College of Micronesia
PO Box 159
Pohnpei, FM 96941
Course Title: Introduction to Geology
Department & Number: SC 220
Course Description: This course provides an introduction to the natural and physical
environment: landscape, rocks and minerals, rivers, volcanism, earthquakes, and other
processes inside the earth.
Course Prepared by:
Dr. K. Hayes
State: National Campus, Pohnpei
Hours per week
No. of week
Total Hours
Semester
Credits
Lecture
3
x
16
Laboratory _________
x
______
Workshop __________
x
________
=
48
= ______
Purpose of Course: Degree Requirement
________
=
3
=
___________
=
___________
____X______
Degree Elective
_____X_____
Certificate
___________
Other
__________
 This course also meets PLO #(s) 3.4 and 3.5 of General Education Program.
Prerequisite Courses: ESL 089
________________________________________
__________________
Signature, Chairperson, Curriculum & Assessment Committee
Date approved
________________________________________
__________________
Signature, VPIA, COM-FSM
Date approved
SC220 GEOLOGY
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 11/28/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/14/11
A. PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOs):
The student will be able to:
1. Define and explain scientific concepts, principles and theories of science.
2. Perform experiments that use scientific methods as part of the inquiry process.
B. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs) - GENERAL
The student will be able to:
1. Describe the main concepts of geology, why we should study it and why it is important in
the modern world.
2. Describe the structure of the earth, earth systems and earth’s cycles.
3. Describe the composition of the earth including earth chemistry, minerals, rocks and the
rock cycle.
4. Identify and classify minerals and rocks from samples.
5. Describe earth’s available resources such as minerals, renewable energy, and
nonrenewable energy and discuss conservation issues.
6. Describe the rock record.
7. Describe geological time.
8. Explain the dynamics of the earth including plate tectonics, deformation of the crust,
earthquakes and volcanoes.
9. Describe processes that re-shape the crust of the earth such as weathering and erosion,
rivers, groundwater and glaciers.
10. Describe the geology of Micronesia and the formation of the islands.
SLO PLO1 PLO2
1
IDM
2
IDM
3
ID
I
4
ID
ID
5
I
6
I
ID
7
I
ID
8
IDM
9
ID
10
I
ID
I = Introduced
D = Demonstrated
M = Mastered
C. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs) – SPECIFIC:
The student will be able to:
General SLO 1: Describe the main concepts of geology, why we should study it, and why it
is important in the modern world.
Student Learning outcomes
Assessment strategies
1.1 Outline the applications of geology in the Oral presentation scored with a rubric.
SC220 GEOLOGY
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 11/28/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/14/11
modern world.
1.2 Describe the history of geology.
1.3 List and describe the different branches
of geology such as geophysics, field geology,
sedimentology, volcanism, engineering,
seismology, paleontology etc. and describe
what each entails.
Written assignment scored with a rubric.
Written research report on different
employment opportunities within the field of
geology and decide which one they would be
interested in following. Scored with a rubric.
General SLO 2: Describe the structure of the earth, earth systems and earth’s cycles.
Student Learning outcomes
Assessment strategies
2.1 Draw and fully label the structure of the
Quiz
earth and recall the function of each part of
the earth from the core to the crust.
2.2 Name and describe open and closed earth Quiz
systems.
2.3 Name, describe, draw and fully label
Quiz
earth’s cycles (carbon, water, nitrogen and
the phosphorus cycle).
General SLO 3: Describe the composition of the earth including earth chemistry, minerals, rocks
and the rock cycle.
Student Learning Outcome
Assessment strategies
3.1 Describe the general composition of the
Quiz and written assignments (scored with
earth e.g., what is the earth made of by
rubric).
outlining common minerals and rocks from
the core to the crust of the earth.
3.2 Demonstrate and understanding of earth
Oral presentation (scored with rubric) and
chemistry by defining and discussing the
quiz.
following terms: matter, elements, atoms,
protons, electrons, neutron, isotopes,
compounds, molecules, ion, bonding and
mixtures.
1.3 Draw, label and explain the rock cycle.
Quiz and practical assessment where students
will use the rock cycle to describe how a rock
sample has been formed.
General SLO 4: Identify and classify minerals and rocks from samples.
Student Learning outcomes
Assessment strategies
4.1 Identify and classify the basic
Students will able to identify a mystery rock
sedimentary rocks.
sample using classification techniques.
4.2 Identify and classify the basic
Students will able to identify a mystery rock
metamorphic rocks.
sample using classification techniques.
4.3 Identify and classify the basic igneous
Students will able to identify a mystery rock
rocks
sample using classification techniques.
4.4 Identify and classify some basic fossils
Students will able to identify a mystery rock
sample using classification techniques.
SC220 GEOLOGY
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 11/28/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/14/11
General SLO 5: Describe earth’s available resources such as minerals, renewable energy, and
nonrenewable energy and discuss conservation issues.
Student Learning outcomes
Assessment strategies
5.1 Describe the following energy resources: Oral presentation (scored with rubric),
minerals, renewable energy, and
written assignments (scored with rubric) and
nonrenewable energy.
quiz.
5.2 Outline and discuss the following
conservation issues: Climate
change/global warming and sea level rise.
General SLO 6: Describe the rock record.
