Integrated Earth Science GEOL 201 - 4 credit hours; Spring, 2016.
Instructor: Karin L. Willoughby, Office #207, Science; karinw@usca.edu; #641-3379.
Office Hours: M: 12:15 – 12:45 pm; TR: 11 am -12 pm; W: 11:45 am – 12:15 pm;
also by appointment.
Course Times: LECTURE – Sciences Room 327: 12:15 - 1:30, TR.
LAB – Sciences Room 212: Sec. 001: Wed. 9-11:40 am;
Sec. 002: Wed. 2:30-5:10 pm.
Required Texts and equipment: Visualizing Earth Science by Merali and Skinner;
and Integrated Earth Sciences (GEOS).
This course explores a holistic view of the earth. The atmosphere, lithosphere (solid
earth), hydrosphere (oceans, surface fresh water and groundwater) and the solar
system will be studied as specialized systems with identifiable internal compositions,
natural processes and behavior patterns. The interactions among these systems and
the biosphere are also investigated. Examples of such interactions include tides,
waves, weather, climate, global change, plate tectonics and energy resources.
Students are expected to acquire knowledge about what these systems are, how
they work and how they interact; build individual ability to understand the implications of
earth systems' effects on the future of earth and human beings; and practice
communicating that knowledge and understanding to others in written and oral form.
Grading: Lecture -- 75% of class grade
Maximum possible points: 330 points (110 pts. each) on 3 exams
80 pts. In-class questions & attendance
30 pts. on 2 assignments; see end of syllabus
50 pts. term paper (listed as assignment #3)
100 pts. semester project
30 pts. oral presentation
__130 pts. final
750 pts. Subtotal
Laboratory -- 25% of class grade*
Maximum possible points: 180 pts. on 12 labs (15 points each)
60 pts. on quiz#1
10 pts. on quiz#2
250 pts. Subtotal
Total possible points = 1000; Course grade will be based on: 900 or more points = A.
800 - 899.9 pts. = B. 700 - 799.9 pts. = C. 600 - 699.9 pts. = D Below 600 pts. = F.
* NOTE: Laboratory must be passed in order to pass course.
If you have a physical, psychological, and/or learning disability that might affect your
performance in this class, please contact the Office of Disability Services B&E 126,
(803)641-3609, as soon as possible. The Disability Services Office will determine
appropriate accommodations based on medical documentation.
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Classroom Behavior: It is the instructor’s right to remove from the classroom any
student who disrupts or disturbs the proceeding of the class. Use of non-authorized
electronic devices is considered a disturbance. In extreme cases the faculty member
can request assistance from University Police. If the student who has been ejected
causes similar disturbances in subsequent meetings of the class, he/she may be denied
admittance to the class for the remainder of the semester and assigned a grade of F.
Policy for Portable Electronic Devices: The use of any portable electronic
devices, including cell phones, pagers, MP3 players, iPods, laptops, etc., during class is
not allowed for any reason (including “I was just checking the time”), unless prior
approval has been given to a student from the instructor or unless required for the
course (use of phone for math). If you are planning to have any of these devices in
class, they must be turned off and stowed away for the duration of the class period. If
you use a portable electronic device during a test, quiz, or other assessment, you are
eligible to receive a failing grade on that assignment.
