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PIERCE COLLEGE PUYALLUP
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Spring Quarter, 2010
Item #8402
Section SB
SQUINT! DON’T PRINT! In an effort to move towards a more sustainable society,
please do NOT print this syllabus! Instead, copy it to your computer hard drive or
flash drive where you may refer to it as needed. The Earth thanks you!
To access the Syllabus Quiz, in the OCEA& 101 web page in Angel:
Modules ► Syllabus Quiz and Chapter Study Questions ► Syllabus Quiz
IInnssttrruuccttoorr
TTiittllee
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Hoouurrss
Tom Bush
Professor and Department Coordinator, Earth and Space Sciences
LSC 110, Library/Science Building, Pierce College Puyallup
253-840-8484
tbush@pierce.ctc.edu
M 1:00-4:00 p.m.
TWTh, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
F 8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Other times gladly by appointment. Office hours may occasionally be
precluded by meetings  or field trips .
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Class
MTWTh 9:00-9:50 a.m., LSC 108, Pierce College Puyallup
LLaabb
W 1:00-2:50 p.m., LSC 108, Pierce College Puyallup
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Credits
5 college quarter credits
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Apppplliiccaattiioonn General Education Requirements-Natural Science (GER-NS) and Lab
Science with grade of 1.5 or better
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Start
M March 29, 2010
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Enndd
T June 8, 2010
Please do NOT ask for accommodations if you make travel plans that conflict with the quarter’s schedule.
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Yoouurr S
Suucccceessss
Your success in this course is entirely up to you. By fully engaging yourself as an
active learner, and through thorough preparation, you should not only achieve your
academic goals but also develop a greater appreciation of your surroundings. I hope
you find this course enlightening and enjoyable. “Geology rocks!”
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Coouurrssee D
Deessccrriippttiioonn
A study of the geologic, physical, and ecological aspects of the oceans. Includes studies
of plate tectonics, circulation, waves, tides, coastal dynamics, and marine ecological
principles. Appropriate for non-science and science majors. Field trip required. Lab
included.
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Coouurrssee P
Prreerreeqquuiissiitteess
There are no prerequisites for this course. With dedication and diligence, it is possible
for the student with no prior background in this field to excel in this course.
R
Reeqquuiirreedd TTeexxttss


Garrison, 2009, Essentials of Oceanography, 5th Edition
OCEA& 101 Lab Manual
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Reeqquuiirreedd M
Maatteerriiaallss
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5 scan-tron forms for exams
#2 pencils for exams and labs
Calculator with basic functions (cell phone is okay)
Set of colored pencils with 4 colors (for color drawings in lecture notes)
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Cllaassssrroooom
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Poolliicciieess
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Use of cell phones or other communication devices during class, lab, or field
trip times may result in expulsion for the day.
Please do NOT bring food to class, as eating during class can be a distraction.
Beverages are acceptable, but please recycle or dispose of containers
appropriately, and clean up after yourself if you spill.
Neither food nor beverages are permitted during lab sessions.
Please raise your hand if you wish to respond to a question in class, ask a
question, or make a comment, and wait to be called upon. Please do NOT speak
out during class unless called upon.
Attendance is NOT a direct part of your grade. However, responding to my inclass questions when called upon IS, and you must be present to be awarded
your participation points when called upon. Absences also mean that you
loose the opportunity for learning beyond what is provided by the textbook.
Absences from labs or field trips mean that you loose the points for those
activities and they may not be made up.
Punctuality for class and lab is a fundamental element of professional behavior.
I consider tardiness a rude and unnecessary classroom disruption. So is leaving
early or getting up during class for any but the most extreme of reasons.
Additionally, if you arrive late, you are not eligible for participation points that day
(see Assessment of Student Learning below).
You are expected to conduct yourself at all times in this class (lectures, labs,
field trips) in a manner that is respectful of all and conducive to the learning
process in a multicultural educational environment.
If you need require any disability accommodations, please contact the Access
and Disability Services (ADS) office in ADM 115 or at 253-840-8335.
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Prroocceedduurreess
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Imminent threat to persons and property: call 911 and then Campus Safety at
253-840-8481.
Evacuation (intermittent horns and strobes): gather all personal belongings
and leave the building using the nearest available safe exit. Be prepared to be
outside for one hour and stay a minimum of 200 feet from any building or
structure. So long as it is safe to do so, students are expected to stay on
campus and return to class after evacuations that last less than 15 minutes. Do
not attempt to re-enter the building until instructed by an Evacuation Director
(identified by orange vests) or by three horn blasts or bell rings. Please notify the
nearest Campus Safety Officer or Evacuation Director of any one left in the
building or in need of assistance.
