The Earth is bigger than it seems—after all, it's 70% water. With climate change becoming a daily topic of conversation, it’s important to stay informed without feeling like the sky is always falling. The Origin of Waves is a course that aims to accomplish this by exploring
oceanography through the lens of surfing. The course aims to:

1.)Understand ocean waves without requiring a background in climate science.
2.)Decode climate change vocabulary to develop an intuitive sense of the different scales within the climate system.
3.)Use surfing as a tool to foster a personal connection to environmental science.

While it's easy to feel overwhelmed by pessimistic scenarios, this class takes a different approach—one that encourages wonder and curiosity about the natural world. In hopes that by sharing each others personal insights about the ocean environment, we can better understand how people interact with the various scales of the worlds climate. Ultimately, the course seeks to leave anyone who participates with at least a small belief that if humanity has the power to harm the planet, it also has the power to save it.

The course structure begins with an introduction to ocean waves and how humans interact with them, then expands to cover large-scale climate patterns related to ocean waves. The second unit focuses on the history of surfing and how weather and climate affect waves at specific surfing locations. The final unit will synthesize the material to develop arguments about how these systems may change in the future.

Attendance: Participation is graded based on attendance.

Assignments: Assignments will be given per unit (1-3), and one presentation will be required. There will be no final exam for this DeCal.