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Rachel Carson Center for Natural Resources   Course Description: This course will combine seminar and field studies classes. Field studies activities will take place generally every other week (check the calendar). Second year students should expect a hands-on, project-based class that creates opportunities for students to practice interpersonal, practical and academic skills both in and outside of the classroom. Students are encouraged to apply their skills and abilities to real world situations outside the classroom community. The course includes the following components: Small group seminar sessions featuring the discussion and debate of natural resource and environmental studies issues Outdoor field study activities (primarily wetlands restoration) focusing on acquiring skills currently used by professional natural resource workers Community service work such as surveying, planning, implementing, and monitoring restoration projects in local watersheds Communication skills training including: technical writing, speaking skills, presentation preparation and technology use Exposure to the public policy decision-making process that affects natural resource issues   Goals: The goals of this course are to: Promote good citizenship through direct participation in appropriate public forums Raise awareness regarding important and sometimes controversial natural resource and environmental issues by examining multiple perspectives and engaging in class discussions and debates Foster an understanding of our local natural environment through projects, research, and service work Establish concrete communication skills through instruction and practice in speaking and technical writing followed by presentations to local community groups and other classes, as well as formal proposals to local businesses Provide training in the use of current technology such as using GPS units and GIS software and fostering business-school partnerships with community members such as Lane County and the Nature Conservancy.     Grading: Your work and participation everyday will contribute to your final grade. Grades are determined based on total points accumulated during the semester. Points will be earned for: 1. Class participation 2. Individual and group projects 3. Written assignments 4. Class action projects 5. Practical and written quizzes and exams   Grading Scale: A 90-100% B 80-89% C 70-79% D 60-69%     Attendance: The Rachel Carson program has its own attendance policy. Students may not exceed two unexcused absences in one semester. Parents will receive a letter after the first unexcused absence. Following the second unexcused absence, we will send a second written warning which will require a parent signature and we will schedule a conference. After the third unexcused absence, students will be dropped from the program. We strictly follow the Churchill High School attendance policy as it relates to school-related and excused absences. It is extremely important to be in class, on time, every time the class meets. Tardies will result in the loss of up to half of your class participation points each day.   Units of Study: The Seminar Class will complete the following academic units of study: Oregon Natural History and Native Americans: This unit is designed to give students an opportunity to learn about Oregon's natural and cultural history by focusing on the state's natural resources and learning about the Native Americans who first inhabited the Willamette Valley and other eco regions. Students will explore the physical and cultural history of the entire state as well as the patterns of land use, ownership and management of natural resources. Wetlands: This unit will explore the native wetlands of the Willamette Valley and the unique plant and animal life that the wetlands ecosystem supports. Special focus will be on the West Eugene Wetlands near school. Wildlife: This unit will focus on plant and wildlife in the Northwest and beyond. Students will examine the Endangered Species Act and the conflicts involved in implementing the Act. Wildlife tracking and field research round out the unit's instruction. Urban Planning and Transportation: Students will investigate the inherent challenges of increased population and the strain it brings to the natural world. Analysis of transportation practices and effects, recycling and consumerism will be highlights of activities and projects in this unit. GIS/GPS: In this unit, students will learn how to use Global Positioning System (GPS) units in the field for the purpose of mapping. Industry professionals will train students in the use of GIS software. Environmental Literature: Students will read short stories, essays, song lyrics and poems that celebrate the beauty of nature or comment on an important environmental issue. Students will write and publish an environmental literary magazine as a culminating project.

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