Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Hi! My name is Taryn. You can read more about me and my teaching philosophy at my PCC webpage. 

This class is specifically for students enrolled in PCC's Think Big Diesel Technology program. If you are not part of the Think Big cohort, you will not be able to enroll for this course. We will be offering a section of ESR 173 in fall that will be open to anyone, so please email me if you are interested in learning more about that class!

ESR 173 is an introduction to environmental science and is designed to provide an understanding of environmental topics that are primarily geological in nature including soils, geological hazards, fossil fuels, nuclear energy, renewable energy, and global climate change. One of the best parts about environmental science is that YOU already know A LOT about it! The topics that we will talk about are ones that you already encounter in your everyday life. We will look into questions that are relevant to our current life as well as questions that will likely impact us in the future. How do the fossil fuels that we use on a daily basis impact the environment and our health? How does climate change influence issues of equity and social justice? When will our next big earthquake be and how can we prepare for it?

In this course, we will use an equity lens to discuss the intersectionality of these environmental issues with human health and social justice. We will consider environmental issues from diverse perspectives and use varied knowledge sources to examine the relationship between culture and science. In this course we will discuss many different environmental problems, but we will also investigate solutions and ways to make positive change in our communities and beyond! 

Although the course number is ESR 173, you do not need to complete ESR 171 or ESR 172 before taking this class. This course is primarily for non-STEM majors, and counts towards the General Education requirements for a science lecture/lab course. This is a perfect class for anyone who has an interest in our environment! It also counts toward the PCC Sustainability Focus Award. 

Our labs will include field trips and field work. If this sounds like it could be a barrier- wait! We want this class to be accessible to everyone, and the college and I will work together to make accommodations (like accessible field equipment, locations, and more). If you have anything that could limit you from field trips, please reach out and let’s chat. There are many ways that we can modify our field trips to make them work for you.

This class will be a hybrid format with lectures provided online, so you can complete them at a time that works for you, and labs happening in-person on Rock Creek campus (or at an off-campus field trip location) on Monday afternoons. The hybrid format is designed to reduce your commute time and carbon footprint by only having to come to campus one day a week, while still providing sufficient time for hands-on labs, group field work, and interactive class activities.

On Mondays we will be meeting in-person from 1-4:50 either on campus or at an off-campus location for a field trip. I encourage you to organize carpools with class mates. If you would like information on the labs and field trips that I am planning, please send me an email! 

One of my main focuses right now is creating a space that feels inclusive for everyone. I know that each of you comes to my class with a unique history and prior life experience. I hope you will feel comfortable sharing your personal knowledge with me and with the class so that we can all learn together. We are all experts of our own experience! I have been teaching at PCC for many years and I have an immense amount of gratitude for all of the knowledge that I have gained from my students over this time. It’s one of the many reasons I love teaching. 

Still curious? Here is the syllabus from the fall 2023 version of this course: ESR 173 Fall 2023. The summer 2025 term version will not be exactly the same, but please take a look to get a better idea of what to expect. Please note that this summer course will be condensed into 8 weeks, so the schedule will look somewhat different. 

Please email me at taryn.oakley@pcc.edu if you have any questions or would like more information about the class!

There is a recommended text for this course, but it is not required to successfully complete the course. I will also provide a free Open Educational Resource (OER) reading list that can substitute for the text. That means you do not need to purchase a text for this class, but there is one available if you prefer!