Detailed Schedule -- Modeling the Environment

Detailed Schedule -- MONT 104N, Modeling the Environment

Fall 2012, 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 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

LH -- refer to G. Langkamp and J. Hull, Quantitative Reasoning and the Environment
GB -- refer to G. Graff and C. Birkenstein, They Say/I Say
M -- refers to M. Montaigne "Of Cannibals" (link on course homepage)

Date	Class Topic	Reading

10/5	Least squares regression and Excel	LH, Chapter 4
10/8,10,12	Fall Break -- no class
10/15	More on regression and linear models	LH, Chapter 4
10/17	Begin exponential models	LH, Chapter 5
10/19	More on exponential models -- -- Problem Set 3 due	LH, Chapter 5
10/22	Group project 4 -- Broiler chicken production (computer day)	LH, Chapter 5
10/24	Alexis Rockman presentation, follow-up discussion
10/26	*Midterm Exam*	*covers*: M, LH Chapters 1 - 4
10/29	Focus on writing 2 -- ``I Say''	GB, Part 2 (pages 53 - 102)
10/31	Power functions and modeling	LH, Chapter 6
11/2	More on power functions and modeling -- Problem set 4 due	LH, Chapter 6
11/5	Group project 5 -- Analyzing the Mauna Loa atmospheric CO₂ data set (computer day)	LH, Chapters 4,5,6
11/7	Group project 5, continued	LH, Chapters 4,5,6
11/9	Focus on writing -- ``I Say, Tying it all together''	GB, Parts 2 and 3 (pages 51 - 138)
11/12	Difference equations	LH, Chapter 7
11/14	Second "debates"	NY Times Room For Debate, November 7
11/16	Exponential growth and decay via difference equations -- Paper 2 due	LH, Chapter 7
11/19	Affine difference equations	LH, Chaper 8
11/21,23	Thanksgiving Break -- no class
11/26	More on affine difference equations	LH, Chapter 8
11/28	Logistic growth models	LH, Chapter 9
11/30	Group project 6 -- modeling tropical hardwood production (computer day) -- Problem Set 5 due	LH, Chapter 9
12/3	Group project 6, continued (computer day)	LH, Chapter 9
12/5	Third ''debates"	to be assigned
12/7	Course wrap-up -- Problem Set 6 due

The Final Exam for this course will be given at 8:00am on December 13.

Last modified: November 13, 2012