Admission requirements
This course is part of the BSc Science for Sustainable Societies (SfSS). The course is an obligatory course for students who are admitted to the BSc Science for Sustainable Societies. It has no further requirements.
Description
How does society affect the Earth as a dynamic system and how do we, and all other life, depend on global processes and resources? This course will explore planet Earth and its finite resources, which are governed by dynamic and interacting processes that are increasingly affected by human activities. The planetary boundaries framework serves as the guiding thread throughout the course, providing a scientific basis for understanding which Earth system processes are at risk of being pushed beyond safe limits by human activity. We will explore key Earth system processes—such as energy flows, biogeochemical cycles, and the use of abiotic resources—and examine how they interact with human activities and planetary boundaries, building on prior knowledge of ecological and biotic systems. This course will showcase the Earth as a dynamic system and discuss these dynamics in terms of sustainability. It will introduce human impacts such as anthropogenic climate change, environmental degradation, overexploitation, and pollution.
You will learn to quantify key processes that drive the Earth system. You will also evaluate how resource use influences climate and environmental stability. As part of the course, you will participate in a mock UN panel where you will present country-specific sustainability challenges (in relation to the planetary boundaries) and solutions through policy briefs or infographics, applying course concepts to real-world decision-making.
In addition, you will learn key academic and transferable skills, including quantitative modelling, preparing fact sheets or policy briefs with infographics, choosing appropriate research methods and data analysis, managing collaboration in work groups, and providing and receiving peer feedback.
Course objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, you are able to:
Content:
Describe and explain key concepts related to the Earth System, including its major cycles, interactions, and regulatory mechanisms.
Identify and analyse major Earth System cycles (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, water) and evaluate how these are influenced by human activities, based on the concept of planetary boundaries.
Apply mathematical concepts to quantify Earth system processes and assess pressures exerted on the Earth system.
Methods/skills:
Select appropriate research methods to gather data on earth system processes.
Calculate resource supplies and demands.
Prepare a fact sheet or policy brief using infographics.
Provide, receive, and use constructive peer feedback to improve each other’s and your own work.
Timetable
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable. Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in. Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Mode of instruction
This course has in-person lectures and in-person practical sessions.
Preparation before classes and active participation in classes are fundamental for the success of our programme. In Science for Sustainable Societies we stimulate discussions and participation in classes so that everyone can bring and share their experience, values, and opinions with their peers. For this reason, there is a mandatory attendance. Please see the course manual on Brightspace for the specific rules concerning attendance in this course.
If you have medical, family, or other personal circumstances that make it difficult to attend class, please contact the study advisor.
Assessment method
Assessment
This course has the following assessments:
Workshop exercises (20%)
Group report (40%)
Final exam (40%)
More information about these assessments will be provided on Brightspace.
Weighing
The final grade for the course is determined by the weighted average of above mentioned assessments. The final grade is expressed as a number between 1 and 10, rounded to the nearest half. The rounding process is only applied at the end for the final calculation. The minimum grade to pass a course is a 5.5. In uSis, this will be registered as a 6.0. Please note that final grades between a 5.45-5.49 will be rounded as a 5.0.
Please note, the minimum grade for a partial grade is a 5.0, unless otherwise stated.
Resit
All the SfSS courses have two or more assessments. You will always be given the opportunity to resit an exam, if this is needed to pass the course. However, please note that there might not be a resit opportunity for each of the other assessment(s). Please see the course manual on Brightspace for all details concerning the assessments and resit opportunities.
Inspection and feedback
Via Brightspace and/or in class, students are informed about when and how they can inspect their graded assessment and receive feedback.
Course materials
Reading materials
Selected Chapters from The Essential Guide to Planet Earth (2020) by Benjamin J Burger (open textbook, free)
Selected Chapters from Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet by Johan Rockström and Owen Gaffney (€12)
Science Skills Platform on Brightspace, module (Peer)feedback
Other reading materials will be made available on Brightspace.
Software
We will use Python and R for quantitative modelling and statistics, respectively.
Science Skills Platform
Some of the Science for Sustainable Societies courses make use of the Science Skills Platform. The Science Skills Platform is a digital skills learning environment on Brightspace. With more than 100 skills modules available, you can work on the academic and transferable skills you encounter during your studies whenever and wherever you want. In some of our courses, the modules on the platform will be part of the course materials. You can find the platform on Brightspace.
Registration
All first-year bachelor students will be registered by the Student Services Centre (SSC) for the lectures, tutorials, and the exam (excluding re-sits) of the courses offered in the first semester. For the second semester courses and all re-sits students must register themselves for all course components (lectures, tutorials, exams, and re-sits) in MyStudyMap. You can register up to 5 days prior to the start of a course and up to 10 days prior to an exam or re-sit.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
For more information about the procedures and deadlines, see the enrolment procedure.
Please note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/re-sit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/re-sit.
Brightspace
Brightspace is the digital learning environment of Leiden University. Brightspace gives access to course announcements and electronic study material. Assignments will also be submitted in Brightspace. Students are advised to check Brightspace daily to remain informed about rooms, schedules, deadlines, and details of assignments. Lecturers assume that all students read information posted on Brightspace.
Please log in with your ULCN-account and personal password. On the left you will see an overview of My Courses.
You need to be enrolled for the respective courses to access them on Brightspace.
Contact
Course coordinator: Peter van Bodegom
Study advisors: Kiki Boomgaard and Marisa Beunk
Remarks
BYOD and software
The BSc Science for Sustainable Societies has a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ policy. The Faculty of Science uses the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.