Geology 301
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY LAB Online
Spring 2015
Instructor: Brittany Huerta
Phone: (email preferable)
Office: Room 1224, Live Oak Hall
Office Hours: MonWed 11:00-12:00pm, and by appointment
brittany.huerta.65@my.csun.edu
TEXT: Labs will be provided on Moodle.
Course Objectives: This is the Laboratory class to accompany Environmental Geology. This lab is an online
lab in which all of the labs, quizzes, exam and project will be done or turned in online. Environmental geology
is a multi-disciplinary science that includes the studies of geology, and other sciences as they relate to our
environment. We will look at how we interact with the processes that occur on the Earth’s surface, and the
results of that interaction. We will look at the basics of the study of the Earth (i.e. plate tectonics), the
processes themselves (i.e. earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, coastal processes, etc.), and resources and
pollution, as well as other global problems. We will take a practical approach to the some of the subjects
covered in the lecture class. These are hands-on activities. This course fulfills the upper division general
education science lab requirement.
Access to website:
Moodle – you will automatically have access to this when you register for the course. You will need a CSUN
email account as your user ID and the password that goes with it. This website is where you will find all the
labs, quizzes, exam and other important communications. Please check it often to see if there are any new
messages for the class. At the following web address you will find information about how to use Moodle (it is
quite easy and straightforward). http://docs.moodle.org/en/Student_FAQ.
Tentative Schedule:
Week Date
1 Jan 20
2 Jan 26
3 Feb 2
4 Feb 9
5 Feb 16
6 Feb 23
7 Mar 2
8 Mar 9
9 Mar 16
10 Mar 23
12 Mar 30
13 Apr 6
14 Apr 13
15 Apr 20
16 Apr 27
Topic
Introduction
Google Earth Lab
Plate Tectonics
Volcanoes
Earthquakes
Waves and Tsunamis
Tides and Coastal Processes
River Discharge
Midterm
Water Resources (includes Water Pollution)
Energy Resources
SPRING BREAK (No lab.)
FINAL (Environmental Impact Report due on May 3rd, NO EXCEPTIONS)
Work on your final.
Final due at 11:55 on May 3rd, No Exceptions. Drafts will NOT be accepted after the due
date!
Labs: All the labs combined will count for 50% of your grade. This is the practical part of the class and you
need to do the work to do well on the quizzes, midterm exam and project. For the labs, I am setting up
chatrooms where you can meet with your fellow students and work on the lab together. Group work is very
beneficial to many students, as long as everyone does part of the work and understands the entire lab, as you
will be taking quizzes and the exam by yourself. Not all labs are created equal, some may be worth more
points than others; so pay attention to due dates.
Exams: There is one exam and the final project (which replaces a traditional final exam). The midterm will be
given online during the 9th week of class. It will be mostly vocabulary and major principles from the labs on
natural resources (a study guide will be posted two weeks prior to the scheduled midterm). The final is a
project that will result in an environmental impact report (based on the work done in the labs this semester
and some research).
Quizzes: These will be available the week after the lab is due. I will give you questions relating to the
exercise previously completed. It will be available on Moodle for one week. Amount of quizzes is subject to
change. Less quizzes means they are worth more points in the long run.
Grade: Labs (10)
Midterm
Final Project
Quizzes (~9)
50%
15%
20%
15%
100%
Extra Credit: There may be a few opportunities for extra credit, but they will not replace labs or quizzes; so
do not rely on these to boost your grade significantly.
NOTE: It is easy to fall behind in this lab and for that reason; I am adhering to a strict deadline for turning in
the labs. I will accept late labs with good explanations for their late turn-in, but will deduct points. As this is
an upper division class, you will not be babied and reminded about deadlines throughout the semester. You
are responsible for keeping up and knowing what is due when!
Dropping - Read the Schedule of Classes. If you decide that you don’t want to continue with this course, you
must drop the class– you will not be automatically dropped if you simply stop showing up.
Additional InformationI adhere to CSUN’s policy on academic dishonesty. Cheating and/or plagiarism will result in the assignment of
a zero for the exam and notification to the Office of Vice President of Student Affairs which may result in
disciplinary action. Plagiarism is knowingly representing work done by others as one’s own. You may work
together on labs only, but you must turn in your own work!
Other Key Points–
It is the responsibility of each student in this course to know and follow all written guidance given by the
instructor in this class.
These policies and schedules are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.