Christine DeStephano

This lab class is a great experience for anyone considering the environmental science field or just to heighten awareness. There isn't much lab activity, this class consists mostly of going on field trips to different environmental sites such as water treatment plants and wildlife reserves. The work load consists of answering questions during the tours and doing a short lab write up that is rather pointless as there isn't much of an experiment in going on a field trip. The exams are just a review of the questions and the only other thing is a short presentation on an aspect of the Chesapeake Bay. Mrs. DeStefano has a good relationship with the places visited and this leads to a friendly learning environment to the interesting locations.

Mrs. DeStephano represented the field of environmental science very well in this class. All of her lectures were done on powerpoint but she didn't just read off them, she added interesting related facts and gave good analogies to make the material easier to understand. There were quizzes most days based off of case studies in the textbook, but otherwise the textbook wasn't really needed. The tests required good understanding of the material, it was split between multiple choice, short answer, and matching. The final was not cumulative which was a major benefit since there is a lot of information as in any science class. There was a research paper done on an environmental issue but it didn't have to be very long, only about 5 pages. Bottom line, if you aren't a science major and need a credit this and the lab is the easiest way to go. If you're interested in the field you'll get the knowledge you want, so either way this is an excellent choice.