human earth shapers/ETHS101/Syllabus

Learning Pathway 0

Orientation

Familiarise yourself with the course site.

Learning materials:

• Make sure you have read and begun to engage with the Start Here menu.

Key activities:

1. Work through the learning materials for the Overview. It will help orientate your learning.
2. Complete the OERu new participant survey] (optional).

Learning Pathway 1

Earth Systems

Defining and exploring the basics of planet Earth.

Learning materials:

• Work through the learning materials for the Earth Systems
  • Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere, Humanshpere and the Carbon Cycle

Key activities:

1. Watch Learning Pathway instructional videos.
2. Post a WENote comment for all Think and Share activities.
3. Complete Multiple Choice Learning Activities. These are only to help you measure your learning. We do not assess these.
4. Comment on readings and articles using Hypothes.is annotation.

Learning Pathway 2

Rock Reading

How do we measure the age our planet and the earth around us?

Learning materials:

• Find and select Rock Records

Key activities:

• Work through the learning materials for
  • Philosophical Themes, Reading Rocks, Virtual Field trip, Fossils, Relative and absolute ages, Dynamic Geosphere
• Watch the instructional videos throughout the learning pathway.
• Comment on the Thought Experiment using WENote. Do you agree with Fred?
• Share your thoughts on the is/ought gap? What does this mean to you?
• Attempt the Multiple Choice questions. How well have you understood the principles of reading rocks?

Learning Pathway 3

Earth Systems Exchange

How do our Earth Systems interact with each other?

Learning materials:

• Changing Earth Systems

Key activities:

• Work through the learning materials for this learning pathway including;
  • Changing Earth Systems, System Exchange, How atmosphere has change, Ocean Levels, Ocean Chemistry
• Complete the Multiple choice questions.
• Participate in the discussion on the Think and Share activity. Does the non-human world have an ethical standing?
• Read articles and readings. Comment using Hypothesis.

Learning Pathway 4

Ecology and Evolution

How do we think about our impact on Ecology and Evolution?

Learning materials:

• Work through the learning material on Ecology and Evolution.
  • Including: Ecology and Evolution, Niches, Response to Environmental Change, Concepts of Evolution, Mass Extinctions, Extinction at an end

Key activities:

1. Comment on the philosophical thought experiment. Does the non-human world have intrinsic value?
2. We revisit our first thought experiment, we question whether OR not Earthshaping matters? Share your thought.
3. View instructional videos. These are structured around the concepts of evolution.