Lab sections will provide opportunities to dig deeper into specific topics of environmental science. The labs will focus on two types course material of importance in environmental science. The first type of material is related to the highly controversial nature of many topics that are covered in lectures. Many students are passionate about many topics from population control to environmental standards to renewable energy to GMOs. Whereas some students are satisfied learning about controversial topics in lecture, others crave the opportunity to research and debate these topics in a small group setting. The second type of material utilized in the labs relate to quantitative data sets, calculations and models. Some students are skeptical about conclusions reported by the media related to environmental issues and want to work with "real" datasets themselves. These quantitative labs require extensive interaction with fellow students and GSIs. Data from the peer-reviewed literature and government agency websites must be located and evaluated. Simple programming software can also be used to develop simple models of environmental systems.