GEOLOGY 103 - History of Earth and Its Life

www.ltcconline.net/julian/history

PROFESSOR: Dr. Betsy Julian; Room D-105; 541-4660 x-313; julian@ltcc.edu

OFFICE HOURS: M & W 4:30 – 6pm; T 5-6 pm; Th 4:30 - 5:30 pm

I’m also available by appointment or whenever you can find me

TEXT: The Changing Earth, Wicander and Monroe (any ed.)

dates	chapter	topic	labs
1/4	1	Introduction and basic rocks	Rock cycle
1/9 & 11	17	Geologic Time	Radioactivity & sequencing
1/18	18	Dating (1/16 - MLK Holiday)	sequences
1/23 & 25	18	Fossils and evolution	sequences & fossils
		(Jan 27 - drop deadline)
1/31		EXAM #1
2/2	9	Plate Tectonics	Hot spots & anomalies
2/6 & 8	9 & 19	Tectonics and Universe	Solar System
2/13 & 15	20	Precambrian	Geologic maps
2/20 & 22	21 & 22	Paleozoic	LMA & Invertebrates
2/28		EXAM #2
		(March 3 - withdrawal deadline)
3/1	23	Mesozoic	Geologic maps
3/6 & 8	23	Mesozoic	Geologic & Topo maps
3/13 & 15	24	Cenozoic	Geologic maps
3/20		Final Exam

GRADING:	Exam 1	120 points	FINAL GRADE:
	Exam 2	120 points	A	>540 points
	Final exam	190 points	B	480-539 pts
	Quizzes	90 points	C	420-479 pts
	Labs and hwk	80 points	D	360-419 pts
	Total	600 points

CLASSROOM POLICIES:

Make-up work: Make-ups on exams must be approved prior to the absence. If you are sick on the day of the exam, you must contact Dr. Julian before the exam is scheduled. If you must be out of town on exam day, you must arrange to take the exam early. No make-up quizzes are given since only the best 6 quiz grades are used.

Attendance: Although lecture attendance does not count for a percentage of your grade, it is very difficult for most students to pass unless they attend every class. Class discussions will cover topics not covered in the textbook. Lab exercises are difficult to understand without the explanation given in class and the help of your classmates. Missing quizzes will hurt your grade.

Cell phones and pagers: Please turn off all cell phones and audio pagers before class.

Group work: Most lab exercises are done in groups and a single write-up may be turned in for the entire group. There are some exercises, however which must be done individually. All quizzes and exams are done independently.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

To successfully complete this course, the student will:

· analyze how plates move on the surface of the Earth

· investigate how the continents were arranged in the past and the effect that continent distribution had on climate

· compare ways to determine the age of rocks, fossils, and events in the past

· interpret sequences of geologic events

· interpret geologic maps, draw cross sections, and determine the geologic history of the area covered by the map

· examine the methods of fossil formation

· investigate the early stages of the Earth’s history and the formation of continents

· explore the various forms of life in the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic

· examine the major geologic events of the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic

HELPFUL HINTS:

· Come to class!

· Review material regularly - multiple short study sessions over a period of weeks are more effective than a single “cram” the night before an exam. Even the few minutes before class can be used to review the previous lecture.

· Actively participate in the lab exercises. Make sure that you understand each lab, don’t just go along with the ideas of other group members.

· Read the chapter before coming to class.

· Form a study group. Each member should study material on their own before meeting with the group for discussion and comparison.

· Write out definitions and answers to essay questions

· Ask questions in class.

· Utilize web page to get notes, study guides...

· Combine class notes, textbook, web materials, and old exams when studying - each provides a different perspective.

· Pay attention to the news and current events to see how they relate to Geology.

· Do the homework assignments and labs. They can really help (or hurt) your grade.

· Bring colored pencils, a ruler, and plain paper to class regularly. We will use them frequently in the lab.

Other points of interest:

· I will give some extra credit points to people who bring in descriptions of local examples of features discussed in this class, or do research on a topic that extends beyond the scope of this class. There is a limit to how many extra points you may receive.

· Late lab work is subject to penalty.

· Please let me know if you have special needs for taking exams or participating in lab exercises.

· While you are welcome to bring food and drink into the class, please be considerate of others. Don’t bring any food that is excessively noisy, messy, or smelly.

OFFICE HOURS:

My office hours are listed on the front page of this syllabus. These are hours when I will be in my office. You may drop by or call to raise questions or concerns about the course, discuss your grade, or just to chat. If you need to speak with me about the course but cannot come to my office during the posted hours, I will make an appointment to meet with you at another time. Don’t forget e-mail; this is a very efficient way to ask simple questions.

HONESTY POLICY

While most students are basically honest, some students are tempted to improve their grade by copying information from neighbors, books or other resources during exams and quizzes. This is dishonest and will not be tolerated. At a minimum, any student caught cheating will receive a "0" on the assignment, and will not be allowed to replace that grade with a higher one or with extra credit.

In addition, students will be required to write and sign an honor statement on each assignment, stating

"On my honor, I have neither given nor received any aid on this exam (or quiz)." Signature of Student