Dr. Kit Murphy, Coordinator
Cluster Three Objectives
Scientific investigations into the natural world use
analytical methods to evaluate evidence, build and test models based on that evidence,
and develop theories. Mathematical studies of form and pattern can create a
language that assists in these investigations. Packages in this cluster provide
students with the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills in science and
mathematics at the college level. Students will be introduced to a substantial
body of scientific facts, concepts, models, and theories and will also gain
experience in using basic mathematics to obtain knowledge about the natural
world. Each package is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, thereby
demonstrating boundaries and connections among mathematics, the sciences and
other aspects of culture.
Cluster Three Packages
All students begin a package in Cluster Three during their
freshman year and should complete it by the end of their sophomore year. Some
individual courses in various packages satisfy requirements in a number of
major and professional programs on campus, and students are encouraged to
select an appropriate package in Cluster Three on the basis of their
backgrounds, interests and educational objectives. However, all packages are
open to all students as long as space is available.
Package A: General Science and Mathematics
GSCI 101 is prerequisite to GSCI
102 and GSCI 103. Check the semester’s course schedule for
possible corequisites or prerequisites for particular sections of GSCI
104.
Choose one of the following:
MATH 103. The Nature of Mathematics
MATH 107. Fundamentals of Mathematics I
MATH 205. Introductory Calculus I
MATH 220. Elementary Statistics
MATH 235. Calculus I 1
GSCI 101. Physics, Chemistry, and the Human
Experience
Choose one of the following:
GSCI 102. Environment: Earth
GSCI 103. Discovering Life
GSCI 104. Scientific Perspectives (may require GSCI
101, 102, or 103
or MATH 205 or 220 as a prerequisite or corequisite)
Package A provides the general undergraduate student with a
survey of fundamental concepts, principles and theories in three of the four
natural sciences (physics, chemistry and geology or biology) in an integrated
sequence. Students choose one of the five possible math courses, based on the
student’s proficiency and major requirements. GSCI 101 exposes students to the
basic methods and content of both physics and chemistry at a level appropriate
to the typical beginning undergraduate.
Building on this foundation, students take either a
geologically or a biologically based course that presents basic principles in
the particular science and also examines relationships between some geological
processes and life on Earth. GSCI 104 provides students with the opportunity to
choose from a wide variety of scientific topics and to participate in
problem-solving activities in a small-group setting. Students should check the
COMMENTS column in the particular semester’s course schedule for specific
content of GSCI 104 and for possible corequisites or
prerequisites.
Package B: Living Systems and the Environment: From Cell
to Globe
GISAT 141 is a prerequisite or corequisite to GISAT
112. Students are strongly recommended to take GISAT 112 and GISAT
141 in the same semester if possible. GISAT 112 is a prerequisite
to GISAT 113.
GISAT 141. Analytical Methods I
GISAT 112. Environmental Issues in Science and
Technology
GISAT 113. Issues in
Science and Technology: Living Systems
Package B focuses on some important scientific and
technological issues facing modern society. Issues ranging from global warming
to bio-diversity to the rise and threat of infectious diseases are covered,
along with the scientific basis and mathematical reasoning behind them. This
package is unique in that the science and mathematics needed to address these
issues are woven together throughout the sequence. GISAT 141 and GISAT 112
integrate the science related to several important issues concerning the
environment with some of the basic mathematics and statistics through joint
projects and laboratory assignments.
The mathematics begins at the pre-calculus level and
progresses through introductory statistics and the beginnings of calculus.
GISAT 113 covers the rise and threat of infectious disease, the human-genome
project and the development of genetic engineering within the context of modern
microbiology and genetics. Throughout this package, students have numerous
opportunities for learning through hands-on field exercises and laboratory
experiments.
Package C: Health Issues
MATH 220. Elementary Statistics
CHEM 120. Concepts of Chemistry (CHEM 120 is a prerequisite to BIO 270.)
BIO 270. Human Physiology
Package C offers a set of health-related science and
mathematics courses for students with above-average interest and background in
human health. MATH 220 provides an introduction to the nature of mathematical
truth and the skills for evaluating health-related data.
CHEM 120 introduces students to the fundamental principles
and laws of chemistry with applications to the health sciences. BIO 270
explores the functions of the major body systems and provides students with an
opportunity to participate in scientific problem solving in a small-group
setting.
