GEOL 110 B Introduction to Physical Geology

Transcription

1 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 1 GEOL 110 B Introduction to Physical Geology Early Fall Session (15-51) Monday, August 17 Saturday, October 10, 2015 Course Description An introduction to earth s materials, geophysical processes acting on those materials and the resulting landforms and landscapes. Prerequisite: None Proctored Exams: Final Exam Textbooks Required Textbook: Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology with Mastering Geology, 11 th edition, by Tarbuck, Lutgens and Tasa. Pearson-Prentice Hall Textbook w/ Masteringgeology software access: ISBN: Textbooks for the course may be ordered from MBS Direct. You can order online at (be sure to select Online Education rather than your home campus before selecting your class) by phone at For additional information about the bookstore, visit Course Overview The course is basically divided into four general themes: rocks and minerals, earthquakes and plate tectonic theory, geologic processes that shape the Earth s surface, and geologic time. Beginning with rocks and minerals, you will learn how minerals form and how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks are classified and the processes that formed them. Following those units, you will learn what causes earthquakes to occur and how they are used to map the Earth s interior. The significance of the location of mountain ranges, deep sea trenches, volcanoes, etc. will also be investigated to support the plate tectonic theory. You will then learn about the forces of rivers, glaciers, wind and gravity to shape and reshape the Earth s surface. Finally, geologic time will be revealed through the fossil record as well as through methods used for age dating the Earth.

2 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 2 Technology Requirements Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia College: A computer with reliable Internet access, a web browser, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office or another word processor such as Open Office. You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site. Course Objectives To evaluate the types, formation and changes of major terrestrial surface materials (minerals, rocks, soils). To provide an overview of Earth s major surface features and how they change. To relate landforms and landscapes to geologic processes. Measurable Learning Outcomes Explain the scientific method and discuss its application in the geologic sciences. Describe the origin of the solar system, its planets and other features. Explain the molecular basis of minerals, the classification of minerals and their properties. Explain the formation of different rock types and their place in the rock cycle. Evaluate Plate Tectonics Theory, the evidence supporting it and the resulting surface features and geologic structures. Relate the causes and locations of volcanoes and earthquakes to tectonic processes. Describe the major processes of denudation and relate them to tectonics and the rock cycle. Discuss the major erosional/depositional agents and the landforms they generate. Review the major geologic regions of the United States and North America.

3 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 3 Grading Grading Scale GRADE POINTS PERCENT A B C D F Grade Weights ASSIGNMENT POINTS PERCENT Discussion % Quizzes % Multimedia Assignments % Midterm Exam % Final Exam % TOTAL 1, % Schedule of Due Dates Week Assignment Point Value Day Due Discussion 1 15 Thursday Multimedia Assignment 1 23 Saturday 1 Discussion 2 15 Thursday Quiz 1 (Syllabus/Welcome Letter)* 0 Sunday Quiz 2 (Chapters 3-5) 31 Sunday Discussion 3 15 Thursday 2 Multimedia Assignment 2 23 Saturday Quiz 3 (Chapters 6-7) 31 Sunday Proctor Information 0 Sunday Discussion 4 15 Thursday 3 Multimedia Assignment 3 30 Saturday Quiz 4 (Chapters 8 & 10 & Rock Cycle) 31 Sunday Discussion 5 15 Thursday 4 Midterm Exam (Chapters 3-8 & 10-12) 312 Saturday Multimedia Assignment 4 37 Saturday

4 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 4 Discussion 6 15 Thursday 5 Multimedia Assignment 5 43 Saturday Quiz 5 (Chapters 2 & 13-14) 31 Sunday Discussion 7 15 Thursday 6 Multimedia Assignment 6 24 Saturday Quiz 6 (Chapters 15 & 19) 30 Sunday Discussion 8 15 Thursday 7 Multimedia Assignment 7 39 Saturday Quiz 7 (Chapters 16 18) 31 Sunday Discussion 9 15 Thursday 8 Multimedia Assignment 8 33 Saturday Final Exam (Chapters 2,9 & 13-19, and 22) 316 Saturday Total: 1,200 *NOTE: Quiz 1 (Syllabus/Welcome Letter Quiz) must be completed with 100 percent accuracy prior to taking Quiz 2. Assignment Overview Discussions, Quizzes, and the Midterm and Final Exam will be completed on the D2L course site. Multimedia Assignments will be completed within the MasteringGeology website. s and Activities Discussion Each week, there will be reading assignments and activities to be completed before submitting assignments. Weekly Discussion topics will become available on Monday of each week. Week 1 includes two topics and Weeks 2 through 8 include one topic per week. Each topic consists of three parts: the first 7 points are earned based on the scientific argument presented in response to the discussion topic(due Thursday), the next 4 points are earned for answering the followup question posed by the instructor(due Sunday), and the remaining 4 points are earned based on the quality of interaction with classmates(due Sunday). As each discussion progresses, I may respond to your postings to provide you an opportunity to improve your score. When responding to another classmate s posting, you

