GEO 101NL: Introduction to Physical Geology
Spring 2015
COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor:
Office:
Contact:
Office Hours:
Anita Ho
SAT 177
756-3873, aho@fvcc.edu (preferred)
MWF 10:00-11:00 am; TTh 1:00-2:00 pm
Lectures:
Labs:
Class & Lab Location:
MWF 12:00-12:50 pm
T 2:00-3:50 pm
SAT 130
I. Catalog Description
Basic concepts of earth materials and processes—minerals, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks, the
rock cycle, weathering, erosion and development of landforms. Introduction to plate tectonics, volcanism,
mountain building, continental structure, evolution and structural geology. Lab exercises to illustrate all aspects of
lectures.” 4 credits
II. Course Learning Objectives
“Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
- Understand the origin of and identify numerous common minerals and resources.
- Understand the the origin of and identify numerous common sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks.
- Understand the theory of plate tectonics, continental formation and mountain building.
- Understand and identify the erosional and depositional landforms resulting from water, wind and ice
processes.”
Additionally, the student will apply scientific concepts and methods of inquiry.
III. Required Texts and Materials
- Tarbuck, Lutgens and Tasa, Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology with MasteringGeology, 11th ed.,
Prentice Hall, 2014.
- National Association of Geoscience Teachers and Busch, ed., Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology, 9 th
ed., Prentice Hall, 2011.
IV. Electronic Course Resources and Email
- For this course, you are required to purchase access to MasteringGeology (http://www.masteringgeology.
com); daily reading quizzes, homework and review materials will be found here. The course ID to register
with is GEO101S15HO.
- A variety of useful resources are available to students in this course via Eagle Online (formerly D2L), at
https://fvcc.desire2learn.com/d2l/login. A copy of this syllabus, web links and study guides related to class
topics, exam review materials, copies of class presentations as well as important announcements and your
current grades may be found here, and it should be your first stop for any questions related to this class. I
encourage you to refer to the home page for GEO 101 often, as it will be updated on a daily basis
throughout the semester.
- The FVCC Geology/Geography home page, which may be accessed via the Faculty Directory on the
FVCC home page, at http://home2.fvcc.edu/~aho/, includes a link to this course. Here you will find links to
many handy and relevant web resources and earth and environmental science-related news items.
- You are expected use your Eagle Mail account (@fvcc.edu) for all FVCC-related communications. This is
the email address to which I will send class-related messages. Please be sure to check it regularly, and/or
forward the mail from this account to any other email address you use more frequently.
V. Grades
All graded assignments are assigned point values from which a final grade is calculated. You will earn your final
course grade as follows:
Class work, MasteringGeology and in-class exercises (~10-50 pts. each)
30%
Exams (70-100 pts. each)
50%*
Weekly lab exercises (10 pts. each)
10%
Final project and presentation (100-200 pts.)
10%
Service learning* (including a final reflection)
5%*
100%
*NOTE: Completion of 15 hours of service learning through FVCC’s Service
Grading Scale (%)
Learning office during this semester is OPTIONAL and will count as 5% of
93.0-100
A
your final grade, lowering the exam portion of your grade to 45%. Please notify
90.0-92.9
Ame before spring break begins if you choose this option.
87.0-89.9
B+
83.0-86.9
B
Grades, as percentages, are rounded to the nearest tenth, and letter grades
80.0-82.9
Bare assigned as shown at right. (The boundaries may be lowered if the class
77.0-79.9
C+
average is lower than 75.0%.)
73.0-76.9
C
70.0-72.9
CI do my best to return graded assignments in this course within a week after
67.0-69.9
D+
submission. You may access your grades at any time on D2L. (Please note
60.0-66.9
D
that scores reported there are unofficial grades.)
0 – 59.9
F
VI. Course Policies and Expectations
- This is a 4-credit course, and I expect you to spend a minimum of 4 hours per week outside of class
studying and reviewing material and completing homework.
- We have a lot of material to cover, so please arrive to class on time, attend regularly and participate in class
activities. Your study habits will be reflected in the grade you earn.
- I do not give grades of “I” or “WI” except under extreme circumstances. The last day to drop or request an
audit for a full semester class is Tuesday, April 14 and it is your responsibility to do so.
- FVCC instructors are expected to issue Early Alerts to students who struggle academically and/or fail to
attend classes regularly. Early Alerts are issued via e-mail and will appear on your Student Portal.
- Please be courteous and civil on campus, and non-disruptive in class! All College regulations, as stated in
the “Student Rights and Responsibilities” section (p. 23-25) of FVCC’s 2014-2015 Academic Catalog, apply.
Please note especially the College policies on the student code of conduct, academic integrity and cell
phones (“…are required to be turned off in classrooms”). Anyone found guilty of academic dishonesty in
this course will receive a zero on the assignment and may fail this course.
- No makeup exams or quizzes are given except under extreme circumstances. If a genuine emergency
arises, please do your best to let me know, as soon as possible, what is going on.
- You will have a minimum of one week to complete homework exercises; therefore, late work is not
accepted. Homework is often discussed on the day it is due, so it is not fair to your classmates for me to
accept it late. I will always accept it early! Since emergencies do periodically arise, you have one “No
Questions Asked” coupon to use during the semester. Be sure to read the fine print on it!
