Environmental Science A
Course Description:
Environmental science is an integrated science course that continues to develop conceptual understanding of the interactions in Earth science, physical science, and life science systems. The standards for environmental science engage students in the core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts to support the development of knowledge that can be applied to understanding, explaining, and improving human interactions with Earth systems and resources. There are strong connections to mathematical practices of analyzing and interpreting data with creating mathematical and computational models.
Course Details:
| Course Title (District): |
Environmental Science A |
| Course Title (NCES SCED) : |
Environmental Science |
| Course Provider : |
Michigan Virtual |
| Content Provided By : |
Michigan Virtual |
| Online Instructor Provided By : |
Michigan Virtual |
| Standards Addressed : |
National Collegiate Athletic Association, Next Generation Science Standards |
| Alignment Document : |
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c3C5Ypuy7qxdkGpI1okue_J_vrM8m-zxIS4Nk8rBSeI/edit?usp=sharing |
| Academic Terms : |
Semester, Trimester, Accelerated, Open Entry / Fixed End |
| NCES SCED Code : 03003 |
| Subject Area : |
Life and Physical Sciences |
| Course Identifier : |
Environmental Science |
| Course Level : |
High School (Secondary) |
| Available Credit : |
0.5 |
| Sequence : |
1 of 2 |
|
How To Enroll:
Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or
registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration
Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for
the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the
registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with
your school after submitting a registration request.
Start Registration Request
Additional Course Information:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (888) 889-2840
Additional Cost: $0.0
Additional Cost Description:
None
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
- examine data to develop models to analyze and explain changes in Earth systems that took place in the past and are occurring in the present.
- explain changes in the Earth’s interior.
- describe Karst topography and explain how water travels through it.
- investigate water including its properties, unique role in earth systems, and intricate support of various life forms.
- develop a model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
- analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
- explain how energy drives ocean floor formation, supports the vast oceanic life, and creates ocean stratification.
- identify factors that drive the process of geothermal activity and influence weather.
- plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).
- design a solution to a complex, real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses
| Academic Content Standards and Assessments |
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| The goals and objectives clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course. The goals and objectives are measurable in multiple ways. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course content and assignments are aligned with the state’s content standards, Common Core curriculum, or other accepted content standards set for Advanced Placement® courses, technology, computer science, or other courses whose content is not included in the state standards. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth and breadth to teach the standards being addressed. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Information literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Multiple learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students before the course begins. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Course Overview and Introduction |
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Comments |
| Clear, complete course overview and syllabus are included in the course. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Course requirements are consistent with course goals, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Information is provided to students, parents and mentors on how to communicate with the online instructor and course provider. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Legal and Acceptable Use Policies |
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Comments |
| The course reflects multi-cultural education, and the content is accurate, current and free of bias or advertising. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Expectations for academic integrity, use of copyrighted materials, plagiarism and netiquette (Internet etiquette) regarding lesson activities, discussions, and e-mail communications are clearly stated. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Privacy policies are clearly stated. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Instructor Resources |
Rating
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Comments |
| Online instructor resources and notes are included. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Assessment and assignment answers and explanations are included. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Accessing Course Effectiveness |
Rating
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Comments |
| The course provider uses multiple ways of assessing course effectiveness. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course is evaluated using a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness and the findings used as a basis for improvement. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Course Updates |
Rating
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Comments |
| The course is updated periodically to ensure that the content is current. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Certification |
Rating
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Comments |
| Course instructors, whether faceto-face or virtual, are certificated and “highly qualified.” The online course teacher possesses a teaching credential from a state-licensing agency and is “highly qualified” as defined under ESEA. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Instructor and Student Support |
Rating
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Comments |
| Professional development about the online course delivery system is offered by the provider to assure effective use of the courseware and various instructional media available. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course provider offers technical support and course management assistance to students, the course instructor, and the school coordinator. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, have been provided professional development in the behavioral, social, and when necessary, emotional, aspects of the learning environment. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, receive instructor professional development, which includes the support and use of a variety of communication modes to stimulate student engagement online. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The provider assures that course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, are provided support, as needed, to ensure their effectiveness and success in meeting the needs of online students. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Students are offered an orientation for taking an online course before starting the coursework. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Instructional and Audience Analysis |
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Comments |
| Course design reflects a clear understanding of all students’ needs and incorporates varied ways to learn and master the curriculum. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Course, Unit and Lesson Design |
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Comments |
| The course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Each unit and lesson includes an overview describing objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and resources to provide multiple learning opportunities for students to master the content. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Instructional Strategies and Activities |
Rating
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Comments |
| The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on student needs that engage students in a variety of ways. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate students’ needs. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Readability levels, written language assignments and mathematical requirements are appropriate for the course content and grade-level expectations. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Communication and Interaction |
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Comments |
| The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction, including opportunities for timely and frequent feedback about student progress. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course design includes explicit communication/activities (both before and during the first week of the course) that confirms whether students are engaged and are progressing through the course. The instructor will follow program guidelines to address non-responsive students. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student interaction to foster mastery and application of the material. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Resources and Materials |
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Comments |
| Students have access to resources that enrich the course content. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Evaluation Strategies |
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Comments |
| Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course structure includes adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess students’ mastery of content. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Feedback |
Rating
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Comments |
| Ongoing, varied, and frequent assessments are conducted throughout the course to inform instruction. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Assessment strategies and tools make the student continuously aware of his/her progress in class and mastery of the content. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Assessment Resources and Materials |
Rating
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Comments |
| Assessment materials provide the instructor with the flexibility to assess students in a variety of ways. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Grading rubrics are provided to the instructor and may be shared with students. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The grading policy and practices are easy to understand. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Course Architecture |
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Comments |
| The course architecture permits the online instructor to add content, activities and assessments to extend learning opportunities. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course accommodates multiple school calendars; e.g., block, 4X4 and traditional schedules. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| User Interface |
Rating
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Comments |
| Clear and consistent navigation is present throughout the course. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Rich media are provided in multiple formats for ease of use and access in order to address diverse student needs. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Technology Requirements and Interoperability |
Rating
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Comments |
| All technology requirements (including hardware, browser, software, etc...) are specified. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Prerequisite skills in the use of technology are identified. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course uses content-specific tools and software appropriately. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| The course is designed to meet internationally recognized interoperability standards. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Copyright and licensing status, including permission to share where applicable, is clearly stated and easily found. |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Accessibility |
Rating
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Comments |
| Course materials and activities are designed to provide appropriate access to all students. The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, conforms to the U.S. Section 504 and Section 508 provisions for electronic and information technology as well as the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAg 2.0). |
Pilot: Review Pending
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| Data Security |
Rating
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Comments |
| Student information remains confidential, as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). |
Pilot: Review Pending
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Review Conducted By: Michigan Virtual
Date of Review:
04/01/2020
Module 1: Geological Cycle
Module 2: Hydrological Cycle
Module 3: Biogeochemical Cycle
Module 4: Modeling Energy
Module 5: Transferring Energy
Module 6: Conserving Energy
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Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.