5 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 5 must comment on the scientific significance of what was written and pose a question that is relevant to that posting. If you correct any deficiency noted by me, your scientific argument grade may be raised by one or two points. You will be given the opportunity to improve your score on Monday of the following week (except for Discussion 9). Multimedia Assignments Quizzes Multimedia assignments consist of answering questions after viewing animations corresponding to topics discussed in the textbook. For some weeks, the assignment will have two parts, the second of which will be a video with accompanying questions. Assignments will be available on Mondays and are due on Saturday of the same week. You will access the assignments and answer the questions on the MasteringGeology site. Your scores will be uploaded to the D2L course site manually. There will be seven quizzes in all, two during Week 1 and one per week during Weeks 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7. With the exception of Quiz 1, quizzes will be made available to students at 12:01 AM CT on Thursday of the week in which they are to be completed. Quizzes are accessed by clicking Quizzes on the D2L course home page. They must be completed/submitted by midnight CT on the following Sunday. Quizzes are intended to be closed book/closed notes. To enforce this intention, a strict time limit of 35 minutes will be enforced, with a 5 minute grace period. It is recommended that you do your assignment and your Multimedia Assignment prior to starting the quiz. Once you begin the quiz, you must finish it. Should you lose your communication link, you must log back on immediately and still finish the quiz within the allotted 35 minutes. If you have done your readings and homework, you should have no trouble completing the multiple choice questions within the time limit even if you must log back on. The intent is that you will not have time to look up answers. Note: You may not go back to skipped questions, regardless of the amount of time remaining. Quiz 1, covering the Welcome Letter and Syllabus, is intended to provide an orientation for the coursework. It will be made available on Monday of the first week, and may be taken as many times as needed to achieve 100 percent. You must earn 100 percent on Quiz 1 in order to be allowed to access Quiz 2. It is important to note that late quiz submissions will receive no credit, so students must submit quizzes by the time limit (35 minutes) set in D2L. Midterm and Final Exams The Midterm Exam is given in Week 4 of the course. The Final Exam must be taken during Week 8, the last week of the course. Each exam will become available at 12:01 AM on Wednesday of the corresponding week. The midterm exam must be completed by 11:59pm Sunday of Week 4, and the final exam must be completed by 11:59pm Saturday of Week 8. Both the Midterm and Final exams are administered online in D2L. An approved proctor's presence and supervision is required only for the Final Exam. The Final Exam is password protected and is available only to your approved proctor. The Final Exam is closed book/closed notes. Students will be given 120 minutes to complete the Midterm Exam and 120 minutes to complete the Final Exam, each with a 10 minute grace period. Each exam consists of multiple choice questions. Please see the Proctor Policy section below which describes your obligation concerning proctor selection, notification, and scheduling.

6 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 6 Course Schedule Week 1 Matter and Minerals; Classifying Igneous Rocks; Volcanoes; Igneous Structures Discussion 1 Discussion 2 Chapters 3,4, and 5 from the textbook Introduce yourself to your classmates. Please give more than your name. Include your profession, hobbies, interest in geology and any other information that can help us get to know you. Imagine that you are hiking and stop to look at an outcrop of rock with light-colored, large crystals. Provide the complete history behind that rock, including being at the Earth s surface. If you wanted a dark-colored, large crystal rock for your kitchen countertop, would you expect to find it deeper beneath the outcrop? Yes or No. Defend your reasoning. Multimedia Assignment 1 Quiz 1 Quiz 2 Assigned in MasteringGeology, based on topics discussed in Chapters 3, 4, and 5. Due by midnight on Saturday. Covers information available in the Syllabus and Welcome Letter. Multiple attempts are allowed for this quiz only. Available on Monday, must be completed prior to taking Quiz 2. Covers Chapters 3, 4, and 5. Available on Thursday, must be completed by midnight Sunday. Week 2 Weathering; Soils; Classifying Sedimentary Rocks Discussion 3 Chapters 6 and 7 from the textbook You are asked to create soil that would be considered very fertile. What would you include in your recipe? How would you create the necessary pore spaces? What is usually found in the pore spaces in nature? Is fertile soil renewable or non-renewable? Defend your reasoning. Multimedia Assignment 2 Quiz 3 Review the animation and answer the corresponding questions in MasteringGeology; based on topics discussed in Chapters 6 and 7. Due by midnight on Saturday. Covers Chapters 6 and 7. Available on Thursday, must be completed by midnight Sunday. Proctor Information: The proctor information page must be completed and placed in the appropriate folder in the course Dropbox no later than the end of this week.

