An introduction to the different ways that researchers and practitioners have defined and applied critical thinking skills in environmental studies. In the first half, we will focus on the three important skills: 1. finding and evaluating evidence; 2. identifying assumptions; and 3. synthesizing evidence into clear and reasoned arguments. In second half, we will bring together both quantitative and qualitative approaches through case studies, so that students can practice using key terms and analytical habits.

Prerequisites: Environmental Studies 1 or 2 or 3.

5

Units

Optional

Grading

1

Passtime

None

Level Limit

Letters and science

College
Unlocks ENV S 130C ENV S 40H ENV S 101 ENV S 116 ENV S 156 ENV S 163A
These majors only envst
MARTIN J A
Jen Martin
3.4
89 reviews
AI predicted, based on past grading trends of the course and instructor, class info, and 127 other factors
GIRV 2108
M
16:00 PM - 16:50 PM
0 / 24

GIRV 2108
M
17:00 PM - 17:50 PM
0 / 24

GIRV 2108
M
18:00 PM - 18:50 PM
0 / 24

HSSB 3201
T
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
0 / 24

GIRV 2108
T
12:00 PM - 12:50 PM
0 / 24

LSB 1101
T
14:00 PM - 14:50 PM
0 / 24

See All
Winter 2024 . Martin J A
BUCHN1920
T R
14:00 PM - 15:15 PM
Spring 2024 . Martin J A
BUCHN1920
T R
15:30 PM - 16:45 PM
See All
ENV S 40 Martin J A Winter 2026 Total: 131
ENV S 40 Martin J A Fall 2025 Total: 141
See All
90
3.4
ES40 . Martin J A 2 Months Ago

Jen Martin should have never become a Professor. Her abilities to teach would only be helpful for an illiterate 5th grader. Despite her total lack of knowledge on environmental studies, she speaks about critical thinking as if she has just discovered the concept. Each word out of her mouth is pre-typed and offers nothing beneficial to this earth.

0 helpful 0 unhelpful
ES40 . Martin J A 5 Months Ago

This class is the biggest waste of time. For a lower division, you have a final project, final essay, AND final exam (on every reading shes given...). For that final exam, you need to memorize the author's full names, background (ie. where they studied, accomplishments, etc. ), and the year that their work was published. Its so ridiculous.

0 helpful 0 unhelpful
ES40 . Martin J A 1 Year, 19 Days Ago

Very passionate about her lectures, but they weren't applicable. Her ability to pick TA's is awful, the worst i've had on campus. They're incompetent w/ superiority complexes, the way they are grading for lower div classes. Good luck getting your grades back until 2 days before final grades are due in gold, and the quarter is long over!

0 helpful 0 unhelpful
ES40 . Martin J A 1 Year, 1 Month Ago

Shes passionate about the material but the course itself is all over the place. Your grade is based on a project that you work on the whole quarter but the intial proposal wasnt graded until week 6 so you only get 2 weeks until presentations. The lectures are mainly her reading from her notes. Its not hard to get a good grade but its painful.

0 helpful 0 unhelpful
ES40 . Martin J A 1 Year, 1 Month Ago

Painful doesn't begin to describe it. Dull slides, tiny text, and the professor reads directly from her notes, tossing in needless jargon. One in-class exam, the rest projects. Each lecture was excruciating.

0 helpful 0 unhelpful
ES40 . Martin J A 1 Year, 3 Months Ago

Martin is a nice enough person, but her course content is out of touch. Her ENVS 3 is simple, just a lot of busy work, but her ENVS 40 class is completely nonsensical. It's supposedly critical thinking, but the final is a subjective mess that's barely related. It's fine if you're just taking a gen ed, but I'd avoid her to save your braincells.

0 helpful 0 unhelpful
See all 90 reviews
ENV S 1H
0 / 30 Enrolled
Introduction to Environmental Studies - Honors
Peter Alagona 4.5
M
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
ENV S 9
0 / 20 Enrolled
Yardi Environmental Justice Scholars First-Year Seminar
Carl Gutierrez-Jones 4.8
R
14:00 PM - 16:50 PM
ENV S 30
0 / 144 Enrolled
Introduction to Environmental Economics
Robert Heilmayr 4.9
M W
15:30 PM - 16:45 PM
ENV S 40H
0 / 30 Enrolled
Critical Thinking and Evidence-Based Reasoning for the Environment - Honors
Jen Martin 3.4
W
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
ENV S 60
0 / 144 Enrolled
Applied Ecology
Dawn Murray 4.0
T R
11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
ENV S 70
0 / 144 Enrolled
Introduction to Environmental Ethics
Tom Sideris 3.0
T R
09:30 AM - 10:45 AM