WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY
REQUIRED CHECKLIST FOR ALL CURRICULAR PROPOSALS
Course or Program: GEOS 199 Dynamic Earth Laboratory
This checklist enables A2C2 representatives to endorse that their departments have accurately followed the Process for Accomplishing
Curricular Change. For each course or program proposal submitted to A2C2, this checklist must be completed, signed by the submitting
department's A2C2 representative, and included with the proposal when forwarded for approval. Peer review of proposals is also strongly advised,
e.g., departments should discuss and vote on the proposals as submitted to A2C2, rather than on just the ideas proposed or drafts of proposals.
If a proposal fails to follow or complete any aspect of the process, the Course and Program Proposal Subcommittee will postpone consideration
of the proposal and return it to the department's A2C2 representative for completion and resubmission. Resubmitted proposals have the same status
as newly submitted proposals.
Note: This form need not be completed for notifications.
1.
The appropriate forms and the “Approval Form" have been completed in full for this proposal. All necessary or relevant descriptions,
rationales, and notifications have been provided.
___X___ Completed
2a. The “Financial and Staffing Data Sheet" has been completed and is enclosed in this proposal, if applicable.
____ ___ Completed
__ X ______ NA
2b. For departments that have claimed that “existing staff" would be teaching the course proposed, an explanation has been enclosed in this proposal
as to how existing staff will do this, e.g., what enrollment limits can be accommodated by existing staff. If no such explanation is enclosed, the
department's representative is prepared to address A2C2's questions on this matter.
___ ___ Completed
___ X _____ NA
3.
Arrangements have been made so that a department representative knowledgeable of this proposal will be attending both the Course and
Program Proposal Subcommittee meeting and the full A2C2 meeting at which this proposal is considered.
____X___ _ Completed
Name and office phone number of proposal's representative: _William Beatty
457-2241___WBeatty@winona.edu ___
4.
Reasonable attempts have been made to notify and reach agreements with all university units affected by this proposal. Units still opposing a
proposal must submit their objections in writing before or during the Course and Program Proposal Subcommittee meeting at which this
proposal is considered.
___X___ Completed
________ NA
5.
The course name and number is listed for each prerequisite involved in this proposal.
___X___ Completed
________NA
6.
In this proposal for a new or revised program (major, minor, concentration, etc.), the list of prerequisites provided includes all the prerequisites
of any proposed prerequisites. All such prerequisites of prerequisites are included in the total credit hour calculations.
________ Completed ____X___ NA
7.
In this proposal for a new or revised program, the following information for each required or elective course is provided:
a.
The course name and number.
b.
A brief course description.
c.
A brief statement explaining why the program should include the course.
________ Completed
___X___ NA
8.
This course or program revision proposal:
a.
Clearly identifies each proposed change.
b.
Displays the current requirements next to the proposed new requirements, for clear, easy comparison.
________ Completed
____X___ NA
9.
This course proposal provides publication dates for all works listed as course textbooks or references using a standard form of citation.
Accessibility of the cited publications for use in this proposed course has been confirmed.
____X___ _ Completed
________ NA
__________________________________________________
Department's A2C2 Representative or Alternate
____2/26/2010_____
Date
[Revised 9-05]
1
WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY
PROPOSAL FOR UNIVERSITY STUDIES COURSES
Department GEOSCIENCE
Date 19 JANUARY 2010
GEOS 199
Course No.
Dynamic Earth Laboratory
Course Name
This proposal is for a(n)
___X___ Undergraduate Course
Applies to: ___X___ Major
__X___ Required
_____ Elective
1
Credits
___X___ Minor
__X___ Required
_____ Elective
University Studies (A course may be approved to satisfy only one set of outcomes.):
Course Requirements:
Basic Skills:
Arts & Science Core:
_____ 1. College Reading and Writing
_____ 2. Oral Communication
_____ 3. Mathematics
_____ 4. Physical Development & Wellness
Flagged Courses:
_____ 1. Humanities
__X__ 2. Natural Science
_____ 3. Social Science
_____ 4. Fine & Performing Arts
Unity and Diversity:
_____ 1. Critical Analysis
_____ 2. Science and Social Policy
_____ 3. a. Global Perspectives
_____ b. Multicultural Perspectives
_____ 4. a. Contemporary Citizenship
_____ b. Democratic Institutions
_____ 1. Writing
_____ 2. Oral Communication
_____ 3. a. Mathematics/Statistics
_____ b. Critical Analysis
Previous or concurrent enrollment in any Geoscience course numbered 100-150;
Note: to earn four University Studies natural science w/lab credits, this course must be taken during the same semester as GEOS 121
Prerequisites
Provide the following information (attach materials to this proposal):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Course proposals must address all specified outcomes.
The course proposal must include documentation of Course Requirements and learning activities designed to meet the course
outcomes specifies for the area.
The course proposal must include a course description (e.g., a syllabus or course outline for distribution to students) that clearly
identifies (to the student) the course as a University Studies Course.