7 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 7 Week 3 Classifying Metamorphic Rocks; Crustal Deformation; Rock Cycle Discussion 4 Chapters 8, 10, and Rock Cycle (see Figure 1.21 on page 29 in the textbook). Since marble is found in the mountainous regions paralleling the east coast of the U.S., what is the origin of the parent rock, and what type(s) of metamorphism did the rock go through to create the marble? Did faulting play a role in the metamorphism, or is the faulting a consequence of the metamorphism? Defend your reasoning. Multimedia Assignment 3 Quiz 4 Assigned in MasteringGeology based on topics discussed in Chapters 8, 10, and Rock Cycle. Due by midnight on Saturday. Covers Chapters 8, 10, and Rock Cycle. Available on Thursday, must be completed by midnight Sunday. Week 4 Earthquakes; Earth s Interior Discussion 5 Chapters 11 and 12 from the textbook The major earthquake that struck Japan was not far offshore, triggering a devastating tsunami. If that earthquake had originated hundreds of miles offshore, how would the Japanese seismologists pinpoint the epicenter, using their seismograph stations located throughout the country? Do you believe that the geologic conditions along our west coast make our country likely to experience as bad of an earthquake in the near future? Why or why not? Multimedia Assignment 4 Midterm Exam Part 1: Review the animation and answer the corresponding questions in MasteringGeology; based on topics discussed in Chapters 11 and 12. Due by midnight on Saturday. Part 2: View the video Shock Waves: One Hundred Years After the 1906 Earthquake and answer the corresponding questions in MasteringGeology. Due by midnight on Saturday. Exam over Chapters 3-8 & Available Wednesday morning, must be completed and submitted by midnight Saturday. Week 5 Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics; Origin of Ocean Floor; Origin of Mountains Discussion 6 Chapters 2, 13, and 14 from the textbook Continent A and Continent B visually appear to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Folded mountain ranges are found on both continents where the fit occurs. If the oldest ocean floor rock found separating the continents is 100 million years old, how old would the

8 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 8 mountains of Continent A be (relatively speaking)? Are the continents moving towards each other or farther apart? List several pieces of evidence to support your answer. Multimedia Assignment 5 Quiz 5 Assigned in MasteringGeology based on topics discussed in Chapters 2, 13 and 14. Due by midnight Saturday. Covers Chapters 2, 13 and 14. Available on Thursday, must be completed by midnight Sunday. Week 6 Mass Wasting; Deserts Discussion 7 Chapters 15 and 19 from the textbook What types of mass wasting plague the state of California? Describe the various reasons why mass wasting commonly occurs there. What advice might be given to land developers in California, to reduce the risks of mass wasting? Multimedia Assignment 6 Quiz 6 Review the animation and answer the corresponding questions in MasteringGeology; based on topics discussed in Chapters 15 and 19. Due by midnight on Saturday. Covers Chapters 15 and 19. Available Thursday, must be completed by midnight Sunday. Course Evaluation You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted. Week 7 Running Water; Groundwater; Glaciers Discussion 8 Chapters from the textbook You wish to build a house along a meandering river. Should it be built on the outside bend of the river or the inside bend? Why? If the meander was cut off to straighten the river, do you believe it would negatively impact your neighbors downstream? Why or why not? Multimedia Assignment 7 Quiz 7 Assigned in MasteringGeology based on topics discussed in Chapters 16, 17, and 18. Due by midnight Saturday. Covers Chapters Available on Thursday, must be completed by midnight Sunday.

