ESCI 451, Earth in Film
SPRING 2016
Lecture: Tu-Th 2.10 pm – 3.30 pm
Recitation (Film screening and Discussion): Wednesday: 6.10 – 9 pm
4 credits, Discovery PS (WITHOUT lab designation), Special Fee
Julia G. Bryce
Michael Palace
Kaitlyn McPherran
Course Overview: Earth in Film uses the cinema to engage students in studying physical and
biological processes at work in the Earth System to foster the development of conceptual
understanding of intersections between Earth system processes and its inhabitants. We focus on
processes driving Earth system-society interactions such as natural hazards (earthquakes,
volcanism, impact events), biological change, climate change, and storms, with an emphasis on
enhancing an appreciation of societal impacts due to natural disasters and climate change.
Operandi: ESCI 451 will use UNH’s Canvas system to provide course information, assignments,
and record grades for the class. Continuously check that your grades are properly recorded on
Canvas. Problems should immediately be brought to the attention of the instructional team.
Textbook
Langmuir and Broecker, How to Build a Habitable Planet: The Story of Earth from the Big Bang to
Humankind, 2012 (revised), Princeton University Press, (ebook ISBN: 9781400841974); Hardcover
ISBN: 9780691140063)
Homework
Homework assignments will include weekly reading assignments, viewing of all films, and
completion of a question set in response to each reading and to each film. Reading assignment
question sets are due at the beginning of Tuesday lectures, film question sets are due at the
beginning of Thursday lectures (please do not email solutions). Question sets turned in after the
beginning of lecture may be turned in up until the final exam, with a maximum of 1/2 credit
awarded. Students are encouraged to work together on homework assignments but must hand in
their own work. Students are not permitted to hand in work that is identical to another
student’s work.
Quizzes and iclickers
There will be a quiz given through the course of each lecture that will cover lecture material and
assigned reading. Quizzes will generally be given using the iclicker system, and in these cases
results will usually be available on the course website within 24 hours. Every student is responsible
for checking Canvas to ensure their quiz grades are being recorded. Problems should immediately
be brought to the attention of the teaching team. Make-up quizzes are not given. If a student is
present in class but their iclicker is not working or has been forgotten, they may write their answers
on a sheet of paper and hand it in at the end of that class, but 2 points (usually out of a possible 5)
will automatically be deducted from the quiz score. The lowest four quiz scores (out of a total of 22
quizzes) will not count towards the student’s grade.
Exams
Four exams will occur during the semester. The 4th exam will be given at the time of the final,
Friday May 13th, 3:30-5:30 PM, though it will only cover the last unit (there is no cumulative final
exam).
Grading
Grades will be calculated based on the following formula:
50% - exams (20% best exam; 10% other three exam scores)
20% - 18 highest quiz grades (out of 21)*
20% - 10 highest homework grades (out of 12)*
10% - 10 highest film worksheet grades (out of 12)*
*Note we will make reasonable adjustments if there are a large number of snow days.
Final grades will be assessed roughly based on the UNH grading scale.
Notes on Collaborations and Academic Honesty: Collaborative work on assignments is
recommended, but all students are expected to submit independently constructed write-ups, unless a
joint write-up is requested for a particular assignment. TAs will continue reject work clearly copied
from other 451 students. While pursuing questions requesting further research, folks are required to
rephrase their findings in their own words and document their sources. The teaching team has the
right to return without grading any submitted work that copies material verbatim from websites and
neglects to document sources.
Special Accommodation Requests and Optimizing Success: The University is committed to
providing students with documented disabilities equal access to all university programs and
facilities. If you think you have a disability requiring accommodations, you must register with
Disability Services for Students (DSS). Contact DSS at disability.office@unh.edu, (603) 862-2607
or www.unh.edu/disabilityservices/clockwork. Those requesting accommodations because of a
documented disability are required to provide documentation to the teaching staff (professors and,
as needed, teaching assistant) ASAP. Special accommodations for exams must be made a minimum
of one week in advance. Your academic success in this course is very important to us. If, during the
semester, you find emotional or mental health issues are affecting that success, please contact the
University’s Counseling Center (3 rd fl, Smith Hall; 603 862-2090/TTY: 7-1-1), which provides
counseling appointments and other mental health services.
