The module aims to introduce students to the long‑term interactions between human societies and environmental systems, highlighting how ecological, technological, and cultural factors have shaped global historical trajectories. It provides analytical tools to interpret past environmental transformations and to understand their relevance for contemporary socio‑ecological challenges.

Knowledge and Understanding (Dublin Descriptor 1)
At the end of the course, the student understands:
• possesses a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts of big history, environmental history, and ecological history;
• understands the key stages of human evolution over the last 6 million years and their ecological significance;
• is familiar with the dynamics linking environmental crises, ecological surprises, and transformations in human societies;
• understands the role of domestication, demography, and human-environment interactions in the ecological history of societies.

Applied Knowledge and Understanding (Dublin Descriptor 2)
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
• apply environmental history concepts to the analysis of cases involving ecological crises and famines;
• interpret historical events as the outcomes of interactions between biophysical processes and social dynamics;
• use analytical categories (disturbance, surprise, resilience, transformation) to critically examine complex historical episodes;
• connect the module's content with aspects covered in the second module, integrating historical, ecological, and socio-environmental perspectives.

Making Judgements (Dublin Descriptor 3)
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
• critically evaluate historical narratives and interpretations of environmental crises;
• recognize the limitations, uncertainties, and complexities involved in analyzing human-environment interactions;
• formulate independent judgments regarding the impact of ecological transformations on human societies, based on historical and scientific evidence.

Communication Skills (Dublin Descriptor 4)
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
• communicate concepts of environmental history and historical ecology clearly and rigorously;
• present and discuss cases of environmental crises using language appropriate to the environmental sciences;
• integrate historical, ecological, and social perspectives in oral presentations or short analytical texts;
• interact and collaborate with third parties.

Learning Skills (Dublin Descriptor 5)
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
• independently explore advanced topics in environmental history and ecological crises;
• connect the module's content to related disciplines (ecology, geography, anthropology, economy, the history of societies);
• use the conceptual tools acquired to interpret new evidence, case studies, or materials from the second module.Be able to apply acquired knowledge to determine the best practices in future policies;
• apply the acquired knowledge to new areas, different from those covered in the course, independently integrating it with other sources of knowledge;
• consult international scientific literature, databases, and technical reports from research centers, local authorities, governments, and international organizations;
• work both in groups and independently, using the scientific method as a working tool.