9 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 9 Week 8 Fossils; Geologic Time; Faunal Succession; Energy and Mineral Resources Discussion 9 Chapters 9, 22, and 23 from the textbook Fossils tell a story. Explain several things that can be interpreted by discovering a particular fossil within a rock layer (think body design and environment). Do you believe that the succession of animal life throughout geologic time is supported by the movement of tectonic plates? Why or why not? Multimedia Assignment 8 Part 1: Assigned in MasteringGeology based on topics discussed in Chapters 9, 22, and 23. Due by midnight on Saturday. Final Exam Part 2: View the Geologic Time Scale video (Parts 1 through 3) by "The Pink Geologist," and answer the corresponding questions in MasteringGeology. Due by midnight on Saturday. This is a proctored exam over all of the material covered in the second half of the course. It will become available on Tuesday morning and must be completed by Saturday midnight of this week. Course Policies Student Conduct Plagiarism All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Student Conduct Code and Acceptable Use Policy. Students violating these policies will be referred to the office of Student Affairs and/or the office of Academic Affairs for possible disciplinary action. The Student Code of Conduct and the Computer Use Policy for students can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The Handbook is available online; you can also obtain a copy by calling the Student Affairs office (Campus Life) at The teacher maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment, and all students must adhere to the conventions of online etiquette. Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form as your own is plagiarism. Students who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work (papers, journals, exams, etc.) are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For proper citation of the original authors, you should reference the appropriate publication manual for your degree program or course (APA, MLA, etc.). Violations are taken seriously in higher education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade of "F" for the course, or dismissal from the College. Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is considered plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course should be particularly careful. All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection

10 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 10 of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. Note: Please view the Plagiarism Tutorial that is available in the Content area of the course. Non-Discrimination There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status. Disability Services Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required to register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) Until the student has been cleared through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a student who has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before enrolling in the course. The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not feasible. Online Participation You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course activities each week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule in your syllabus. If an emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your instructor know as soon as possible. Attendance Policy Attendance for a week will be counted as having submitted a course assignment for which points have been earned during that week of the session or if the proctoring information has been submitted or the plagiarism quiz taken if there is no other assignment due that week. A class week is defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday (except for Week 8, when the week and the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the Central Time Zone. Cougar All students are provided a CougarMail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You are responsible for monitoring from that account for important messages from the College and from your instructor. You may forward your Cougar account to another account; however, the College cannot be held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other providers. Students should use for private messages to the instructor and other students. The class discussions are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about any given topic and respond. Late Assignment Policy An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your classmates to regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of the online communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the schedule of work for the class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of reading and writing to successfully complete the class. The following late assignment policy will be applied without exception.

11 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 11 Discussion postings, both responses and interactions, submitted after the due date will be graded as a zero. Multimedia assignments submitted after the due date will have their graded value reduced by 20% for each day or partial day that they are submitted after the due date. As a result, homework assignments submitted more than four days after the due date will receive a grade of zero. Quizzes and Exams must be taken on or before the assigned due date. Barring extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances, makeup Quizzes and Exams will not be given; allowing makeup Exams or Quizzes is at the sole discretion of the instructor. Thorough documentation will be required before a makeup Quiz or Exam will be allowed. As a general rule, arrangements must be made with the instructor prior to the due date of the Exam or Quiz. Due dates may be extended only by the instructor. This will only be done for unavoidable circumstances, such as the D2L webpage being unavailable for an extended period of time, that affect the entire class. Pay close attention to the D2L course Homepage for announcements. Course Evaluation You will have the opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted. Proctor Policy Students taking courses that require proctored exams must submit their completed proctor request forms to their instructors by the end of the second week of the session. Proctors located at Columbia College campuses are automatically approved. The use of Proctor U services is also automatically approved. The instructor of each course will consider any other choice of proctor for approval or denial. Additional proctor choices the instructor will consider include: public librarians, high school or college instructors, high school or college counseling services, commanding officers, education service officers, and other proctoring services. Personal friends, family members, athletic coaches and direct supervisors are not acceptable. Additional Resources Orientation for New Students This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and Columbia College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia College. You may also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one opens. Technical Support If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the Columbia College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available within the online course environment. CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu helpdesk@desire2learn.com

12 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e ex Online Tutoring Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to all Columbia College students. Smarthinking provides real-time online tutoring and homework help for Math, English, and Writing. Smarthinking also provides access to live tutorials in writing and math, as well as a full range of study resources, including writing manuals, sample problems, and study skills manuals. You can access the service from wherever you have a connection to the Internet. I encourage you to take advantage of this free service provided by the college. Access Smarthinking through CougarTrack under Students->Academics->Academic Resources.