Decorum and Electronic equipment in class: To ensure a climate of learning for all, disruptive or
inappropriate behavior (repeated outbursts, disrespect for the ideas of others, etc.) may result in
exclusion (removal) from this class. As a reminder, cell phone/tablet/laptop use, including text
messaging, is not permitted in this class by Faculty Senate rule unless by instructor permission
(which we grant for participation in the Quizzes only). If you’re obnoxious, interfering with others
or with instructional staff, please expect to have your offending equipment confiscated.
Web Readings
(1) Dinosaurs http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dinosaurs/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/dinorama/
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs/
TENTATIVE CALENDAR
Week
Tuesdays
Wednesday Evenings
1
(JGB)
1/26 Earth’s Formation
Reading: Chs 2,5
HW 1
1/27 Earth’s Formation
Film: The Martian
2
(JGB)
2/2 Earth in Space
Reading: Ch 3 & 8
HW 2, Quiz 2
2/3 Earth in Space
Film: Deep Impact
3
(JGB)
2/9
Earth’s Interior
Reading: Ch 11
HW 3, Quiz 4
2/10
Earth’s Interior
Film: The Core
4
(JGB)
2/16 Earthquakes
Reading: Ch 7
HW 4, Quiz 6
2/17 Earthquakes
Film: San Andreas
5
(JGB)
2/23 Exam Week
In class review
2/24 Exam Week
No film
6
(MWP)
3/1 Evolution
Reading: Ch 13,14, 15
HW 5, Quiz 8
3/2 Evolution
Film: Creation
Thursdays
1/28
Earth’s Formation
Quiz 1,
Movie worksheet 1
2/4
Earth in Space
Quiz 3,
Movie worksheet 2
2/11
Earth’s Interior
Quiz 5,
Movie worksheet 3
2/18 Earthquakes
Quiz 7, Movie worksheet 4
2/25 Exam Week
In class Exam 1
3/3
Evolution
Quiz 9,
Movie worksheet 5
7
(MWP)
3/8
Dinosaurs
reading (1)
HW 6, Quiz 10
3/9 Dinosaurs
Film: Jurassic Park
3/10
Dinosaurs
Quiz 11,
Movie worksheet 6
8
(MWP)
3/22 Extinction
Reading: Ch 17
HW 7, Quiz 12
3/23 Extinction
Film: Chasing Extinction
3/24 Extinction
Quiz 13,
Movie worksheet 7
9
(MWP)
3/29 Exam Week
In class review
3/30 Exam Week
No film
3/31 Exam Week
In class Exam 2
10
(JGB)
4/5 Volcanoes
Reading: Chs. 10, 11
HW 8, Quiz 14
4/6 Volcanoes
Film: Dante’s Peak
4/7 Volcanoes
Quiz 15,
Movie worksheet 8
11
(JGB)
4/12 Super Volcanoes
Reading: Ch 12
HW 9, Quiz 16
4/13 Super Volcanoes
Film: Supervolcano
12
(JGB)
4/19 Exam Week
In class review
4/20 Exam Week
No film
4/21 Exam Week
In class Exam 3
13
(MWP)
4/26 Climate Change
Reading: Ch 18,19, 20
HW 10, Quiz 18
4/27 Climate Change
Film: The Day After
Tomorrow
4/28 Climate Change
Quiz 19,
Movie worksheet 10
14
(MWP)
5/3 Hurricanes
Assigned web reading
HW 12, Quiz 20
5/4 Hurricanes
Film: The Perfect
Storm
5/5 Hurricanes
Movie worksheet 12,
Quiz 21
4/14
Super Volcanoes
Quiz 17,
Movie worksheet 9