Revised Schedule -- MONT 102N, Modeling the Environment

Fall 2011, Prof. Little

The following day-by-day listing shows the planned topic for each day's class and the due dates of the larger individual assignments. There will also be several smaller writing assignments (as described in the course syllabus) and group writeups from the group project days. The due dates for those will be announced when the assignments are made. This is still a tentative, evolving schedule. Topics may be added, deleted, or rearranged during the course of the semester. Any changes will be announced in class and here. Note: Reading assignments labeled

Date Class Topic Reading
8/31 Course Introduction start reading CCR
9/2 Begin discussion of CCR
9/5 Continue discussion of CCR
9/7 Continue discussion of CCR
9/9 Focus on writing day 1 -- ``They Say'' GB, Introduction and part I (pages 1 - 51)
9/12 Sustainable development and human welfare E, Issue 2
9/14 Measurement and units LH, Chapter 1
9/16 Group project day 1 -- the Greenland ice sheet -- Paper 1 due LH, Chapter 1
9/19 Ratios and percentages LH, Chapter 2
9/21 Probabilities and recurrence intervals LH, Chapter 2
9/23 Group project day 2 -- Florida lake conservation -- Problem Set 1 due LH, Chapter 2
9/26 Focus on writing day 2 -- ``I Say'' GB, Part 2 (pages 53 - 102)
9/28 Graphical displays of data -- pie charts, histograms and scatter plots LH, Chapter 3
9/30 Spare day -- Problem Set 2 due LH, Chapter 3
10/3 and 5 Group project day 3 -- the US energy economy LH, Chapter 3
10/7 Modeling with linear functions -- Problem Set 2 due LH, Chapter 4
10/10,12,14 Fall Break -- no class LH, Chapter 4
10/17 Regression and least squares LH, Chapter 4
10/19 Technology for regression (computer day) LH, Chapter 4
10/21 Finish linear models Problem Set 3 due LH, Chapter 4
10/24 Prep for Paper 2 (Focus on writing day 3) Survey on New England Landscapes (course homepage); GB, Part 3 (pages 103-138)
10/26 Exponential models LH, Chapter 5
10/28 Midterm Exam covers: Collapse, LH Chapters 1 - 4
10/31 Exponential regression LH, Chapter 5
11/2,4 Group project day 4 -- Broiler chicken production (computer day) -- Paper 2 due 11/4 LH, Chapter 5
11/7 Power functions and modeling LH, Chapter 6
11/9 More on power functions LH, Chapter 6
11/11 Group Project Day 5 -- Modeling Atmospheric CO2 Levels (computer day) -- Problem Set 4 due LH, Chapter 7
11/14 Exponential growth and decay via difference equations LH, Chapter 7
11/16 Modeling human population changes LH, Chapter 7
11/18 Affine difference equations and solutions -- Problem Set 5 due LH, Chapter 8
11/21 Modeling lead intake in a human body LH, Chaper 8
11/23,25 Thanksgiving Break -- no class
11/28 Logistic growth models LH, Chapter 9
11/30 More on logistic models, harvesting LH, Chapter 9
12/2 Group project day 6 -- modeling tropical hardwood production (computer day) -- Problem Set 6 due LH, Chapter 9
12/5 Debate day 1 E, Issues to be chosen
12/7 Debate day 2 E, Issues to be chosen
12/9 Debate day 3 E, Issues to be chosen
The Final Exam for this course will be given at 8:00am on Wednesday, December 14.