Geol 100 – General Geology
San Diego Miramar College, Fall 2011, M/W, 4:55-6:20pm Room S5 106
Instructor: Ms. Gina Bochicchio
CRN # 08607
Phone: (619) 388-7496
Email: gbochicc@sdccd.edu
Required Text: Essentials of Geology, by Lutgens & Tarbuck (11th ed.)
Office Hours: Room M-219M: M/W, 6:30-7:30 pm T-Th 11:30am-12:30 pm.
Web Site: http://faculty.sdmiramar.edu/gbochicchio/index.htm (employee directory on faculty page of
Miramar website)
Student Learning Objectives: At the end of this course, the successful student will be able to:
 Differentiate among the 3 major types of plate boundaries and recognize their characteristic
geologic features.
 Identify common rock-forming minerals by their diagnostic properties.
 classify rock strata, faults and intrusions by age, using relative dating techniques.
GRADES: Grades are based on the following point system (out of 600):
A: 540 or more
B: 480-539
C: 420-479
D: 360-419
F: less than 360.
1. Quizzes/Exams (aka Celebrations of Knowledge): There will be five in-class quizzes (50 points
each) and a cumulative final exam (100 points). The lowest quiz grade will be dropped (not the final!).
The format is multiple choice; I suggest buying a pack of Scantron forms and having them available.
There will be NO makeup quizzes, since you can use a missed quiz as your lowest grade.
2. Photo Assignment (up to 50 points): Each student will complete a photo journal showing geologic
structures that they have visited in San Diego County or elsewhere. Information about the photo
assignment will be on my web site.
3. In-class activities and computer assignments (20 points each). You must download the appropriate
worksheet from the website (homework page). Dates are listed on the schedule in the syllabus. In-class
activities cannot be made up at home and are usually graded at the end of the class. The computer
assignments have a due date listed. I will drop the lowest grade for these activities.
4. Writing Assignment (up to 50 points): This is a comprehensive report on two related geologic
articles from scientific journals. This report should have be a minimum of 800 words. You will
summarize, compare, and contrast the two articles, and include a proper citation for both articles.
Information about the writing assignment is on my web site later in the semester. NOTE: All written
work must be handed in as typed copy – no emails accepted.
5. Group Presentation (up to 100 points): A major contribution to your point total will be to
participate in a team project with 2-3 other students. Your team will research a geologic topic, using
journal articles, books, the Internet and other sources. Your team will then present the results of the
research to the rest of the class. More information about the team projects, including a list of topics is on
the web site.
The following are considered “Extra Credit” in addition to the above:
**6. Field Trips (10 points per day with completed handout). More information on my web site.
7. Weekend Field Trip (10 pts per day with completed handout) Joint trip with Mesa College
scheduled for the weekend of December 2-4; more information on web site.
8. Additional Article Reviews (10 points each; up to 2 per semester): These should be about 500
words long and include the appropriate citation and bibliography.
9. Volcano Talk (up to 20 pts) – 5-minute presentation on a particular volcano.
Late Work Policy: I do not accept late work
Excused Absences: Military obligations, religious holidays for which work is not permitted, and
illness/injury with doctor’s note. Other emergencies or work obligations on a case-by-case basis. Please
let me know as much as possible in advance.
CELL PHONE/COMPUTER POLICY: No visible or audible cell phones in class or lab. Every time
I see your cell phone during lecture or lab, I will take 2 points off your final grade. The only exceptions
to this rule are if your wife or child is in late stage pregnancy or you are awaiting organ donation. Please
let me know if either of these apply to you.
In the class or lab, personal computers are to be used for note-taking, following the power point, or
accessing the ebook ONLY. Any other use is prohibited and the same 2 point penalty will apply.
Fine Print Stuff:
 It is the student’s responsibility to drop all classes in which he/she is no longer attending.
 It is the instructor’s discretion to withdraw a student after the add/drop deadline, (see below for
date) due to excessive absences. I define excessive absences as more than 3.
 Students who remain enrolled in a class beyond the published withdrawal deadline, as stated in
the class schedule, will receive an evaluative letter grade in this class.
 The final grade in this class will be affected by active participation, including attendance, due to
the in-class activities and oral homework assignments.
 If you have a disability and need academic accommodations, please notify me as soon as
possible.
 Academic Dishonesty: At the instructor’s discretion, you can receive a zero for the assignment, a
failing grade for the class and be reported to the administration for further sanctions.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Sept. 2 Last day to add. Last day to drop with no “W” recorded.
