HIST 120 - Intro to Environmental History: Climate, Crisis, Contagion

(3 units) CO9

The course explores the influence of climate, topography, plants, animals, and microorganisms on human history and the reciprocal influence of people on the environment. It traces chronologically and in a global perspective the ways in which societies reshaped their surroundings and in turn were influenced by them, from the last Ice Age to the present; it offers regional case studies, and presents the roots of environmentalism and the current climate crisis.

Maximum units a student may earn: 3

Grading Basis: Graded
Units of Lecture: 3
Offered: Every Fall

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. analyze and interpret primary source documents that pertain to the intersection of social, political and/or cultural life and the natural world.
2. analyze and interpret secondary sources and comprehend arguments that pertain to the historiography of environmental history.
3. describe the development of the relationships between societies and their environments and formulate an overview of their expression in culture, religion, literature, and economy in written assignments and exams.

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