Earth is an integrated system that includes clouds, oceans, rocks, living beings, a magnetic field, and so forth. We humans, as a part of the Earth system, have created and continue to develop modes of thinking leading to political, economic, legal, social, and cultural systems that have altered the environment and our relationship to it, and which have implications for human health and well-being. Courses in this topic will help students gain the knowledge, motivation, and skills to make informed and responsible decisions about human interactions with Earth systems and to take actions to improve the well-being of other individuals, societies, and the environment. By exploring environmental issues, engaging in problem solving and critical thinking, and taking action, students can help individuals and societies create awareness and sensitivity to the environment and enhance planetary stewardship.
Courses within this Topic of Inquiry category must meet one or more of the TOI4 Learning Objectives throughout the course:
TOI4 Learning Objective 1: Students will be able to investigate how human activities impact Earth systems.
TOI4 Learning Objective 2: Students will be able to examine how Earth systems affect human activities and well-being.
TOI4 Learning Objective 3: Students will be able to assess how human-environment interactions are represented culturally, creatively, or artistically, and how these representations influence attitudes and behaviors.
TOI4 Learning Objective 4: Students will be able to evaluate how public policies, legal frameworks, and/or other social systems affect environmental and social justice.
TOI4 Learning Objective 5: Students will be able to articulate moral, ethical, and/or philosophical issues regarding the environment.
Sample Alignment Table
Provided below are some tips for creating your alignment table, as well as an exemplary example of a table.
Tips for ensuring measurable course alignment
- Be sure the Course Learning Objectives (CLOs) use measurable verbs. CLOs should gauge what students will be able to DO by the end of the course. We recommend reviewing the CLO guidance on CETL's website.
- Be sure the assignments used are assessable. For instance, "Weekly Readings" are not assessable. A quiz or short summary paper that measures or evaluates student interaction with those readings is, however.
- Not all assignments need to measure each CLO. Be sure each assessment actually measures the selected CLO(s). For example, a multiple choice quiz allows students to "identify" information or ideas, but it probably doesn't allow students to "analyze" or "describe" anything, so it would not be an appropriate measure for such CLOs.
- The CLOs listed in the alignment table should be the same as the overall CLOs for the course. Do not create a second set of CLOs for Common Curriculum alignment. The purpose of the alignment table is to show how the CLOs specific to the course align with the TOI learning objectives, and what measures will be used to assess student learning across those objectives.
Course Learning Objectives for a TOI4, TOI5 Course
CLO1: Apply concepts and theories from Political Science and Environmental Studies to empirical cases of global environmental politics
CLO2: Describe how humanity influences, and is influenced by, the natural environment
CLO3: Explain the differing and sometimes contradictory values related to global environmental politics: e.g. democracy, justice, economic prosperity, sustainable development
CLO4: Demonstrate social science methods (e.g. identifying the variables in a causal relationship and how they theoretically or empirically covary)
CLO5: Demonstrate public speaking by preparing and delivering a presentation to the class
| Topic of Inquiry | Common Curriculum objective | Course Learning Objective(s) (CLO) | Corresponding Assessment(s) |
| TOI4: Environmental Literacy | TOI4 LO1: Students will be able to investigate how human activities impact Earth systems | CLOs 1, 2
CLO1: Apply concepts and theories from Political Science and Environmental Studies to empirical cases of global environmental politics CLO2: Describe how humanity influences, and is influenced by, the natural environment |
Class Participation
Exams 1 and 2 |
| TOI4: Environmental Literacy | TOI4 LO2: Students will be able to examine how Earth systems affect human activities and well-being | CLOs 1, 2
CLO1: Apply concepts and theories from Political Science and Environmental Studies to empirical cases of global environmental politics CLO2: Describe how humanity influences, and is influenced by, the natural environment |
Class Participation
Exams 1 and 2 |
| TOI4: Environmental Literacy | TOI4 LO4: Students will be able to evaluate how public policies, legal frameworks, and/or other social systems affect environmental and social justice | CLO 1, 2, 3
CLO1: Apply concepts and theories from Political Science and Environmental Studies to empirical cases of global environmental politics CLO2: Describe how humanity influences, and is influenced by, the natural environment CLO3: Explain the differing and sometimes contradictory values related to global environmental politics: e.g. democracy, justice, economic prosperity, sustainable development |
Class Participation
Exams 1 and 2 Research Topic and Question Annotated Bibliography Research Paper |
| TOI5: Individual Values and Social Institutions | TOI5 LO: Using theories and methods of social scientific or humanistic inquiry, students will be able to critically examine how institutions and values are justified and/or how they relate to political, social, economic, or familial institutions | CLO 1, 3, 4
CLO1: Apply concepts and theories from Political Science and Environmental Studies to empirical cases of global environmental politics CLO3: Explain the differing and sometimes contradictory values related to global environmental politics: e.g. democracy, justice, economic prosperity, sustainable development CLO4: Demonstrate social science methods (e.g. identifying the variables in a causal relationship and how they theoretically or empirically covary) |
Class Participation
Class presentation Exams 1 and 2 Annotated Bibliography Research Paper |