Syllabus

Course Objectives

The purpose of this course, and for that matter all college courses, is to make you become a better thinker. As an introductory course this course is not meant to turn you into professional geologists. Although I hope that this course may inspire some of you to continue in this field, in the end I will be happy if this course at least makes you better appreciate the world in which we live.

Most importantly, by the end of this semester the knowledge gained in this course will better equip you to analyze the world around you through scientific inquiry. You will be a better thinker and skills gained throughout your experience in this course will be applicable to all you do in life, especially if you become a geologist : ).

This course will allow you to:

• Understand the origin of the universe
• Understand the origin and composition of the earth
• Distinguish between igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks
• Understand plate tectonics
• Interpret ancient sedimentary environments based on sedimentary structures such as cross bedding, graded bedding, ordinary bedding, ripples, and mudcracks
• Interpret earth history from sedimentary beds, rock units, or other bodies of rock using relative dating techniques
• Describe possible theories on the origin of the solar system and the formation of earth
• Describe theories on the origin of the earth's internal structure, its oceans, and atmosphere
• Describe the various methods of fossilization
• Describe the doctrine of organic evolution and evidence supporting it
• Use fossils to recognize units of rock deposited during particular increments of geologic time and to reconstruct paleoenvironments
• Describe the geologic history and the record of life (with an emphasis on North America) during the Cryptozoic Eon, Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, and the Cenozoic Era.

Procedures and Resources

Evolution of Earth and Life is an extensive course that covers 4.6 billion years of Earth History and requires a previous knowledge of physical geology. I fully understand that most students in this class have not taken physical geology and because of this we will be covering elements from both classes. This makes attendance in all lectures extremely important.

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 this course website. 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, homework, and discussion forums

Quizzes & Exams
Quizzes will be given at the start of class and will be based on material covered in the previous class. All quizzes will begin promptly at the start of class and will last 10 minutes regardless of when you arrive. There are no make-up quizzes.

Exams will also begin at the start of class and last the entire duration of the lecture portion (1hr 15min). There are no make-up exams.

Exams may be rescheduled at least one week in advance for a valid and excused absence.

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.

Plagiarism

Copied or plagiarized work is unacceptable in a college or professional environment. Copied or plagiarized work may result in failure in the course and further disciplinary action.

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 weight of the final grade.

Laboratory Assignments :

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