Tentative LECTURE Schedule
January
Reading Assignment
Text Chapter
1
12 Introduction to course
14 Earth in Space
19 Earth’s Place in Solar System
21 Minerals
February
plus 1st ½ of 17
2
26 Rocks
28 Rocks and Weathering
3
4
2 Weathering, Soils and Mass Wasting continued
4 Water; ASSIGNMENT #1 is DUE
5
9 Water cont’d
11 Deserts, Glaciers and Ice Sheets
6
16 EXAM #1 (Ch. 1-4 + ½ of 17 with Take Home Critical Thinking essay)
18 Plate Tectonics
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23 Plate Tectonics cont’d
25 Earthquakes and The Earth’s Interior
March
1 Volcanoes cont’d and Geologic Time
3 Geologic Time Cont’d
8
9, 10
7 – 11 SPRING BREAK
15 History of the Earth
17 EXAM #2 (Ch. 5-9 with Take Home for Ch. 6)
2
11
April
22 Oceans
24 Ocean Meets Land
12
13
29 Atmosphere; PROJECT NOTEBOOK IS DUE
31 Atmosphere cont’d
14
5 Global Circulation Systems
7 EXAM #3 (Ch. #10 – 13 with Take Home for Ch. 11)
15
12 Global Climates Past and Present; ASSIGNMENT #3 is DUE 16
14 Sun and the Universe
2nd ½ of 17
19 The Universe
21 Review
May
3 FINAL EXAM (Ch. #14 -17 + general review questions) (11 – 2 pm)
The student project and oral presentation requires thorough research on a
selected topic. The oral presentation must be about 7-9 minutes long and discuss in
detail one or more facets of the major research topic. The presentations are on
March 23 and the notebook is DUE March 29.
Tentative LAB Schedule -- Wednesdays
Jan. 13
20
27
Feb. 3
10
17
24
Mar. 2
7-11
16
23
30
Apr. 6
13
20
Introduction; Critical and Scientific Inquiry; Semester Project
Planets Lab
Introduce Minerals & Minerals Lab
Rock Lab and practice for quiz
Earthquakes; Practice Rocks and Minerals
LAB QUIZ on Rocks and Minerals (60 pts.)
Volcanoes
Correlation and Geologic Time
Spring Break
Oceans; Also do ASSIGNMENT #2 in lab
STUDENT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
Wind and Atmosphere
Wind and Atmosphere, cont’d
Moon and Sun; LAB QUIZ (10 pts.)
Planetarium; meet at RPSEC @ 10:15 am or 2:30 pm
Punctual and regular attendance is essential for full participation in class. The instructor
reserves the right to give an automatic “F” to any student that misses 8 or more
lectures, even if absences are excused. There will be no instructor directed make-ups
available for missed labs. The student is responsible for obtaining notes to missed
material. Make-up lecture exams or lab quizzes will be given only for documented
emergencies considered acceptable to the University (death of close relative, religious
holiday, jury duty, being ill with Dr.’s excuse) and approved by the instructor. The
student is still responsible for missed material.
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Assignments:
(Must be typed or neatly printed)
Due February 4 (minimum 1&1/2 page, typed, double-spaced)
(Worth 20 points)
1. Answer the first “Critical and Creative Thinking” question on p. 31. Demonstrate
the use of Critical Thinking skills. Do additional research to find what experts on the
subject think and include their opinions in your paper. A Works Cited page MUST
be included; USE MLA or other format that you know how to use.
Due March 16 (do during lab) (Worth 10 points)
2. Get a paper plate or cut a large circle from thick paper, pasteboard or
cardboard. Do the experiment described and illustrated on the handout. Do the
experiment twice, drawing a line for both a clockwise and a counterclockwise motion
of your circle, from the edge of the circle, toward the center. Correctly label both
lines by the motion of the plate, not the direction the line curves. Also, label your
starting points. Find and print the definition of the Coriolis Effect on this circle that is
used in this handout. Turn in your experiment with the lines you drew as you (or a
friend) spun the plate clockwise and counterclockwise.
Due April 12 (Worth 50 points)
3. TERM PAPER
Prepare a minimum of a five page typed paper on the subject of biological
evolution from the scientists’ viewpoint. Define evolution scientifically.
Explain what Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is. Discuss the scientific evidence
that proves that evolution occurs. You will need additional references beyond
the textbook. Some good places to start are: http://evolution.berkeley.edu/;
www.Museumoftheearth.org/outreach.php and then click on “The Evolution
Project”; and www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-fact.html. A References or
Works Cited page must be included with your paper.
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