McGill.CA / Office of Science Education / Courses / FSCI 198

What is FSCI 198?

FSCI 198 focuses on introducing students to a wide range of knowledge and experiences of the climate crisis. The overarching goal of the course is to provide students with opportunities to learn the skills necessary for individual and collective actions to address climate change. These skills include critical reading and thinking, cross-disciplinary dialogue, reflection, teamwork, and collaboration with peers.

Goals for students taking the course include:

  1. Access and interpret research and evidence from varied disciplinary and cultural perspectives.
  2. Explain the mechanisms of processes that contribute to climate change and the scope of their impact on the earth system.
  3. Examine the possibilities and impacts of adaptation and mitigation strategies, involving both technological and socio-political approaches.
  4. Recognize the impacts and inequities faced by various populations, ecosystems, and geographies due to the climate crisis. 
  5. Analyze how climate change is communicated and framed in academic texts and popular media.
  6. Reflect on your past experiences, emotions, and future trajectories in relation to climate change.
  7. Create an engaged response to climate change by collaborating with peers across disciplines to imagine a collective future that is sustainable.

 

 

FSCI 198 Course

How does FSCI 198 work? 

 

FSCI 198- A 100-level course with a cross-disciplinary mandate

Students are exposed to multiple ways of knowing—from data-rich science to quantitative climate and socio-economic models to Indigenous knowledge—presented by both McGill content specialists and expert guest speakers. The first half of the course focuses on research that demonstrates the extent of the climate crisis and the second half points to current actions and potential solutions. The course design is informed by active learning, self-determined learning, and Indigenous pedagogy. Students will be expected to engage in significant active participation and to learn together as a community. Assignments culminate in the creation and presentation of a plan for action.

 

 

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