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Grraaddiinngg P
Poolliicciieess
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Your course grade is determined by your total points as a percentage of the
total points possible according to the grading scale below.
A grade of 1.5 (C-) or better is required for this course to count as GER-NS or
GTE.
With a grade of 0.7 (D-) to 1.4 (D+), this course applies GE only.
There are five exams in this course. Your lowest exam OF THE FIRST FOUR
EXAMS is dropped from your course grade. Exam #5 counts regardless of its
score.
Exams must be taken according to the schedule provided, which may be
modified by the instructor to fit the lecture schedule needs of the course. Exams
MAY NOT be taken early or late if you are unable to take an exam as scheduled.
If you miss an exam for any reason (of the first four), it may NOT be made up.
This will be your dropped score. If you missed Exam #5, you will receive a zero
and this counts towards your grade.
Late assignments are generally NOT ACCEPTED (unless under extreme
circumstances, and you contact me about your situation on or before the due
date).
Extra credit opportunities are generally not a part of this course, unless
otherwise stated elsewhere in this syllabus or announced in class.
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Coom
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muunniiccaattiioonn W
Wiitthh IInnssttrruuccttoorr
Please consider all emails with me to be of a professional business nature, and
therefore you should use proper English, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Emails not meeting professional business standards may be returned for rewriting
before a reply is given.
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Accaaddeem
miicc IInntteeggrriittyy
Academic dishonesty acts (as outlined in the Pierce College Catalog) will result in at
least a failing grade for the assignment or exam, or possibly a failing grade for the
course, depending on the nature and severity of the act.
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Accccoouunntt
If you wish to correspond with me using email, I make the following requests:
 Communicate via your student GMAIL account to ensure that I will respond
promptly. Because of the huge amount of spam that make’s it through the College’s
spam filters, I generally don’t open emails from unknown senders in my regular email
account.
 When corresponding via GMAIL, make your emails professional! Please don’t
send me emails written in the same style as text messages to a friend! Check for
proper spelling, use proper grammar, capitalize where appropriate, and use
appropriate business-like language. This is to encourage the development of
Effective Communication (see Core Abilities below).
 Please DO NOT SEND OR FORWARD ME mass emails.
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Piieerrccee C
Coolllleeggee C
Coorree A
Abbiilliittiieess
It is the goal of Pierce College to prepare students to live and work in a dynamically
changing world by emphasizing whole-student development and hands-on learning.
Through experiences both in and out of the classroom, you’ll be given the opportunity to
broaden your horizons and be challenged in ways that encourage the development of
the abilities vital to succeeding in life. These core abilities include:
Information Competency: Seeks, finds, evaluates and uses information to engage in
lifelong learning.
Critical, Creative and Reflective Thinking: A critical, creative, and reflective thinker
will question, search for answers and meaning, evaluate ideas and information, and
develop beliefs that lead to action.
Responsibility:Tthe ability to respond by examining the relationship between self,
community, and environments, evaluating potential impacts and consequences of
actions, and making choices and contributions based on that examination and
evaluation.
Effective Communication: The effective exchange of messages in a variety of
contexts using multiple methods.
Multiculturalism: Valuing open-mindedness, inclusion, multicultural perspectives and
multiple ways of knowing, thinking and being.
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Geenneerraall C
Coouurrssee O
Ouuttlliinnee
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Introduction to Oceanography.
History of Marine Science.
Marine Resources and Pollution.
Marine and Coastal Geology.
Seawater Properties.
Ocean and Atmosphere Circulation.
Waves and Tides.
h. Marine Ecology.
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Ouuttccoom
meess
What you should know and be able to do upon satisfactory completion of this course
1. Describe the role the oceans play in the Earth system.
2. Apply the scientific method and relate basic scientific concepts to geologic
processes (e.g. plate tectonics or other examples).
3. Explain how technological advances have increased human knowledge of the
oceans throughout history.
4. Describe the origin of important types of renewable and non-renewable marine
resources.
5. Communicate the relationship between human activity, marine resource extraction
and marine pollution. Communicate solutions to global marine resource extraction
and pollution.
6. Describe the plate tectonic processes and the evidence supporting the plate
tectonic theory, and relate the tectonic processes to the physical features of the
ocean floor.
