Join this discussion-based, upper-level science course to learn about the environment from a Catholic perspective— we will cover topics ranging from ecology and geology to physical geography (oceanic and atmospheric processes) and hydrology. You won’t want to miss this timely and faith-filled approach to understanding our planet!
How to get the most out of Environmental Science: Catholic Perspectives on the Stewardship of Creation with Matt Watkins:
- First, read the course details below.
- Prepare a notebook for note taking and homework.
- Students begin the course by clicking on the "Recording" and watching the instructor's lecture for Class One.
- Complete the Week One Activities
- If you need review, go back and watch the recording again and/or go over the Powerpoint.
- Repeat until all classes are complete.
- Once the course is completed to the parent's satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records. Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping.
Total Classes: 13
Duration: 1 hour (45-minute lecture with 15 minutes for Q&A)
Prerequisite: Earth Science and/or Biology
Suggested Grade Level: 11th to 12th grade (ages 16 to 18)
Suggested Credit: 1 full semester Environmental Science
Instructor: Matt Watkins, MS
Instructor Email: mwatkins@udel.edu
Course Description: The course will be a combination of several scientific topics including ecology, geology, physical geography (oceanic and atmospheric processes), and hydrology. It will keep to scientific theory and the laws of nature. The course will culminate with an investigation and discussion of the current environmental issues. The classes will be a lecture and seminar style. Seminar means that students need to read the assigned reading(s) prior to each class and be ready to discuss the readings during the interactive online portion of the class.
Course Outline:
Class 1: Catholic Social Teaching on the Environment – Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Classes 2 to 4: Physical Geography
Classes 5 to 7: Geology
Classes 8 to 10: Ecology
Classes 11 to 13: Hydrology
Course Materials: Vatican documents (found free online) - Compendium of Catholic Social Doctrine, Redemptor Hominis, Centesimus Annus, Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Plus online resources from The Habitable Planet website - https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/index.html and resources from the Hippocampus.org earth science portion of its website which has a plethora of videos to support the readings.
Homework: Mr. Watkins will grade homework each week. The student should expect to spend 4 -6 hours per week outside of class time. Required reading needs to done prior to class, and students need to be prepared for class discussion. Homework will consist of workbook sheets related to the readings.
- Teacher: Matthew Watkins