ESCI 451, Earth in Film
SPRING 2015
Lecture: Tu-Th 2.10 pm – 3.30 pm, James G 46
Recitation (Film screening and Discussion): Tuesday: 6.10 – 9 pm, James G46
4 credits, Discovery PS (WITHOUT lab designation), Special Fee
Julia G. Bryce
julie.bryce@unh.edu
Matthew Huber
matthew.huber@unh.edu
Kaitlyn McPherran
kam2026@wildcats.unh.edu
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 Blackboard system to provide course information,
assignments, and record grades for the class. Continuously check that your grades are properly
recorded on blackboard. Problems should immediately be brought to the attention of the
instructional team.
Textbook
Keller and DeVecchio, Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and
Catastrophes, 4th edition preferred (can purchase as paperback or à la carte)
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 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 Blackboard site within 24 hours. Every student is
responsible for checking Blackboard to make sure his/her quiz grades are being recorded
properly. Problems should immediately be brought to the attention of one of the instructors or the
TA. 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 two quiz scores (out of a total of 20 quizzes) will not count
towards the student’s grade.
Exams
Four exams will occur during the semester, one for each 3-film unit. The 4th exam will be given
at the time of the final, 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 20)
20% - 10 highest homework grades (out of 11)
10% - 10 highest film worksheet grades (out of 11)
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. We 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. We
have the right to return without grading any submitted work that copies material verbatim from
websites and neglects to document their sources.
Special Accommodations: Those requesting accommodations because of a documented
disability are asked to provide documentation to the teaching staff (professor and, as needed,
teaching assistant) ASAP. Special accommodations for exams must be made a minimum of one
week in advance.
Electronic equipment in class: If you’re obnoxious, interfering with others or with instructional
staff, please expect to have your offending equipment confiscated.
Web Readings
(1) Evolution http://evolution.berkeley.edu/ (especially “Evolution 101”)
(2) Dinosaurs http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dinosaurs/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/dinorama/
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs/
(3) Extinction http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/ice_age/
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/ice_ages/
http://www.amnh.org/science/biodiversity/extinction/IntroFourteenFS.html
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian/essays/pleistocene.htm
TENTATIVE CALENDAR
Week
Tuesdays
1
(JGB)
1/20 Earth’s Interior
Reading: Ch 2
HW 1
1/20 Earth’s Interior
Film: The Core
1/22
Earth’s Interior
Quiz 1,
Movie worksheet 1
2
(JGB)
1/27 Earthquakes
Reading: Ch 3
HW 2, Quiz 2
1/27 Earthquakes
Film: 2012
1/29
Earthquakes
Quiz 3,
Movie worksheet 2
3
(JGB)
2/3
2/3
2/5
Tsunami
Quiz 5,
Movie worksheet 3
4
(JGB)
2/10 Exam Week
In class review
2/10 Exam Week
No film
2/12
Exam Week
In class Exam 1
5
(Huber)
2/17 Evolution
Web reading (1)
HW 4, Quiz 6
2/18 Evolution
Film: Evolution
2/19
Evolution
Quiz 7,
Movie worksheet 4
6
(Huber)
2/24 Dinosaurs
Web reading (2)
HW 5, Quiz 8
2/25 Dinosaurs
Film: Jurassic Park
2/26
Dinosaurs
Quiz 9,
Movie worksheet 5
7
(Huber)
3/3 Extinction
Web reading (3)
HW 6, Quiz 10
3/4 Extinction
Film: Ice Age
3/5
Extinction
Review, Quiz 11,
Movie worksheet 6
8
(Huber)
3/10 Exam Week
In class review
3/10 Exam Week
No film
3/12 Exam Week
In class Exam 2
9
(JGB)
3/24 Volcanoes
Reading: Ch 6
HW 7, Quiz 12
3/24 Volcanoes
Film: Dante’s Peak
3/26 Volcanoes
Quiz 13,
Movie worksheet 7
10
(JGB)
3/31 Super Volcanoes
Reading: Ch 7
HW 8, Quiz 14
3/31 Super Volcanoes
Film: Supervolcano
4/2 Super Volcanoes
Quiz 15,
Movie worksheet 8
4/7 Bolides and Impacts
Reading: Ch 17
HW 9, Quiz 16
4/7 Bolides and Impacts
Film: Deep Impact
4/9
4/14 Exam Week
In class review
4/14 Exam Week
No film
4/16 Exam Week
In class Exam 3
13
(Huber)
4/21 Climate Change
Reading: Ch 10
HW 10, Quiz 18
4/21 Climate Change
Film: The Day After
Tomorrow
4/23 Climate Change
Quiz 19,
Movie worksheet 10
14
(Huber)
4/28 Hurricanes
Reading: Ch 15
HW 11, Quiz 20
4/28 Hurricanes
Film: The Perfect
Storm
4/30
11
(Huber)
12
(JGB)
Tsunami
Reading: Ch 5
HW 3, Quiz 4
Tuesday Evening
Tsunami
Film: Disaster Wars
Thursdays
Bolides and Impacts
Quiz 17,
Movie worksheet 9
Hurricanes
Movie worksheet 12