Monday

Monday, September 16, 2019 is World Ozone Day!

We will use this occasion to discuss the philosophy of science through a case study of the ozone hole and the Montreal Protocol.

To do:

• Come to class prepared for a discussion on the following readings. Each student is expected to contribute meaningfully to the discussion, and you will receive a participation grade for the day.

• Read the following before class:
  

  • The Atmophsere p. 68-75 (Stratosphere section)
  • The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1995
  • The Skeptics vs. the Ozone Hole, by Jeffrey Masters, PhD

Please consider the advice in this year’s One Book, We Need to Talk by Celeste Headlee, when preparing for and participating in class discussions. All discussion must adhere to WCU’s policy on civil discourse.

Civil Discourse at Western Carolina: Consistent with WCU’s core values and our campus creed, the WCU community accepts the freedoms and responsibilities of our shared community. WCU encourages all to clearly express their own views while at the same time seeking to understand the varieties of style, identity, and opinion that are held in any diverse community. In order for us to sustain a learning environment that promotes and values freedom of expression, we have a shared charge to accept personal responsibility for our actions, reactions, and speech, while seeking to learn from the actions, reactions, and speech of others.

Rules for discussion:

• It is a diversity of thought, civil disagreement, and dialectic that leads to brilliant work.
• We must work to understand each other and find common ground by respecting alternative positions and not taking offense when someone disagrees with our own opinions.
• As much as possible, support your thoughts with scientific facts and theories. At the very least, refer to evidence from the text under discussion to support your ideas.
• This is a conversation - you do not need to raise your hand to speak, but also be mindful of speaking over others who have not yet spoken up.
• Don’t interrupt.

Wednesday

To do:

• Bring a laptop
• Bring a USB A adapter (if needed for your computer)
• Read Exercise 4 of the Teensy Workbook

Homework

• Your Claim Investigation assignment is due on Monday, September 23 by 23:59:59.