[bobsingh]

I took this course in Fall 2015 with Dr. Padden. We learnt about different natural catastrophes all over the world (Bhopal, Love Canal, Chernobyl, Fukushima, Seveso, etc.) and the economic, ecological, health and law perspectives behind each catastrophes. The lectures were very, very interesting and Dr. Padden explained the content extremely well. The textbook for the course was actually written like a novel as each catastrophe was essentially a story and it wasn't required to be read (as Dr. Padden explained the catastrophes in great detail). There was a midterm (29%), lab assignments (30%) and a final exam (41%). The midterm was straightforward MC + SA. The lab assignments required a bit of work each week. There were 3 assignments which involved researching ecological impacts, health impacts of a specific catastrophe and describing the timeline of the catastrophe (worth 3% each). For the rest of the course, the labs were centered around prepping for the mock trial. We had been researching information for our trial topic (ex. Fukushima) for the prior assignments (health, ecological and timeline) so we had an idea about our catastrophe. We were broken off into groups of 5, representing the plaintiffs or defendants in our specific trial and there would be 3 witnesses and 2 lawyers in each group. Each group was required to submit a witness statement for each witness and it was a group mark worth 5%. Near the end of the term, we had a mock trial where we presented our arguments for our respective sides, trying to prove our point to win the case. This was an awesome experience, as we learnt the rules of Canadian law and experienced a mock trial, a first for many in the class. These were graded quite fairly and was based primarily on content and composure during the trial, not on who won and lost. The exam was just a longer midterm and it wasn't bad at all. It was an interesting experience and Dr. Padden was an awesome prof! Overall, I'd recommend this course, although its only offered every other year and Dr. Padden said she won't be teaching it the next time its offered.