Syllabus

Course Objectives:

• understand the origin and composition of the earth;
• Identify common mineral and rocks
• Distinguish between igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks
• Interpret the rock cycle
• Interpret geologic maps, construct geologic cross-sections, and identify geologic structures;
• Understand plate tectonics
• interpret and construct geologic, hydrologic and topographic maps
• understand volcanism, mountain building and earthquakes
• interpret the hydrologic cycle
• understand hydrogeologic principles and the importance of groundwater
• understand the basic concepts of hydrogeologic subsurface investigations
• understand the basic concepts of Geology

Policies and Resources

I fully understand that for most of you this is the first college science class that you have taken. For that reason it is imperative that you attend all classes. I also assign homework on a weekly basis, this is not just for my health, it is to help you identify andf learn important material. To this end you have many resources at your disposal

Website
It is my goal as your professor to ensure that you have all the necessary resources that will allow you to successfully pass all sections of this course. In an effort to accomplish this I have designed a course website that can be found at http://www.thisoldearth.com . On this site you will find a tentative calendar of assignments, copies of my lecture notes, lecture presentations, online resources, copies of all lecture handouts, and most importantly, a link to my email.

Quizzes
Quizzes will be given at the start of and will be based on questions submitted by the class. The quiz will end 10 minutes after the start of class regardless of when you arrive. There are no make-up quizzes.

Attendance and Lateness

I will adhere to the attendance policy established by the college. This policy is printed in the College Catalog and defines excessive absence as more than one week’s worth of classes.

Students that are absent from a class are encouraged to contact me via telephone or e-mail.

Students are responsible for all material taught and all assignments given. There are no makeup exams. Exams may be rescheduled ahead of time if circumstances warrant it.

STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ON TIME- Lateness not only distracts me but it also distracts those students who arrived on time. Late students will not receive extra time for quizzes or exams.

Grading Practices

The final grade you recieve in this class will be a direct result of the amount of time you put into learning the material and the amount of points you earn as a result. All graded materials will carry the following points.

Laboratory Assignments and The Laboratory Notebook:

Students are expected to read the laboratory assignment prior to the start of the lab period.

Students are encouraged to work in groups during lab; however, copying answers to lab questions is not acceptable and may result in a zero for the assignment for all parties involved.

At the end of each lab period students are expected to turn in that day’s assignment. Labs will be graded individually and handed back within one week.

At the end of the term the lowest lab grade will be dropped.

Optional Homework

Optional homework can be accessed through the course website under the homework option. This is the only form of extra-credit offered in this class. Each complete assignment will be worth 1 point on your final average and must be submitted no later than midnight on the date specified on the course calendar. To receive credit for the assignment all questions must be completed.

Lecture Order