202 Syllabus, p. 1 GEOLOGY 202: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy Fall, 2015 SYLLABUS Instructor: Dr. Jim Trexler, LMR 357 (research lab in LMR358), 784-1504; e- mail: trexler@unr.edu; http://wolfweb.unr.edu/homepage/trexler/welcome.html T.A.: Lauren Fissel, lef23@zips.uakron.edu, LMR379 UG TA/grader: TBA Class meets: TR at 9:30 10:45 am, LME316; lab sections meet in LMR355, 12:30pm and 3:30pm, every Wednesday. *Meet in lab for field exercise days, unless otherwise announced. PREREQUISITES: I require that you have taken an introductory geology course (such as GEOL 101) with lab. I also require that you have taken a historical geology (GEOL 102) course with lab. Math required for this course is MATH127, and includes algebra and trigonometry, and basic graphing and data analysis skills. e- mail: An announcement by email = a verbal announcement in class! Provide us with the email address you will check. Every student is required to provide a working e- mail address to UNR so that class announcements can be made electronically by email. Make sure UNR knows your working address! Check your e- mail often! The best way to get your instructor s, or TA s, attention is by e- mail. On the web: Course materials for this class will be posted to: http://wolfweb.unr.edu/homepage/trexler/geol_202.html Class/lab Attendance: I do not require attendance, but you are responsible for what happens in class and lab. There will normally not be a way to make up a missed lab or quiz. Required Text: Boggs: Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, 5 th edition, 2012, Pearson Prentice Hall Publishing. (4 th edition is probably OK, but older than that, check with me.) This book is a great resource. The lectures do not follow the order of topics in the book, but relevant sections are noted on the schedule. You do not need to bring the book to class. I suggest you bring it to lab, but not into the field. Course Notes: in the form of lecture slides will be posted on the class website by topic, before class meets. Paper copy will NOT be provided. You can download and print these notes from the class website (URL above). These notes are skeletal, and will not substitute for being in class. They will be updated up to, and after, lecture time, so make sure you get the latest version.
202 Syllabus, p. 2 ACADEMIC HONESTY A policy statement on Academic Dishonesty is provided. The internet and wide availability of digital information makes it very easy to use material that is not your own for reports and essays for class credit. You are expected to use this excellent resource carefully and responsibly. If you use material and/or text that someone else wrote without proper attribution, you are cheating. If you have any question about how to properly cite a source, ask! I will run this class on the honor system, which means that I assume that you will not cheat, and you will let me know, anonymously if necessary, if you are aware that cheating is going on. Lecture- room courtesy: No laptops in class, and please turn off your cell phone. It is much too distracting to me, and to your classmates. You are welcome to bring your laptop to lab and use it there. You are also welcome to tease me if I forget to turn my phone off. UNR Official Policy on Audio and Video recording in class: Surreptitious or covert video- taping of class or unauthorized audio recording of class is prohibited by law and by Board of Regents policy. This class may be videotaped or audio recorded only with the written permission of the instructor. In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may be given permission to record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students should understand that their comments and questions during class may be recorded. But not without your prior knowledge! Required items for lab: You are required to purchase a mylar grain- size card from the DGSE secretary, $2.25 each (exact change please!) You will need this for the first lab, and we will bring a supply that you can purchase there. a good- quality clip- board; it does not need to be a fancy aluminum one, but you need to be able to work on paper outdoors in the Nevada wind. Get some good rubber bands to hold maps and handout materials flat on your clipboard. a good hand lens. The more you spend, the happier you will be, and this is an essential geology career item. Ask about sources. Other suggested equipment: tracing paper, colored pencils, protractor, ruler (talk to your TA). For field labs wear sturdy shoes, a small backpack, water, sunscreen, and clothes to keep you cool or warm, wet or dry, depending on weather. Other optional gear (note that a smart phone can do most of this): small digital camera, hand calculator, and watch with a timer. You will not need a rock hammer for this class (but you will want to get one eventually). A smart phone with relevant apps can be an excellent field tool; ask me. Field Notebook? A field notebook is a necessity for doing geological fieldwork. You will be required to purchase one for field classes such as GEOL 450 and 451. For this class, field notebooks are optional but
202 Syllabus, p. 3 recommended. The DGSE office has a couple of different styles that you can purchase at our cost. I prefer the stiff, bound variety with write in the rain paper. These are very durable; I have field books that are over 20 years old and are still in good shape; they are more stable as a data repository than a DVD or a flash drive. The file box - There will be a hanging file box with a compartment and envelope for each student, kept in LMR355. All handouts, assignments, reading lists, and graded materials, etc. will be placed in an envelope (for your privacy) and will be in your file until you pick them up. The box will be brought to each class and lab session. The file box only flows toward the student; do not put anything in the box for the instructors! We will NOT check the box for ungraded materials handed in. Other Resources: Many other texts are available that give more complete treatment or a different slant on some of the topics in this course. These are available in the library. Some of the best are: Collinson and Thompson: Sedimentary Structures (a picture- book of primary structures and their interpretation, highly recommended) Reading: Sedimentary Environments and Facies (the bible of depositional environment models, dense but thorough) Leeder: Sedimentology and Sedimentary Basins (strong on physics of process) Lewis and McCombie: Analytical Sedimentology, and Practical Sedimentology (methods and logistics, basic concepts) Ritter, Kochel, and Miller: Process Geomorphology (in revision, but still the best on this subject) Use of Computers: All lab and take- home assignments requiring a written response must be typed on a word- processor. We will not do extensive computer work in this class, but a working knowledge of a word processor and Microsoft Excel is expected. Other helpful software includes a drafting program like Adobe Illustrator. idraw is an inexpensive version of Illustrator and appears to work well. Academic Success Services: Your student fees cover use of the Math Center (784-4433 or www.unr.edu/mathcenter/), Tutoring Center (784-6801 or www.unr.edu/tutoring/), and University Writing Center (784-6030 or www.unr.edu/writing_center). These centers support your classroom learning; it is your responsibility to take advantage of their services. Keep in mind that seeking help outside of class is the sign of a responsible and successful student. Statement on Disability Services: Any student with a disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with me or the Disability Resource Center (Thompson Building Suite 101) as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations.
