A course in a sequential series of four science mini-courses. (EACH MINI-COURSE LASTS FOR ONE-HALF SEMESTER. STUDENTS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO REGISTER FOR TWO MINI-COURSES IN ONE SEMESTER TO TOTAL FOUR SEMESTER HOURS.) The course will introduce students to selected fundamental principles and concepts of geology discussed and developed in the context of science topics of concern or interest in modern society. Prerequisites: GSP or GSA 1010 and GSC 1020. Co-requisite: GSB 1040. Contemporary Biology. Lecture three hours, laboratory two hours. This course will not satisfy program requirements for students majoring in biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, or physics. (NUMERICAL DATA) (CORE: NATURAL SCIENCES) (ND Prerequisite: Passing the math placement test or successful completion of MAT 0010.)
| INSTRUCTOR
Prof. R. N.
Abbott |
OFFICE
HOURS
Monday, 4:00-5:00
pm |
| TOPICS: READING (TESTS) | LAB EXERCISES | |||
| Aug. | 25 | ***NO CLASS*** |
||
| 27 | Natural
Disasters and Human Population: Ch. 1 Energy Flows in Earth History: Ch. 2 |
1. Rock Cycle | ||
| Sep |
1 | Plate Tectonics: Ch.3 | ||
| 3 | ***TEST 1: Ch. 1, 2, 3*** | 2. Minerals | ||
| 8 | Earthquake Geology and Seismology: Ch. 4 | |||
| 10 | ***NO LECTURE, CONVOCATION*** | 3. YES, there is LAB => Rocks | ||
| 15 | Some Earthquakes: Ch. 6 | |||
| 17 | Tsunami: Ch. 5 | 4. Earthquakes: Location & Magnitude | ||
| 22 | ***TEST 2: Ch. 4, 5, 6*** | |||
| 24 | Volcanic Eruptions: Plate Tectonics: Ch. 8 | 5. Earthquakes: Intensity | ||
| 29 | Volcano Case Histories: Ch. 9 | |||
| Oct | 1 | ***TEST 3: 8, 9*** | 6. Volcanoes | |
| 6 | Meteorite Impacts: Ch. 16, 453-459 (Extraterrestrial Causes) | |
||
| 8 | Meteorite
Impacts: Ch. 17 |
7. Tsunami | ||
| 13 |
|
|||
READING:
P.L. Abbott -- "Natural
Disasters, 6th Edition"
| 3 | Tests (3 x 10%) | = 30% |
| 7 | Labs | = 24% |
| Final Exam | = 46% | |
| =100% |
TESTS: Each test accounts for 10% of your grade, and will consist of 30 to 40 multiple choice and true/false items covering the reading and lecture material, as described above.
Your grade on each test will be formulated as the percent correct responses, scaled in such a way that the class average is 75%. This is how it works. Suppose the class average is 67% correct responses on a test. I will add 8% to your score, so the class average is 75%. In fact, all components of your grade will be treated in this way. Letter grades are assigned accordingly: 93+ A, 90-92 A-, 87-89 B+, 83-86 B, 80-82 B-, 77-79 C+, 73-76 C, 70-72 C-, 67-69 D+, 63-66 D, 50-62 D-, 0-49 F.
***TEST KEYS***
LABS: Performance in lab accounts for 24% of your grade for the course. See details below.
FINAL
EXAM:
The final exam (approx. 100 items) will be comprehensive
and counts for 46% of your final grade for the course.
Approximately
60% of the test items will come from the TESTS (see above),
approximately
40% on material covered since the last test. The final exam will
consist
entirely of multiple choice and true/false items.
~20 items
from TEST
1,
~20 items from TEST
2,
~20 items
from TEST
3,
~40 items
from material covered
since the last test.
THE FINAL EXAM
WILL BE OFFERED ONCE, on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 11:00 am -12:15 pm
LABORATORY EXERCISES. Always bring your textbook to lab. There is no lab manual.
EVALUATION OF LAB PERFORMANCE: 24% of your final grade is based on your performance in lab. Your performance will be based on worksheets that you will hand in at the end of each lab meeting.