Student Learning outcomes
6.1 Define and elaborate upon the meaning of
uniformitarianism.
6.2 Cite and define the law of superposition.
6.3 List and describe the following types of
unconformities: nonconformity, angular
conformity and disconformities.
General SLO 7: Describe geological time.
Student Learning outcomes
7.1 Describe and the following techniques
used for dating rocks: varves, radiometric
dating and carbon dating.
7.2 List, define and describe the following
geological era’s: Precambrian, Paleozoic,
Mesozoic, Cenozoic,
7.3 Describe evolution and mass extinction.
Assessment strategies
Written assignments (scored with rubric).
Written assignments (scored with rubric)
Written assignments (scored with rubric)
Assessment strategies
Quiz, creating a poster to explain a chosen
form of dating and calculating half life
(scored with a rubric).
Quiz and written assignment (scored with a
rubric) using a case study.
Quiz, written assignments and poster
presentation (scored with a rubric).
General SLO 8: Explain the dynamics of the earth including plate tectonics, deformation of the
crust, earth quakes and volcanoes.
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment strategies
8.1 Describe the following concepts: plate
Quiz
tectonics including Wegner's Hypothesis,
Written assignments, poster presentations
seafloor spreading, continental drift,
and oral assessments (all scored with a
paleomagnetism, supercontinent cycle and
rubric)
mid ocean ridges.
8.2 Outline the general processes involved in Quiz
deformation of the crust and define the
following terms: deformation, isostasy,
stress, strain, folds and faults.
8.3 Describe the following: how earthquakes Quiz, research based reports on recent
happen, elastic rebound, seismic waves,
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, written
fault zones and tsunamis.
assignments on the history of
8.4 Describe the following: formation of
earthquakes/tsunamis and volcanic eruptions
SC220 GEOLOGY
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 11/28/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/14/11
magma, volcanic zones, subduction
zones, mid ocean ridges, hotspots,
intrusive activity, types of eruptions
(quiet and explosive), lava flows,
pyroclastics and types of volcanoes.
General SLO 9: Describe processes that re-shape
erosion, rivers, groundwater and glaciers.
Student Learning outcomes
9.1 Define the following weathering
processes: Biological, physical and
chemical weathering.
9.2 Outline rates of weathering processes.
9.3 State ways in which rivers erode and
shape the earth.
9.4 Explain the main concepts of
groundwater including porosity vs.
permeability, aquifers and the water table.
9.5 Discuss the processes of glacial erosion
by defining basal slip and internal plastic
flow and defining the following
landforms glacial erosion creates: cirques,
arêtes, erratics, glacial drift, till, moraine,
kettles and eskers.
in the pacific islands and case studies of
volcanic eruptions in Hawaii. (written
assignment scored with a rubric)
the crust of the earth such as weathering and
Assessment strategies
Quiz, case study based reports, written
assignments and oral presentations.
(rubrics used for scoring)
Quiz, case study based reports, written
assignments and oral presentations..
(rubrics used for scoring)
General SLO 10: Describe the geology of Micronesia and the formation of the islands.
Student Learning outcomes
Assessment strategies
10.1 Explain and describe the formation of
Quiz
atolls, volcanic islands, low limestone islands
and raised limestone islands.
10.2 Outline the geology of these 4 types of
Quiz and written assignments (scored with a
islands.
rubric).
10.3 Describe in detail the geology of
Poster presentation showing the geology and
Pohnpei.
formation of Pohnpei (scored with a rubric).
D. COURSE CONTENT
1)
Introduction to geology
a) What is geology?
b) Why study geology
c) Why is geology important?
d) What are the different fields of geology?
2) Earth Basics
a) Structure of the earth.
b) Earth system.
c) Earth cycles
3) Composition of the earth
SC220 GEOLOGY
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 11/28/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/14/11
a) Earth chemistry
b) Minerals
c) Rocks (igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary)
d) The Rock Cycle
4) Earths resources
a) Minerals
b) Renewable resources.
c) Non renewable resources
d) Resources and conservation.
5) Rock record
6) Geological time
7) Dynamic earth
a) Plate tectonics
b) Deformation of the earth’s crust.
c) Earthquakes
d) Volcanoes
8) Reshaping the crust
a) Weathering and erosion.
b) Rivers
c) Groundwater
d) Glaciers
9) Formation of the Micronesian islands.
10) Geology of Pohnpei
E. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Lecture, class discussion, oral presentation, “hands-on” practicals and audio-visual material.
F. REQUIRED TEXT(S) AND COURSE MATERIALS
Tarbuck, E.J, Lutgens, F.K and Tasa, D (2010). Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology.
New Jersey, NY: Prentice Hall (or most recent edition).
G. REFERENCE MATERIALS
Allison, Degaetano and Pasachoff (2008). Earth Science. Austin: Harcourt Education Company
(or most recent edition).
Waugh, D (2002). Geography: An Integrated Approach (3rd Ed.). United Kingdom: Nelson
Thornes (or most recent edition).
Moshe Rapaport, (1999). The Pacific Islands: Environment and Society. Bess Press (or most
recent edition).
H. INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS
None
I. EVALUATION
None
J. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
SC220 GEOLOGY
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 11/28/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/14/11
None
SC220 GEOLOGY
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 11/28/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/14/11