The course description (e.g., a syllabus or course outline for distribution to students) should also include information directed to
the student that clearly identifies course activities and assignments that address the course outcomes.
Sequences of courses may be submitted to satisfy area requirements. In this case the requested material or documentation in
items 1-4 must be submitted for all of the courses in the sequence.
The USS may request other material (e.g., textbooks) for review in evaluation course proposal.
The USS may request additional information for re-approval.
Attach a University Studies Approval Form.
Department Contact Person for this Proposal:
______ William Beatty _____
Name (please print)
____457-2241___
Phone
_______ WBeatty@winona.edu ___
e-mail address
[Revised 9-05]
2
Introduction:
The coursework for GEOS 199 is currently taught as the lab portion of the U.S. Natural Science W/lab course GEOS 120.
Currently a student can register for the lecture only as the 3-credit course GEOS 121 for 3 natural science credits without a lab. This
course, GEOS 199, would be taken concurrently with GEOS 121 for a 4-credit Natural Science with lab instead of registering for the
course GEOS 120. Once the lab component is split from GEOS 120, GEOS 120 will be retired and GEOS 199 will become a required
laboratory course for the major, which can be taken after or concurrently with any introductory Geoscience course (GEOS 100-150) as
a prerequisite for all future geoscience courses. Students from any other introductory Geoscience course could register for GEOS 199
as a stand-alone laboratory course and gain the required laboratory experience before moving into upper-level Geoscience courses;
however, GEOS 199 would only serve as a U.S. Natural Science with lab when taken concurrently with GEOS 121. Requiring GEOS
199 for entrance to the various Geoscience majors will ensure that all students are prepared equally to move into more advanced
coursework. This change will be followed by a program revision that removes the GEOS 120 requirement and replaces it with any
into-level geoscience course (GEOS 100-150) and GEOS 199
Course Catalog Description
199 – Dynamic Earth Laboratory – 1 S.H.
This lab allows students to actively engage in solving geologic problems through hands-on activities and exercises. Examples include
observation, testing, and identification of mineral and rock specimens, construction and interpretation of geologic and topographic
maps to gain understanding of geologic processes such as plate tectonics, and building basic skills with new technologies important to
the geosciences (such as GIS). During each lab, students record observations, analyze findings, and discuss results. Prerequisite or
concurrent: Any GEOS course numbered 100-150. To earn 4 credits of University Studies Lab Science, this course must be taken
concurrently with GEOS 121 Dynamic Earth. Offered every semester.
Course Outline
Topics to be covered include:
1. Units & conversions
a. Significant figures
b. Scientific notation
2. Topographic maps
a. Topographic profiles and vertical
exaggeration
b. Analysis of a topographic quadrangle map
3. Geological investigations using Google Earth & GIS
4. Mineral properties & identification
a. Mineral properties and uses
b. Mineral identification
5. Description and interpretation of igneous,
sedimentary & metamorphic rocks
a. Rock cycle
b. Igneous processes and rocks
c. Sedimentary processes and rocks
d. Metamorphic processes and rocks
e. Hand sample analysis and interpretation
6. Plate tectonics
a. What drives plate tectonics
b. The origin of magma
c. Measuring plate tectonics
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Geologic time
a. Determining relative ages of rocks
b. Radiometric dating
c. Interpreting a geologic cross section
Geologic structures & geologic maps
a. Block diagrams
b. Analysis of a geologic map
Stream processes
a. Stream processes and landscapes
b. Meander evolution
c. Stream erosion and mass wasting
Groundwater processes
a. Groundwater movement
b. Land subsidence
Glacial processes
a. Glacial landforms
b. Glaciations in Wisconsin
Earthquake hazards & seismic data
a. Graphing seismic data
b. Locating the epicenter of an earthquake
c. Determining relative motions along a fault
Weathering
a. Physical weathering processes
b. Chemical weathering processes
Course requirements and means of evaluation
Students will gain an understanding of how geologists approach scientific problems and the methods used to solve those
problems. Through individual and group work, they will develop skills in critical thinking, multiple working hypotheses, and
using mathematics and technology to solve geologic problems. Many times they will be challenged to synthesize ideas or
interpretations from a list of observations or facts.
Before each lab students will be given a reading assignment and pre-lab exercises to be completed before coming to lab.
During problem-solving exercises in the lab, they will have the opportunity to work in small groups, sharing and critically
evaluating their own data and observations as well as the observations and interpretations of others in the group. At the end of
each lab they will be asked to review their work with the instructor and demonstrate their understanding of the material covered
that week. Students will also be asked to demonstrate proficiency in the skills they have learned, such as identifying minerals
3
and rocks, reading and interpreting topographic and geologic maps, interpreting scientific data and formulating solutions to
geologic problems, through practical laboratory exams. The weekly checkouts, along with the exams, will help both students
and the instructor track progress throughout the semester.
Course Materials
Textbook: Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology (8th Edition), Richard M. Busch, Ed. American Geological
Institute/National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Major Focus and Course Objectives
Course objectives will be achieved via lecture, homework and lab assignments.