Sept. 23 Pass/no pass deadline
Oct. 28: Last day to withdraw without an evaluative grade.
Wed, Dec 14, 2011: Final Exam
*In-class assignments include a total of 3 class periods of hands-on mineral and rock identification s and
one class period using relative dating methods to analyze stratigraphic cross-sections. You must be in
class on those days to get credit for these activities.
**Field trips include trips to nearby locales, eastern San Diego County to observe igneous plutonic
formations and desert geology and coastal San Diego to observe and map Eocene sedimentary formations.
Tentative Course Outline, Geol 100, Fall 2011
Date
Subject
Chapter (Section titles are written in red in text)
M 8/22
Introduction
Ch 1 Earth’s Internal Structure; The Dynamic Earth
W 8/24
Plate Tectonics
Ch 15 – Plate Tectonics: The New Paradigm, Plate Boundaries
M 8/29
Plate Tectonics
Ch 15 – Testing the Plate Tectonics Model, Measuring Plate Motion (omit
Apparent Polar Wandering)
W 8/31
Minerals
Ch 2 – Minerals: Building Blocks of Rocks, Elements: Building Blocks of
Minerals, Properties of Minerals, Mineral Groups.
W 9/7
Ch 2 – The Silicates, Common Silicate Minerals, Important Non-Silicate
Quiz#1 Ch. 1,15
Minerals
Minerals
M 9/12
Minerals
Minerals cont’d (Bring mineral ID exercise to class)
W 9/14
F 9/16
M 9/19
W 9/21
M 9/26
Ch 1 Rock Cycle, Ch 3, Magma, Igneous Textures, Igneous Compositions
Scripps Ranch, Miramar Lake, Mt. Woodson
Ch 3 – Naming Igneous Rocks , How Magmas Evolve
Ch 3 Cont’d (Bring igneous rock ID exercise to class)
Ch 6 Read entire chapter
W 9/28
M 10/3
Igneous Rocks
Field Trip#1
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Quiz #2 Ch. 2,3
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphism
W 10/5
M 10/10
W 10/12
M 10/17
Rock ID ( ch 6,7)
Radiometric Dating
Radiometric Dating
Geologic Time
W 10/19
Quiz#3, Ch 6, 7
Geologic Time
Earthquakes
Earthquakes
Mountain Building
Mountain Building
Field Trip 2
Mountain Building
Quiz#4, Ch 14,18
Volcanoes/Igneous
Activity
Volcanoes/Igneous
Activity
Volcanoes
(Bring sedimentary and metamorphic rock ID exercise to class)
Ch 18 – Dating with Radioactivity
Ch 18 – Dating with Radioactivity, Carbon-14 Assignment Due
Ch 18 – Geology Needs a Time Scale, Relative Dating – Key Principles,
Correlation of Rock Layers, Fossils, Geologic Time Scale
Ch 18 – Cont’d (Bring Correlation Exercise to class)
1st call for presentation groups/topics
Ch 14 – Entire Chapter up to Probing Earth’s Interior
Ch 14 Cont’d Earthquake Assignment Due
Ch 17 –Folds, Faults, Writing Assignment due
Ch 17 –Mountain Building (rest of chapter)
San Diego Coastal
Ch 17 –Mountain Building cont’d
Ch 4 – Mt. St. Helens vs. Kilauea, The Nature of Volcanic Eruptions,
Materials Extruded During an Eruption, Volcanic Structures and Eruptive
Styles, Volcano Talks
Ch 4 – Living in the Shadow of a Composite Cone, Other Volcanic
Landforms, Intrusive Igneous Activity, Volcano Talks
Ch. 4, cont’d, Plate Tectonics and Igneous Activity, Volcano talks
presentation groups/topics due
Ch. 20 Entire Chapter
Ch. 20 cont.
M 10/24
W 10/26
M 10/31
W 11/2
F 11/4
M 11/7
W 11/9
M 11/14
W 11/16
M 11/28
W 11/30
Fri 12/2Sun12/4
M 12/5
W 12/7
M12/12
Global Warming
Quiz #5 Ch 17,4
Global Warming
Weekend Field
Trip
GW/Presentations
Presentations
Presentations
Ch 6 - Cont’d
Ch 7 –Entire Chapter
Tentative location is the Mecca Hills, near the Salton Sea
W 12/14
Final Exam
Photo Assignment and all outstanding assignments due