Integrated Earth Science GEOL 201 - 4 credit hours; Fall, 2015.
Instructor: Karin L. Willoughby, Office #207, Science; karinw@usca.edu; #641-3379.
Office Hours: M: 12:15 – 12:50 pm; TR: 12:30 -1:30 pm; also by appointment.
Course Times: LECTURE – Sciences Room 327: 1:40 -2:55 pm, Tue. & Thur.
LAB – Sciences Room 212: Sec. 001: Mon. 9 – 11:40 am
Sciences Room 212: Sec. 002: Wed. 9 – 11:40 am.
Sciences Room 212: Sec. 003: Wed. 1 – 3:40 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. 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. Quiz #1
10 pts. 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 unless prior approval has been given to a student from the
instructor or unless required for the course. 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, unless you have permission. 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
August
Reading Assignment
Text Chapter
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20 Introduction to course
25 Earth in Space
27 Earth’s Place in Solar System
September
October
1 Minerals
3 Rocks
1st ½ of 17
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8 Rocks and Weathering
10 Weathering, Soils and Mass Wasting continued
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15 Water; ASSIGNMENT #1 is DUE
17 Water cont’d
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22 Deserts, Glaciers and Ice Sheets
24 Plate Tectonics
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29 Plate Tectonics cont’d
1 EXAM #1 (Ch. 1-4 + ½ of 17 with Take Home Critical Thinking essay)
6 Earthquakes and The Earth’s Interior
8 Quakes cont’d and Volcanoes
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13 Volcanoes cont’d and Geologic Time
15 Geologic Time Cont’d
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20 History of the Earth
22 – 23 FALL BREAK
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27 EXAM #2 (Ch. 5-9 with Take Home for Ch. 6)
29 Oceans
November
3 Ocean Meets Land
5 Atmosphere
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13
14
10 Atmosphere; PROJECT NOTEBOOK IS DUE
12 Atmosphere cont’d; Global circulation
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17 Global Circulation Systems; ASSIGNMENT #3 is DUE
19 Global Climates Past and Present
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24 EXAM #3 (Ch. #10 – 13 with Take Home for Ch. 11)
25 – 29 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
December
2nd ½ of 17
1 Sun and the Universe
4 The Universe and Review
8 FINAL EXAM (Ch. #14 -16 + general review questions) (2 – 5 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
October 28 and November 2; also, the notebook is DUE November 10.
Tentative LAB Schedule -- Wednesdays
Aug. 24/26 (sec. 001/002) Introduction; Critical and Scientific Inquiry; Semester Project
Aug. 31/Sept. 2 (001/002) Planets Lab
Sept. 7 (001)
Labor Day Holiday
Sept. 9/14 (002/001)
Introduce Minerals & Minerals Lab
Sept.16/21 (002/001)
Rock Lab and practice for quiz
Sept. 23/28 (002/001)
Earthquakes; Practice Rocks and Minerals
Sept. 30/Oct. 5 (002/001) LAB QUIZ on Rocks and Minerals (60 pts.)
Oct. 7/12 (002/001)
Volcanoes
Oct. 14/19 (002/001)
Correlation and Geologic Time
Oct. 21/26 (002/001)
Oceans; Also do ASSIGNMENT #2 in lab
Oct. 28/Nov. 2 (002/001) STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
Nov. 4/9 (002/001)
Wind and Atmosphere
Nov. 11/16 (002/001)
Wind and Atmosphere, cont’d
Nov. 18/23 (002/001)
Planetarium; meet at RPSEC @ 10:15 am or 1 pm
Nov. 26
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Nov. 30/Dec. 3 (001/002) Moon and Sun; LAB QUIZ (10 pts.)
Punctual and regular attendance is essential for full participation in class. The instructor
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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.
Assignments:
(Must be typed or neatly printed)
Due September 15 (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 October 26 (can do during lab on October 21/26) (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 November 17 (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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