In this course, students will:
 learn how scientists approach and solve problems relevant to geology;
 learn the unique methods employed in interpreting and solving geologic problems;
 investigate complex problems and learn to integrate series of concepts and methods learned in introductory Geoscience
courses;
 develop inductive reasoning skills in exercises such as the identification of minerals and rocks or the interpretation of
geologic and topographic maps;
 develop mathematical skills such as using proportionalities and ratios, calculating gradients, measuring the offset in
earthquake wave arrival times, and determining earthquake location by graphical methods; and
 build collaborative learning skills.
University Studies Outcomes
This course qualifies as a University Studies course satisfying the outcomes of the Natural Science Category. If you
successfully complete the course requirements, you will earn 1 credit toward completion of the Natural Science category. This
course satisfies the laboratory requirement of the USP Natural Science category if taken concurrently with GEOS 121 Dynamic
Earth.
The purpose of the Natural Science requirement in the University Studies program is to provide students with the tools to
understand and be able to apply the methods by which scientific inquiry increases our understanding of the natural world.
These courses must include requirements and learning activities that promote students' abilities to...
a.
understand how scientists approach and solve problems in the natural sciences;
b.
apply those methods to solve problems that arise in the natural sciences;
c.
use inductive reasoning, mathematics, or statistics to solve problems in natural science;
d.
engage in independent and collaborative learning;
e.
identify, find, and use the tools of information science as it relates to natural science;
f.
critically evaluate both source and content of scientific information; and
g.
recognize and correct scientific misconceptions.
These outcomes will be integrated throughout course content:
a. Students are given ample opportunity to understand how scientists approach and solve problems relevant to geology.
They will utilize standard methods employed in interpreting and solving geologic problems. Theories fundamental to
geology are developed in a historical context that illustrates both the way ideas have developed over time and how
technological innovations have changed the types of data available to geologists. In the process, students learn about
multiple hypotheses put forth by different scientists to explain the same set of observations. In this way, they are
encouraged to view science not as a static body of facts but as an investigative method for understanding the natural
world.
b. Students will apply basic geologic methods to solving problems. Laboratory exercises are longer and more complex
than problems that students face in a lecture and may involve integration of a series of concepts and methods learned
in lecture. On exams, students are asked to solve problems similar to those they have encountered previously. The
problems are necessarily simplified when compared to those that face practicing geologists today because this is an
introductory general-education course with no prerequisites (particularly in mathematics and physics). Given the
level of the course, however, they are realistic problems that raise students’ awareness of issues relevant to the
discipline.
c. Students will use inductive reasoning in the lab in exercises such as the identification of minerals and rocks and the
interpretation of geologic and topographic maps. Mathematics is frequently employed as a tool to aid in the solution
of geologic problems in the lab. For example, students use proportionalities and ratios, calculate gradients, measure
4
d.
e.
f.
g.
the offset in earthquake wave arrival times, and determine earthquake location by graphical methods.
Many exercises are designed as collaborative activities with students working in teams of two or four people.
Independent learning is ensured by laboratory exams.
Laboratory exercises allow students to access real-time and historical geologic data on earthquakes, volcanoes, and
rivers for use during and after the lab session. GIS and Google Earth are incorporated into laboratory exercises to
provide students with early experience in these technologies
Through the problem-solving exercises described in parts b and c above, students critically evaluate scientific
information. Problems posed in laboratory and on exams often require students to interpret geologic information and
determine the validity of different hypotheses put forth by scientists or by the students themselves to explain
observations.
Students bring many misconceptions about the Earth to introductory geology classes. These misconceptions are
addressed by querying students about their current understanding of the concept. New information is then presented,
and students are encouraged to actively participate in reasoning their way to a correct understanding. Exams test
retention of these ideas.
5
WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY STUDIES APPROVAL FORM
Routing form for University Studies Course approval.
Department Recommendation
Course____GEOS 199; Dynamic Earth Lab_____
_____ Approved
_________________________________
Department Chair
________________
Date
Dean’s Recommendation _____ Approved
_________________________________
Dean of College
_____ Disapproved
____________________________________________
e-mail address
_____ Disapproved*
________________
Date
*In the case of a dean’s recommendation to disapprove a proposal, a written rationale for the recommendation to disapprove shall
be provided to the University Studies Subcommittee.
USS Recommendation
_____ Approved
_________________________________
University Studies Director
A2C2 Recommendation
_____ Disapproved
________________
Date
_____ Approved
_________________________________
Chair of A2C2
Faculty Senate Recommendation
_____ Disapproved
________________
Date
_____ Approved
_________________________________
President of Faculty Senate
_____ Disapproved
________________
Date
Academic Vice President Recommendation _____ Approved
_________________________________
Academic Vice President
Decision of President
_____ Approved
_________________________________
President
_____ No recommendation
_____ Disapproved
________________
Date
_____ Disapproved
________________
Date
Please forward to Registrar.
Registrar
_________________
Date entered
Please notify department chair via e-mail that curricular change has been recorded.
[Revised 9-05]
6