Package D: Basic Science and Mathematics
Choose one of the following:1
MATH 205. Introductory Calculus I
MATH 220. Elementary Statistics
MATH 235. Calculus I
Choose two of
the following:2
BIO 114. Organisms (includes lab)
CHEM 131. General Chemistry & CHEM 131L
GEOL 110. Physical Geology (includes lab)
GEOL 211. Oceanography
PHYS 140. College Physics I & PHYS 140L
PHYS 215. Energy and the Environment
PHYS 220. Astronomy
PHYS 240. University Physics I & PHYS 140L
This package meets the needs of any student with a strong
interest in science and mathematics who wishes to learn more about fundamental
principles of science, the scientific method of inquiry and the role of science
in our world.
The courses in Package D provide an introduction to calculus
or statistics and to two different areas of science. The hands-on laboratory
component of the package helps students integrate scientific theory with the
scientific method and practical applications of science. Together, the three
courses chosen from the package give students
both depth and breadth of scientific knowledge and extend their understanding
of the interconnections and issues among science, technology and society.
Package E: Humans and the Earth Environment
Math requirement is a prerequisite or corequisite to GSCI
115. Math requirement and GSCI 115 are prerequisites to GSCI
116.
Choose one of the following:
GMATH 115. Environmental Mathematics
MATH 205E. Introductory Calculus I
GSCI 115. Earth Systems, Cycles, and Human
Impacts
GSCI 116. Human Ecology
Package E introduces students to ecology and earth science
and the specific ways that humans influence and are influenced by the
environment. Earth is viewed as a single system in which processes occur at
time scales ranging from seconds to the age of the Earth. The package
integrates aspects of geology, meteorology, oceanography and biology, with
human beings as an integral part of the system. GMATH 115 or MATH
205E provide the mathematical tools and skills required in the other two
courses. GSCI 115 explores the Earth’s dynamic equilibrium, which
has existed for billions of years, with the cycling of matter, including gases
and energy through a set of complex reservoirs (atmosphere, hydrosphere,
biosphere, solid Earth and the near-space environment). GSCI 116
focuses on humans as part of the biological and physical world by examining how
human evolution has been affected by environmental phenomena, how human
biological variation is shaped by the different environments in which humans
live and how humans have biological relationships with other species.
Package F: Light and Sound - Science and Perception
Math requirement and GSCI 121 are prerequisites
to GSCI 122.
Choose one of the following:
MATH 103. The Nature of Mathematics
MATH 107. Fundamentals of Mathematics I
MATH 205. Introductory Calculus I
MATH 220. Elementary Statistics
MATH 235. Calculus I 1
GSCI 121. The Physical Nature of Light and Sound
GSCI 122. The Science of Vision and Audition
The goal of Package F is to provide students with an
understanding of two basic topics that are often ignored in the study of human
communication. The first is knowledge of how information is produced in the
form of complex sound and light waves and how these waves are propagated from
source to observer. The second is the knowledge of how the observer physically
interacts with this flow of sensory information and how the mind processes and
perceives it. The math course is chosen on the basis of the student’s
proficiency and major requirements. GSCI 121 includes topics on the physical description of
both light and sound waves, the two models needed for describing the nature of
light, methods of light and sound production, the spectral analysis of
sound and light waves, wave propagation in various media, and some particular applications
(e.g., musical instruments, room acoustics, optical instruments, color). GSCI
122 provides an overview of the methods used to study sensation and perception,
basic neuroanatomy, the anatomy of auditory and visual systems,
visual-perception phenomena (e.g., color vision, object perception, perceptual
illusions), auditory-perception phenomena (e.g.,
pitch, loudness, sound localization), and visual deficiencies.
Package G: Understanding our World
MATH 107. Fundamentals of Mathematics I
(MATH 107 must be taken prior to GSCI
163.)
Courses must be taken in sequence:
GSCI 161. Science Processes
GSCI 162. The Science of the Planets
GSCI 163. The Matter of Matter
GSCI 164. How Things Work
GSCI 165. The Way Life Works
Beyond the science and math content, Package G emphasizes the
learning environment and the unifying themes that link each of the individual
classes: Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic; Force, Motion, and
Energy; Matter; Life Processes; Living Systems; Interrelationships in Earth/Space
Systems; and Resources.
Cluster Three Objectives
§
Describe the methods of inquiry that lead to
mathematical truth and scientific knowledge and be able to distinguish science
from pseudoscience.
§
Use theories and models as unifying principles that
help us understand natural phenomena and make predictions.
§
Recognize the interdependence of applied research,
basic research, and technology, and how they affect society.
§
Illustrate the interdependence between developments in
science and social and ethical issues.
§
Use graphical, symbolic, and numerical methods to
analyze, organize, and interpret natural phenomena.
§
Discriminate between association and causation, and
identify the types of evidence used to establish causation.
§
Formulate hypotheses, identify relevant variables, and
design experiments to test hypotheses.
§
Evaluate the credibility, use, and misuse of scientific
and mathematical information in scientific developments and public-policy
issues.
