ESS101 for College in the High School
Here is the catalogue description for the course, the list of topics that are
required, and the list of suitable textbooks.
This is the catalogue description of the on-campus class:
ESS 101 Introduction to Geological Sciences (5)
Survey of the physical systems that give the earth its form. Emphasizes the dynamic
nature of interior and surface processes and their relevance to mankind and stresses the
value of rocks and earth forms in the understanding of past events. A course with
laboratory for non-science majors. Field trips.
This is our compilation the most important topics:
ESS 101 is an introduction to the materials making up the Earth, and to the internal and
surface processes that shape and change our environments. The goal is to engage students
and encourage them to appreciate the world outside the classroom. This course should
guide students in understanding the scientific method, and how it is used helps us
evaluate many topics that conscientious citizens need to grasp, such as earthquake and
volcano hazards, resource allocation and conservation, flood-plain management, and
global climate change
Many topics are available, but the following are commonly included in a quarter-length
class:
1. Introduction to the Earth and its components, including the atmosphere and
biosphere. Introduction to plate tectonics and the processes of this dynamic planet
2. Materials that make up the earth: minerals (largely the silicate minerals), the
common igneous sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks
3. Processes involved in forming these rock: including volcanoes, pluton
emplacements, depositional environments, types of metamorphism and simplified
metamorphic facies
4. Geological time: introduction to the methods of dating rock - the processes
involved in obtaining a history of the Earth.
5. Processes involved in earthquakes, recording and measuring earthquakes,
earthquake hazards, and the structure of the Earth’s interior
6. Plate tectonics: a more detailed discussion on global tectonic processes and their
resulting features
7. Natural resources: this can be done as a separate unit, or can be included within
topics 2 and 3. I usually introduce climate changes (and the geologic history of
global climate changes) here, in relation to the use of fossil fuels.
8. Surficial processes are addressed as time permits, usually streams and drainage
systems (including societal hazards) and/or glaciers and glaciation (including the
last Ice Age and climate changes), and climate change
You can layer over these anything else pertinent that you’d like to address such as
local/regional/global environmental issues, more details using seismological techniques,
more in-depth discussion on minerals, on fossils, on almost anything you would love to
teach!
Lab assignments should be pertinent to the topics and include as much inquirybased materials as possible.
Remember that this class is taught in 10 weeks on campus – you have much more time
and can investigate topics in more depth.
ESS 101 Textbooks
There are numerous textbooks for an introduction to physical geology course, and new
ones come out each year. They are very similar in content, but the following 5 are
deemed suitable for UW classes.
They are all in the range of $100 new. Second-hand copies of most of these books are
available at the UW and community college bookstores, as well as online from
amazon.com and powells.com (generally for $25-30). In addition we do not mind if you
use older editions as long as they are no more than 10 years old. As you know, sometimes
the publishers put out a new edition with almost no changes except a few new color
photos, and $20 to the price.
This list includes only the latest version and all are over $100
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Tarbuck, Lutgens and Tara, Earth: an introduction to physical Geology, 9th edition
2007, MacMillan Publishing Company.
Monroe, Wicander and Hazlett Physical Geology: exploring the Earth, 2006
6th edition (the most expensive).
Plummer, Carlson and Hammersley, Physical Geology 13th edition 2009,
McGraw-Hill.
Chernicoff and Fox, Essentials of Geology 2002 Houghton Mufflin and the larger
version of this popular text: Chernicoff and Whitney Geology: an introduction to
physical Geology, 4rd edition, Houghton Mufflin
If there is another one text that you would prefer, just let me know and we can get
approval from the departmental curriculum committee.