202 Syllabus, p. 4 Please read the next pages carefully. They describe in detail what is required of you for this course, and what is required of your instructor(s). It amounts to a contract between us. I will run the course based on the assumption that you have read and understood this document! Course Description: Geology 202 is the beginning soft- rock course here at UNR, and may be your first serious geology course. The materials traditionally found in introductory courses on sedimentology, stratigraphy, and geomorphology are taught in this course. A major aspect will be lab exercises, and much lab time will be spent in the field. Labs will emphasize not only learning about sedimentology, geomorphology and stratigraphy, but investigative methods as applied to processes and rocks. Lab assignments will consist of short written reports describing the data gathered and the results of field and lab studies. The data- gathering exercises are designed to be finished in the 3- hour scheduled time. Report preparation should take some additional time emphasizing organization and interpretation. Prerequisites, and co- requisites Minimum prerequisites are introductory physical geology (101/103) and historical geology (102) if you are a Geology major. GEOL 211 (Earth Materials and Geochemistry I) is a co- requisite for GEOL 202. You are expected to have completed pre- calculus math (MATH 127). Grading Scheme: Course grades will be computed on a "points accumulated out of total possible points" basis. The proportional distribution of points is detailed at the end of this handout. You must receive at least a C in this course for credit to your geology major. The grading scheme will be approximately as follows: A = >96%, A- = >92%, B+ = > 88%, B = 84%, B- = >80%, C+ = >76%, C = >72%. There is no C- grade given for this class. *Please keep complete records and keep all graded work! We will be checking occasionally to see that our records match yours. You will be able to compute your own grade at any point. 1- hour exams and final (see syllabus schedule) will consist of essay, short answer and multiple- choice questions designed to test overall understanding; the final covers the entire course but emphasizes the final third. The mid- terms may be taken early only by prior arrangement. Quizzes and paper clickers : Every lecture, every student will be asked to turn in a paper clicker response sheet. These will be worth 3 points each if complete and correct, and a minimum of 1 point for participation. Responses may include a question on a reading assignment, a response to an in- class question, or a quick problem to solve. "Paper clickers" may only be turned in at the end of class for that day... none will be accepted late. Longer quizzes may also be given, but these will be announced ahead. reading reports: See special instructions for reading reports on a separate handout. Approximately every week during the term there will be a short reading assignment, usually a paper in a recent popular science journal, on the topic currently under discussion in class. Reports will comprise one page that includes a two or three- sentence abstract and a couple of paragraphs analyzing what you read. Required format: One page limit, typed, 11 point or larger and double- spaced. Additional pages will not be graded.
202 Syllabus, p. 5 laboratory assignments: see schedule. Each project will be discussed in detail as it is assigned. Lab projects are integrated into lecture material, and must be done in sequence and on time. There will be a rolling penalty for late labs. Please do not get bogged down in a backlog of unfinished lab projects! Field lab exercises: meet in lab (or at the designated field trip pick- up site) on time, we will leave from there. Note: it will not usually be possible to make up a missed field lab project. If you have a scheduling problem, we can usually accommodate a switch to the other lab section meeting time. Please arrange the switch in advance with your TA. If you are ill on the day of field lab, please call before lab so that we do not wait for you. Note phone numbers at the top of the Syllabus. GEOL 202 Grading Scheme, Fall 2013 Category Total % mid- term exams (X2) each 10% 20% final exam 15% quizzes (includes in- class 20% activities and paper clickers ) reading reports 15% labs 30% TOTAL 100% Late work penalties: Exams and quizzes cannot be made up late. Exams and quizzes cannot be made up late! Lab reports are penalized 10% per day late. reading reports will not be accepted late There will be no opportunities for extra credit in this course.