- Please settle questions about grading within one week of the assignment being returned.
- Spelling and grammar always count! (See the “General guidelines for grading of written work.")
- Work hard, have fun and learn a lot—the semester will be over before we know it! 
VII. Disability Access
If you have a documented learning disability and need academic accommodations, please let me know within
the first week of class. FVCC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with
disabilities. Any student who feels she or he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability
should contact the FVCC Disabilities Specialist, Anna San Diego, at 406-756-3881, in LRC 129.
VIII. Schedule (Dates are tentative and subject to change, so please pay attention in class!)
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Date
Lecture topics (Textbook chapter)
Lab topics
1. M Jan 19
2. W Jan 21
3. F Jan 23
4. M Jan 26
5. W Jan 28
6. F Jan 30
7. M Feb 2
8. W Feb 4
9. F Feb 6
10. M Feb 9
11. W Feb 11
12. F Feb 13
M Feb 16
13. W Feb 18
14. F Feb 20
15. F Feb 23
16. W Feb 25
17. F Feb 27
18. M Mar 2
19. W Mar 4
20. F Mar 6
21. M Mar 9
22. W Mar 11
23. F Mar 13
24. M Mar 16
25. W Mar 18
26. F Mar 20
27. M Mar 23
28. W Mar 25
29. F Mar 27
Introductions; Science (1)
“
Origin of Earth (1)
1. Understanding science
Continental drift (2)
Plate tectonics (2)
“
2. Plate tectonics
“
Earth’s interior (12)
“
3. Seismology
Seismology (11)
“
WRAP-UP & REVIEW
4. Volcanism: Mount Pinatubo
Presidents’ Day (NO CLASSES!) 
Exam 1
Magma and igneous rocks (4)
5. Igneous rocks and magma
“
The origins of magma (4)
“
6. Magma and volcanic hazards
Volcanic hazards (5)
“
“
College For A Day (NO CLASSES!) 
WRAP-UP & REVIEW
Exam 2
Sedimentary rocks (7)
7. Sedimentary rocks
“
Sedimentary environments (7)
Metamorphic rocks (8)
8. Metamorphic rocks and geologic
dating
“
Fossil fuels (23)
“
9. Rock ID practice exam
Mar 30-Apr 3
11
12
13
14
15
30. M Apr 6
31. W Apr 8
32. F Apr 10
33. M Apr 13
34. W Apr 15
35. F Apr 17
36. M Apr 20
37. W Apr 22
38. F Apr 24
39. M Apr 27
40. W Apr 29
41. F May 1
42. M May 4
43. W May 6
44. F May 8
Spring break (NO CLASSES!) 
Geologic time (9)
Absolute dating (9)
WRAP-UP & REVIEW
10. Rock ID exam
Exam 3
Water: Mass wasting (15)
”
11. Topographic maps and streams;
Minerals I
“
Wind: Deserts (19)
“
12. Deserts; Minerals II
Ice: Glaciers (18)
“
"
13. Landforms in the Flathead Valley;
Minerals III
Final project presentations
“
WRAP-UP & REVIEW
14. Mineral ID exam
Final exam period: Monday, May 11, 12:00-1:50 pm
Exam 4
General guidelines for grading of written work in this course:
5
3
1
Content
Organization
Style/Expression
Conventions
The essay explains the
topic with extensive
elaboration and the use of
specific details, examples
and vocabulary.
The essay contains points
made in a logical order
and uses effective
transitions between points.
The language is fluent,
with clear and effective
expression of ideas, with
precise word choice and
accurate use of
appropriate vocabulary.
The essay has a minimal
number of errors and
demonstrates an
outstanding command of
writing conventions:
mechanics and grammar,
usage, sentence structure,
spelling and format.
The essay explains the
topic with some
elaboration and specific
details.
The essay is clear enough
to follow without difficulty
and sticks to the topic.
The language is at times
awkward or unclear, and
some word choices may
be inaccurate or
inappropriate.
A basic control of
conventions is apparent,
including the use of
complete sentences,
pronoun and verb
agreement, punctuation,
spelling and format.
The essay shows an
attempt to engage the
topic defined by very little
elaboration, specific detail
or explanation.
The essay is poorly
organized and lacks clear
movement or
connectedness, and the
ideas are difficult to follow.
Sentences are often
unclear or awkward, and
word choices are often
inaccurate or
inappropriate.
There are severe
problems with conventions
which significantly impede
understanding.
Spring semester 2015 dates to keep in mind
Jan 23 (F)
Last day to register or add full semester classes without instructor's signature
Jan 30 (F)
Last day to return textbooks for a full refund in college bookstore
Feb 2 (M)
Last day to add full semester classes (instructor's permission required)
Feb 2 (M)
Last day to drop full semester classes and receive a partial refund
Feb 6 (F)
Last day to drop full semester classes without a "W" grade recorded
Feb 16 (M)
Presidents' Day holiday (No classes)
Feb 27 (F)
Graduation applications due
Mar 3 (T)
College for a day (No classes)
Mar 30-Apr 3
Spring break (No classes)
Apr 14 (T)
Last day to drop or request an audit for full semester classes
May 16 (F)
Commencement