7. Relate physical and biological processes to the origin and distribution of marine
sediments.
8. Explain the various geological and ecological processes of coastal environments
and evaluate the impact of human activities on the coastal regions of the world.
9. Analyze various physical and chemical parameters of seawater and relate their
effects on marine processes.
10. Describe atmospheric and oceanic circulation and their interrelationship.
11. Describe the formation and movement of waves.
12. Discuss the mechanics of tides and interpret tide tables.
13. Summarize the types of marine life and marine lifestyles and relate marine life to
physical marine processes. Describe the major marine communities and discuss
the impacts of human activities on them.
14. Access oceanographic data from various sources, including library research,
Internet, and field observations.
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Asssseessssm
meenntt ooff S
Sttuuddeenntt LLeeaarrnniinngg
Exams,
Quizzes,
Field Trip,
Etc
5 exams (multiple choice and essay); lowest score
50%
dropped OF FIRST 4 EXAMS (Exam #5 may NOT be
dropped);
1 or more quizzes or other miscellaneous
assignments may also be included;
1 field trip (20 points EXTRA CREDIT) to a location of
interest (see Course Calendar for location and date)
Lab Exercises
8 lab exercises (7 @ 10 points each, 1 @ 20 points)
for a total of 90 points
30%
Participation
Involvement in class discussions about the textbook
readings or other assignments
20%
TOTAL
To calculate
your grade
+
+
=
100%
(Your Exam, Quiz, Field Trip Points/Total Exam Points Possible) x 50
(Your Lab Points/Lab Points Possible) x 30
(Your Participation Points/Participation Points Possible) x 20
Grade %
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Grraaddiinngg S
Sccaallee
Your course grade is determined by your total points as a percentage of the total points
possible according to the grading scale below.
96-100%=4.0 (A)
94-95%=3.9
93%=3.8
92%=3.7
91%=3.6
90%=3.5 (A-)
89%=3.4 (B+)
88%=3.3
87%=3.2
86%=3.1
85%=3.0 (B)
84%=2.9
83%=2.8
82%=2.7
81%=2.6
80%=2.5 (B-)
79%=2.4 (C+
78%=2.3
77%=2.2
76%=2.1
75%=2.0 (C)
74%=1.9
73%=1.8
72%=1.7
71%=1.6
70%=1.5 (C-)
69%=1.4 (D+)
0-59%=0.0 (F)
68%=1.3
67%=1.2
66%=1.1
65%=1.0 (D)
64%=0.9
63%=0.8
60-62%=0.7(D-)
A grade of 1.5 (C-) or better is required for this course to count towards as Core Requirement (Natural
Science) or a Core Elective (GTE) course.
A grade of 0.7 to 1.4 (D- to D+) applies only towards GTEs.
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Coouurrssee M
Moodduulleess--M
Maajjoorr TTooppiiccaall S
Seeccttiioonnss
Module
Description
Textbook Chapters
Module 1
Introduction to
Oceanography
Exam #1
Introduces the student to the science of
oceanography, including the origin of the
Earth, its oceans and atmosphere, and its
life. We also take a brief look at marine
resources and pollution, followed by brief
discussions on the history of
oceanography.
Chapter 1: Origins
Chapter 15: Uses and Abuses
Chapter 2: History
Module 2
Marine Geology
Exam #2
Tectonics and the tectonic origin of the
ocean basins and its features; study of
the sediments that blanket the seafloor
and their origin.
Chapter 3: Plate Tectonics
Chapter 4: Ocean Basins
Chapter 5: Sediments
Module 3
Physical
Oceanography
Exams #3
Physical process of the oceans, starting
with an all-important look at physical and
chemical properties of water, which forms
a foundation for later discussions. We
also examine the close link between
atmosphere and ocean circulation.
Chapter 6: Water
Chapter 7: Atmospheric Circulation
Chapter 8: Ocean Circulation
Module 4
Physical
Oceanography
Exams #4
Continuation of the study of the physical
Chapter 9: Waves
processes of the oceans with the study of Chapter 10: Tides
waves and tidal patterns. We conclude
Chapter 11: Coasts
this section with a look at coastal
dynamics.
Module 5
Marine Ecology
Exam #5
A brief introduction to life in the oceans
and its inter-relationships.
Chapter 12: Life in the Ocean
Chapter 13: Pelagic Communities
Chapter 14: Benthic Communities